Chapter 13❤

A week had passed since the whole escapade with Jake, he told me he had forgiven me and we shouldn't continue our war as it 'wasn't a very brotherly sisterly thing to do'. Of course, I had been wary of his true intentions, but soon enough things at the house went back to normal- Zach locking the world out, Joe and Jake's constant bantering, and Darren's cheeky antics.

Knowing Jake, it should have come as no surprise that he did what he did to, but with me being me, it did.

--

"-Amen." My mum finished.

"Amen." the family chorused, opening their eyes.

I didn't waste a second before stabbing my chicken leg with my fork and stuffing my mouth with it. I think it was safe to say that chicken and I had a little problem.

I finished my meal before anyone else had, and pouted slightly as I watched everybody else still eating. I caught Tommy's eye from across the table and he smirked at me, lifting a piece of chicken with his fork and slowly taking a bite out of it. I must have been staring at the chicken for too long as my mum commented on it.

"Tammy, stop staring at other people's food- next time don't eat your food as if your life depends on it!" she scolded.

"It's not my fault your food is so wonderful Mother." I replied, smiling sweetly at her.

"Suck- up." Jake coughed.

However, it was true, my mum was an amazing cook.

"You know Jake, you really need to work on that." I said.

"Work on what?" he asked, his eyebrows raised as he feigned innocence.

"You know, that fake coughing thing."

"Oh OK, don't worry, I'll bear that in mind for next time. Sorry." he said winking, although I was sure that 'sorry' held a double meaning.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." I responded, my voice carrying suspicion.

I slumped back down in my seat and took a sip of my orange juice, it spilt slightly as I placed it back down onto the table, due to the green monster sitting opposite from me.

"HULK SMASH." Darren suddenly exclaimed, banging his fists on the table.

He was dressed as the Hulk. At his school, it was their fancy dress day; he had really gotten into the roll, his whole body was painted green and his usually blonde hair was covered by a black wig.

"Darren Bellamy Lovell, what do you have to say for yourself." My mother cried, staring at her son's food, which now lay on his lap.

"Sorry. I- I d-didn't mean to." He took off his wig and bowed his head down. He knew that cuteness was the way to Mum's heart, and his little five year old self took advantage of that every time he was about to get into trouble. The little thing was up to just under my waist, he was undeniably cute, so I couldn't quite blame my mother for falling for it.

"Come here, let's get you cleaned up." Mum sighed, holding out her hand for Darren to take.

Darren stood up, food falling from his lap, and walked to my mum, and grabbed her hand. A mischievous smile coated his face as he trailed out behind her, I was shocked at how much he looked like Jake.

"That boy really is something." Dad muttered, staring at the pair as they exited the dining room.

"Dad, he's only five years old." I defended.

"That's no excuse, when I was five years old, I was a paper boy. Everybody loved me and my cuteness." He retorted, flicking his imaginary hair over his shoulder.

"Dad." I cried, bringing my palm to my face.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"How are you so good at this?" I mumbled.

"That's what she said!" my oh-so-lovely dad exclaimed, "Good at what?"

"Making embarrassing comments." I blushed and hid my face behind my hands, peaking slightly at everyone else at the table,

Tommy, Joe and Jake looking at us both in amusement, they all had finished their food. Zach just looked indifferent to the whole ordeal as he tapped away at his phone and his music quietly blasted from his earphones.

"What are you...?" I abruptly stopped as suddenly I didn't feel too good.

The great return of Mother Nature?

"What are we what?" Jake inquired, he rested his head in his palms and looked at me with that same smile on his face.

"Nothing..." I trailed off, clutching my stomach, which felt like a big fat mess.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked curiously as he spotted my sudden discomfort.

"I'm fine." I moved to stand up and let out an uneasy chuckle.

I suddenly felt the need to take a trip to the toilet, my stomach felt like a mess. I clenched the back of my chair with my hands and tried to hide the incoming bile that was rising up my throat. I hoped it would pass soon, I wasn't in the mood to throw up at all.

"My goodness! What is that god awful smell?" Joe commented with distaste evident on his face.

The little liar, I hadn't released any gas from my bottom.

But as I scanned the room once more, I noticed everyone matching Joe's expression.

Oh fudgesticks...even Zach was scrunching up his face.

I noticed Dad looking sheepish as he slapped his stomach.

