Jumping Over My Mountain - 14. Chapter 14

Jumping Over My Mountain
by Tiffani Chin

Chapter 14

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*************HELAKU*************

"Dad?" I said with surprise, into the phone.

Even though my Dad and I were much closer these days, I still haven't heard from him in awhile. I knew that as a lawyer, my Dad had some big and long cases to work on. So his phone call was definitely out of the blue.

"Hey, Hela. Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked.

I thought it over, "Well, just having dinner with Bryce," I answered. "Why?"

"Oh, right; so things are going much better with him then?" he asked.

I had told my Dad that Bryce and I had gotten back together. I hadn’t given him any of the details of what had happened between Bryce and me. As usual, my Dad worked nonstop.

"Sheryl and I just finished a case. We were wondering if you'd like to have dinner with us tonight. Bring Bryce as well," he offered. "I would really like to see you tonight," he added.

Wow, my Dad had never seemed too eager to have me over before.

"Yeah, ok," I said. I was actually looking forward to seeing my Dad and meeting this Sheryl woman he had been seeing for awhile now.

"Great, come by the house around 7:00, is that ok?"

"Sure," I answered.

"See you then Hela," he said.

"Bye."

I saw Bryce walk past me and I grabbed his arm, stopping him midway. He stumbled slightly and lost his balance, gripping my shoulder to steady himself. He didn't look bothered though and smiled at me.

"What's up?" he asked. A piece of his blond hair fell into his eyes. I really wanted to brush it away but we had agreed not to be out at the office.

"Hey, so I know we had dinner plans tonight," I began.

Bryce pouted, "Are you canceling on me?"

I smiled and lowered my voice, "Stop being so damned cute Bryce."

He grinned at me while I leaned closer, "Otherwise I'm going to have to lock you in the bathroom and make you scream," I said curling my lips devilishly.

He laughed, "Okay, so what about dinner then?"

"Well, my Dad called and asked if I would have dinner and meet his new girlfriend. He's wanted me to meet her forever," I explained.

Bryce nodded, "That's ok, I understand. You go have dinner with your Dad and then see me afterwards," he said raising his eyebrows, "and then we can get to that screaming."

I chuckled, "No Bryce, I want you to come to dinner with me," I emphasized the ‘with me' part.

Bryce's eyes widened, "Wow, meeting your Dad? That's, like, a big step," he said with awe in his voice.

My smile spread, "Of course, Bryce, I always wanted you to meet him. Hell I would have had you meet him even sooner if he wasn't so damned busy all the time."

"I would love to meet your Dad and his girlfriend," he replied, looking really happy.

"Good. Dinner is at 7:00 at my house, or well, his house." I stepped closer to him, "We could always go back to our apartment and have a little quickie before going to dinner," I added, lowering my voice to a near whisper.

Bryce blushed but he nodded slightly, smiling.

"Ok, I'll see you later," I murmured softly. I watched as he took a seat in his cubicle before I went back to my computer.

**************

My first impression of Sheryl was that she was extremely beautiful and exactly Dad's type. Well to be honest, I didn't actually know Dad’s type. I don't think he dated much when I was younger, if at all. If he had, I never noticed. All I had to go by was my mother, whom I still had a firm memory of, especially her dark skin and dark hair that I had inherited.

Sheryl had tan skin and shiny dark black hair. However, she wasn't Native American; instead, she looked Hispanic. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties and looked like Eva Longoria-only taller and a little bit curvier. She had a polished quality about her and she spoke very intelligently. I took an immediate liking to her.

When Bryce and I arrived, my Dad answered the door. When we got to the dinner table it appeared that she and my Dad had been waiting for us while having drinks.

"Sheryl, this is my son Hela," he pointed to me since I didn't resemble my Dad at all. Bryce had a better chance of being his son, looks-wise.

"That is his boyfriend, Bryce Whitman," my Dad continued. "Hela; Bryce; this is Sheryl," he said smiling adoringly at her.

I had to fight the urge to burst out laughing at my Dad's facial expression. He looked like a young teenager that was in love with the prom queen. I thought my Dad was a good looking enough guy for someone in his mid-forties, but he looked ten years younger right now. He looked extremely happy.

"Hi, Hela, Bryce," Sheryl said, smiling at us, "It is so nice to finally meet you both," she said, glancing at Bryce, "Your father has told me so much about the both of you."

I glanced at my Dad and we shared a smile.

"Come sit down. we'll bring the food out," Dad said, waving at me and Bryce.

"You cooked?" I asked in surprise. From my memory of when I was a kid, my Dad always had a cook around to prepare both of our meals or more specifically, my meals, since my Dad was never really around to eat with me when I was younger.

My Dad grinned at me, "Come on now Hela, you know I can't cook to save my life. I wouldn't want to kill my only child, now would I?" he joked. “No," he continued with a smile, "Sheryl actually cooked."

Sheryl stood up and excused herself. "I'll bring out the food," she said.

"I'll help you," Dad said standing up as well.

I turned to Bryce and saw him staring after my Dad and Sheryl as they disappeared into the kitchen.

