Falling Stars (36 page)

Surprised,
I jerked around. Kat was standing there leaning against the wall.

"Well
it was second grade for us, but third grade for Serena." She smiled, her
eyes staying on the photo. "It's not too hard to figure us out." She
smirked and headed to the living room.

When
Serena called for Ryan to come eat, I finally stepped into the living room.
Elliott wasn't far behind Ryan.

Laney
walked out. "Come get something to eat."

She
smiled brightly and turned back into the kitchen. Just as I began to stand, I
heard heavy footsteps. A tall guy walked down the steps. He was still half-asleep.
My stomach bottomed out. I sat back down on the couch.
Was he here with Mia?

"Aren't
you going to eat?" Laney appeared out of nowhere.

I
shook my head, "I'm not feeling great, probably from the long car ride."

She
nodded curiously. Her mouth opened for a second, but her attention turned to
the lighter footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Mia. She stopped short
when she saw me on the couch. She looked confused and then shifted her eyes
slowly to Laney.

"Your
ass wouldn't wake up when I came in to tell you they were coming. If I remember
correctly you told me to "go fuck myself until noon and then try again"."
Mia smiled and bit her lip. "Oh it's real funny. Ha, ha. You're so mean in
the morning." Laney rolled her eyes and turned back into the kitchen.

"You
guys drove down this morning?" I nodded, still feeling sick to my stomach.
"Are you okay?"

"Yeah
I'm fine," I lied.

"He
said the car ride might have bothered him," Laney yelled from the kitchen.

"Do
you want something?" she was biting that lip again.

All
thought left me. I wanted to bite her lip for her. Then the asshole walked back
in from the kitchen. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head with a big
smile. Then he sat in the chair next to me with a full breakfast plate.

"Sucks
about your stomach, Serena's pancakes are phenomenal!" he took a large
bite. I wanted to stick the fork in his eye.

"Oh
shit, I should introduce myself. Hey man, I'm Sean," he stuck his hand
out.

Who
is this guy?
He must have seen confusion on my face.

"What,
man?"

I
shook my head and then shook his hand.

"Christopher,"
my stomach started to relax.

"I
know who you are, you guys kick ass," he smiled and stuffed more food into
his mouth.

"Sean!
What the hell are you doing eating in the living room?" Serena yelled from
the kitchen.

Mia
turned back to Sean and smirked, then whispered.

"You.
Are. Bust. Ed!" she laughed and took off for the kitchen.

"There
wasn't any room in there with all those –"

"Damn
it! You don't need a whole table to yourself. Get in here!" Sean got up
and dragged himself back into the kitchen like a little kid. Stopping in the
doorway, he looked back.

"Do
you have sisters?" I shook my head. "You're a fucking lucky man. I
got stuck with three, plus the two adopted females." He gestured to Kat
and Laney.

Sisters?
I
was thoroughly confused walking into the kitchen.
He’s clearly African
American. How the hell were they brother and sisters?

"Oh,
Sean, you wuv us so very much!" Kat was pinching his cheek and they were
laughing at him.

"So,
Sean is your brother?" Jackson had a perplexed look on his face.
Thank
you Jackson!

"Well,
since it's obvious that none of us are black, he's technically our
step-brother." Serena stood with her back to us while wiping down the
counter top.

"But
we would never treat Sean like anything but our big brudder!" Mia added,
playfully shoving his head and stealing bacon from his plate.

"Hey!"
Sean smacked her hand.

"So,
why Whidbey Island?" Laney leaned her elbows onto the countertop.

We
fell silent. Elliott saved me before I had to state my confession.

"Like
I could be away from my sexy woman for ten days, she is too damn important to
me." Elliott winked to me. I smiled thankfully at him.

"Language!"
Serena scowled at Elliott and then shifted her eyes to Ryan who was watching
how close Elliott was getting.

"Alright,
well what do you guys have planned?" Laney looked around the room. "You
got nothing, huh?" She laughed. "Okay, well I am going to the mall if
anyone cares to join."

"I'm
in." Kat's plate clinked in the sink as she set it in the basin.

"You
guys realize you can't just go to the mall right?" Jackson cocked an
eyebrow at them.

"And
why not?" Laney asked.

"Uh…maybe
because you'll more than likely get mobbed by people," Elliott laughed.

"Oh
shit," Laney groaned. "What are your plans Mia?"

"Absolutely
nothing," she smiled large.

Laney
rolled her eyes.

"You
aren't going to do anything?"

"Nope,"
she was still smiling proudly.

I
loved her smile.

"I've
got a date with some laundry."

"I
want to go to the movies," Serena said as she joined the group at the
breakfast bar.

"Then
the movies you shall get," Elliott bowed to her. She rolled her eyes, but
the small smile on her lips gave away her lack of real annoyance.

"That's
not a bad idea. We can call and try to get the balcony. Who's in?" Laney's
mood had brightened.

"Wait
I have to see if Linda can watch Ry." Serena turned for the phone.

"Leave
Ry with me," Mia offered.

"You
aren't –"

"Didn't
I just say I wasn't doing anything?" She gave Serena a look.

"Are
you sure? I can call Linda."

"Leave
my man with me," Mia ruffled Ry's hair as she walked by.

"Hey!
Watch dah hair An Mia!" he yelled.

The
kitchen slowly cleared out as everyone disappeared to get ready. Jackson took
his things to Laney's room, Elliott took his to Serena's room, and Jimmy took
the spare room. I dropped my things in with Jimmy.

After
everyone was dressed and Serena kissed Ryan, about fifty times, they headed out
the door.

"Do
not keep him up all night Mia," she warned "and keep the junk to a
minimum please."

