The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

70

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE mornings where I found my chance to get a conversation in with Jackson.

He slithered down the stairs as I made us breakfast, usually he always came down as late as around eleven while we ate at eight. He did not want to eat with me, but I liked to think it was because he slept in.

His bed hair hanging over his eyes, he itched at his eyes sleepily and sat on one of the stools. Klarise was sitting at the one across from him, and I heard him murmur something to her and it made her laugh. They started talking a little, Jackson's voice—I don't know if he did so purposely—lowered to a volume that I couldn't make out the words but could hear him talking.

I use the spatula to push all the remaining scrambled eggs into a plate with some ham. Then, while he was engaged in something that seemed really interesting with Klarise still, I propped the plate with a fork in front of him. I grabbed Klarise's plate and gave it to her, me with my oatmeal instead. Adding all of that, I snatch the empty seat next to Jackson.

They stopped talking.

"Good morning, Jackson. How are you feeling?"

I think my acting was very on point to be as warm as possible, I was trying to achieve the feeling of the kind of person you really want to open up to. I knew I did that, but however, he just stared at me blankly.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, not exactly liking the tense atmosphere that has been created. "So, what were you guys talking about? Hey, I heard about this new game station place around downtown, seems pretty cool, right? I was thinking, Jackson, maybe you'd be interested to come with me?"

I glanced away from Jackson to see Klarise half opening her mouth.

But before Klarise was able to say anything to her brother, Jackson got up with his plates. "I'll go eat in my room." And then left.

God, had I ever been so embarrassed before?

I let my face fall into my hands, wanting to bury my head in a hole. I feel Klarise's touch on my arm, and I release my face free from my palms.

"On a scale of one to ten, how embarrassing was I?"

She got up from her stool and sat on the one Jackson had sat at. "It's going to take some time, Maeve. He's like that. But he'll start to like you someday."

I sighed, trying to understand how I could make millions of people fall in love with me but can't get this one teenage boy to even talk to me. "Someday seems like no-day. He avoids me everyday!"

Klarise smiles, but I couldn't see what was so funny. "Oh Maeve, it's so fun to see you try so hard. Rather cute I'd say too." She taps the tip of my nose and I scowl, while trying to contain my smile. "C'mon, he's just being the teenager he is. It's a phase we all go through."

I rolled my eyes, but then teasingly, I gave her a nudge on the shoulder. After all me and Klarise did meet at a pretty young age, how foolish we were back then. But those were also the good and simple days, even if we thought it was complicated. It was most definitely not.

"Remember when we were teenagers? You were so awkward."

Klarise shot me a look of hurt filled with sarcasm. "I was not! If I was, you were a snobby and annoying teenager. Bossy to add to the list too." She poked me right in the stomach that made me gasp, in shock but also of a smile and tease.

"Hey, I was just kidding. Well, now that I know how you actually saw me back then, I'm going to..." I put down the spoon from my oatmeal and angled my fingers towards her. My fingers doing its magic, I shot her with a bunch of tickles and she combusted into laughter and yelps of stop.