Justin

        "Justin! Come on, dinner's ready!"

 I glanced up with a scowl, pissed off that my little sister had picked that moment to interrupt me while I was working on a new set of chords. I sat there on my bed for just a few moments, wallowing in my own agitation and self-pity. But then Emma just started shouting even louder, purposely stomping her feet on the stairs, marching towards my room.

  "Ugh," I groaned, sliding my guitar off my lap.  

I'd been hiding out in my room for the latter half of the day, ever since that less than pleasant run in with Laila in the kitchen earlier. Apparently that wasn't to last much longer. My mother would have a conniption if I dared to even ask if I could eat dinner in my room. Not to mention Miranda.

  Emma was seconds away from banging her fists on the door as I wrenched it open, nearly sending her tumbling backwards.

  "You know what that means, right?" I asked her, grabbing her arm to steady her. "Interrupting me?"

 Emma scowled up at me, pouting. "You should've just come down the first time we called you."

 "I was busy," I said flatly.

  She made some disgusted noise and flounced back down the stairs, humming under her breath.

Ladies and gentlemen - that's my sister for you.

 I sighed and followed after her down the stairs, my stomach dropping.

 It was dinner, was it? That meant that I'd have to suffer through an hour of what was sure to be an awkward supper with Laila.

 I sighed again. Oh, Laila. 

Mom, Dad, Jeanine, Emma, and Laila were already seated at the dining room table by the time I slouched my way into the dining room. The fact that we were having pasta marinara placated me slightly, since it was my favorite dish, but I was still nervous as hell, which made no sense, of course.

 Mom's eyes flickered back and forth from me and Laila. I cleared my throat pointedly and dug into my plate of pasta, my stomach rumbling. 

 "So...." Dad trailed off, trying to make conversation. "How was everyone's day?"

 "Excellent," Emma piped up, smiling hugely. "I learned how to do a roundhouse kick without falling over."

 "That's way more than I can do." Jeanine laughed, grinning at Emma. "Congratulations."

"Good job," Laila complimented her with a smile. "It took me forever to learn how to juggle."

 Emma made a confused face. "What do you mean, juggling? Like with bowling pins and stuff?"

Laila laughed, almost choking on her glass of soda. 

 "No," she giggled. "Like, juggling, with a soccer ball."

Emma's dark brown eyes lit up like fireworks on the 4th of July.

"Can you show me how to do that?"   

"Sure." Laila shrugged. "I don't see why not."

    Emma jumped up from her chair and was almost out the dining room door before Mom called her back with an exasperated sigh.

  "Emmeline Rose, get back here," Mom ordered. "Finish your dinner."

Emma trudged back to her seat, complaining under her breath as she grabbed her fork.

  "Justin?" Dad said, turning towards me. "What did you do today?"

I gave him a withering look - like he didn't already know.

 "Played my guitar, mostly," I answered.

"You play guitar?" Laila asked abruptly, looking at me with a shocked expression.

 So far we’d done our best to even avoid looking at each other, but that had changed.

I smirked in spite of myself. "Yeah."

"That's cool," she said, flushing.

My smirk widened. "I try."

  Mom snorted out a laugh while Jeanine primly hid her giggle behind a napkin.

"So, listen, everyone," Mom said, setting down her wine glass, addressing us all. 

 All of our heads turned towards Mom instantly.

"What?" I said blankly, like I didn't already know what was coming.

 "Since the 4th of July is coming up, we're going to need to start making plans for decorations and catering and such," Mom said in a business-like voice.

 "Wait," Laila said, holding up a hand. "For what?"

Mom gave her a confused look. "For the party, of course."

 Laila's face paled considerably. I thought for a moment that she was going to lean over and throw up.

  "There's going to be a party?" she asked weakly.

Emma burst into a round of giggles, nodding vigorously. "It's always a bomb."

I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to start laughing at the look on Laila's face or try and comfort her in some way.

 "No need to look so worried, Laila," Dad said sympathetically, grinning. "From what I've heard, Justin's friends were all quite smitten with you."

