I'd had my own share of awkward and tense situations but none this tense especially with my parents. They got back from their trip two days earlier than planned and I could see the barrier between them.
When I got back from Ace's house earlier they were standing in the kitchen, the island separating them and a deafening silence. When I asked them what was wrong all they said was 'it was a rough trip' I didn't want to push it so I pretended that everything was normal.
Dad suggested we watched a movie so we were now seated on the couch, me literally squashed between my mum and dad.
The doorbell rang and I was quick to stand up, "I'll get it." I walked to the door.
Luke, my brother was standing there, a duffel bag in his hand and his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Luke!" I threw myself on him and he caught me, wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug.
"Liv, oh I missed you," he ruffled my hair.
I ruffled his messy black hair at least that was one thing we had in common, raven black hair.
I pulled away from the hug with a goofy grin on my face and took his backpack from his shoulder. He stepped into the house and I locked the door behind him.
"I thought you weren't supposed to come here till tomorrow?" He placed his hand over my shoulder and I leaned into him.
"Mum and dad called me to come home earlier," he shrugged. "How have you been?" He ruffled my hair again and I pushed his hand away.
"I've been fine. Has college been good to you?" I dropped his bag on the kitchen counter and watched as he took a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Mhm," he hummed while gulping down the water.
I looked at the kitchen door before looking back at Luke, "just a heads-up, mum and dad are acting strange. It's like they don't want to be around each other." I whispered.
Luke sighed and dumped the now empty plastic bottle in the trash. "I noticed, the other day when they called me, they were in the middle of a quarrel. They didn't even know when I hung up. I'm kind of scared you know, they never quarrel like this." His grey eyes darkened.
I bit my bottom lip, "I'm scared too." I admitted.
I helped him take his bag upstairs and when we went down to the living room both my mum and dad were now standing up, arms crossed as they glared at each other.
"Kids sit," dad ordered.
"Geez dad, you can't even welcome me back home," Luke said in an attempt to lighten the mood but dad just glared at him.
"Okay," Luke rose his hand in defeat and sat on the couch that mum, dad and I were sitting before.
I sat beside him and tucked my legs under me waiting for either mum or dad to speak.
"Kids, your mum and I are getting a divorce," dad announced and my breath hitched in my throat.
"What?" Luke was the first to speak. "Why?"
"Your dad and I just aren't working anymore," mum looked at Luke and I.
"But you love each other right?" I looked between mum and dad.
"That's not the point-"
"Just answer my question. You love each other right?" I stopped mum from speaking.
"Yes," dad answered.
"Then why?"
"Like your mum said, we're just not working anymore." Dad shook his head.
"Can't you guys work it out? You don't have to get a divorce you can both go to therapy. If it's something Luke and I can join you for we will just please don't," I tried to reason with them.
"Your mum and I have made our decision, we're getting a divorce and that's final." Dad's lip was drawn in a thin line.
I didn't know what to say anymore so I stood up and stormed to the stairs. At the foot of the stairs I turned to both of them. "First if you're getting a divorce please wait till I'm eighteen, the last thing I want is to be in the middle of your ego brawl and second I'm throwing a party tomorrow night so..."
I turned around and went upstairs. I heard Luke call after me but I ignored him. Heading straight for my drawer I took out my packet of cigarettes, took one out and as I was about to light it, it got snatched from my hand, both the cigarette and the lighter.
Before I could protest Luke grabbed the packet on my desk and threw them into my trash can.
"What was that for?" I yelled.
"I thought you had quit smoking. It doesn't help, only makes your life worse Liv," he stood with his arms crossed.
I glared at him and copied his stance.
"Liv, we'll get through this, I promise." He walked towards me and pulled me to a hug.
I let the tears fall as I sobbed into Luke's shirt. I hadn't cried in years so it felt strange but I let it happen.
"Shhhh, you'll be fine," Luke whispered as he stroked my hair.
After a while he pulled away and pushed us to my bed. He took the tissue from my desk and held it out to me.
I slipped one out and blew my nose on it, I took another and wiped my face. Jesus, crying was really messy and I just had to cry the day I wasn't wearing waterproof mascara.