"Are you checking out Sheryl or my Dad?" I asked, throwing him a sidelong glance, "I could understand Sheryl, since she is pretty hot, but if you were skeeving on my Dad, I don't know whether to be jealous or grossed out," I said with a mock confused tone and expression.

Bryce laughed heartily and leaned over to kiss me briefly on my lips. I placed my hand on his neck to hold him there before he could pull away. I deepened the kiss.

Bryce took a breath and licked his lips when we broke apart. Then he smiled, "No silly! I was just wondering about something."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I think Sheryl might be pregnant," he stated.

My eyebrows shot up, "What? Why would you think that?"

"She has a small bump," he replied.

I frowned, "A small bump?"

"Like a pregnancy bump," Bryce clarified.

"No way," I scoffed, "She's in her thirties; she just doesn't have a flat stomach anymore," I argued.

Bryce smiled and shook his head in disagreement, "It's more than that. The rest of her body is slim and toned-then she has a bump. I really think she's pregnant."

"She can't be," I protested, "My Dad is, like, old. He can't have another kid at his age. The kid will be young and my Dad is old. I could be the kids father!" I said, shuddering at the thought.

Bryce laughed, "I'm just saying. It's not like it's for sure just because I say so. I was just making an observation."

I wanted to say more but Sheryl and Dad walked back to the table holding large dishes. From where I was sitting it looked like some kind of steak, a plate of vegetables, and yellow Spanish rice.

"Wow, everything looks great," Bryce complimented Sheryl. She smiled broadly at him.

"Thank you," she said, pleased, before sitting down beside my father.

We passed around the dishes and served ourselves.

I took a bite of steak; it literally melted in my mouth, that's how tender it was. Damn, Sheryl was a good cook.

I saw my father take Sheryl's hand and I noticed a ring on her slender finger. I looked over at dad’s glass and studied it more closely. I realized it wasn't white wine like I thought, but a sparkling cider or something.

Things began to click and I remembered Bryce's words. Maybe Bryce was right, but I didn't feel right asking them directly. This was my first time meeting the woman after all.

"I heard you both work in advertising," Sheryl began, "How do you like it?"

"It's great. I never thought I would be into a typical desk job, the whole nine-to-five thing, but I really like it," I said. My Dad smiled proudly at me.

"It helps that we're involved in a lot of creative projects, so it doesn't get that tedious," Bryce added.

"I understand," Sheryl said in a smooth voice, "I was never into having a desk job either. Sitting on my butt all day, getting fat and eating cookies that were stored in my desk drawer, was not for me."

I blinked at her bluntness. Bryce was covering his mouth as he laughed. Dad was shaking his head and chuckling, as if he was used to her saying these things often. Perhaps she did.

"What?" she asked, looking at us and smiling, "It's true!"

"Anyhow," she said becoming serious again, "That's why I love being a lawyer. It's never boring and I feel like I'm always actively using my brain. I really do love to argue with people," she said, sipping her glass of clear liquid.

"That, she does!" my father agreed, squeezing her hand, "I can never win a fight with this lady."

Sheryl looked down smiling, pleased.

"So what's new with you?" Dad asked, "I feel as if we have lots to catch up on."

I wiped my mouth with my napkin, "Well, Bryce and I are still looking for a house."

"Oh yeah? Any luck on that?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Well, I guess we haven't been really actively looking, so it's hard to say what might be out there."

"I guess we've become comfortable at the apartment and have gotten lazy," Bryce admitted.

"Well, it's a good idea to invest in actual property. You get more benefits out of it than just renting something," Dad advised.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes in front of him. I wasn't annoyed, it was just something I totally expected my Dad to say. Then again, I guess all parents said such things to their children.

"I know. We'll look more thoroughly this weekend," I assured. Bryce nodded in agreement.

Dad cleared his throat suddenly and I looked up at him. I saw Sheryl squeeze his hand and look at him pointedly. I frowned, wondering what was going on.

Dad looked at me and licked his lips, "I, or we, actually have some big news of our own or really, several of them, to, uh, let you know, or talk about," he stammered.

I was suspicious. My Dad was a lawyer. He didn't get flustered talking about anything. What was up?

"Well, first, Sheryl and I are going to get married," he burst out. I smiled because I was expecting them to tie the knot sooner or later, not to mention the ring was clear evidence of that.

"Congratulations," Bryce said, "When's the big day?"

"I always wanted a summer wedding," Sheryl said, "So we set the date for July 20th. That gives me plenty of time to plan it. I've been busy lately. Plus I always wanted to get married on the beach," she added excitedly.

"So, we're getting married in Hawaii," Dad finished for her.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, "In Hawaii? Wow!" I said in awe, "That's so far."

"Well, we wanted to have a small wedding. We're going to have just family and some close friends-lawyers from the firm and such," my Dad explained. "Which brings me to my next thing," he continued, "Would you be my best man, Hela?" he asked.

I smiled, "Of course I would, Dad."

"Oh, and of course, you're invited, Bryce. I'm sure Hela would have brought you anyhow as his guest, but you know…" my Dad said, turning to Bryce.

Bryce smiled and nodded in thanks.

"What's your other news?" I prodded curiously.

