“But what about school?” were the words that immediately slid out of my mouth.  Missing school was not something I usually did.  I worked hard to maintain my wonderful grades, and being absent would throw me off tack.

My dad smiled slightly.  “Honey, it’s only Saturday,” he replied.  “The car should be working by tomorrow.”

It would have been more comforting if he’d sounded more certain.

I glanced at Dannon from the corner of my eye.  He stared off into space, pursing his lips.  He didn’t look mad—when did he?  But he didn’t look thrilled either.  He looked . . . sad.  I felt my stomach do an uncomfortable flip.  Dannon looked sad.  Dannon never looked anything besides happy and amused.  The absence of a smile on his face put me on edge to be honest.

I shook the thoughts of Dannon out of my head, turning back to the problem at hand.  “But what if it doesn’t?”

My dad let out an exasperated breath of air.  “Then we’ll call your school.  Listen, I’m sorry that the car had an unexpected issue, but there’s nothing we can do right now.  We’ll see what’s up with it tomorrow.  For now, why don’t you just chill out?”  He turned to Dannon and Kyla.  “You two have some parents to call.”

Dannon and Kyla nodded.  Dannon stretched out his arms, while Kyla stood up.  She stared at his arms in awe.  I could just see it now.  “Oh my gosh look at his muscles flex!” she’d screech when we were alone.  Girls.  Sometimes I was ashamed to be one.

“I don’t have my phone,” Kyla whined, pouting.  “Can I used someone’s?”

“Oh, here we go,” Hartin grumbled.  “I do not want to have to deal with this all night.”

I rolled my eyes and dished my phone out of my pocket, handing it over to Kyla.  She thanked me, shooting a glare in Hartin’s direction.  If there weren’t adults in the room she’d be flipping him off right now, I knew she would.  She stood up, strutting out of the room before Hartin could even attempt to utter a smart-ass retort, punching numbers on the phone as she went.

It was then that I turned my attention to Dannon.  He pulled his phone out of his sweatshirt pocket, dialing his number and bringing his phone to his ear.  Unlike Kyla he didn’t bother to leave the room.  It was like leaving the room took too much time.  Or maybe, if he was the lazy type, too much effort.

“Hey, Dad it’s me,” he murmured into the phone.  “Their car broke down so we’re not going to be able to get home tonight.”  He paused.  “Yeah.”  Another pause.  “I don’t know.”

I watched as his emotionless expression turned to one of dread as he listened to his father’s words.  I wondered what his dad was saying.  Was he yelling at him?  Was he condemning him to life inside the house?  I doubted it.  Why would his dad do such a thing?  And he sounded nice on the phone. . . .

“Yeah, I know I have an appointment—” He stopped and glanced at me as his dad cut him off.  He tried his best to smile, but I could tell it was faked.  “They’re going to try and get us home by tomorrow.”  A pause.  “If we don’t make it, can’t we just reschedule?”  His eyes shot up to the ceiling, looking torn.  “Why not?”

My eyebrows drew together.  What kind of appointment was so important that you couldn’t reschedule?  My eyebrows narrowed, curiosity piking.  Dannon glanced at me and shook his head.  I sagged, not being able to help but feel disappointed.  Looked like he wasn’t going to tell me what his appointment was for.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”  Dannon’s voice dropped to a whisper.  He looked around apologetically at everyone.  He probably thought he was being rude—acting torn and upset because he was stuck here.  But Aunt Jill wouldn’t mind.  She’d know that he was kind enough.

Ew.  I cannot believe I’d just called Dannon kind.

 “Yeah.”  Pause.  “Uh-huh.”  Pause.  “Well, I have to go.  Bye, Dad.”  Another pause.  “Love you, too.  Bye.”

Dannon hung up the phone and sighed, his head falling back on the wall.  He closed his eyes, bringing his hands down his face.  This outburst was scaring me.  A lot.  “Dannon?” I murmured worriedly, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, his voice muffled by his hands.  He let his hands fall, looking up and smiling.  “My dad just made an appointment for me at the dentist, and he doesn’t like canceling.  He thinks it’s rude.”