"Sorry Kids, I just opened a new Mexican restaurant this afternoon."

"Ah, Dad!" Joe, Jake and I exclaimed. It was making me feel even more queasy.

I couldn't pretend I was surprised, the men in this house had a terrible habit of making this house smell like rotten eggs everytime they felt the need to let loose.

"Deary me! What is that god awful smell?" I heard a scampering of footsteps as Mum exclaimed loudly from the hallway.

Like mother like son...

"Open all of the windows, ASAP!" My mum's voice was now nasally, so I figured she was pinching her noise.

Darren emerged from behind her, now green free. "Mummy! Did something die?"

My stomach was not dying down, and I saw a smirking Jake staring at me from across the table.

"Son, I don't know. Actually, is there anything you guys want to tell me?" my mum inquired warily.

"Hey! Stop looking at me! It was Dad, he farted, again!" Jake cried.

Darren cried out loudly simultaneously."Okay! Sorry, I squashed a bug in here yesterday! It was buzzing around, and- and, I'm so sorry Mummy! Please don't call the cops on me, I- I don't know what I was thinking." By now he was on his knees, red faced and tears covering his cheeks.

"No darling, that's okay." My mum replied in reassurance and she lifted his small figure into her arms. She scowled harshly at Dad, and motioned for him to open a window.

"Really?" he sniffed.

"Yes."

"Alright, but I will never kill another bug again!" he promised, his face morphed into an expression of seriousness and he nodded his head vigorously.

"Mum, Jake poisoned me!" I swallowed again, and clutched my stomach.

All eyes immediately moved to the little teenage devil.

"Jake! What do you have to say for yourself?"

But any excuse was hindered as I released my dinner all over the table.

Lord of cream cheese puffs have mercy.

--

"Lucy, you need to help me!" I pleaded as I caught up with her on our way out of school.

"Why? What happened?" she asked anxiously.

"Jake pranked me and I need to get him back!" I told her, "The little good for nothing devil. I pratically did nothing to him!"

Lu looked at me, clearly unimpressed."Really? Need to?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"I mean that you're the oldest, set an example and let it go." she paused and began to hum. I rolled my eyes.

"Trust you to ruin a semi-serious moment." I joked.

"That's me." she winked, "Anyway, let it go-"

I immediately cut her off. "No singing." I warned. She smirked a little,"Or humming."

"I wasn't going to..." she trailed off unconvincingly and scratched the side of her head.

I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Don't give me that look!" she scolded with a hand on her hip

"Continue." I urged.

"Yes, so, let. It. Go- and move on. You know he is the king of pranks, before you know it you'll be hanging off a tree naked." she finally finished.

"If I'm naked, how will I hang...?" I mused uneasily.

She put on a frank expression and patted my arm."You don't want to know honey, you don't want to know."

My reply was halted as I spotted Tommykins and Annie conversing at his corridor. However, Tommy didn't look at all happy to be in her company, with his eyes darting around and his hands clenched at his sides.

Time for an intervention.

I dismissively patted Lu's arm and began to walk away. "Be right back Lucy." I muttered, already heading off.

"WAIT-"

I ignored her and continued to walk away.

"-and my Daddy says that I can have a custom made Lamborghini-Oh hey Lara!" Annie greeted me through her dentures.

"It's Tammy." I passed her a fake smile.

"Yeah, alright." She dismissed. I stared at my arm as she tapped it.

Tommy looked over at me with a pleading expression.

"So where was I? Oh right! I'm going to make it pink with sparkles and jewels! Like Barbie's car but even prettier!" she continued in a strange voice and began to stroke Tommy's arm.

Was this girl's voice box attacked by bubbles, or something?

"Is there something wrong with your voice Anna?" I asked, my fake smile was brighter than ever and I purposely said her name wrong.

"It's Annie." she corrected, as she shot me a look, one that said 'Female dog please, I'm on a roll here'

Yeah, if by roll she meant rolling down a hill into a pit of it's never going to happen.

"I'm sorry what?" she spat; I could tell she was trying to conceal her anger as her eye twitched.

Oops.

"Did I just say that out loud?" I asked sheepishly, placing a finger on my lip.

"Yes, yes you did." Tommy supplied cheekily with an eye roll.

"Sorry?" I tried, although, I was sure the pair of them were doubtful of its sincerity.

Anna's fake demeanor abruptly changed and she pushed me slightly. I pushed her back twice as hard and she huffed.