"Well, it's not as big as our future wedding, but Sheryl has moved in here," he said carefully.

I nodded, taking that in. That wasn't too scary. It made sense since they were about to get married and had been seriously seeing each other for awhile now.

I picked up my fork and started to eat again.

"And…" Sheryl trailed off.

My head popped up at the sound of her voice. She was looking at my Dad with a helpless expression on her face.

"We're going to have a baby," my Dad announced. I dropped my fork onto my plate. It fell with a loud clatter. My Dad flinched.

I noticed everyone was staring at me, obviously awaiting my reaction. Through my peripheral vision, I could even feel Bryce's eyes on me.

Sheryl looked tense, while trying to maintain her pleasant expression. My Dad looked like he was preparing for some loud outburst or tantrum to come from me.

"What?" I asked in a calm tone, "You're having a baby, NOW?"

"I'll be due September 19," Sheryl said. She and Dad shared an excited look.

I blinked and shook my head, holding out my hands.

"Wait a minute," I said in disbelief, "You can't have a baby now. Dad, you're like 46," I said. He frowned at me.

"Hela," he began.

"Dad, you'll be like his grandfather when the kid is my age," I went on. I felt Bryce squeezing my thigh, probably in an attempt to stop my ranting which was starting to bother my father and upset Sheryl.

"I mean, can you even handle a kid? You're like, never home. I doubt you'll change your ways. Are you going to have maids or something take care of this child too?" I asked, feeling angry.

"Hela, that's enough!" Dad said, his voice taking on a sharp edge.

Even Sheryl looked uncomfortable. Wisely, she didn't contribute to the discussion. She was a nice woman; I didn't want to snap at her in my rage.

"No Dad, I'm serious. Why would you bring another kid into this world and not even be there for them? I mean, what if something happened to Sheryl? What would you do? Run off and let some stranger take care of the kid, so then the kid can feel like you never cared about them?" I demanded.

Dad's naturally pale Irish skin lost all of its remaining color; he swallowed hard.

"Hela," he said in a controlled voice, "I had hoped you would be mature about this and be happy for us."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. There were a few useless squeaks. My verbal skills at that moment could only be described as sputtering.

"You're going to put this on me?" I spat out. I stood up abruptly, "I feel sorry for your future kid."

Sheryl gasped and hurt flashed all over my father's face.

"Hela!" Bryce said in a shocked tone.

I couldn't think straight. I felt frustrated and overwhelmed with all these conflicting feelings. On one hand, I wanted to be happy for them, but all I could think about was how lonely and bitter I had been when I was younger. I grew up without my mother after she died. On top of that, I lost my father as well. I resented that he always put work before me.

"I can't handle this. I'm sorry," I said. I spun around heading for the front door.

I was silently fuming as I walked to my car. Bryce was right on my heels. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"Hela, what was that back there?" he asked, with shock and concern on his face.

I shrugged off his hand petulantly. "I don't feel like talking about it right now. This is just too much for me," I said, getting into the driver's seat.

Bryce quickly got in the passenger seat and turned to me.

"That was uncalled for though, Hela. You really hurt their feelings. This was supposed to be a happy announcement and you made them feel badly."

I stared at him. "It was a happy announcement for them! Not for me! I'm not, jeez, I'm not happy about it at all!"

"Hela."

"I don't want a brother or sister. I'm too old; he's too old. That kid will be unhappy and miserable just like I was. The kid's going to wish it was never born!" I shouted at him.

Bryce backed away from me in astonishment, "You regret being born?" he asked.

I shook my head and sighed deeply, rubbing my throbbing temple. "No, that's not what I meant. It's just that, oh, I don't know. Before my Mom died, things weren't perfect. My Dad still worked crazy hours. He was starting out at the firm and moving up quickly. However, he was there, like actually still there," I said glancing at Bryce, who was waiting for me to get this off my chest.

"Then, when she died, he just disappeared on me! Completely left me all alone! I never saw him. I was used to him not coming to my basketball games. He signed me up for fencing and then never came to see my competitions. Mom was gone, but he was gone too! He left me, so I was totally alone! Coming home alone to an empty house, eating meals alone, sleeping in that huge house alone! It sucked! Everything just sucked! Does he even know that? Does he want to put another poor child through that shit?" I asked Bryce angrily. Bryce just stayed silent as I ranted.

When I was done, he took my hand gingerly in his and rubbed my arm soothingly. "Hela, look at me, baby," he said softly. I turned to him and his blue eyes were filled with sympathy.

"I know all about shitty childhoods, ok, baby? I know things were lonely when you were younger. Your Dad wasn't around; he had trouble dealing with your Mom's death. He handled it in his own way, even if it was not the right way," he added when I opened my mouth to interrupt him.

He rubbed soft circles on my palm. "Now he's trying to start over again, to have a fulfilling life with Sheryl and his new baby. Maybe he wants a second chance to be the father he couldn't be before and show that he has learned from his mistakes. Besides, things won't be bad for that little baby and do you know why?"

I shook my head.

"That kid will be so lucky to have you as the older brother," Bryce said softly.