  I was pretty sure that both Laila and I were flushing more than enough for the both of us.

"Passing over my friends and Laila," I muttered into my soda, rolling my eyes.

 Dad gave me an exasperated look. I ignored him.  

"Anyways," Mom said, perhaps a bit too forcefully. "The reason I bring this up now is because I need to start getting the guest list together. So if there's anyone you want to invite, write me a list and give it to me as soon as possible."

 Huh. Well, there was no need for that. I already knew who I was going to invite.

 "Laila?" Mom said, looking at Hayes with a concerned expression. "Is there anyone that you want to invite?"

    Laila glanced over at me, looking really rather nervous, biting her lip.

  I arched an eyebrow in response, taking another swig of soda.

 "Avery?" she finally said.

 It sounded more like a question than a statement.

 Mom looked puzzled. "Avery Rodriguez?"

 Laila nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. Justin's friend."

 "Nice choice," Dad said with an approving nod. "Avery's father, Alejandro, is a colleague of mine. Good man."

 Emma stared blankly at Dad for a second before she burst out into a loud rendition of Lady Gaga's "Alejandro", throwing her arms into the air. 

 "Justin, I told you to stop leaving the radio on in the kitchen," Mom groaned, a hand at her forehead.

 "I don't teach her anything," I fired back. "She learns it all at karate practice."

 Emma shut up long enough to throw a satisfied smirk in my direction before going back to shoveling down her food. 

 Mom, Dad, and Jeanine went on chattering about the upcoming 4th of July party. Laila, Emma, and I were the quiet ones, eating the rest of our dinner in a somewhat awkward silence.

 I didn't really pay attention to anyone else or what was going on. I just kept viciously stabbing my pasta marinara, pretending that every noodle was every single nagging thought that kept swimming around my mind then.

 I was so lost in getting back to playing my guitar that I barely even noticed everybody else around me was nearly finished with their own dinner. I quickly swallowed a mouthful of the rest of my food and got to my feet, anxious to get the hell out of here. The more distance I put between my family and our guests, the better off I was going to be. Being around Laila after that awkward spat in the kitchen this morning was more than enough to make me feel like a total ass.

  Not that I wasn't already one, I supposed.

"Wait a moment, Justin!"

   I glanced over my shoulder, confused, and was more than surprised to see that it was Jeanine calling me back.

 "Yeah?" I said, not unkindly.

Almost as if there was some kind of telepathic link going on between my mother and Jeanine, Mom quickly got to her feet and left the dining room, ushering Emma out, demanding that she go take a bath. Laila left after them a moment later, tossing a curious look over her shoulder at Jeanine and me as she left. Dad followed after them swiftly, muttering something under his breath as he went.

 "What's up?" I asked Jeanine, leaning against the door jamb, crossing my arms.

"Is everything...okay?" Jeanine asked, leaning forward on her elbows.

 "Everything's fine," I said slowly, wondering what was going on. 

  "Are you sure?" she pressed. "With Laila?"

 I locked my jaw, fighting back a gulp.

 "Why wouldn't everything be okay between Laila and me?" I asked, trying hard not to be an ass.

 "I heard about the party last night," she explained, looking a little sheepish.

 It took a herculean amount of strength not to blush in front of Laila's mother.

 "What about it?" I asked through my teeth.

 "Laila was a total guy magnet, huh?"

 "Yeah, guys thought she was attractive, so what?" I defended myself.

I mentally slapped myself. Where the hell was this coming from?  

 "So you're saying she looked pretty last night?" Jeanine said, eyebrows raised.

"What do you want me to say, Jeanine? That I think your daughter is ridiculously gorgeous?" 

 Yep, there was no mental about it that time. I actually did slap myself in the face after that comment.

 Jeanine chuckled, taking a sip from her wine glass. "Well, I already knew that..."

 "This is getting us nowhere, Jeanine," I said, dropping myself into a chair across the table from her. "What do you really want to talk about?"