Yeah, right.

I nodded despite my disbelief and pulled away, pushing down the thought that he was hiding something.  For a moment it was silent—which was odd seeing how there were almost ten people in the room.  It was the sort of silence that everyone wanted to break but was too afraid to.

“Wow.”  Kyla’s voice sliced through the silence as she trotted back into the room.  “I leave the room and everyone’s silent.”  She grinned at us.  “Silenced by my departure, are you?”

That got some people laughing.  I glanced at Dannon discreetly before trying to join in.  He was acting weird.  Really weird.  I twisted around to see Britain throwing me a questioning look.  I shrugged, showing him that I was just as clueless as he was.

“I assure you that no one was upset by your absence.  Well, at least I wasn’t.”

“Hartin!” Aunt Jill shrieked disapprovingly.  “How dare you speak to her that way?”

Kyla smiled smugly, her hands going to her hips.  She stuck her tongue out at Hartin before skipping over to the couch, plopping beside me.  I was stuck in the middle.  Again.  “Kyla, three; Hartin, zero.”

I snickered as Dannon smiled.  “Is this a normal thing between you two?” he asked, any signs of his exasperation gone.  It was like it never happened.

“Oh yes,” Kyla said, nodding.  “And I always win.”

“No you don’t!” Hartin argued, his voice rising.

Aunt Jill scowled at him.  She pursed her lips, saying, “Hartin, if you continue to act like this, you’re going to spend the whole night in your room.”  She narrowed her eyes.  “Do you really want that?”

Hartin glared discreetly at Kyla.  He clenched his hands into fists, digging them into the carpet floor.  Through clenched teeth he muttered a soft, “No.”

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

“Supper’s ready!”

Oh, here we go.

You see, it’s rather hard to seat almost twenty people at a table.  Not only were there my cousins, but there were the five of us that came here, plus my aunt and uncles.  I had a feeling we wouldn’t be eating at the dinner table tonight.  It barely sat their family, let alone extras. 

I heaved myself up from the living room floor, glancing at the adjacent room as cheers from the younger ones rang out.  I almost laughed at how excited people got when it came to stuffing their faces.  What was so fun about eating, exactly?

“Help me up!” Kyla whined suddenly, pulling me out of my reverie.

Kyla had thought it necessary to lie on the floor and attempt to bring her foot behind her head.  In the process, her body tangled itself in a way that I hadn’t thought possible—not without breaking something, anyway.  But Kyla, being Kyla, happened to find a way.

“Only you,” I mumbled, trying my best to untangle her arms.  How was she not moaning in pain?  I would have been bawling.  “How does this not hurt?”

Kyla’s eyes danced with amusement.  “I, unlike you, my silly friend, take gymnastics.”

She didn’t even look pained!  I didn’t even think that gymnastics would make her so flexible that she couldn’t feel pain when put into a position like this.  There was something wrong with her, there really was.  “Well, if you’re so limber, then why can’t you untangle yourself?”  I retorted, growling in frustration as I attempted in vein to untangle her legs.

“Did you seriously just say limber?” Kyla asked, laughing.

“Yes, limber.  Also referred to as flexible—”

“I know what it means!” Kyla snapped.

“What the—?”

I looked up as Dannon and Britain emerged from the kitchen, gawks on their faces.  They both tilted their heads to the side in unison, obviously just as baffled as I was at Kyla’s situation.  “A little help would be nice,” I quipped, gesturing for them to assist me.  They hesitantly walked over, beginning to move her arms and legs around aimlessly.

“Okay, whoever just bent my arm at that annoyingly painful angle, please refrain from doing that ever again!” Kyla shrieked.

“Okay, move back,” Dannon said sternly.

Britain and I immediately backed away.  I stared Dannon down.  Did he seriously think that he could solve this Rubik’s cube of a puzzle by himself?  Well, unless he could actually do the Rubik’s cube. . . . That would be cool.