I looked away from him and gazed through my windshield mirror.

"That's right," I murmured in agreement.

"Yeah," Bryce said, "That kid will never be alone. Sheryl seems like she would be a great mother. On top of that, whenever that kid does get lonely, he or she can always call you. You'll never leave, right?" Bryce asked gently, smiling.

I shook my head emphatically, "No way!"

Bryce smiled and combed my hair with his fingers. "That's what I thought."

I nodded and just sat there, with his hand resting over mine.

"Why don't we go back in there and talk things through? Let them know that you're happy for them?" he asked me.

"I can't," I said with shame.

"Why not?"

"My Dad looked so mad and then hurt. I can't go back in there right now," I muttered childishly.

Bryce touched my cheek. "Listen baby, he's probably more worried than mad. Did you see how nervous he was to tell you about the baby? He was worried about your reaction. He cares about you, Hela. He's your Dad, he loves you. He doesn't want you to be upset. I'm sure he would feel better knowing you were ok," Bryce reasoned, "I bet he's thinking you're mad at him too."

"Come on Hela, let's go back inside and make everything right," he insisted, tugging on my arm after I didn't make any effort to move myself.

I watched as Bryce got out of my car and walked over to my side.

"Come on baby, do the right thing," Bryce coaxed, gripping my arm more tightly and pulling.

"I don't want to," I told Bryce, but I allowed him to pull me out of the seat.

"But you should and you have to. You and I both know that," Bryce said firmly, shutting my door and steering me towards the house.

My feet felt heavy as Bryce pushed me to the front door. He grabbed my keys from my pocket and fished out the house one to open the door. We walked inside.

Sheryl and Dad were still at the dinner table, with all our unfinished plates still out.

They both looked up when we entered. Sheryl appeared as if she had been crying. My father looked distraught as he tried to comfort her. The guilt just exploded in my gut. I did that to my Dad. I caused that look on his face. What a shitty son I was. I avoided their eyes when they looked at me.

"Hela has something he would like to say," Bryce announced nudging me forward slightly, but he kept his hand on my lower back for moral support. I took a deep breath before starting.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your engagement, your moving in here, and your baby," I said mumbling the last segment in a rush.

“Dad," I said, finally looking him in the eye, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything that I said before. You both will make wonderful parents. Even if you were never around, I know you still cared for me. You will make a great Dad and the baby will be lucky to have Sheryl and you" I said quietly.

My Dad stood up without a word and walked over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. Bryce stepped back so I could have a moment with my Dad.

I buried my face in his shoulder and squeezed back.

"I'm sorry for being such an asshole," I said, my voice muffled since my Dad was hugging me so hard.

"Helaku, you know I love you, right?" he said quietly in my ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t show it. But I always loved you. You’re a good kid, you know?”

I nodded.

"Good," my Dad said patting my back, "Then I forgive you for being an asshole."

I laughed as we pulled apart.

"Besides, I was expecting that sort of reaction. You were always a bit of a hot head," my Dad teased, his bright blue eyes sparkling with humor. "I'm surprised you even came back."

"That was my idea," Bryce chimed in. Sheryl and Dad laughed as I rolled my eyes.

My Dad reached over and yanked Bryce into a hug as well.

"Well, good thing he has you-no scratch that-good thing we all have you. We're going to need more of you in the future to help us with this oaf over here," my Dad joked.

"Hey!" I protested as everyone laughed.

"You better stick around, Bryce," my Dad continued, ruffling my short hair.

"Dad!" I whined fixing my hair.

"Don't worry Mr. McAdams. I plan on sticking around for awhile. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried," he said, wrapping an arm around me possessively.

I couldn't help blushing when Sheryl squealed delightfully as Bryce leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on my cheek.

"Come on, let's finish dinner," my father suggested, "Then we can get to the amazing dessert Sheryl prepared." He led Sheryl back to her seat before taking his.

"Congratulations, I really am happy for you," I said more to Sheryl than to my Dad. I felt bad for upsetting her. My first time meeting her and I made the poor pregnant lady cry. Yeah, I was a total ass. An accidental ass, if that made it any better.

She beamed at me and placed her hand over mine in a motherly gesture, "Thank you honey. That means so much to me."

I looked over at Bryce and he smiled at me.

"Thank you," I mouthed.

"I love you," he mouthed in return.

**************CREW************

"Storm!" I called out as I walked inside the twins’ apartment.

There was no answer.

"I brought the orange juice, vitamin C, and tissues you asked for!" I yelled as I ventured into the kitchen.

I opened the fridge door and was stunned at what I saw. Absolutely nothing! Every single shelf was empty, including the damn freezer.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself in shock.

I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to face Storm.

"I know, we have no food," he said before I could get a word out, "I'm going shopping tonight after class."

"Isn't Skyler starving all the time? How can you manage until tonight?"

Storm smiled at me, "Well, we're gonna have to manage. This week is busy for me with exams and writing papers. I've been bringing food from Mom's, but we finished those this morning and I don't feel like heading back right now. I kept trying to convince Sky to stay with her for a few days. The house is close enough to campus, but he wanted to stay here for some reason." Storm rolled his eyes.

