Sneaking Around (Nate Maloley)

Chapter 19

The usual Fourth of July Snider cookout is tonight, obviously since it's the fourth of July.  We have this cookout every year, inviting friends and family and just chillin sitting around the fire and roasting marshmallows, swimming and eating my dads famous hot dogs and hamburgers.  I didn't see why they were so great, they tasted like any other hot dog and hamburger but everyone else loved them, maybe they just felt obligated to like them.

I desperately wanted to invite Nate, to be able to cuddle with him by the fire, take cute pictures with sparklers and do anything any normal couple would do at a cook out, but unfortunately I couldn't.  Not with my dad being here, he would kill Nate and I instantly if he could.  As much as I hated that Nate couldn't be here, I still had Sammy and he was my 'boyfriend' but it still wasn't the same, he wasn't Nate.

"Hey Van, I did you a favor and invited Nate as one of my friends" Tommy said as he came up behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders and shaking me lightly.

"Why would you do that?" I practically yelled turning around.

"Because I thought it would make you happy?" He asked as he furrowed his eyebrows together as he sat next to me at the table we have on the back patio.  It was only eleven in the morning and the cookout doesn't start until three, so it was just Tommy and I home right now since dad and Cindy had some last minute shopping to do.

"Well yeah, but we have to hide from dad! I can't be all lovey with Nate and now he has to watch Sammy and I act like a couple all night" I groaned and Tommy shrugged.

"Well he's still my friend so sorry" He said shrugging again and I glared at him.  I rolled my eyes and stood up and walked into the house "Someone's moody" I heard him mumble.

"I heard that!" I yelled as I shut the back door.  I was surprised when I saw Kyle sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal.  I laughed as milk dribbled down his chin and onto his bare chest.

"What's up?" He asked, using the back of his hand to wipe off his chin.  I sighed and sat with him as he ate his breakfast.

"Tommy invited Nate tonight but I can't be with Nate tonight and he has to watch me and Sammy act like a couple" I said, explaining it very vaguely.

"At least you're seeing him tonight" Kyle shrugged and I sighed.

"But that's the thing, yeah I'll see him, but I can't be with him the way I want to without dad finding out" I said resting my elbows on the table and Kyle shrugged as he stood up and put his empty bowl in the sink.

"Maybe you should just tell him" Kyle said looking over his shoulder at me as he washed out his bowl. I groaned and stood up.

"You guys are no help and you don't understand, you weren't here when dad met Nate" I rolled my eyes.  I walked upstairs to my room and changed into my bathing suit and put a pair of running shorts over the bottoms and then walked back downstairs.  Dad and Cindy just got home so I decided to go help them.  

Cindy is now seven months pregnant and she's having twins so she's pretty big.  We found out she's having two boys and I kind of wished they were girls but I'll take boys.  This way when they're older I can rough house with them and they won't whine about it like Andrea.  Growing up it was always just Kyle and I for a while so I followed in his footsteps kind of.  I wasn't ever really the girliest, I loved to wrestle and play all kinds of sports and I would get mad when I couldn't be on a team with boys.

"I got it Cindy" I said grabbing the few grocery bags that were still in the back.

"Thank you Vanessa" She said.  She waddled her way into the house and fell onto the couch with a groan and I chuckled.  I put the bags in the kitchen and went and sat with her as dad finished some things outside, and getting Kyle and Tommy to help.  "My ankles are killing me" Cindy groaned.