Unsocial (6 page)

Brooke
doesn’t seem to let it bother her and continues, “Okay, since there are still a
few weeks left in the summer before school starts, do you have any plans?

Cassie
speaks up first.  She’s excited to tell Brooke about her plans, as she does to
us nightly, “I’m going to cheerleading camp next week.”

“Oh,
that sounds fun.  So, are you already a cheerleader?”

Luke
laughs, being a total douchebag, and looks at Cassie, “No way are you going to
be a cheerleader. I hang out with a lot of cheerleaders, and you’re nothing
like them.”

I
glare over at Luke; Brooke just smiles at him, “So I guess you play a lot of
sports then?”

He
nods, “Some.”

Cassie
glares at Luke, “I can to be a cheerleader! I’ll be an awesome cheerleader.”

Brooke’s
attention goes back to Cassie, “I’m sure you will be if that’s what you want.
You seem to have the personality to me.”

“What
the hell is that supposed to mean,”  “Excuse me,” that comes from Luke and me
respectively.  From the confused look, I guess she doesn’t know cheerleaders
like Luke, and I know cheerleaders.  Oh, the naiveté.

“Well,
guys love cheerleaders.”  She looks back when Cassie reveals this little gem of
information.  Okay, now that thought scares the shit out of me, it wasn’t that
long ago that I was an asshole football player chasing after young girls just
like Cassie.

Before
I could say anything Brooke laughs and shakes her head. “Guys love girls; you
don’t have to be a cheerleader to get a guy’s attention. Do it for yourself,
trust me.”  Now I’m glaring at Brooke.  Cassie doesn’t need any encouragement
about ‘guys.’

That
seems to register with Cassie, and she grins, “Well I do think it will be fun.
So were you a cheerleader in high school?”  Now this is a question I’m
interested in finding out the answer to.

Brooke
shakes her head like that’s the most laughable thing she’s ever heard, “No.”

“Why
not, you’re so pretty.” Leave it to Michael to state the obvious.

Brooke
looks a little uncomfortable, but there is no way I’m going to bail her out. 
My interest in the answer is way too strong.  “Um, I don’t think pretty
necessarily has anything to do with being a cheerleader, but I just wasn’t
peppy enough I guess.”

“You
were a prude,” says Luke laughing.

Brooke
looks deep in thought, “Hmm, no. I definitely wasn’t a prude.  I just didn’t
have the same super peppy disposition that cheerleaders have.  I wasn’t
interested in going to games.  My crowd was more the motorcycle, drag racing,
and concert-every-weekend group.  My friends and I didn’t mesh with the jock
and cheerleader crowd.  I guess that makes sense, though, you do have to be
super peppy.”

I
know my mouth is hanging open, but I have no words.  Thank God for Luke,
“Bullshit.”
Or not.

He
must have found it as unbelievable as I did. There is no way Brooke was
anything but prissy in high school. I scold Luke, “Luke, language.”

“What,
you can’t tell me that you believe…..”

“And
what about you?” Brooke interrupts and turns to Michael.  He shrugs. My
youngest brother is really small for his age, wears glasses, loves reading, and
hates sports. He is the opposite of Luke and me.

“I’m
in the summer reading program at the local library.”

“Hey,
that’s awesome! What a great way to spend the summer.  What do you like to
read?”

“Porn,”
snorts Luke.

I’m
just about ready to jump in, “Luke, you had your turn.  I’m talking to Michael
now.”  Well, alrighty then.  Now I have to smile at that because Luke just
looks stunned as hell over how she handled him, and for once has no smart-ass
comeback. 
I can’t wait to tell Jackson about this meeting.

Michael’s
eyes light up at her question, or maybe how she handled Luke, but who knows; he
just can’t wait to talk about his books.  “I like just about everything.  I’ve
read all the Harry Potter books.  Lately, I’ve been reading books about
architecture.  I’m thinking I want to read about rebuilding and customizing cars
and motorcycles too.” This is interesting; something that we can actually talk
about.

Brooke
looks at Michael then to me and smiles.  It would have knocked me on my ass if
I wasn’t sitting.  “That’s wonderful.  Dylan, you have to be happy about that.”

“Of
course.” That’s all I can say.  She’s still smiling, and it’s making me stupid.

Michael
glares over at Luke, who’s snickering and then back at Brooke, “Luke says I’m a
nerd.”

Brooke’s
face looks slightly troubled, and then she smiles and says, “Well that’s okay.
Nerds rule the world. I think it’s great that you like to read at such a young
age.”

Luke
looks irritated, and I know he and Brooke are going to butt heads a hell of a
lot over the next year, possibly even more than Brooke and me.  I’m thinking
riling her up is going to my new favorite pastime.  It’s an insanely sexy look
on her.

Brooke’s
gaze moves over to Gabby, who just sits there looking frozen in time, and
thankfully Brooke focuses back on Michael. “Okay, so I guess you are still in
the stage that girls are icky?”

Michael
nods, “Yeah, I hate girls, they are too bossy.”
  He says
that, but he looks at Brooke like she’s going to be the answer to world fucking
peace.

“Good,
so I can assume you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Not
yet,” he answers. 
The boy is mesmerized.

She
turns to Cassie, “And are you dating anyone Cassie?”

I
hold my breath and wait for her answer. Cassie shakes her head, “No, but
hopefully this year.” 
Over my dead body.

Not
the answer I wanted. When the fuck did Cassie get so boy crazy?
Probably
when you weren’t around for the last three years, asshole. 
Brooke just
nods politely and then, unfortunately, turns to Luke, “Luke, are you seeing
anyone?”

“Are
you seeing anyone?” he snarls.

Brooke
looks like she’s silently counting to ten in her head, “I know these questions
seem a little invasive, but I don’t mean them to be.   I’m just trying to get
to know you all better.”

“I
don’t want to get to know you better. I don’t want to deal with this. How would
you like someone grilling you about every aspect of your life?”

Brooke,
who has been sitting perfectly straight slumps her body slightly and sighs,
“Okay, you’re right, I’m asking a lot out of you guys.  So I’m an open book for
the next little while. Ask me anything, anything at all, and I’ll answer it.”

I
look at her like she is totally insane, she can’t possibly know what she is
getting herself into.  Even as I think this, I have no intention of stopping
what is about to happen because, despite her role in our lives for the next
year, this girl has me far too intrigued for my own damn good.
  Damn pain in
my ass.

Brooke

Oh,
shit.  This idea is probably really dumb or really smart.  Let’s face it,
though, I’m clearly not thinking on a college-educated level right now.  As
soon as Dylan opened the door looking all hot-as-freaking-hell I’d lost my
mind.  This morning I tried to convince myself that yesterday was just a
fluke.  He couldn’t have been that sexy.  Ha!  He’s beyond anything I ever
thought of as sexy.  I’ve got to shut these insane feelings toward this man
down. He’s my client, and I can’t be thinking of him as anything but my client.

I
know he was trying to crowd the door to intimidate me.  I have a lofty degree
in social work, so I know body language and the many different ways to use it
against people. When I inhaled deeply to keep body contact to a minimum and
ended up inhaling what is probably an overdose of pheromones. It caused my brain
to short circuit; then it fried when my breasts brushed against his chest.  For
a minute, I forgot my purpose for being there until I saw the children all
lined up and looking so nervous and sweet.  That ended on a spectacular note. 
It now boils down to one pissed off 16-year-old, a boy-crazy 14-year-old, a ten-year-old
whose going to steal my heart and a six-year-old who is clearly traumatized. I
know from the files that Gabby was with her parents when the accident
happened.  What I didn’t know is she is clearly traumatized.

Now
I’m sitting here trying to ignore Dylan’s intense cynical gaze as he looks at
me from across the large dining room table. I have to find a way to get these
kids to trust me and open up, so allowing them to ask me a few questions is a
great idea in my opinion. How bad can it be?  I sneak a peek at Luke then wish
I would have thought this through a little better.  That boy has some issues. 
Winning him over is not going to be easy, but I’m not backing down.  I will win
over Luke, and Dylan if I can keep my mind out of the gutter.

Luke
just rolls his eyes at me and folds his arms across his chest. He looks so much
like Dylan except he’s about three inches shorter and a little less broad. He
has the same dark hair and eyes.  I have no doubt he knows all about
cheerleaders. The youngest girl also has dark hair, but she has bright blue
eyes and a sweet, adorable face.

The
two middle children, however, have blonde locks. It must be from their mother’s
side. Cassie is very pretty, and I can see why Dylan shifted uncomfortably in
his seat when she mentioned boys because the boys are definitely going to
notice her, cheerleader or not.  Michael looks like Dylan and Luke, but he is
much smaller and with light blonde hair. He also wears glasses, and I imagine
it isn’t easy for him having older brothers who seem like his opposites.  I was
so pleased to hear that he has some interests in cars and motorcycles.  No
doubt it will help Dylan to bond with him.  My real concern is Gabby. I can
tell she’s truly traumatized, and I need to speak with Dylan about getting her
as well as the others some counseling.

I
keep my eyes locked on Luke’s, “So, what do you want to know about me?”

He
drops his arms, “I told you, I’m not interested in getting to know you.”