"What a stubborn bastard!" Storm added with annoyance.

"I heard that!" Skyler yelled from his bedroom. I smirked.

"Is he contagious?" I asked.

He shook his head, "No, not anymore. He's almost better at this point. After I've been taking care of him for the past three days in a row!" he said, raising his voice so Skyler could hear him.

"You can't see me now, but I'm flipping you off, jackass!" Skyler called back.

"Love ya bro!" Skyler added after a pause.

Storm smiled, "You'd better, dickhead!"

I looked at Storm with amusement as they cursed each other out. "What's with all the new nicknames?"

Storm chuckled, "I don't know. They just started randomly popping up the past few days while I was playing nurse to him. I guess we're both frustrated, him being sick, me having to take care of him. It's worse than caring for a newborn child. Shit."

"I'm sick, not deaf, bitch! Bring me some juice!" Skyler ordered.

I laughed as Storm rolled his eyes and stood up to pour a glass of juice. He took out two tablets before walking to Skyler's room.

Moments later he returned and sat down on the couch with me.

"Now we wait," he said cryptically.

I frowned, "Huh? Wait for what?"

"Wait for him to pass out," Storm explained, "I told him to take some Vitamin C, but I gave him something to knock him out. I need a few hours."

I smirked when Storm glanced at his watch almost impatiently.

"He's been driving me insane. God, I wish Zeke were still here so he could pamper that idiot."

I smiled.

"It's partly Zeke's fault that he's sick anyway. Those two boneheads were sitting outside in the pouring rain, getting fucking drenched!" Storm shook his head.

"Those crazy kids!" I quipped while shaking my head.

He turned to me and smiled tiredly, "Thanks for bringing the juice and stuff. I can pay you back."

"Nah, don't worry about it, man," I said. I looked at him, "You know I could stay with Skyler if you want to rest some more before you go to class. I'm done with my classes. I could study here instead of at home," I offered, taking in Storm's slightly dark eye circles.

Storm looked at me seriously, then, without warning yanked me into a hug. "Thank you."

I laughed, "No problem."

"Well, I have some time before my next class anyway, so I can stick around for awhile," he said. "How are things with you? I haven't seen much of you during the semester, except for our Sunday lunches. Then over spring break, everyone was gone."

"Everything is great. School is great. Hiro is great!" I said smiling.

Storm burst out laughing, hitting his knee. I looked at him questioningly.

"You had such a dopey look on your face just now," he said grinning.

"I did not!" I said defensively.

"You so did!" Storm shot back.

"Well, fine, maybe I did," I said turning my head away from him, but I instantly turned towards him again, "How about you? What's up with Kate?"

He shrugged, "Actually, we broke up."

"When?" I asked with surprise.

"A few weeks ago," he replied nonchalantly.

"How come you never said anything?"

"It wasn't really a big deal," he answered, "It was a mutual thing. We both agreed that we live too far apart. It was difficult getting together. The timing in our lives just wasn't right for either one of us."

"But you guys were together for so long," I said.

"Nah, not really, well ok, maybe. For a little over a year, but it just wasn't meant to be. I liked her a lot, but I didn't love her."

I nodded, "Well, I guess as long as you're ok. I mean whatever works for you.”

"Yeah," he said smiling, "It was a good breakup and I'm still young. There’s no reason for me to get tied down so soon."

"Spoken like a true player," I said and Storm laughed.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't call myself a player, but I'm not looking to get married anytime soon," he explained.

"Wow, imagine that, you and Skyler switching places," I commented.

Storm nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah I guess we have. I would have never seen that one coming. I remember Skyler coming home with a new girl every weekend. Now there are no more girls or parties. There’s only Zeke." He fell silent with a pondering look.

"Yeah, he and Zeke have been getting pretty close," I observed.

Storm leaned back in the couch, "Buddy, you have no idea! I'm thinking of moving back in with my Mom every time Zeke comes to visit. It's not because I dislike Zeke or anything, but it's really disturbing listening to them have sex!" He shuddered, "It was bad enough with girls, but I don't want to hear two guys doing it-and for such a long time!" he said. Then he glanced at me before adding quickly, "But you know, no offense or anything like that. Go gays!" He did a mini whoop.

I laughed loudly. "Thanks for the support there Storm, but no offense taken. So you're single again?" I asked him.

"It's no big deal. Sometimes it's good not to be in a relationship. I find that you kind of lose yourself in it, which isn't always good. But if a nice girl comes along soon, I wouldn't be opposed to it," Storm said reflectively.

"Of course you wouldn't, you dog!" I teased.

"What can I do, man? The ladies love me," Storm said in a Skyler manner. At that moment, I swear they could have passed for one another.

"Well, whenever you decide to settle down, the future Mrs. Chin will be very lucky to have you."

"Why Crew dear, are you hitting on me?" Storm asked in a mocking tone.

I hit his arm and snorted, "Yeah, you wish!"

"Yeah I do wish, with those eyes," he said, flicking my ear and laughing as I flinched. I shot him a dirty look but he only pursed his lips at me and then fell on the couch cushion laughing.

