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___________

I run over to him and hug Charley.

I hold on tight.

"Vena" he says.

"Yes?" I ask, the side of my face squished against his chest.

"I need to breath" he says, prying my arms off of him.

"Sorry, I just missed you" I say pulling away.

"I know" he says, kissing the top of the head.

"Are you going stay?" I ask.

He chuckles, "Actually that's what I came here to talk to you about" he says.

He looks over shoulder and smiles."James, my man, how are you doing" he moves past me to give James one of these wierd guy hugs.

They pull away from eachother, "Pretty good. Your sister sure is keeping me on my toes" he says.

"I bet. So listen, I need to talk to you two" he says in a serious voice.

"Alright" James says and opens the door. They walk through the door shutting it, leaving me in the hallway with Grayson.

I turn and look at him, "I need to talk to you later" I say.

"Okay, I'll be at home all day so come by when your done" he says, smiling.

Was he really okay now, or was it fake.

"Okay" I say and enter my apartment.

I see my brother and James sitting on the couch laughing about something. Ew.

I sit down beside Charley on the couch across from James who sat in the chair. My chair...

"Alright" Charley says glancing at me. "Heres the deal, I was sent to New York to work for a week, but I have nowhere to go, besides a hotel and Vena knows how much I love those" he says sarcastically, "Anyways, I guess what I am trying to say is can I stay here?" he ask, leaning back against the couch.

I don't know why he would even ask a question like that. "I mean if not--".

"No no, you can definitely stay" I assure him.

James clears his throat, "Um, Vena can I talk to you in the kitchen for a second?" James asks standing up and walking to the kitchen.

"Um, alright" I say standing up. On my way into the kitchen I glance back and see an look of confusion on Charley's face.

I get to the kitchen and see James standing there staring at the floor.

I poke his shoulder and he lifts his head up and leans in close to my ear.

"He can't stay here" he whispers.

I pull back as feel a rush of anger run through my body. "What why?!" I ask madly in a hushed tone, "You seemed to be getting along with him before".

"I do, Vena. He's my friend, I would want nothing more than for him to stay here" he whispers.

"Then what is the problem" I ask, crossing my arms.

He clears his throat and leans against the fridge. "Do you remeber when Grant stayed over night and we had to distract him in the morning" He asks.

I nod, "What is your point?" I ask.

"Imagine having to do that for a week" he says.

I think about all the possible scenarios that could happen if he did stay and find out about our agreement. For once, James had a point.

"Well then I guess the agreement is off for the week" I say, turning to leave but grab my arm and turns me to look at him.

"No. Your breaking the rules" he says.

"So?" I ask.

"I didn't realize you didn't have enough money to pay rent for the next six months" He smirks.

I glare at him, "You are evil" I say.

"I know. You know we have to think of something to deal with this because I do not want to have to call Grant's brother again" he says.

"Ooh I got an idea" I say. He raises an eyebrow, "And what might that be?" I asks, bored. "If you leave early enough in the morning, then he won't ever know unless he comes in at night, which I doubt he would do" I say.

James stare at me, as if he was thinking about it . There is nothing to think about it, the plan is good idea.

"Fine, what time in the morning?" he asks. I shrug, "He leaves for work at 9:00 usaually so 7:00?" I say.

"Okay fine" he says and leaves me in the kitchen.

I walk back to the living room and see James just sitting down.

I walk back over to them and Charley watches me as I sit down.

"James said it was okay for you to stay" I say, "And obviously it's okay with me" I say.

"Alright, that is great. I'm just going to go get Grayson to unlock his car" he says standing up amnd leaving in one swift moment.

"I sure hope your idea works" James says walking down the hallway.

Me too, James. Me too.

~

The smell of something delicious fills the room, but I wouldn't let James know that.

"How is school going?" Charley asks from across the room in my chair. I look at him and see him reading something in the newspaper. Has he never heard off the internet?

"It's going fine" I answer. "How's the writing process?"

"Long" he replies.

"So I've heard" I say.

He chuckles and stands up walks to the kitchen, sitting on the bar stool. Of course I follow him.

He turns and looks at James. He stands at the stove stiring something.

"How about you, James. How has it been living with my sister?" he asks humor laced between his words.

Oh my dear Lord.

"Interesting" he answers not looking up.