Within seconds Dannon had Kyla untangled and off the floor.  She hopped up and down excitedly, clapping her hands and shrieking in glee.  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”  She caught my awe-stricken face and laughed.  “Be jealous that he has more skills than you.”

Well, at least we know her idolization of him is still intact. 

“I don’t know what you four are doing,” came a voice from the doorway, “but I believe your aunt said dinner’s ready.”

We all turned to see Uncle Dorner leaning against the opening’s frame.  He had a thinner face than his siblings did, and less hair.  He had a thin layer of hair on the top of his head, and a five o’clock shadow making its way across his face.  He looked like he was trying to be stern, but you could tell that he was amused.  Maybe he’d heard our conversation while we tried to untangle my idiot of a friend.

We shuffled into the dining room where everyone was seated at two connected tables.  It was a manage they managed to fit that in here.  The room was big and all, but sheesh!  My gaze flicked at everyone who was chatting happily as they stuffed their faces with pizza.  Huh.  That was actually a good choice.

“Dannon, Brianne,” my mom called, smiling from her spot at the table.  “You two can sit here.” She pointed to two seats all the way at the end of the table.  After biting my cheek to refrain from spitting out a comment that would not be deemed appropriate in this house, I followed Dannon toward our assigned seats.

Kyla and Britain slid into the seats across from us.  I watched as they chatted, Kyla giggling that ridiculously fake laugh of hers.  Wait a second.  She only did that when. . . .

Oh.  My.  Gosh.

Kyla was flirting with Britain!  Flirting!  Talk about awkward. . . .

“I think that an introduction is needed!” Aunt Jill called out, smiling brightly.  “Since our new guest hasn’t been able to learn everyone’s names, why don’t we say who we are?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Dannon.  He shifted closer to me, uncomfortably rubbing his arm.  I glanced at my parents, seriously hoping that they hadn’t noticed that.  But, from the look on my mom’s face, she had.

“Britain, why don’t you begin?” From the tone of Aunt Jill’s voice, it wasn’t a question at all, but an order.

Britain rolled his eyes.  “I’m Britain.”  He paused, smiling crookedly before adding, “You already know my name so this is really pointless.”

After that, the introductions moved smoothly.  No one had any extra comments, no sarcastic retorts.  It was like a teacher taking attendance in school.  All business.

“Kyla.”

“Lily!”

“Gracie.”

“Lexi.”

“Alexis.”

“Hartin.”

“Trace.”

“Maria.”

“Vincent.”

“Krystiana.”

“Reiland.”

“Peter.”

I watched with amused eyes as Dannon’s eyes glazed over.  I could easily tell that he wasn’t going to remember any of those names later.  Well, besides the people he’d already officially met.  The funny thing was that he hadn’t even gotten to the adults yet.  Ah, this was just too darn hilarious!

“You awake there, Dannon?” I asked, grinning as I nudged him slightly.

Dannon shook his head, more to bring himself back to reality than anything else.  “Yeah.”

“Rick!”

I wrinkled my nose.  Uncle Rick had his mouth full of pizza, some cheese dangling down his chin.  Aunt Jill eyed him with distaste.  She grabbed a napkin and wiped the extra cheese off his face.  And, to further show that she didn’t appreciate his immaturity, she wiped the cheese onto his arm.

“Dorner.”

My parents introduced themselves before turning to me.  I stared at them dumbly for a moment before it clicked.  “I seriously have to introduce myself?”

The adults nodded.  Seriously?  That was insane!  “Jane Doe,” I muttered sarcastically.  When I got disapproving stares, I glared.  “There’s no humor in this house, really.”  I sighed deeply, turning to Dannon.  “Hello, Dannon, my name is Brianne.  How are you?”

“Hello, Brianne,” Dannon replied, an amused smile on his face.  “I am well.  And you?”

“I am well as well.  Shall we—?”

“Okay, okay!  Sarcasm not needed!” my mom interjected.  I was kind of thankful she did.  I had no idea what I was planning on saying.  “As amusing as it may be, you’re not setting a good example.”

After a mumble of an apology from me, Aunt Jill finally let us eat in peace.  I munched on my pizza laughing along with Kyla, Britain, and Dannon.  There was as much energy as in the school cafeteria.  I fed off the energy, finding myself hyper.

I wasn’t gonna lie: this was one of the best meals I’d had with family in a long time.

Who would have thought that Dannon Barone was one of the reasons why?

Ew.  I did not just think that.

| It ♥ All ♥ Started ♥ With ♥ An ♥ Apple |

“I want to watch a chick flick!”

“Well, I’m sorry, but the majority of us don’t,” Britain teased, grinning at her.

Kyla, Britain, Dannon, and I were all sitting in Britain’s bedroom, trying to pick a movie to watch to bed.  Sleeping bags were sprawled out on the floor, covering almost his whole carpet.  There were for, one for each of us.  Britain had proclaimed he’d be sleeping on the floor with us as we walked through the doorway.  “I don’t want to seem rude,” he’d said.  I think he just didn’t want to be left out.

Kyla shot me a helpless look.  “Brianne, help me out here!  I don’t want to watch a horror movie to bed!”

I flopped onto Britain’s bed, my hands curling into his comforter.  “Guys, the poor girl is gonna cry,” I said, gesturing to Kyla with a nod of the head.  “Let her choose the movie.”

Kyla looked like she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to glare or smile at me.  In the end she compromised, keeping her lips in a straight line.

Britain groaned while Dannon nodded, a smile on his face.  He was completely normal again—during supper I’d catch him with a troubled, distant look on his face—thank gosh!  If I had to deal with a depressed Dannon all the time, I’d think I’d die.  It was actually worse than an overly-cheerful Dannon.

“Whatever,” Britain mumbled.  “What does the princess want to watch?”

“It’s Royal Highness to you,” Kyla sniffed, rolling her eyes.  “And I want to watch Chasing Liberty!”

Britain muttered some not-so-nice things under his breath before finding the DVD on the DVD rack.  It sat next to his huge television set, one of the old TV’s that had been in the living room before they’d gotten the flat-screen.  He didn’t have a stand for the TV, so it rested on the floor against the wall.  The rest of his room was like that, too.  He didn’t really have any furniture.  Not that Aunt Jill didn’t try.  He just hated having too much stuff in his room.  So now all he had was a TV, a bed, a floor littered with dirty clothes, and a closed crammed with clean clothes.

Kyla, Dannon, and I got comfy in our sleeping bags while Britain put in the movie, me being stuck in the middle.  Do you not see this recurring pattern?  Oh, Brianne, why don’t you be in the middle?  I mean, you’re the skinniest.  I liked the fact that people considered me skinny, but seriously?  Not cool!

After the movie was in and the remote was in his hand, Britain flung himself onto his sleeping bag beside Kyla’s.  Why he hadn’t chosen to have his next to Dannon’s, I’m not really sure.  Maybe he had a crush on Kyla.  That wasn’t the most pleasant of thoughts.

“What’s this movie about, anyway?” Dannon inquired so softly that I was the only one who could hear him.

I snuggled into my pillow, getting comfortable.  “A girl who’s the president’s daughter and hates having no freedom.”

“And?”

"And, you’ll have to find out.”  I turned to face him, grinning.

Dannon sighed lightly, stretching his arms out in front of him. He let them fall carelessly onto the sleeping bag after as he smiled at me.  “I’ll probably fall asleep before the end of the movie, so why don’t you tell me?”

I noted how sleepy his smile was before dismissing it entirely.  “It’s not like you’re going to fall asleep before you find out the point of the movie.  That’s only like twenty minutes in.”  I would have explained it to him, but the truth was that I was a sucky explainer who didn’t feel like explaining a chick flick to a boy named Dannon.

“I doubt it.”

And when the twenty minutes were up, when the point had made itself clear, I looked over at Dannon and rolled my eyes.

He had fallen asleep.