He sat up suddenly and stopped laughing, "Hold up Crew, we have to be quiet. We don't want to wake ‘IT’ up." He paused and cocked his head, as if listening for any signs of movement from Skyler's room.

I shot him an amused look. "Why are you telling me to be quiet? You were the one laughing.”

Storm glared at me, "Well it's your fault for making me laugh.” Then he smiled, “But I didn't hear anything, so we're good. So… you and Hiro, good-good?” he asked, going back to our previous discussion.

"Better than ever."

"Did you have fun in Vermont with him?"

"It was great. We went snowboarding and no we did not do the big deed. I know you were gonna ask, I could see it in your eyes," I rushed out as he opened his mouth with a grin.

He widened his eyes innocently in another Skyler type mannerism, "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in a sing-song voice.

I snorted, "Like hell you don't. You guys talk about everything."

"Well, that's true," Storm admitted.

"So did you have sex with him then?" I turned my head and saw Skyler wrapped up in blankets, shuffling over to us. He planted himself on the other side of me, coughing loudly.

I edged away slowly, moving closer to Storm.

"IT'S awake!!!!" Storm dramatically cried out to the ceiling.

Skyler shot his twin a dirty look, his nose raw and red from wiping it constantly with tissues.

"You better get out of here," Skyler warned Storm, “I'm going to be asking Crew some detailed sex questions soon. Some hot man-on-man action! Do you want to be here for that?”

"I'll stay," Storm said, lifting his chin defiantly.

"Suit yourself bro," and then Skyler elbowed me, "So how was it? Did you use all the condoms I gave you?”

Storm groaned.

I shook my head, "I'm not telling you anything."

"What? Why not?" Skyler protested, with a tissue hanging comically out of his nose.

"I feel weird telling you all that intimate stuff and it's not right. I would be blabbing about Hiro also and I can't do that. He wouldn't want that.”

"I care about you and that's why I want to know," Skyler said, "Come on, Hiro won't mind. We're all tight."

"I can't," I said firmly. Skyler folded his arms and leaned backwards, sighing heavily.

"Fine," he huffed, "Well, I know you did it. Will you at least tell me if it was good or not?”

"It was good," I said quietly after a moment.

Skyler crowed loudly but it sounded broken up since his throat was scratchy and full of phlegm, "Which position?”

"I'm not saying anymore," I said.

Skyler groaned, "Ah, come on, man!"

I glanced at Storm who looked extremely uncomfortable and I smiled.

"Breathe Storm, breathe," I instructed teasingly.

"You're worse than a woman," Skyler said, "I know for a fact that women tell each other everything about their private sex lives.”

"First off, I'm not a woman. Second, I would love to tell you if I was just fucking some random loser, but Hiro is important to me, Sky. I won't disrespect him by disclosing private details, even with our close friends."

Skyler rolled his eyes, "Shit, that was a good answer," he said in defeat. “I’m all out of ideas now," he said biting his lip.

"Yeah, not everyone likes to talk about AND show their sex lives to everyone around them," Storm accused, leaning over to look at his brother.

"Hey, I have never had sex in front of you before! Even I would draw the line there. It would be like, incestuous," Skyler said, shivering in disgust.

"Dude, watching you and Zeke come out of the bathroom naked or hearing you guys banging the headboard is close enough," Storm argued.

Skyler pointed his finger at Storm, "Hey! Hey now! If you're talking about Zeke's last night here, that's different. He was leaving for Boston the next day. I had to make it extra special and the shower feels really nice," he winked.

"Can you at least put a tie on the door or something when you guys are having sex?" Storm asked in exasperation.

"What would that accomplish?" Skyler asked furrowing his brow.

“I would know to keep my eyes shut and make a direct beeline for my room," Storm answered, as if it should have been obvious. “And then I could pack a bag and get the hell out of there!!!”

I giggled at Storm’s expression.

Skyler appeared to be thinking it over, "Fair enough. I think I can manage that if I remember. Sometimes I don't think before I’m about to have sex."

"Bro, you never think," Storm said.

"That's not true!" Skyler protested in a kid voice.

Skyler stuffed a tissue in his other nostril, "Damn runny nose," he muttered nasally, breathing through his mouth only, "I'm out," he said, standing up and heading towards his room, "Later."

I turned to Storm and smiled, "So, did you really see Zeke come out of the bathroom naked?"

Storm nodded, looking slightly horrified.

I grinned cheekily at him, "Well, that shouldn't have been so bad. I had my share of showers with Zeke, back in the day. He's easy on the eyes, eh?" I joked, then laughed as Storm's eyes widened.

***************

I looked up from my textbook and just stared at Hiro's profile. He appeared to be in deep concentration, the way his eyes were trained on his notebook, but it was always hard to tell.

People always said I frowned when I was concentrating really hard. Hiro’s facial muscles didn't do anything different. That boy was going to be wrinkle free even in his old age.

It was the beginning of April. Though Hiro and I didn't share any of the same classes, we still got together on the weekends to study. It was a way for us to spend time together, or at least be in the presence of one another, while still getting our work done.

