Teagan traveled all over the lavish home in search of her boyfriend, but couldn't find even the mere shadow of his form. In a last ditch effort, Teagan walked toward the front of the house. She opened up the door to find Brian sagging softly against the porch, cursing softly to himself with bitter venom laced throughout each word. Teagan frowned openly, her emotions mixed between anger and pity. He was obviously dealing with a lot of stress from his father’s proposal. But the marriage would be a happy union. Teagan sighed, gently laying a warm hand on his shoulder. "There's a great party going on in the back. You should be out there. All those guys are going to be your friends."
"Bullshit, I'm not going to a party for that...that...Bitch!" Brian seethed.
"Brian! That bitch is my best friend, and she's going to be your stepsister. Don't you dare make me choose between you two, because that's not fair and you know it!" Teagan scorned, sharply smacking his arm.
"She's not my sister, not my stepsister, not fucking anything to me!"
"Stop it! You're acting like a child who hasn't gotten his way!"
"Well, I didn't get my way!" he insisted, launching himself up from the porch. He stomped his foot angrily against the concrete, causing Teagan to arch her dark eyebrow.
"Life isn't always fair and you can't always get your way! Your dad is happy with Cassandra and he has every right to marry her. You're just going to have to swallow your pride and accept it—"
"But he's making me miserable!"
"I can't believe how selfish you are."
"Would you just try to see it from my perspective?!" he growled with frustration, tugging at his sandy blonde locks. Teagan almost thought he would create a bald spot in his luscious locks from the frustration he was exuding. He just wanted to break down the nearest wall or murder Oriana, whichever he could complete first.
"I did, and it's a selfish perspective! Yelling at me and hating the world is not going to stop that wedding, so get over it!" she snapped, standing up. Her eyes were dark gray and the color was swirling angrily.
"Why do you even---" Brian drew a sharp breath, swallowing the foul words about to spill. Usually he was able to keep control of his outbursts, but that acquired skill had soon fallen away. He felt a plague of guilt surface, noticing the darkness clouding Teagan's usually beautiful eyes. He slowly stepped forward, grasping her hand. "Sorry," he mumbled after a few moments, deciding not to prolong the torture. He could lose her along with his father.
"You should be," Teagan whispered, holding his hand. "But you can make it up to me later."
"Can I?" Brian whispered faintly, drawing her quickly into his arms. He already knew the inner workings of her body, quickly memorizing what she loved and desired. In the long run, knowing the little tricks would save him from many heated arguments. So, he affectionately kissed the side of her neck.
"Mm-hmm," she mumbled, shivering slightly. "But you have to promise you'll at least try to give this all a chance. If not for your dad, then for me. Please?"
"You mean the fact that I get to see you every day because we're going to the same school together?" Brian tried, continuing his kisses up her neck. He decided to just fall into the happier portion of the news for the time being. He would get back at Oriana later.
"W-Well, that's definitely a good thing," Teagan gasped as he nibbled on the spot just below her ear.
"Do you forgive me?”
“Of course I do."
"I love you," he cooed.
"I love you, too," she finally smiled, pulling him in for a kiss.
"Good, let's ditch this zoo."
"Where are we going?"
"We're leaving this Hell hole."
"Brian—"
"What?"
Teagan sighed heavily. "Nothing, let's go."
"Great!" Brian enthused, jumping down the steps. He eagerly pulled Teagan into his arms, hoisting her against his body. He sweetly kissed her lips. "I love you."
Teagan finally smiled, remembering that Oriana had wanted her to be happy, since she was in love with Brian. She was allowed to indulge in his antics, let the passion take her where she deemed fit. It was time for her to start enjoying herself. "I know. I love you, too. But where are we going?"
"Mall?"
"Shopping?"
"Anything you want!" Brian promised, kissing her neck as he carried her toward his father's car. He and Alex always had keys to their father's car, in case the other was using their car. "One good thing about having a father who's a music producer. I can spend his money."
"He won't get mad at you?" Teagan asked as he placed her in the front seat of Kevin's brand new Lexus.
"No, he just pays the credit cards, no questions asked."
"I think my mother would kill me if I did that."
"Yeah, that's why I'm offering to buy you the world," Brian promised, offering a smoldering kiss before closing her door.
"The world would cost a lot of money," Teagan replied, watching Brian climb into the driver's side.
"But you're worth every penny."
"I doubt that—"
"Ah, ah, ah," Brian frowned, reaching to brush his fingers beneath her chin before starting the engine. "You're gorgeous and the most perfect creature in the world. I would give you everything in my possession just to see you smile. Okay? Don't deny the truth."
"You're too much. How did I ever become so lucky to find you?" Teagan replied, changing the subject.
"Just one of those lucky shopping trips, I guess."
"Let's just hope this one won't have a run-in with Xander..."
"He's not going to hurt you."
"I know. I just get scared sometimes."
