Best Friends Forever

4- wren

I wake up bleary eyed and roll over to the side of my bed to check my phone. Apparently while I was asleep there was a big debate last night over who is driving us to the party and back tonight. I roll my eyes, noting Alex being the most pressured into it. You can't really blame them. The most Alex has at parties is a couple bottles of beer, while everyone else drinks until they're falling over each other and screaming all sorts of shit. Me included.

I hear my mum yelling for me to get up, something about walking the dog. I groan and roll out of my bed, dragging my feet to the shower. Mornings were definitely not my time of day.

Once I'm refreshed and presentable, I go down and see that my mum has already left but has laid a note on the counter next to the dog's lead.

Needed me at work early, taylor already gone too. take pep for a walk for me please. - mum

I roll my eyes and grab the lead off the surface. Of course she wouldn't make Cam do it. As he isn't her 'actual' son, she feels like it isn't her place to order him around. His father, Taylor, married my mum a year and a couple months ago, presenting me with the shiny gift of a step-father and a step-brother. Hurrah.

I go into the kitchen and see Cam lounging at the kitchen table, stuffing toast down his throat. I grin and sneak up behind him, snatching a piece and dodging away from him before he can snatch it back

"Hey! Wren, give me that back," He scowls up at me through a mop of blond curls. We couldn't look any different, him fair and blue eyed, me dark and brown eyed. But for some reason, we seem to click, when he isn't being a total preteen. Can't say the same for me and Taylor though.

"You have plenty of toast," I roll my eyes, rooting through the cupboard for a dog biscuit for Pepper. "Besides, you're not the one walking the dog, so quit moaning."

Cam merely sticks out his tongue at me, displaying soggy toast crumbs, and I teasingly ruffle his hair, which he promptly ducks out of.

I let Pepper off the lead once we get to the field, and she bounds forward, speckled grey tail wagging while she frolics and sniffs at the daisies. I find a stick and toss it across the field for her.

While I watch Pepper gallop across the grass, I lose myself in my thoughts, which mainly consists of the outfit I will be wearing to the party tonight. Mike Henderson always threw a huge party once a year, so it's guaranteed to be awesome. I'm debating risking to sneak a couple bottles out of the booze cabinet when the sound of two dogs barking at each other suddenly startles me. I look up and catch sight of Pepper being circled around by another collie, it's alikeness to Pep remarkable.

"Hey, Bailey! Come here," A guy calls from across the field. His dog, Bailey presumably, immediately hurtles towards him, and the guy drops down and clips on the leash. I whistle for Pepper to come over and she drops down obediently by my side.

"Sorry about that," The guy says, grinning apologetically as he walks up to me, giving me a chance to properly see his face. And when I do, I feel a certain flutter in my chest, which I know is definitely wrong.

Don't forget about Alex, remember him? Your boyfriend?

"Hey, it happens," I smile up at him. He was quite a good height above me, which isn't surprising since I'm 5"5.

"Bailey still needs some training, don't you boy?" The guy laughs, scratching Bailey between the ears, then flicks his eyes to mine. "My name's Jared, by the way."

"Wren," I say.

"Like the bird?" Jared says, half teasingly and half quizzically. I get this question a lot.

"My dad had a weird obsession with bird watching," I roll my eyes, but I didn't miss something in his eyes flicker and I know he noticed the past tense. However, it's gone as soon as it arrived, and he laughs. I appreciate him not pushing it any further, and so we soon find ourselves chatting idly, not even noticing the fact that we start to make our way across the field towards the road until a lorry's loud honking startles us and draws us back to the real world.

"Well, I'm going this way," Jared gestures to the right, and I regretfully point the other direction for myself. A crestfallen look flashes across his face, but he then smiles and it disappears. Another look masked, a guy of many facades.

But for some reason, I feel drawn to Jared, a guy I barely knew. He's certainly attractive, but in an unfamiliar way. Alex is attractive in a familiar, warm type of way. He's always been there, always been my home, like soft blankets and hot water bottles. This guy was attractive in another way. A dangerous way. A way in which I didn't completely understand, and that was what worried me.

"I guess I'll see you around," He says, running his hand through his hair.

"See you around," I smile, ignoring the voice in my head reminding me of my boyfriend.

~*~

When I get back home, I go to rush up the stairs to get ready for school, but I hear Taylor's loud and carrying voice in the kitchen. I sigh and walk over to the doorway, spying Taylor waving a football at Cam, who's shrank against the wall with his eyes downcast. I roll my eyes, leaning against the door jamb with my arms crossed.

"Hey, Taylor. Do everyone a favour and piss off," I laugh coldly, my eyes slits. I can't stand Taylor, especially when he forces his own son to do activities he clearly hates, which is football. I know Cam gets abuse at school about being 'sissy', but when his father pressurises him about it is when I draw the line completely.

"Wren, don't you dare use that language with me," Taylor says with a warning in his voice. "When your mother gets home she'll be hearing about this."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, and why is that? Because you can't discipline your wife's daughter?"

"No," He says through gritted teeth. "Because I don't want to upset my wife who's got an extremely over-bearing and rude daughter."

I merely laugh, and I signal to Cam. "Come on, Cam. You better be getting ready for school."

Cam smiles in relief, and scurries past me up the stairs. I smile triumphantly at Taylor, but his brow is furrowed in confusion. I frown, but turn away and follow Cam upstairs.

Once inside my room, I close the door firmly and lean on it, releasing a long sigh. Times like these I wish my father was still here.