  "I thought you would've figured it out by now," Jeanine said pointedly.

I gave her a flat look. "You want to talk about Laila?" 

  "In a manner of speaking, yes," she answered, finishing off the rest of her wine.

 "What about Laila?" I asked wearily. 

    "She likes you, you know," Jeanine said, resting her head in her hands.

 That particular statement rendered me speechless there for a second.

  "What makes you say that?" I finally managed to ask her.

  Really, if there was one ridiculous thing that Jeanine could have said that made me more than absolutely confused, it was definitely that one.

  In what universe did Laila Hayes like me?

  Jeanine laughed at the no doubt befuddled look on my face.

  "Oh, come on, Justin, surely you're not that dense," she said airily. "Can't you see the way she looks at you?"

  "With loathing and disgust?" I supplied curiously.

Jeanine laughed again, giving me an amused look. "You're hilarious, Justin. And no, that's not what I'm talking about."

  I raised an eyebrow, pursing my lips. "Well, what do you mean?"

Jeanine gave me an exasperated look, folding her hands together.

  "So what if Laila likes me?" I decided on saying diplomatically. "Why do you even think that makes a difference?"

  Jeanine leaned back in her chair restlessly, crossing her arms. "I don't think you know Laila all that well, Justin, if you really can't see how much of a difference this makes in her life." 

  "I'm pretty sure I'm not the only crush Laila's ever had," I said, not sure where she was going with this. 

  Jeanine made a contemplative face. "Well, maybe, but you're the only one she's ever decided to act on."

  "She's been avoiding me," I pointed out with a sigh. "I hardly call that acting on."

  Jeanine sighed in return, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that Laila is hardly your average teenager."

  I fought back a snort. No kidding.    

  "Okay," I said. "If what you're saying is true, that I really impact Laila's life so much, then why? Why does that make any difference?"

    A slightly torn, pained look flashed across Jeanine's face for half a second before she cleared her throat, leaning forward on her elbows again.

  "I'm going to tell you something, Justin," she began in a leveled voice. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't go around repeating this to anyone."

  I stiffened, my back ramrod straight, my stomach dropping. What was all of this about?

 What could Jeanine possibly have to tell me that was so confidential?

   "Okay." I nodded. "I won't."

 Jeanine took a deep, calming breath, before she started to speak.

  "I'm sure you've noticed by now that Laila's father isn't exactly in the picture."

  Okay, that was basically the last thing I was expecting her to say.

 "Now that I think about it, yeah," I said indifferently. "I guess I never really paid attention to that."

  Jeanine gave a half smile before continuing. "Will - Laila's dad - left us a little after Laila was six months old. Said it was because of creative differences and that he wasn't ready to be a father."

  I realized then that I'd unconsciously been clenching my fists against the dining table, irrationally angered by what Jeanine was saying.     

  "I mean, that happens all the time, right? He said he'd always keep in touch and try to visit as often as possible," Jeanine said with another sigh, waiving an airy hand.

 "He never does, does he?" I asked her through clenched teeth.

  "No, he does," Jeanine reassured me stiffly. "Just not as much as the courts would like. He sends her Hanukkah and birthday presents, apart from the occasional phone call. But contact between them is very minimal."

  "I'm sorry," I blurted without thinking.  

  As pathetic as it was to admit, I didn't really ever feel sorry for anybody else but myself. Now that I was actually experiencing emotions that other human beings experienced on a daily basis, I wasn't so sure what I was supposed to do with them.

  "Don't apologize to me, Justin," Jeanine laughed humorlessly. "It should be Laila that gets the apologies."

  I agreed wholly with that one.

  "And I would've thought, given your situation..." she trailed off, gazing upwards.”You and Laila would be getting along a lot better than you are now."

   I glared at Jeanine, fighting back the urge to throw something at the wall. Why would she even go and mention something that was my business? What I'd been through was certainly none of her business. 

  "It's not that we don't get along," I said heatedly. "I think it's because we're too much alike."