"Yeah,
yeah, don't worry about it. We're going to eat vegetables and be in bed by
seven," Mia's smile was full of sarcasm.

"Yeah
right," Serena turned her eyes to Ryan "You be a good boy for Aunt
Mia, okay?"

He
nodded and they were out the door. I stopped on the porch next to Mia and Ry.

"You
aren't going?" She didn't look at me.

"Nah,
not in the mood for a movie theater," She nodded in understanding.

The
car drove disappeared in a distance. She spun around to Ryan.

"Okay
she's gone!" They gave each other a high five. "What do we do first?"

Ryan
put his finger to his chin to think about it.

"I
know!" He ran into the house.

"Ry,
man, what are you –" before she could finish music came on. We entered the
living room, but Ryan wasn't there. "Ry, where are you?" she said in
a playful voice. "Ahhh!"

Turning
at her scream, Ryan stood with two large water guns, squirting Mia. I laughed.

"Oh
you think that's funny?" She grabbed one of the guns he had and sprayed me
right in my face. "Ha, take that!" She laughed and then turned on
Ryan.

"Ahhh…An
Mia stooppp!" he giggled and ran out the door. She chased after him.

Catching
up to them in the front yard, I watched them spray each other and laugh loudly.
Then they stopped and started whispering to each other. My curiosity was
peaked. When they came running toward me with guns aimed, I figured it out.
Putting my arms up as a shield, they both drenched the front of my t-shirt and
started laughing.

"Dat's
so funny An Mia," Ryan chuckled.

Mia
nodded. "I know, huh? Want to do it again?" They both aimed at me.

"I'm
unarmed! You can't shoot an unarmed man!" I shouted.

"Gedsa
gun den." That little boy looked at me like I was stupid. Shaking his head
with a huff, he ran by me and up the stairs, quickly returning with another gun
and holding it out for me.

"You
huv da ged yer own wader!" This kid was hilarious. He showed me where to
fill the gun up and then we went back outside. Mia was sitting on the steps.

As
soon as we were outside, he turned on me and sprayed.

"You
little…" Laughter covering the rest, I chased after him.

Euphoria
spread through me. It was like being a kid again, running around during a June
summer day chased by my mother. I got an instant high.

"Ahhh….An
Mia help me!" he ran from me and hid behind Mia.

"So
now it's time for some payback," I held up the gun with a gleam of
revenge.

"Ry,
run!" She shouted and squirted me with her gun, laughing. Spraying her
back, she started laughing harder and telling me to stop. From behind me, I
felt water on my back. Turning, Ryan was squirting my back.

"Good
job, Ry. Get him!"

She
grabbed my gun from me while I was distracted and squirted me with both guns.
Mia tried to run, but I grabbed her waist and lifted her over my shoulder.

Definitely
a good job, Ryan, I get to touch your Aunt Mia. God she felt amazing.
Flames ignited against my water-cooled skin.

"Pud
An Mia Down!" Ryan yelled.

"I'm
afraid that Aunt Mia needs to learn a lesson," I chuckled.

"Don't
listen to him Ry. Get him!" she chortled.

The
hose caught my attention earlier in the battle. Once we reached it, I grabbed
and turned it on her. She screamed at the cold water and tried to wiggle away.
The wiggling wasn't doing anything to deter my inner dirty teenage boy. In my subconscious,
he was humping her leg as her body rubbed against mine.

Once
thoroughly soaked I set her on her feet so she didn't slip out of my grasp. To
my surprise, she tried to wrestle me for the hose. Finally knocking it out of
my hand, she tried to lunge for the nozzle. The only reason she succeeded in
knocking it out of my hand was that my inner teenage boy got an eyeful of her
very wet t-shirt. It clung to her chest in the most amazing way. Thank God, the
water was cold.

We
both scrambled for hose when Ry picked it up with an evil smile. He turned the
water on both of us.

"You
traitor!" Mia yelled and Ryan giggled. We were almost laughing too hard to
get him. Both of us tripping over each other, the wet grass didn't help our
cause. She reached where the valve to the hose shut it off.

"What
are you going to do now little man?" She crossed her arms over chest.

"You
all wet An Mia," he looked at me giggling, "you too Cwis."

Mia
scooped him up and carried him into the house.

"Ewww…you
all wet!" he screamed.

With
the water battle over, the three of us went inside to change into dry clothing.

Mia
walked Ryan to his room and helped him get some clothes from his dresser.

"Do
you want me to help?" she knelt down.

He
shook his head. "Imma big boy."

She
smiled at him.

"Okay
I'll be back in a minute," she ruffled his hair and met me in the hallway.

"Your
stuff is in the spare room right?"

I
nodded.

She
nodded back and walked into her room. She nudged the door, but I kept going
before it closed all the way. I changed into a dry pair of jeans and another
t-shirt.

Walking
out of the spare room there were noises in Ryan's room, so I walked toward it.
Mia's door was on the way and, as I pass by, I glanced over. Just as I did, she
passed her partially open door. She was in her underwear and a tank top.
Groaning internally, I froze looking at her. Cue need for another dousing of
cold water. Inner teenage boy began imagining what it would be like to nestle
between her legs.

"Is
An Mia in dare, I need help." Ryan emerged from his room. As I snapped my
head to look down at him, Mia cursed and scuffled noises came from her room.

I
was
so
busted.

Chapter
Nineteen

Soaking
wet, we went into the house to change. I thought I'd closed my door completely,
but having not been home for so long, I forgot that the door would be caught on
the carpet. So when I heard Ryan and saw Christopher's figure outside of my
door while I stood there in a pair of underwear and a tank top, feeling like a
damned fool. I hurried to the other side of my room the heat flooding my face
from embarrassment. Please let him have just been walking by and not have seen
me running around half-clothed.