Falling For The Smiths

7.

(A/N: Half of the chapter is in a different format than the other half. Sorry if it's weird when you read!)

(EDIT, 25th June: I realized that Tessa's foster mom and her head had the same name, so I decided to change the head's name so it wouldn't be confusing.)

CHAPTER SEVEN | CHARITY
***

"Your turn," Mathew said, leaning back into his beanbag. "Truth or dare?"

    I took a jelly-bean from the large bowl and popped it into my mouth.

    "Truth," I said simply.

    I knew the kind of dares he gave - god knows what age did to them. He pouted.

    "You're no fun," he whined.

    I shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."

    He looked disappointed, but didn't comment any more. He scrunched his eyebrows together in thought before his eyes lit up.

    "So, who do you prefer?" he asked. "Me, or Aaron?"

    I snorted. "That's easy, Matt."

    "That's not an answer."

    To be honest, I didn't know how to answer. They were both nice...but, for some reason, even though I had a crush on Aaron, I always liked Mathew better.

    "Don't take this the wrong way," I warned, to which he only shrugged. "I've always liked you better."

    He grinned. His fingers prodded my cheeks affectionately.

    "Aw, I always knew that you secretly loved me," he cooed.

    "Ew, no." I slapped his hand away. "I just, you know, prefer you over Ron - don't make me change my mind."

    "Are you threatening me?" he gasped, feigning disbelief.

    "Of course I am, you idiot," I laughed. "I thought you had more brains than that."

    He rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop a little laugh from escaping his throat. I leaned onto the side of the bed and smiled a little. Shit, I missed that.

    "Aw, I always knew you were secretly in love with me," his voice repeated in my head.

I inwardly scoffed. Why the hell am I thinking about him?

I couldn't answer my question, because the next moment the door flew open, and Aaron ran in.

"Is everything okay?" Mathew narrowed his eyes when he found Aaron panting. "Dude, what were you doing?"

Aaron gulped in a breath and pressed his palm against the wall, using it as support.

"I really don't know how it happened," he said, "but Cathy and I were strolling past. And we saw it. And, I'm so, so, so sorry...it looks terrible."

My face twisted into a look of confusion. "I don't understand what you're saying, Aaron."

"It's that café you work in," he responded silently. "Somebody broke in and stole all the cash...then set it on fire."

I didn't even have time to think about how he knew about my job. The room was spinning.

"H-how?" I gasped.

Aaron shrugged. "I don't know, but that's what I saw."

I clutched the end of the bed for support and could feel sweat trickling down my forehead. Mathew narrowed his eyes at me.