For Real or For Publicity?

Chapter Thirty Eight

Joanne Belle Kameron

I rang the doorbell, still glad to be back here at Brandon's house. Considering when I left in a rush, I didn't pack that many stuff so I was just carrying my purse.

  The door opened. Brandon stood there and with bloodshot red eyes.

  "Uh, hey. Can I come in?" I asked.

  He nodded and held the door wider for me.

  The living room was crammed with Brandon's family members (I should know. I searched for them on Google...). The conversation stopped abruptly when I stepped in.

  After an awkward silence, Brandon's second younger sister, Taylor, stood up and engulfed me in a hug.

  The fashion icon, Ruby, which happened to be Brandon's mum, stood up and examined my outfit. Luckily, I was wearing a peach halter neck dress with black pumps. My hair was curled and I was wearing a light pink lipstick which I played with a silver green eyeshadow.

  "Welcome home, Joanne," Brandon's dad, Fred, said warmly. He was a chubby guy with rosy cheeks. If I didn't know better, I would have mistaken him for an undercover Santa Claus.

  Ruby had a brown bob that reached her chin. She was wearing a white pressed blouse, a dark blazer, and a matching pencil skirt.

  Taylor's curly flaming red hair was pulled up into two pigtails, a glimmering black headband, a checkered shirt with a thick belt, and skinny jeans.

  Abigail's hair was flowing down her blue Apple Green t-shirt. Her jeans was paired with neon blue high-tops with matching laces which I could have sworn I saw in a Vanessa Hudgens music video.

  Jovan (That's Brandon's younger brother) was wearing a Head Asylum shirt with baggy jeans and sneakers. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and shifted his foot. "Hi," he said shyly.

  Brandon led me away from his family members into the room.

  "I'm sorry no one told you about . . . them," Brandon said, jerking his head to the closed door, referring to his family. "But I didn't get the chance to."

  I remained silent.

  So he continued. "I was going to but everything just happened so fast, you know?"

  Picking up that I was still mad at him and giving him the silent treatment, he sat me down on the bed. "Please just talk to me. I knew I was overreacting. I should have just gave you a chance to explain yourself. Can you forgive me? I'm going crazy without you," he admitted softly.

  I smiled. "Yeah, I kinda noticed."

  His eyes lit up. "So you're talking to me now?"

  "Sure." How could I resist a cute guy who's been my idol for years? A celebrity which was begging me to come back to me?

  "I also missed you to," I said.

  He smiled and gave me a hug. "Are we back together now?" he asked me in this cute kiddish voice that made me want to smile.

  Uh, duh! How could I not? "Sure."