"Well, don't be scared anymore. Okay? I'll always be here to protect you," Brian promised, reaching to give her hand an affectionate squeeze. They had spent almost an entire night on the phone speaking about Xander. Truth be told, Brian was absolutely horrified that such a sweet girl could go through such a traumatic experience. He wanted to take away every morsel of fear still lodged in her heart, but knew it would take time and several kisses.
"Thank you, Brian. That means more to me than you'll ever know," Teagan leaned over and kissed his cheek as they headed to the mall.
"So, wait, D... I'm curious! What happened downstairs between you and Oriana? You've been talking about this girl since forever. So, since I'm your best friend since forever, I'm entitled to know what the Hell happened. And, because, from what I saw, the girl was definitely flipping head over feet," Alex continued to torment Howie, walking out into the back yard. It seemed like almost the entire student body of Williams had shown for Oriana's seventeenth birthday, but Howie's eyes only seemed to lock upon Oriana's form as they settled down amongst a row of lounge chairs with Nick. Alex found it amusing that Howie had yet to speak about anything that happened downstairs, but still kept a goofy smile on his face.
Frankly, Alex was just overly curious about the girl that would be his step-sister in a few short weeks. She seemed like a beautiful person, inside and outside. Something about her just sparked such a wild exuberance. He had to smile as his gaze traveled with Howie's, falling upon Oriana. She stood amongst a huddle of beefy teenage boys, speaking excitedly. They were obviously preparing their rousing pool game, but she seemed to hold all their gazes with a deep pride and honor. She reached to draw her long, blonde curls into a high ponytail, letting her eyes flick behind her to catch Howie's gaze. Her cheeks burst into a fiery red, immediately turning back to her friends.
Alex laughed, "Okay, now I really need to know, D!"
"You're way too nosy for your own damn good, J. You need to work on that," Howie teased, trying to change the subject as he watched Oriana and the team begin a game. She looked so lovely and he could watch her forever. The kiss lingered in his mind and on his lips, causing the silly smile to grow wider.
"Nah, you just don't want to give me the details!" Alex scorned, pushing on his friend's bare shoulder. He flicked his eyes back to the game for just a moment, watching Oriana pretend to slam a football into Luke's abdomen. He acted as if the force was too great and Oriana took off down the length of the yard. She eagerly jumped onto the diving board, launching herself high into the air as Luke snapped the football. She caught it with great ease before doing a perfect flip into the water, causing a round of applause.
"If I tell you details, everyone will know within thirty minutes— No, make that ten. You have a big mouth, man—"
"Dude, you cannot leave me hanging like this!"
"Why do you care so much?" Howie groaned, noticing Oriana surface from the water, eagerly tossing the football to Luke as he dove into the pool. She shrieked with a laugh as he scooped her up, only to toss her further into the water.
"Because I'm genuinely interested in this girl that's going to be my little sister?" Alex countered, noticing Oriana jump to tackle Luke as if she were a lion. He smiled faintly at her aggressive nature, finding it quite amusing. Just the fire flickering within her ocean colored blue-green eyes gave Alex hope. He needed a sibling to rely on. Not one that constantly pushed him away like Brian.
"Then you'll want to kill me because you'll get all overprotective like brothers get. I feel like living to Graduation," Howie replied, laughing out loud. Oriana was attacking Luke, Gabe and Kieran all at once, forcing them to fall into the deep end.
"So something juicy did happen down there!" Nick whistled wildly.
"Nick, you eavesdrop too much!"
"I'm sitting right here listening to you guys. That is not eavesdropping!" Nick protested, noticing Oriana hurriedly swimming for the ladder as Luke, Gabe, and Kieran gathered the majority of the team for a water fight. Oriana was smart enough to know when to pull back from the war.
"You still do it either way!"
"Guys, shut up. D, you realize you're arguing with Nick the Whiner, right? He'll whine your fricking ear off if you don't tell him what happened," Alex interrupted his two friends.
"Much like someone else we know," Howie shot.
"Well, I could always go tell Oriana about...hmm...what was her name...Christina?" Alex drawled, rising to his feet.
"Sit the Hell down, you will not talk about Christina! I'll tell you!" Howie hissed, pulling Alex back down into the lounge chair.
"Da---mn," Nick wheezed with surprise as Alex almost toppled backward from the sheer force Howie propelled. "I didn't even realize you were that serious with Christina..."
"I don't want Oriana knowing the whole story behind it. Would you tell the girl you like that you caught your last ex-girlfriend fucking some random guy when you had come to give her a promise ring? Hmm?" Howie glared at Nick.
"But I thought you always liked Oriana, what the Hell were you doing getting serious with Christina?" Nick countered.
"I never thought I would be able to get with Oriana, so... I just kind of settled for Christina..."
"So that's why you were so interested in dating a girl from William's. Wanted to keep the dirty secret away from Oriana? Damn, that's sick."
"So you're saying you wouldn't? Fuck you, Nick, you don't understand anyway," Howie replied defensively.