"Listen you jealous tranny! Back off, you don't have a chance with my Tommykins!" she snarled.

Sounds like somebody was on her period.

"I'm not jealous, I don't want a chance, and Tommy and I are just friends." I corrected. The whole idea sounded absolutely preposterous.

"Yeah right! You sit with him at lunch and walk to all your classes together!" she shrieked in an annoying high pitched voice.

"Yes, because that is what friends do Anna! If what you said was actually the case, then I'm guessing that you and your two friends are in some lesbian love triangle?" I asked her honestly and pouted with false innocence.

"What? No! They're too ugly anyways. And it's Annie!" she cried, her face was growing red by the second.

I shrieked and clapped my hands. "You're so nice!"

"I know right!" she smiled whilst she jumped and squealed on the spot.

Was this bimbo being serious?

"I was being sarcastic." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Huh?" she asked, staring at me with a blank look.

"Sar-cas-tic." I repeated. I moved my head forwards in emphasis. I looked at Tommy and he just shrugged.

"Sacrastic? What's that?" she giggled; she twirled a hair around a finger.

"I didn't really mean what I was saying..." I stated, waiting for her to catch on.

"What do you mean?" she said, looking genuinely confused.

"I mean that you're not nice... at all."

"I'm not nice?" It was as if the words had left a bad taste on her tongue.

" Wow, I thought tortoises were slow, but now I've met you- you poor, poor creature." I said patronizingly.

"Gross! Tortoises are so ugly!" she cried.

I have only one word to say to that... fudge.

Lucy suddenly appeared from beside me. She'd clearly been listening to our conversation. "I see that's where all your brains and class melted to... fake or not." She said, pointing to her chest area.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment you lesbian, Red." She smiled.

"Surprise, surprise." I muttered, ignoring her petty comment and dragging Tommy and Lu away.

I stole one last look at her.

"Call me Tommykins." She was waving frantically.

"Believe me when I say he won't!" I replied for Tommy.

"I'm telling my Daddy on you!" I heard her shriek.

"Go ahead Anna!" Lu joined in.

"It's Annie!" was the last thing she said, before I heard her stilettoes walking down the now empty corridor. I laughed when Lu raised a middle finger at her retreating figure.

"Goodness gracious, Tammy! That was the highlight of my day!" Lucy spoke between her laughter.

"Yeah, thanks Tam!" Tommy grinned from next to me, "And you Lucy?"

"It's all in a day's work." We retorted simultaneously, with a flick of hair.

We both locked eyes and laughed out loud.

"Tommykins is such an awful, cliche name. The worst I've ever heard! Honestly, you'd think she'd be smart with all of that money!" Lucy scoffed.

"I'm surprised she even turns up at school. And no, the worst I've ever heard is spider!" I snorted.

"Here we go again." Tommy muttered, shaking head.

"Why do they even exist? And they shouldn't be called spider, maybe something like 'I'm a Freak of Nature, 8 legs and 8 eyes, and Oh Yes I bite."

"Number one, that's mean, without spiders, we wouldn't be able to watch Andrew Garfield in a tight suit..." She paused and trailed off dreamily. I could not disagree with her there. "And besides, I'm pretty sure you haven't met a spider like that so far from the equator. Number two You mean like the Sperm Whale?" Lucy said.

She continued before neither Tommy nor I could answer. She always found a way to divert conversation to the same old rant about her beloved sperm whales. She was a hardcore animal lover, and had taken a liking to Sperm Whales when we were just 8 years old. I remembered us watching a documentary on it at her mum's animal shelter.

I began to mentally count from 20.

"Who the heck would name a pure innocent animal after something that comes out of the male sex. I mean come on! Just because you are slaughtered and white stuff is found in your brain, doesn't mean that BAM! Your whole species is stuck with that name forever! What if that was me? They found white stuff in my armpit when I was a baby and named me SPERM! Outrageous I tell you. And they even used the stuff to make soap, WHILST they still thought it was sperm- crazy people...Oh sugar Max is waiting for me! "

-1

And with that she walked away.

Tommy and I looked at each other in disbelief. I don't think that girl would ever not be crazy.

--

Sorry for the week long wait guys! My holiday just keeps getting busier and busier...

Dedicated to Reyna for reading and commenting on each of my chapters whilst offering critiques :)