  "Or rather, you don't know what to do with your feelings for each other," Jeanine hinted, an eyebrow raised.

  I grunted, rolling my eyes up at the ceiling.

  "Do you really have to make things sound so sappy, Jeanine?" I asked, trying to keep the whine out of my voice.

  She laughed, smiling widely. "Do you have any other way to word it?"

Huh. I had to admit defeat there, because I sure as heck didn't.

  "She has a brother, too, you know," she added as an afterthought.

 I stared at Jeanine with a dumbfounded expression.

   Laila Hayes had a brother?

  "Since when?" I demanded unthinkingly.

  "Oh, a few years," Jeanine answered, waving a hand. "His name is Nico, I think. It really didn't surprise me, but it shocked the hell out of Laila. She's never even met him."

  Poor Laila was the only thought I could manage to make out coherently.

 "I still don't see how this has anything to do with Laila and me," I told her, still confused beyond belief.

  Jeanine gave a disgusted sigh, giving me an “are-you-really-as-stupid-as-you-seem” look.

  "Don't you see?" she demanded. "Laila doesn't trust anyone. After her father left, and then finding out about her brother, totally wrecked her perception on life. That's why she is the way she is. Why she pushes everyone away, why she's by herself so often. She’s afraid of getting hurt. She’s afraid that if she gets too close to someone, they’ll end up leaving her, like her father did. And more to the point, if she won't even go out with her best friend, the one person she's known longer than you, then why on Earth would she go to a party with you of all people? She trusts you, Justin, which is more than I can say for anybody else."   

   I stared at Jeanine with a blank expression, not sure what to make of what she'd just practically yelled at me. What was I supposed to think? 

  "Why are you telling me this?" I asked Jeanine, my voice low and quiet.

She sighed, running her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair. 

  "Just be careful with her, okay?" she said, sounding tired. "She doesn't deserve to be disappointed and hurt by another man in her life."

  Neither did I, but I wasn't so sure that was going to happen.

"I will," I found myself promising Jeanine. "I may be a total ass, but I'm not that stupid."

  She smirked, looking like she was fighting back a laugh.

"That's debatable," she chuckled. "But for now, I guess I'll take your word for it."

  I laughed in spite of how miserable I felt.

"I can see where Laila gets her humor from," I said, not sounding the slightest bit dull.

  Jeanine's smirk widened as she tossed me a sardonic look.

 "Very funny, Justin," she remarked sarcastically. 

  "I try," I said, shrugging.  

She rolled her eyes before she gestured with a hand. "You're dismissed. You can go off and do whatever it is that teenage boys do, I guess."

  I got to my feet with an eye roll that was just as martyrish, heading for the door. 

"Thanks, Jeanine," I said without thinking, glancing over my shoulder at her.

 Jeanine smiled, shaking her head. "I didn't do anything."

 She could say that, sure, but I was thinking that she knew way more about what was going on than she let me believe. 

  I left the dining room, leaving Jeanine and our more than confusing discussion behind, with every intention of sprinting back up to my room, locking the door, and drowning myself in music the rest of the night. As I was walking through the living room, towards the staircase, the sound of loud choruses of laughter made me stop in my tracks. Glancing out the window, I saw Laila and Emma outside, kicking around a soccer ball, occasionally falling over or tripping up over their feet, but still laughing hysterically. I found myself moving unconsciously towards the back doors, watching the girl I thought I hated playing with my little sister.

  I could safely say that was something that I didn't do often enough.

  Maybe Laila and I aren't so different from each other after all, I thought as I watched the two of them sprinting around outside. We've both been through more than unpleasant things. So I guess that means its okay for me to actually admit that I like her?

_______________________________________________________________________________

   To the people who actually like reading this story - I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately!! D: My final exams are here and I've been trying like crazy to pass them and have been studying pretty much all day every day, so that hasn't left much room for writing! But thankfully I'll be done with them after Thursday!(:

    So...thoughts, anyone? What do you think?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!(: