I was about to turn on the street that lead to my house when suddenly I remembered that I had told Kate that I would learn sign language for her. I made a U turn, earning a few honks and I headed back downtown. I reached and parked in front of a bookstore and made my way inside.

"How may I help you?" The sales lady asked, smiling politely at me. I smiled back at her and told her that I wanted books on sign language. She nodded and headed back to get them. A few minutes later she came out with six different books and asked me to choose from them.

I looked at the books not knowing which ones to buy. I wanted to be able to understand sign language by tomorrow morning.

"Please bill all of these" I said to her and handed her my card.

She packed the books and handed them over to me. I got back into my car and drove back home.

I opened the front door and dashed towards the stairs, eager to reach my room and start on the books.

"Jayson!" My mom yelled from the kitchen.

"I am not hungry maa!" I yelled back and ran to my room. I plopped down on my bed and started up my laptop. I opened Youtube and searched up sign language. I also opened one of the books and started leafing through it.

I had just gotten to the second page when there was a knock on my door and dad walked in without waiting for me to reply.

He looked at my bed, at all the scattered book and the video playing about sign language.

"Jay, what is going on?" he asked as he sat down across from me.

"Nothing dad, just reading up." I muttered looking around.

He leaned forward and picked up one of the books.

"Sign language, interesting" Dad said raising his eyebrow at me.

"Dad, please, don't ask anything about this. I will tell you everything when the time comes."

"I am not going to ask anything. Your mother is worried about you. You have been behaving weird ever since the party. You said you were going out to meet Brandon but he showed up here looking for you."

"I wasn't out with him dad. I---"

"Look son, you don't need to explain yourself to me. You are old enough to make your own decisions. Just be careful, whatever you are doing"

"Oh my god dad, you are making it sound like I am joining the mafia or something. I am just learning sign language and I was out today to buy Kiara a necklace she wanted."

"Yes, the one with which you bribed her" Dad said smirking at me.

"Okay fine, you want me to say it, I will say it. Yes it is a girl and I am serious about her but please not now. Give me some time and also don't say anything about this to mom yet. You know how she gets."

My dad just smiled at me and got up. He patted my back and walked out without another word.

I threw myself back onto my bed and sighed. Just as I was about to start with the book again, Kiara came barging in to my room.

"My necklace!?" She asked in sing song voice as she skipped towards where I was sitting.

I handed her the package.

"Now leave please. I have work to do"

She stuck her tongue at me and headed towards the door.

"Thank you JJ!" She said as she slammed the door and left.

My family is crazy, that is the only way I can describe them.

Rest of my night was spent learning the sign language.

My alarm went off and I reached across my bed to turn it off. My neck and back ached so badly plus I had a horrible headache. I guess sleeping on top of a pile of books does lead to this.

I got up and stretched. I freshened up and hit the gym.

Dad was already there running the treadmill when I went in. My dad sure is fit and good looking for a 40 year old.

"Good morning dad" I said as I started my full body stretching routine.

"Morning son"

After that we continued in silence as both of us too engrossed in our exercise. Dad finished before me and headed off to shower. I finished and removed my shirt and headed down in my current state.

"I am starved!" I yelled as I made my way towards the kitchen.

The moment I entered the kitchen I cursed. Stella and Kate were sitting at the breakfast table along with Kiara and Mom.

"Jayson, did you come straight from the gym?" Mom asked

"Yeah...I just wanted some juice...." I muttered as I hurriedly threw on my shirt not looking at Kate. I was grabbing my juice and a glass when Kiara came up to me and said.

"You can thank me for this big brother. I invited them over but of course you had to kill it by being so gross. Who comes to the kitchen like this?" She whisper yelled at me.

I shrugged. To be honest this was embarrassing. What would Kate think of me? I chugged down my juice and decided to do damage control.

"Well I am really sorry ladies. Your company was rather unexpected." I shot Kiara a discrete glare and continued. "Please continue and excuse me, I will join you all shortly after I freshen up"

I turned around and walked back to my bedroom.

She was here and I made a fool of myself.

Lovely.