Louise

The reply to the message wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it was what I was expecting. This meant that my idea went along as I had originally planned, and Anna came to visit that night. Luckily for me, I was working until late so after I walked home, most of the damage had already been done. I was still ready for the fallout though.

"Well here she is" Mum said, her voice booming around the living room as I entered.

"Fuck this" Brandon muttered under his breath before leaping up from his chair and sprinting past me. I looked around at the rooms remaining occupants and the expectant faces staring at me.

"Hey guys!" I smiled as naturally as I could before sitting down next to Anna. I felt it was a safer place to be than beside either of my parents.

"So Anna's been telling us about that thing you asked her" Dad said. I'll never understand why parents talk to their kids like this. Why not just come straight out with it?

"And? What do you guys think?" I asked, remaining as bright as I could.

"I think you know the answer to that Louise" Dad condescendingly replied.

"Come on! What's so bad about Jason coming to the wedding with me?" I pleaded, "It'll just be as friends and Anna said its ok!"

"Whoa whoa whoa I didn't say that! I said if mom and dad were ok with it!" Anna reminded me.

"Look, there's no doubt that you're going in the right direction as far as he's concerned" Mom said. "And your father said that everything was fine between the two of you the other day"

"Exactly! So what's the problem?" I interjected.

"The problem is that we don't want you to end up taking a huge step back and falling for him all over again" She finished. I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was trying to be caring but I still couldn't help feeling embarrassed right now. I hate talking about my feelings, even with Lily so talking to my parents was far, far worse.

"I'm not going to ok! We both know nothing's going to happen so there isn't anything to worry about. If anything, all the sickening, soppy lovey-dovey crap is just going to put me off!"

"There's probably going to be a lot of that" Anna confirmed.

"What makes you so sure that he'd even want to go?" Dad asked, ignoring his oldest daughter.

It was kind of weird that I always complained that I always felt left out within my family. Anna was always the one they bragged about to people about how smart and successful she was, and then Brandon didn't really need any talking up. Most people already knew who he was. I was always just the other one. But now I finally was the centre of everybody's attention and I hated it. Jason was right; the grass is never greener on the other side.

"I don't know if he would but all I want is permission to ask!" I sighed.

My parents once again shared their mind-reading-type look before looking to Anna to see if she could join their psychic connection.

"Hey don't look at me, I already told you what I think" She said defensively.

"Which is?" I asked, wanting to reiterate my backup.

"That I'm happy enough for him to be there" Anna sighed.

"Thank you" I credited her before turning back to my parents. "And it isn't like anything could happen anyway! You'll both be there, so will Brandon. What could possibly go wrong?"

They both seemed to stare at me as if they were expecting me to answer for them. I stopped short of doing that, and continued to plead my case.

"I'm not going to find someone my age or anyone else to go with me at such short notice now either so this is really the only way we don't ruin the seating arrangements"

"Hardly" Dad sighed, but I carried on.

"So it's either Jason or I try find someone on eBay or Craigslist and I doubt you'd like the people I'd find on there any more then you do with Jason"

"Don't be ridiculous Louise. You can't buy teenage boys online" Mom said, her voice rising up towards her angry stage once again.

"Well actually, in law school I studied this case once where-" Anna began but was cut off by our mom yelling again.

"That's not helping anyone!" She shrieked. Thankfully, dad's hands on her knees seemed to calm her down just as quickly as she had gotten angry.

"Please" I finally finished my pitch with the only thing I could think of that was left to say. I'd used up all of my trump cards and was now simply begging my parents to let me ask Jason to the wedding. It wasn't as if I was asking for it to be our wedding. All I wanted was a nice evening to get everyone on the same page again.

I still had feelings for him, I couldn't deny that. But they were already less than what they were just a week before. I thought I'd fallen in love with Jason, and maybe I had, but I don't think I was anymore. Like I said, there were still feelings there but now it was almost like a celebrity crush. Like, you find them attractive but you know you won't go out with them, because that's just crazy. But I did want Jason in my life, even if it was just as an old and wise friend and this wedding was the perfect opportunity to show the world that that could happen.

It seemed that my puppy eyed gaze was finally enough to break the resistance of my parents as they both sighed in unison after another psychic look.

"You can ask him" Mom made herself clear but that was enough for me.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I squealed like a little girl, running up to them and hugging them both tighter than I had done in years.

"Don't thank us yet, he might not even say yes" Dad warned.

Despite my constant cheerful whining, I heard him loud and clear. Obviously I didn't know what Jason would say, but I knew there was only one way to find out.