It had been literally two weeks since we first had sex. I think Hiro was happy, as was I, that we hadn't been screwing nonstop since then. We were still comfortable doing the little, normal things that couples did together, like eating out, going to the movies, hanging with our friends, stuff like that.

I think Hiro was relieved that we still did a variety of stuff together, not just fucking. I knew he didn't want us to become like that.

The thought of us just being a sexual couple never crossed my mind. Hiro and I really connected, and not just physically. We were compatible together, were emotionally connected, and we were a strong couple. We had the perfect combination of being intimate while balancing the whole dating aspect. Most of all, we loved each other.

I felt a goofy smile spread across my face and Hiro took notice of that.

He leaned over the table and kissed me softly. "What's so funny?" he asked once he pulled back.

"Nothing," I murmured, smiling still.

He looked like he didn't believe me, but he just smiled and shook his head. He rubbed his finger over my nose before going back to his notebook.

"I love you," I said suddenly, and Hiro immediately turned back to me.

"I love you, too." He leaned in to kiss me, more passionately this time. We became so engrossed in our kissing that my arm knocked my textbook to the floor and the loud sound echoed in my empty kitchen. We jumped apart and started laughing.

"You're such a distraction," Hiro said fondly, kissing my forehead.

"I am not!" I shot back, sticking my tongue out at him. That only caused him to smile as he gazed at me.

But Hiro was right. Being with him, watching him study, with him looking all sexy, was distracting me. I had read the same paragraph for the past half hour and still didn’t remember what I had read, but I didn't dare tell Hiro. He would have left me so I could study and I didn't want him to go.

"I want to take a break," I announced, "I can't read anymore."

"Ok," Hiro said, closing his book instantly. I was surprised he didn't argue with me more. Maybe he was getting distracted as well. "What do you want to do?” he asked me.

I looked outside and saw the sun shining brightly and a slight breeze moving the trees. It was too nice of a day to be stuck inside the house.

"Let's go for a walk," I suggested. He nodded and stood up with me.

It was quiet outside, not many cars were driving by. I was in such a good mood that I grabbed Hiro's hand loosely and held it while we walked, occasionally swinging both of our hands. Hiro smiled at me affectionately.

We never broke apart, even as the cars passed us.

****************

"My Dad is having a baby!" Hela announced, as soon as he entered the twins’ apartment for pizza and donuts. Bryce wasn't far behind.

Skyler raised his eyebrows and smirked, "Dude, I didn't know your Dad was harboring a secret uterus. Interesting, very interesting. A bit of a medical marvel, eh? Shouldn’t someone be alerting the press about this new discovery?"

I snorted.

"Very funny, Skyler," Hela said with a sarcastic tone, "My Dad has this new girlfriend and we had dinner with them about two weeks ago. He told us they were going to get married and they were going to have a baby. Well, more specifically, they were already engaged and she had something in the oven," Hela continued heatedly.

"But you're ok with it," Bryce piped in with a reminding tone, as he stepped up beside Hela and rested his hand on his shoulder.

Hela crossed his arms and exhaled loudly, "Well, yeah, of course! I'm totally ok with it."

"You don't sound so convinced," Storm said, opening up the pizza boxes. The aroma of pizza hit my nostrils and my stomach growled as if it knew it was going to get fed.

Our group had skipped last week's lunch because Skyler was so sick. Storm hadn't wanted the rest of us to eat pizza that was full of snot if Skyler suddenly came down with a sneezing frenzy.

Skyler was all better now and seemed to be eating enough to make up for last week's quota of missed pizza.

"Well, my Dad is like old," Hela told Storm.

"So what?" Skyler asked, chewing loudly, "Dude, Michael Douglas is like way older than your Dad. He just had a second kid with his hot wife! What, the kid's like freaking four? Douglas could be the child's grandfather, already."

"It's just weird, that's all," Hela continued in a huff.

"Well, congratulations to your Dad?" Hiro said uncertainly, not knowing for sure if that's what Hela wanted to hear.

"Thanks Hiro," Bryce answered for Hela who still looked slightly disgruntled.

"When are they getting married?" Storm asked.

"July 20th. The baby is due sometime in September," Hela responded.

"Do they know the sex of the baby yet?" Hiro asked.

Hela shook his head, "No, they don't want to know until she gives birth."

"What does his girlfriend look like?" Skyler asked.

"She looks like a taller, slightly heavier version of Eva Longoria," Bryce replied and Hela looked at him.

"Hey, that's what I was thinking at dinner the other night!" Hela exclaimed, sharing a smile with Bryce.

"Wow, a taller version of Eva Longoria, that's hot," Storm said with a glassy look in his eyes. He was probably conjuring up a mental image of the actress right now.

"Your brother or sister is going to be hot," Skyler commented, "I mean half of your Dad's genes and half of Eva Longoria's genes," he whistled, "When that kid is legal, tell him OR her to give me a call. I can swing both ways. Gotta love the versatility," he finished with a charming grin.

"Gross, Skyler," Hela said.

"What, it's true," Skyler said innocently.

"Like I'd let you near my brother or sister," Hela said. Skyler looked like he was about to protest or argue when Storm interrupted him.