"You know there's something called waterproof mascara," Luke said.
I groaned, "I know that you dumbass I wasn't expecting to cry."
He chuckled and ruffled my hair again.
"Jesus Luke!" I pushed his hand away causing him to laugh.
"Dad doesn't know you still smoke right?" His tone dropped to a serious one now.
"No," I avoided looking at him.
He sighed, "I thought you quit?"
"I did," I looked at him. "But come on it's not that easy." I whined.
He ran his hand through his hair, "I know. I just don't want you dying of a heart disease in the future."
"I'm really trying honestly, I haven't even smoked all week," I told him honestly.
"You're still smoking?" Dad said now standing by my doorway.
Shit, I forgot the door was wide open.
"No," I denied. Well it was half the truth.
"Where are they?" dad charged for my drawers but Luke was quick to stop him.
"I already threw them out," he said and dad calmed down a little.
I gave a fake smile, "see, nothing to worry about."
"I'm going to the office but your mum is still around so I'll see you two tomorrow," Dad hugged me and kissed my forehead, he did the same to Luke before leaving my room.
"When does he ever go to the office at night?" I looked at where dad just disappeared.
"Since now. Come on, let's go out for dinner." He draped his hand over my shoulder.
"Wait let me get my jacket," I took my jacket that was draped over my chair before falling in step with Luke.
*
We decided on pizza and the closest pizzeria was where Ace worked.
"Damn I've missed this place," Luke said as we both stepped in.
Before Luke went to Boston we used to come here some nights, get pizza and drive to the park to eat it there. It used to be a tradition and even when he went to school, anytime he was home for breaks we would come here, that was until junior year when we stopped. He hardly came home so no pizza nights.
It was nice doing this again with him.
The place wasn't that occupied so as we got to the counter we were attended to.
The guy who answered us got called to the back so he excused himself and went to the back.
Ace came out and stood in front of us, "what can I get you?"
He didn't notice it was me, mainly because his face was down, fixated on untying his apron.
"My regular just make it double plus two cokes," I said and that got him to look up.
"Liv," he looked at me then my brother and his face changed.
He cleared his throat, "alright." He typed on the computer in front of him and stretched out his hand, "cash or card?"
I gave him the money, "keep the change."
He looked at me with a smirk on his face. I always said 'keep the change' anytime he delivered my pizza or I bought from here.
He went back to his computer and typed away. My receipt was printed and he handed it to me.
"Ten minutes," he went back to where he came from and Luke and I went to take a seat on one of the empty booths.
"Do you know him?" Luke asked as we sat down.
"Yeah, he goes to my school and he kinda tutors me in Calculus." Luke was my brother so I didn't have anything to fear in telling him the last part.
Plus Ace looked really hot with his glasses.
"Kinda?" He raised a brow.
I rolled my eyes, "fine, he tutors me."
"Since when did you have problems with Calculus?" He played with the straw holder on the table.
"A few weeks ago," I shrugged. "But it's fine, Ace is really good." I looked at the counter and Ace was there, he looked at me and offered me a small smile.
"Ace huh?" Luke was smirking.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You like him," Luke said and my eyes widened.
"What? No! That can never happen!" I scoffed.
"Or he likes you," he nodded to the counter.
"Jesus Luke, that's also not true!"
"Liv face it, you've never talked about a guy like that not even Callum. In fact you never talk about any of your friends like that." His smirk got wider.
"You're just seeing things bro, I can never like Ace and he can never like me," I shook my head.
He scoffed, "what's there not to like in you? You're like what, the queen bee of your school? Every guy likes you."
"Ace is not like every guy, I'm sure of that," I looked at Ace again and watched as he spoke to the lady in front of him before heading to the back.
Luke laughed, "I'll remind you of this day."
I looked at him, "yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes.
When our ten minutes were over we went to the counter. Ace came back out to the counter with two boxes in his hands which he dropped on the counter, took out our coke from the fridge behind him before handing it to me.
"See you tomorrow," he said to me and I smiled.
"See ya," with that I turned around and Luke and I headed to the car.
"See ya," he mimicked and I groaned.
"I hate you," I buckled in my seat belt.
He laughed, "you know you love me."