Jason

There was nothing on TV at this time of night, on any channel. I knew it would be the case before I started but I still forced myself to look anyway. After searching for what felt like hours, I finally gave up and went to bed.

By the time I woke up, I felt like a new man, as if I didn't have anything to worry about, and I probably didn't.

I felt as though my years of bitterness towards Scott were a waste, but instead of getting down about it, I used it as a positive, thinking that maybe I wasn't always second best to him after all. We were both number one, just at different things. And when it came to the Lane's, I seemed to be back in the good books. I don't think Brandon had ever hated me, but Louise and Keith were great with me when I was fixing up their bathroom. Obviously I hadn't properly spoken to Lyn in a while but I figured that if the rest of her family liked me, then she would too. Or at least I hoped so. She struck me as the type of woman that you don't want to be mad at you.

It didn't take long for me to get my answer about the rest of the family's opinion of me.

I got home from an easy day of work to find Louise sitting by my front door. She looked different with her hair up in a ponytail but everything else remained the same.

"God, finally! How late do you work?" She asked, rising up to meet me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, ignoring her question.

"Waiting for my neighbour, is that so bad?"

"That depends why. Is there a problem with the lights?" I asked, unlocking my door and entering, with Louise following me.

"No they're great! I'm pretty sure I heard Brandon yelling "hallelujah!" when he was . . . "

"Using the facilities?" I offered.

"Yes. That's what I was going to say" She laughed. I dropped my work bag on the kitchen floor and poured myself a glass of water from the kitchen sink, offering Louise one too but she declined so I took the glass and sank down into the sofa.

"So what did you want to talk to me about then?" I asked.

"Well . . ." She began, sitting down on the beanbag in the corner. It was mine yet I'm sure she's sat on it more than I have. "You know there's this wedding coming up? You've probably heard a lot about it"

"The one involving your sister?" I laughed.

"That's the one!" She smiled. I couldn't help showing my amusement. I didn't know what she was getting at but I could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable with it.

"What about it?"

"Well . . . I was wondering if . . . you maybe would want to go. Like, as my date?" She finally forced her words out.

"Really?" I almost gasped. I certainly wasn't expecting this and it made me question the good mood I'd been in.

"Yeah! I thought it could be fun"

"I don't think you're parents would think of it that way" I told her.

"Well that's just it! I asked them first if I could ask you. Well, I asked Anna first and she said only if they were ok with it so we both asked them and finally they agreed that I could ask you" Louise let out a deep breath after her story had finished.

"Huh" Was all that I was able to say.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, of course" She told me, her disappointment plain to see.

"No, no it's not that. It's just . . . given everything that's happened, I'm not sure that it's such a good idea" I replied.

"Why not?"

"Because! We're just starting to get back into a good place. A safe place"

"Jason, look. I know nothing's going to happen with us ok. Even if we wanted it to I get that it just can't happen, for like a million different reasons. This is just like a celebration or something. Anna told me she paid you a visit so do it for her, if you aren't going to do it for me"

"Well I don't really know Anna" I reminded her.

"It's just as friends, I swear. My parents will be there, not to mention all the rest of my family. All you have to do is keep me company when the dancing starts and save me whenever I get asked when it'll be my turn to get married. Family are annoying like that" I laughed along with her at the last part. I knew that feeling way more than she could ever imagine.

"Do your parents know that you're here? Asking me this?" I said after a long pause.

"Everyone's in the loop. Scouts honour" She mockingly saluted, forcing another laugh out of me before I went back to my serious thoughts.

I wanted to say yes. I liked hanging out with Louise and Keith was cool too. Lyn, I didn't really know, but I had to admit that even my time spent with Brandon was amusing to say the least. The whole Lane family were cool and spending a night with them at one of the biggest nights of their lives sounded like a lot of fun. But I wasn't sure it was the greatest of ideas. Sure Lou made a compelling case for why everything would be fine but would it work out that way? I've been to weddings before and they can really mess with you if you aren't in the right frame of mind. It makes you think that that could be you up there having the night of your life, except you don't have anyone to even consider marrying. It can make your loneliness twice as bad. And if Louise felt as lonely as I did then I just knew that we were going to end up doing something we'd regret.

"I don't know" I gave her the condensed version of my thoughts.

"Come on! Would it really be so bad to throw on a suit and talk to strangers? You'd be like a young, happy, outgoing Bruce Wayne!"

"I do like Batman"

"Yeah he's great. Plus, Lily and Mason are going and we need to up our game of getting them together because they just aren't doing it themselves"

"Why do you have to help them? Can't they do it themselves?" I asked.

"Please. Those two couldn't get Ebola in a quarantine zone without a little help" I laughed with her again. She knew exactly how to get a good reaction out of me. "Please" She finally said with all the sincerity she had.

I sighed, knowing that I'd lost this argument.

"I'll go." She squealed at my answer so I quickly finished my sentence, "On one condition!"

"Name it!" She gleamed.

"I get to talk to your parents. I know you said they're on board but I want to clear everything with them myself. I don't want any awkward looks for feelings from them" The whole time I was telling her my condition, Louise nodded like an ornament on the hood of a car. "Is that clear?" I asked to make sure she was listening and not just having a seizure.

"Yes yes yes yes! Times a million!" She screamed.

"Alright then, let's do it" I shrugged, figuring that was us done for the day.

Louise had other ideas though.

She grabbed my wrist and attempted to yank me up, all the while screeching "Let's do it right now!"

Being much bigger and stronger than her, I was able to hold myself down pretty easily but her enthusiasm almost lifted me up by itself. I agreed and followed her through to face her parents.

Louise

We stood in the living room, facing my parents as if we were about to give a presentation.

It was unusual for mom to be home this early from work but I had woken up extra early in the morning to demand her attention after school. I made it clear that I'd be asking Jason and I needed them both present. Dad had left Brandon practicing alone while he also attended my "family meeting".

"Ok, first of all thank you both for coming" I opened like it really was a presentation of some kind.

"Just get on with it; I need to get back to your brother" Dad cut in.

"Right. Sorry" I shook my head as a way of getting myself back on track. "I asked Jason about the wedding. And he'd like to talk to you both about it" I turned and introduced my co-presenter.

"Hey" He waved innocently.

"Well?" Mom asked, sounding just as impatient as dad had. It didn't faze Jason though, he just began almost instantly.

"I just wanted to talk to you both and make sure that you're properly on board with this. I know things have been a bit . . . you know, lately but I want to get everything out in the open"

"Well we do appreciate that" Dad sighed, knowing that he'd been a bit unfair to us so far.

"We just want to make sure that you're both aware of the rules we have for you" Mom took over.

"Rules?" I asked, but Jason spoke up again before I could get an explanation.

"Whatever you have in mind is good with me. You let me know what they are and I'll follow them"

"I'm glad to hear it" Mom nodded. "First of all, this is strictly as friends. I don't want you two getting too close. You know my feelings on this"

"Absolutely" Jason spoke for both of us. We were both well aware of what she thought about the idea of us being a couple.

"And we don't mind you having a drink Jason, you're a grown adult, but Louise isn't to be given any alcohol under any circumstances" Dad spoke clearly indicating his seriousness.

"That won't be a problem" Jason replied. I was starting to think that this conversation would have been better if I wasn't present for it.

"And before you argue this one, we do trust you both. But we still don't want you two being alone together. If one of you has to go to the bathroom or something, then the other will wait. We're not going to be watching you all night but we would really appreciate it if you could respect our wishes" Mom took over again. She'd mentioned this one to me beforehand and I personally thought that it was unfair. But I knew that I'd already gotten a massive victory with them letting Jason come with me in the first place so I figured it was best not to push it.

"I'm sure we can work our way around that" Jason nodded again. I actually felt a little sorry for him. He must have felt like he was getting a lecture from his own parents. That was probably one of the things he'd moved out to get away from yet here was, going through it again. There was silence then and I took my chance to nervously speak up.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

My parents looked at each other once again for a long, silent moment. Why did they keep doing this? And did it actually work? The suspense to those questions almost bugged me as much as the suspense of the one I'd actually asked. I looked to Jason to see that he was also giving them a pleading look, his teeth nervously clenched together.

Finally, they reached a silent decision before putting us both out of our misery.

"Just one more thing" Dad said. Jason remained impassive but I outstretched my arms, willing him to continue. "Don't make us regret this decision" He sternly warned.

"So he can come?" I asked, about ready to burst.

"He can come" Mom finally uttered the words I'd been desperate to hear for days.

"Yes!" I couldn't help screaming. I leapt at Jason and hugged him out of instinct. He didn't hug me back though and I quickly realised that he was awkwardly smiling at my parents.

I looked back at them fearfully, releasing my hold on Jason as I did, hoping that this hadn't ruined my chances.

"Relax! We're not changing our minds" Dad laughed so my smile returned once again.

I looked up at Jason who seemed to smiling just as much as I was. And who could blame him? We were going to the wedding together!