"Oh is that so? You should expect that from her, you know with living with so many brothers and all" Charley says.

James looks up and stares at me, "She never told me that" he says.

"She didn't? That's odd" he says and turns and looks at me, "Why didn't you tell him?"

Suddenly I feel all eyes on me.

Why did they feel the need to stare at me like that?

"I don't know that I had share every aspect of my life with you, sorry" I say sarcastically.

James rolls his eyes and looks back down at the pot.

The only reaction that came from my brother was a breathy chuckle.

There is a long silence between the three of us, me being me, I break it.

"Well this is awkward", I say standing up, "I'm leaving". I walk out of the kitchen to the door.

"Wait Vena" I hear my brother say.

I come to halt as I hear his footsteps nearing.

"James said that he was inviting his friends over tonight" he says once he gets close enough.

That little bastard, inviting people without my consent. He is most definitely breaking the rules.

"Whoo hoo" someone says waving there hand up to my facing, trying to get my attention.

"What?" I say, moving the hand out my face. What a rude thing to do.

"You zoned out there for awhile" Charley says, looking a bit concerned.

"Yeah. So what were you saying" I ask.

"I said that James was telling me that he was inviting some friends over and since they are his friends, you should invite Grayson over" he says.

That could be a complete disaster with James hating him and all... but it would make some great revenge.

"Yeah, I probably will" I smile.

~

"So do you wanna?" I ask.

Grayson sits there for a moment and taps his chin, while his stare stays planted on the floor.

He returns his eyes to mine and nods, "If your going to be all alone, then yeah".

I nod, "Its his friends, it's not like they are going to become mine too" I say.

He chuckles, "I haven't met them, but if they are anything like him I can guarantee that they will be just as ignorant as he is" he says, smirking.

I chuckle.

I stand up and he does too, "Wanna go back upstairs?" I ask.

He nods and grabs his wallet off of the kitchen counter.

"Hey is everything alright?" I ask as we step into the elevator.

He removed his eyes from the floor and up to me.

"Huh?"

"I asked if everything is alright" I say.

He shrugs.

I step towards him and my hands gently on the side of his face.

"Is it Skyla?" I ask.

He nods, the smallest tear slides down his cheek.

"I know that your sad, but she's gone and there is nothing we can do about it. I wish I could say that she is going to come back, but I can't" I say.

He leans forward, leaning his forehead against mine.

"I don't want you to dwell on this any longer. I want you to live in the present not the past, Grayson" I say.

I feel as he slightly nods, "Okay, but she was my sister. I love her" he faintly whispers.

"I know and it's going to be hard for awhile but it'll get better. I promise" I say.

He pulls away from me and looks at me and gives me a smile.

I take my thumbs and wipe away his tears.

He leans forward into the side of my face and presses his lips to my cheek bone.

"I don't know what I would do without you" he whispers just as the elevator door opens.

As we walk down the hall, I hear Katy Perry blaring through my apartment.

That only means one thing.

Grant has arrived.

James once told me that his best friend liked Katy Perry music, but what he didn't tell me was that his best friend was obsessed with it.

I open the door and see exactly what I thought I would.

Grant dancing to Katy Perry and James and Ryder sitting on the couch playing on the Xbox, while Leah sits there looking bored.

Is shut the door behind us and glance at Grayson and see him staring at Leah intently.

I pull on his arm after a moment and drag him away from them to my room.

I shut the door and turn around and see Grayson lounging on my bed.

I cross my arms and stare at him, "I think someone has a little tiny crush on Leah" I say.

He looks at the floor and the. Back at me, "No I don't" he says unconvincingly.

"Right...You don't even know who Leah is" I say, grabbing my phone off my night side table.

"Yeah I do" he says.

I place my hand on my hip and raise on eyebrow, "How?" I ask.

"Class" he says simply.

I brush him off and check my messages.

"Has that douche still been sending you those messages?" He asks.

I shrug, "Occasionally" I say.

He stands up and pears over my shoulder, "He really doesn't give up does he" he says.

"VENA COME QUICKLY!! YOU GOT TO SEE THIS" I hear James yell from the living room.

I groan and slide my phone into my pocket.

I turn to leave and glance behind me and see Grayson just standing there.

I grab onto his sleeve and pull him out of my room down to the hallway.

I see something I didn't think I would.

Grant balancing a series of potato chips on the top of his nose.