Nick grumbled incoherently, standing up from the group. He crossed passed a large group of teenagers, locating some friends from the band. Alex's eyes flicked between the two teenagers for a moment, before noticing Howie's eyes transfixed once again. Alex glanced to see Oriana finally emerging from the pool, promising to be back. She immediately reached for a fluffy white towel, patting down the length of her glistening body. Alex knew why Howie was so attracted, she was a beautiful girl.
"So, you going to let me understand? I mean, I know the whole Christina story and I know the parts of the Oriana story..." Alex cleared his throat, trying to stall. He still needed to go speak to Oriana and give her his birthday gift.
"As long as you don't act like Nick just did, I'll tell you some things you want to know," Howie replied, still watching Oriana.
"Okay," Alex consented simply, leaning back on his lounge chair.
"I went downstairs to where she was and gave her some birthday presents—"
"The t-shirt, board, and book?"
"Who told you?"
"You?" Alex countered in confusion, wondering why the small conversation about Christina had flustered Howie so much. It was a simple relationship and Howie hadn't been legally tied to Oriana. If anything, Oriana barely knew he existed beyond the realm of friendship.
Howie's cheeks turned red, feeling idiotic. "Oh, yeah... I did... anyway, I gave them to her and she loved it all. Before I knew it, we were wrestling on the couch and... I kissed her."
"Kissed her?"
"Yeah."
"And she...?"
"Kissed back."
"Well, that's a good thing," Alex laughed, gently punching Howie's shoulder. He didn't know why Howie was so worried in the first place. "So, is it like flying high? Like a hook-up?"
"I don't know. She says it's going too fast and that we need to talk," Howie shrugged helplessly.
"Well... Talking is the next step to dating," Alex tried to encourage, gently shaking his friend's shoulders. He noticed Oriana speaking quickly with a few boys before walking off to grab a soda. He knew his chance was finally coming to pull her away and connect on a brotherly basis. "Howie, it's obvious she likes you. Man, didn't you hear her walking up the steps?"
"She was talking while going upstairs?" Howie asked curiously. He had been too far into thinking about what was going on between him and Oriana to hear anything else.
"Just about how much she was dying from the kiss..." Alex trailed, arching his dark brows with confusion. Howie had been standing right at the end of the steps.
"I was in deep thought about the kiss, I didn't hear her talking," Howie explained, seeing the look on Alex's face.
"Well, she was thinking aloud. So, what were you thinking in your head?"
"That it had been the most amazing kiss in my life... Alex, I felt so many things I hadn't with any other girl. I felt alive, and that hasn't happened since I don't know when."
"And this junk about Christina?"
"It was stupid junk that I want to take back."
"Huh?"
"Everything with Christina was a mistake."
"And you don't want Oriana to know?"
"Not right now, no. I don't want to screw it all up."
"But, you weren't looking to do anything with Oriana when you were with Christina. I mean, a girl can't expect you to be celibate while waiting for her. It's okay for you to have an ex-girlfriend. I mean, she should have tons of ex-boyfriends judging by how she looks---"
"I don't want her to know yet. Christina was a slut, end of story. But first of all, Oriana doesn't have tons of ex-boyfriend's and don't assume anything about her by the way she looks. You're going to hear a lot of bad shit around Tartan when you start, but none of it's true. I don't think she's even had a boyfriend before," Howie interrupted.
"You really cared for Christina though, right? I mean, a promise ring is serious business. I don't think that you should hide it. It'll come back to bite you in the ass," Alex trailed, noticing Oriana was finally alone.
"I'm not hiding it. I just want to tell her when we're alone, that's all."
"And what are you going to tell her?"
"I haven't decided yet..." Howie trailed softly, still slightly confused. He hadn't truly cared for Christina. Every time he was with her, he could only imagine what Oriana was doing. Yet, he had fooled himself into thinking it was something tangible. She had broke his heart in an instant.
"Oh, well, think about that... I want to go talk to Oriana for a minute while she's alone. Need any best friend hype-up to converse between me and the girl about to be my little sister?" Alex asked, trying to cheer up his friend.
"Nah, I'm alright. You better hurry and talk to Oriana before she's pulled away again," Howie replied, mustering a smile.
"You sure?" Alex questioned, feeling like he might be asked to intervene between Oriana and Howie on a regular basis.
"Yeah, I'm sure. She's going to be your sister, man. Get to know her," Howie urged, pushing Alex away.
"Yeah, but I think you're more concerned about her being your girlfriend."
"I'm spending the night, I've got my own opportunities to make it happen."
"Dad said we're crashing here the night, too. Have to get ready to move in next week. They're doing everything super-fast with this wedding. So, maybe I'll just be the thorn in your master plan," Alex joked, picking up his gift for Oriana.
"Maybe the 'thorn of my master plan' will find himself visiting the bottom of the pool and then locked out of the house if he tries to interfere," Howie replied with a smirk.
"Hmm...filed and noted..." Alex concluded after a few moments, reaching over to slap Howie's hand.
"And knowing you, soon to be deleted. So, just be careful with what you do tonight," Howie answered as he watched Alex walk over to Oriana.
