It Began With a Smirk

50: Civil or Civil War?

Okay so I overreacted. I’ll just ignore Kale and things will be fine.  No reason to move back with dad. “Did you tell him we were coming?” I asked Jakeson suspiciously as I noticed the front door to my house open as he stopped his car in our driveway.

“Haven’t spoken to him. Maybe he heard us pull up?”

“What’s going on here?” Kale asked in an upset voice as I opened the door and started to climb out. “Where the hell have you been?!”

“At Jakeson’s.” I replied calmly reaching back in to grab my phone through the open window of the car door.

“No surprise there.” He muttered under his breath loud enough for us to hear.

“Are you going to be okay?”  Jakeson leaned into the passenger seat and asked me.

Kale can’t control Jakeson. I leaned over and through the passenger seat planting a soft kiss on Jakeson’s lips. “Now I will be.” I breathed into his ear before pulling away and striding into the house.

 

Oh the pissed off look on Kale’s face was priceless. “I thought you were leaving.” He said coming up behind me as I headed into the kitchen.

“Jakeson convinced me to stay.”

“So are you dating him?” he asked quietly. Okay what happened to angry Kale?

 

I shook my head. “No.”

“Are you going to?”

“Maybe.”

“What about Skylar?”

I shrugged.  “I’m not sure.”

He went quiet as I poured myself a glass of milk and started to make myself a sandwich. He’s actually being civil. Why? “Do you like him?” he asked.

“Who?”

For a second he paused. “Skylar.”

“Kinda. I guess.  I don’t know. It’s hard to know what people do and say just as an act to get what they want. So I don’t want to make a decision and wind up hurt.”  Why am I telling him this? “Do you want a sandwich?”

“No I just ate.”

“And Jakeson?”

I wasn’t sure why kale was so curious about it. Was he just trying to start another fight? “A little.” I admitted. “But I’m not trying to start anything. I’m just taking the days as they come.”

He didn’t say any more and so I finished my sandwich and walked out onto the deck, Kale following behind me. I was prepared to be insulted at any moment as I took a seat on one of the chairs. “Have you talked to Grass lately?”

This question surprised me and I shook my head slowly. “Not since Monday.”

“When he saw us kiss.” Kale added in.

Oh god here comes the fighting again. I knew it. “When you kissed me. Right.” I corrected him before I could stop myself.

“I-“

Kale started to say something but I cut him off. “Yes I know it was just to mess with me and you didn’t mean anything by it. You don’t want me and never have.” I said quickly. “I get it.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“And what were you going to say?”

“That we should go swimming.”

The bewildered expression on my face made him laugh. “What?”

Why is he being civil? “Let’s swim. It’s nice out and the water looks so tempting.”

“Uhm?”

“They say that water is relaxing and helps to ease tension.” He muttered getting to his feet and opening the patio door.

“Are you high?” I asked slowly.

He laughed. “If I were would I have turned down a sandwich?”

“Fair point.”

“Come on, swim with me. I promise I won’t insult you in any way shape or form.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Look I’m not going to apologize and you aren’t going to apologize so let’s just move on.”

“Me apologize? For what?!” He couldn’t have honestly been offended I called him a daddies boy after he had said all those harsh things to me, could he?

He looked away. “That wasn’t the first time you chose Grass over me.” The words came out in barely a whisper. It was so quiet I wasn’t even sure I had heard him right. 

I bounded upstairs a few moments after he left and went into my room. Do I swim with him or don’t I? What if I get out there and he isn’t swimming and he just laughs and calls me pathetic? I paced back and forth wondering nervously. fuck it. I’m just going to swim.  And if he doesn’t then he doesn’t and I don’t give a damn.

I changed into one of my bikinis and paced back and forth some more before finally opening the door and walking out. . . and straight into Kale.  We tumbled to the ground with a loud thump. 

“Sorry.” I muttered horribly embarrassed as I tried to get to my feet, my legs tangled in his.

Kale got to his feet and lowered a hand towards me helping me up. We both stopped, staring at each other, both waiting for the other to start the blame fest of who was in whos way.  But it never happened because before it could we broke out laughing.

At least he is in a swimming suit so he wasn’t setting me up.

 

Start Somewhere - TobyMac