"Really you called me in for this" I raise an eyebrow.

James nods furiously. "Yes! This is incredible".

I groan, "You are such a boy" I say.

I enter the living room and sit down on the couch beside James.

Grayson follows and sits down on the floor by my feet.

Grant starts to take the potato chips one by one and pops them in his mouth.

"So what are you guys doing tonight?" I ask.

"Well we were going to go out but apparently James in allergic to fun" Ryder says leaning forward in the chair.

James turns and faces him, "I am not! I just don't enjoy watching you trying to hook up with oblivious girls".

"Oooh" Grant says.

"I don't try. I succeed" he smirks.

I rolls my eyes. So Ryder's a player. Figure.

"So your a player then" I say, leaning back.

Laughter fills the room, "You are correct" Ryder replies.

"Wait then what is Grant then?" I ask.

"Did you just call me a player?" Grant asks.

"Not directly, but yes" I say.

"Why on earth would you think that? Did James tell you something?" he whips his head around and looks at James.

"I swear I didn't" James says, holding up his hands.

"Well then why would you think that I am a player?" he turns back to me.

I shrug, "You give off that vibe, unlike Ryder" I say.

Ryder laughs loudly, "Ooh ooh I got an idea!" He says amusingly.

"What?!" Grant asks, practically bouncing in his seat.

Ryder leans forward as if he was going to tell a secret, "TRUTH OR DARE" he yells.

"Do you seriously think that is a good idea?" Leah asks.

Everyone turns there attention to get.

"Uh yeah" Grant says like it is the most obvious thing in the would.

"But Ryder is a lightweight" she says.

"So? The sooner he passes out the better" Grayson speaks up.

"Hey I can hear you" Ryder says.

"Well he doesn't lie" Grant mumbles.

"Fine, we'll play" Leah says.

"What about everyone else?" James asks.

There was a series of 'sures' and 'yeahs' including my own and Grayson's.

"Great" Ryder clamps his hands together, "James go get the whiskey" he says.

We don't have alcohol.

"We don't-"

James rounds the corner with a bottle in his hand, "Where did you get that?" I ask.

"The store" he says and hands the bottle to Ryder.

"Your 19" I say.

"I got it from a friend" he says.

I roll my eyes and glance at Leah.

She sneaks a look at Grayson and then looks at me and blushes.

"Alright, everyone obviously knows the rules, you do the dare or truth and if you don't, you have to take a swig of this" Ryder holds up the bottle.

"I will start" he says.

"James, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare" he says plainly.

"Being brave are we?" Ryder says.

James shrugs, "Nothing different from the usual" he smirks.

Ryder smiles evilly and rubs his hands together, "I dare you to go to the balcony and drop a pair of your sunglasses from it" he says.

I smirk to myself.

"I would but you see I only have a few pairs left, a bunch disappeared and I can't find them" he says.

"Too bad, you either do it or and take a swig" he says.

James groans, "I'm am not going to be the first one who gets hammered" he mumbles. He stands up and walks to his room and and comes back out moments later with a pair of his precious sunglasses.

"Dude you have a death wish" Grant says to Ryder.

"You bet your ass he does!" James yells from the balcony in the kitchen.

"So long" he says and drops them.

James returns and sits down in the couch beside me.

"I will get you back" he snaps.

"I'm sure" Ryder says sarcastically.

James sighs and glances around until his land on the body by my feet.

Uh oh.

"Grayson Truth or Dare?" he asks, smirking wildly.

"Dare" he says confidently, staring down James.

"I dare you to kiss Vena" he says, "On the lips" he smiles deviously.

He thinks about it for a moment.

I don't know why he had to think about it, he had kisses me once before. In seventh grade, he was getting teased for not having his first kiss yet so I kissed him and the other kids never bugged him again.

He confessed to me that he didn't have any feelings for me, which was relief on my part and he assured me that he would never like me in that way.

"Sorry Ven, I love you and all, I just don't feel like having a repeat seventh grade when I don't have to" he says and Ryder passes him the bottle.

He takes a swig no problem.

"Leah, Truth or Dare?" Grayson asks.

She tangles her fingers together, "Truth" he says.

"Have you ever slept with Ryder?" Grayson asks.

__________

Please comment what you thought and vote. 3146 words.

Updated on Sunday, March 15th, 2015

5:38PM

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