Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18:

ALANA:

When I got home, everyone was waiting for me in the foyer: Byrson, his mother and my father. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I tried to pretend I didn't see them and headed for the stairs. Right now, I just wanted to be alone. But they weren't going to let that happen.

"Alana," my father said. I stopped and turned. I had made it to the second stair and was leaning on the banister. "Come down here. We need to talk to you."

For some reason, I was thinking that Bryson had told them that he and I had had sex. Why would he do that, though? That would mean him being implicated as well as me. Nahh, this was about something else. "What's up?" I asked as cheerfully as I could.

"Did you steal from me?" Kendra asked me accusingly.

I looked at them all like they were crazy. "Steal what?"

"My diamond earrings. They were a gift from your father years ago." Kendra crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw set.

"I didn't steal anything."

My father looked me, disappointed. "Alana, we found the earrings in your room," he said. "In plain sight."

"No, you didn't." I knew I hadn't stolen anything. When I glanced at Bryson, he was smirking. He had done this. I didn't know why, but I knew he had. It was painted all over his face. "I swear to God, I didn't steal anything," I told them defensively.

"Alana, you're grounded. Straight to school and straight home after." My father sighed.

Kendra decided now would be a good time to tell me how much she hated me. "Why did you do it?" she asked. My father put a hand on her shoulder, warning. "Are you jealous that he left you for me and my son?" Even Bryson seemed shocked to hear that come out of his mother's mouth. He stared at her as if she were alien. "He never wanted you, and he never will. And when you're eighteen, I want you out of here." Kendra spun on her heel and retreated to the kitchen. 

My father took a step toward me, but I put a hand up; he stopped. "Alana―"

"Don't worry about it," I said, and went upstairs.

About thirty minutes later, Bryson quietly entered my room. I heard the door lock after him. I was sitting on the bed in the dark. I'd thought I wanted to cry, but now the tears wouldn't come. Bryson was standing awkwardly by the door, his hands in his pockets.

"Go away," I said. There was only person I wanted to see right now, and it wasn't Bryson. It wasn't even Andy. I wanted to see Joseph. I wanted him to be okay. I just wished I had never left with Andy and that things were as they had been before. Gah, why did my life suck so hard?

Bryson didn't move. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about the earrings," he said. "I was angry at you, and I don't even remember why now. But that's no excuse for trying to get you into trouble."

I got up and walked over to him. And slapped him across the face. Now I felt tears slowly streaming down my cheeks, but I didn't care if he saw me cry. Bryson grabbed my wrists, and for a second, I thought he was angry. But he just kissed me. And I let him. I entangled my hands in his hair. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him, as he slammed me against the wall, all the while never breaking the kiss. He had one hand under my left thigh, holding me up, and the other hand trailing up my back, under my shirt. I didn't care that our parents were downstairs; I didn't care about anything. 

Until my phone rang and brought me back to reality. "Ignore it," Bryson said, breathing hard.

"No," I told him. Bryson let me go and I looked at the caller-ID. It was Andy. "Hello?" I wondered if he could somehow tell what I'd just done. It seemed like he always called or showed up at the worst times.

Andy hesitated. "Alana?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh, you sound out of breath." I felt myself blush in the darkness. "Look, do you want to meet up?"

"Sure," I said, but then I remembered that I was grounded. "Oh, I'm actually grounded." Then, I had an idea. "How about Monday, before you leave? I'll skip school." I saw Bryson raise his brow, like 'Yeah, right.'

"Uhmmm..Okay, that should be good. Just call me."

"Alright." After I hung up with Andy, walked over and turned the light on. Bryson's hair was sticking out in all directions and he seemed annoyed. "You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

"Who are you meeting?" Bryson asked.

"Andy," I replied. 

Bryson rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm telling. You can't go meet another guy. Not after what we've done."

"How about this: if you tell our parents I'm going to meet Andy, I'll tell our parents what we've done." I smiled, but Bryson just cursed and left my room. This was shaping up to be a fucked day.