Step-Secrets

Chapter 1 - Realistically Delusional

Author's note: please read the story description to get more of a background.

Josh POV

Alright, this is it. This will be my last attempt, as futile as I know it is. This will be my last love letter to the love of my life, Tiffany. I've written one of these letters on many occasions since the second grade. Of course, I know what the answer will be; the same as it always has been with a resounding 'hell no, loser!' as she inevitably balls it up and throws it away,

This has to be my final attempt; we just began high school not long ago and it's time to grow out  of doing such things. At this point, I'm not sure why I've kept going with this for as long as I have been. I guess I've refused to face reality because I've been delusional in thinking there might be a sliver of a chance that I could get Tiffany to change her mind. If this one doesn't do it, I don't know what will, I think this is my best work yet.

As the other students are piling into the classroom before the bell rings to start the class, I see Tiffany walk in with her friends. This will always be my favorite part of my day; Tiffany's smile and giggle are so precious and then there's her long, wavy blonde hair. I muster up the courage and walk over to her to give her the letter. However, as I make my way towards her, I feel the paper get snatched away from me.

"What's this, you dork?" Says the person who took my letter. It's Dirk. The class clown and delinquent. His desk is right next to mine. He's a jerk. He's surrounded by a couple of his fellow delinquents

"Hey, give that back," I shout, while trying to reach for it, "that's not for you!" Dirk is a little taller than me so I can't get it from him. Not only that, his friends are holding me back.

"Let's see who it is for." Dirk proclaims. He unfolds it and looks like he see's who it's for. I sigh. Not like this. "Oh, what the fuck? This is a love letter. How old are you, loser." To my horror, I see him turn to Tiffany who's been watching the scene unfold just like everyone else in the room. "It's for you, Tiffany!" Dirk shouts. I look over at Tiffany who now has her hand over her eyes in embarrassment and her friends are laughing at me. "Who wants me to read it out loud!?" Dirk asks the room followed by a resounding 'yeah!'

"Dirk, don't you dare," Tiffany comes running toward him, "I'm already embarrassed enough just from the whole idea of this letter. I don't need to hear the contents. Just give it to me so I can toss it, like always."

"Tiffany..." I say softly but she doesn't even acknowledge me. Before this could go any further, the bell rings and in walks our homeroom teacher, Mr. Roberts.

"Everyone, take your seats," Mr. Roberts declares, "we've got a lot to cover."

"Hey, give it back!" I yell at Dirk, but his friends still have me pinned. Tiffany then snatches the letter from Dirk's hand.

"Students, sit down now, or you're getting detention!" Mr. Roberts shouts. We all take our seats immediately. I'm all flustered by all the commotion, I don't even see what Tiffany does with the letter.

Later, after the class ends, I try to avoid everyone's gaze, especially Tiffany's and try to hurriedly out of the classroom.  But then, I felt my suit jacket getting pulled from behind. I turn around and saw Tiffany,

"Not so fast, duncehead!" she shouts, this catches the attention of the rest of the class.

"I don't know how many times and in how many different ways I can say this, before it sinks in," she says, "I've tried letting you down in a kind way in the past, but since you don't seem to get it, I have no choice but to tell you this right here and now in front of all these witnesses: there is no time or place or realm of possibility that I will ever see you as anything more than an annoying, loser classmate. You do this one more time, I won't just go to the principal but I'll take this and all your other letters with me to the police as evidence of you stalking me."

I'll admit, I knew she would do this, I really wasn't expecting it to be in front of everyone like this, but I guess I should have. However, there's one thing in her last statement that really caught my attention.

"You saved all my other letters?" I ask. I'm probably mistaken, but it looks like she was caught off guard for a split second.

"Don't talk to me, or look at me, or come near me or any of my friends again, you understand that dweeb?!" she says finally and leaves the class without hearing a response from me. I wasn't expecting to feel as embarrassed as I did, I've never seen her get this angry. It was scary and a little hot but mostly I feel ashamed. I shouldn't be surprised by her reaction.

We only shar one other class together and it's the very last one, study hall, which she ditches most of the time anyways. I also eat my lunch by myself in the student's garden (of which I'm in charge of). So I don't really see her much for the rest of the day. The next morning, I'm told she's changed homeroom classes. So, I didn't see her much, onlyR veery briefly while passing in the halls for the next couple of months and our eyes never met at any of those instances.

I don't let it bother me much though since I remind myself that that letter was the last one, so I resign myself to move on and delve deep into my studies and hobbies. I spend time with my plants and pets, my only real companions in my life since my dad is always either working or with his secret girlfriend

Then, one day, I'm coming home after school when my dad, Fred, is waiting to speak with me. It's been just me and him ever since my mother passed away but recently, he's got himself a secret girlfriend that I've yet to meet. Until now.

"Come sit down, Josh," my dad is sitting at the couch in the living room and motions me to join him, "there's something we need to speak about and someone I want you to meet, finally." After I take my seat across from my dad, a woman comes walking in from down the hallway. It didn't take me long to realize who this woman is.

"Hello, Josh," says the woman, "it's been awhile." I'm stunned. As she says, I haven't seen her quite some time but this is unmistakably Regina, Tiffany's mother. Tiffany's a mirror image of her mother, just as beautiful

"Wait, dad," I say, slowly, "is she your secret girlfriend?"

"You see now why I had to keep her a secret, until now," my dad says, "it's because we know that you and Tiffany have been rocky the past couple years so we didn't want things to be awkward."

"So what do you mean 'until now'?" I ask, "What's changed."

"Josh, your father and I have eloped and are now married." Regina states. Everything's happening so fast. I don't even know what to say. I'm still processing the fact they were dating in the first place.

"So does this mean...?" I say before trailing off. 

"Yes," my dad says as he and Regina nod their head, "our family is getting bigger."

"Hold on," I say, "back up. What do you mean it's about to get bigger? Am I getting a half-sibling on top of everything else?" They both chuckle at this

"I apologize," Regina says, "your father misspoke. I'm not pregnant, yet. But your father meant that you're getting a new mother, me." 

"So very soon," my father says, "the four of us will be living together." Four?!

Oh, no! Why did this only dawn on me now!? If Regina's my step-mother, that means Tiffany is now...my step-sister!

End of chapter. Please comment and vote