"Have you ever even seen Hela's Dad?"

"No."

"Then how do you know what the baby will look like?" I asked.

"Well Hela here is pretty easy on the eyes," Skyler said, winking at Hela who looked like he didn't know how to respond, "He has that nice combination of dark skin and hair with light eyes, which I'm assuming comes from his Dad. Now if his brother or sister gets the same combination of dark hair and skin, with light eyes, it’ll definitely be hot. Come on, Eva Longoria, people! If it has dark hair and pale skin with light eyes, that's hot too! Or light hair, wait, what color hair does your Dad have?" Skyler asked, peering at Hela.

I watched Skyler with amusement.

"Light brown," Hela replied.

"Light brown hair, dark skin and dark eyes? Nah, that just doesn't fly. Light brown hair, dark skin, light eyes? No, that's not good either," Skyler mused and he stared up at the ceiling with a pondering expression, as if putting serious thought into the genetic outcome of Hela's future sibling.

"Are you done yet?" Storm asked, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling, "Why don't you just visit the baby when it's born and study it then?"

"Perhaps I will," Skyler said, crossing his eyes immaturely at Storm.

"Storm, too bad you're not dating Kate anymore. She was hot and if you two had babies, they would be pretty hot too," Skyler continued. “Come on, half Asian, half white? That’s hot. Just look at Hiro. Hot,” he enunciated.

Hiro and I exchanged amused looks.

"Please don't refer to my imaginary children as hot. That makes me nervous," Storm said warily. We all cracked up.

Skyler shook his head, "You know what I mean. You and Kate would have had good looking children. I don't want ugly nephew or nieces. Who wants to be seen in public with uglies?"

Hiro and I stared at Skyler, half amused, half astonished.

The things that came out from his mouth.

"You don't really think that do you?" Bryce asked with concern.

I looked at Bryce's shocked expression and understood where he was coming from. He didn't know Skyler as well as the rest of us. He didn't know when Skyler was joking or whether his statements should be taken at face value.

"He's just kidding," I assured Bryce.

"Yeah, I don't mind ugly people. Not everyone can be as genetically blessed as me," he said cockily, "And besides, I have tons of ugly friends. Ugly people can be mad cool, yo!"

Skyler chewed calmly on a pizza crust. Bryce stared at him, conflicted over whether to laugh or not as Skyler had said all that with a straight face.

Moments later, Skyler started to laugh, "Chill man! You're not ugly."

"Where are they getting married?" Hiro broke in, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"In Hawaii. Sheryl wants to get married on the beach," Hela said.

Hiro nodded, "That sounds really nice."

"Oh god! Hawaiians are mad annoying," Skyler said.

I frowned, "Why?"

" Hawaiians are just big mutts! Like a total mixture of Asian, Polynesian, and all that shit. It's like, Hawaiian isn't a race; it's just a fancy word for meaning ‘I'm everything’! They should really concoct a family tree or something!" said Skyler.

"Anyhow," Skyler said, turning to Storm, "We need to plan our birthday party." I shook my head at the abrupt subject change. I guess thoughts just flew really fast through Skyler's head.

"Our birthday is in June," Storm said, "The end of June," as if his brother had forgotten.

"It's April now," I added.

"I know," Skyler said, sticking his tongue out at us, "But it's never too early to plan a party!" he finished enthusiastically.

"Let's just finish out the semester before we plan for our birthday. After finals, we still have plenty of time to plan something big," Storm suggested.

"No!" Skyler argued, "We have to plan before finals, so we can invite people from school. Otherwise, I won't know how to contact everyone."

"Skyler, we can't possibly invite everyone from school. They'll never fit into our apartment."

"You think Mom would rent us a place?" Skyler mused.

"I don't know," Storm said honestly.

"I'll ask her," Skyler said confidently.

"Why don't you just have a small gathering of friends and go to a nice dinner or to a club in the city?" Hela asked.

Skyler shot him an incredulous look. "What! Are you kidding? I have way too many friends to do that. Besides, small dinners are for old people. I'm not old! Anyhow, it's our 21st. We need to make it memorable."

"You don't need a huge party to make it memorable," Hiro said, "As long as you have the important people there and have a good time. That will be a memory in itself."

I smiled at Hiro and rubbed his arm.

Skyler rolled his eyes, "Hiro, cut the Buddhist crap or the fortune cookie shit, will you? I'm about to upchuck my pizza here."

Hiro just smiled at him, not at all bothered by Skyler's reaction and comments.

"Okay, I have a question," Storm broke in, "Which would you choose? A huge ass party or a nice hotel room with Zeke?"

Skyler turned to face Storm, "Ooh, that's tough bro. Booze or sex, booze or sex?" he asked, looking around. "Umm, I'm gonna have to go with the hotel room and the nonstop sex marathon," Skyler finished grinning widely, "Who needs friends in that case?"

We all laughed.

"So why don't I give you that as your gift? The rest of us," Storm said, waving his hand towards us, "Can have a boring dinner or something."

Skyler nodded seriously, as if he was really thinking it over.

"Perhaps, perhaps," he said thoughtfully, a small smile tugging on his lips.

 

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