I
have a feeling Luke will be the toughest child to crack. He seems really angry
and not just at me. There is a lot of hostility toward Dylan, and I plan on
finding out why that is.  There’s no way I can smooth this transition if I
don’t know what’s going on with Luke, besides losing his parents.  I see Dylan
glare over at Luke for what seems like the hundredth time during our meeting. 
“Well, if you do think of something, feel free to ask.  I have nothing to
hide.”  I move over to Cassie, “Cassie, do you have anything you want to know?”

She
doesn’t miss a beat and seems excited, “How old are you?”

Easy
one.
“Twenty-four.”

She
nods, “Yeah, I didn’t think you were too old.”  I smile and thank her for that
compliment.  Thankfully, they’re keepi.ng the questions easy.

Then
I turn to Michael’s sweet face.  “What about you, Michael, any questions for
me?”

He
looks like he is thinking it over carefully like he wants to think of a good
one, “Where did you grow up?”

Another
easy one.
This isn’t so bad
. I look over at Dylan with a satisfied
smile, happy that the questioning seems to be going well.  I can handle this.
“I grew up in Kansas City.”

“With
your parents?”

Okay,
this is where my life gets a little dicey, but that’s okay. These kids have
been through a lot. “No, actually I don’t remember my parents. My grandma
raised me.”

Cassie’s
pretty eyes grow dark, and her expression changes from carefree to sad when she
asks meekly, “Did your parents die?”

I
glance over at Dylan, and his face looks like he is waiting for my answer, “No,
well actually, I don’t know if they’re alive or not. They ran away after they
had me because they were very young and couldn’t handle the responsibility.”  I
want to try and change the mood a little, so I add, “But it’s okay, my grandma
was wonderful.” I focus on Cassie, “Anything else you want to know?”

She
puts one finger to her lips as if she’s thinking about it, “Well, do you have a
boyfriend?” 
Clearly a one-track mind.

I
need to remain professional, but I also want to be open and honest to gain
their trust. I shake my head. “Nope. I’m currently single. I had a boyfriend in
college, but when I started my master’s degree I wanted to concentrate on
finishing school and starting my career.”  I lean in closer to her like I have
a big secret and whisper loudly, “He didn’t think he was getting enough attention,
so we broke up.  So, FYI, men are as needy as babies.”  This causes her to
laugh out loud, and when I chance a quick glance at Dylan I catch a glimpse of
ease cross his face.

I’m
secretly hoping she will leave it at that, but Cassie crinkles her brow and asks,
“Were you in love with him?”  Now how do I answer that? After we had split up,
I thought I would feel sad, but all I had felt was a relief.  I was so tired of
trying to find time for him. Then again having a boyfriend had become so
comfortable.  It wasn’t until our relationship ended that I realized what a
flimsy excuse that was for staying together so long. But looking at Cassie, I
don’t want to give her the wrong impression on relationships.  So, I’m going to
tiptoe through this with as minimal damage to her young romantic mind as
possible.

“Yes,
I loved him, but I think I loved him more as a friend than a boyfriend.  We were
together for quite a while.  I hope he will always be my friend.  It just came
to a point that we were going in different directions.  I wanted to focus on
school and my career.  It just seemed like we spent less and less time together
until we drifted completely apart.  We parted as friends, though.”  I smile and
hope that’s the end of this subject.  Dylan looks over at me with amusement
spreading across his beautiful features.  He’s enjoying this. “Now I’m just
focusing on my career.  No boyfriend.”

That
doesn’t satisfy Cassie; it truly worries me that this girl seems to base a lot
of her self-worth on the approval of boys. Hopefully, it’s just a phase. “So,
you just don’t want a boyfriend right now?  I don’t understand that because
you’re so pretty.”

I’m
not sure how to respond to that statement either, “I don’t think pretty has
that much to do with it. There are way more important things in this world than
dating, although that stuff is important. I just need to focus on my career.”

She
nods, “I still don’t get it. Don’t you get lonely?”

Of
course,
I miss the feeling of a body next to mine in bed and being held in a man’s
arms, but I’m not sharing that with her.  And I’m not going to discuss sex with
her either, especially with the way Dylan and Luke seem to be dialed into the
conversation.  But, dear lord, I was starting to miss sex.

Looking
at Dylan and how my body seems to react to him, I’m rethinking the whole only
focusing on work thing. I am a professional woman, but he makes me feel like an
awkward teenage girl.  I shake the thoughts from my head. I definitely can’t
tell her any of that. “Sure, I miss the companionship sometimes, but I have
friends and coworkers.”

I
can feel Dylan’s eyes on me, but this time, I refuse to look in his direction.
Cassie shrugs like she doesn’t understand me at all, so I ask her, “Do you have
a boy you’re interested in?”

I
can’t avoid Dylan’s eyes when I ask this question; his gaze is boring through
me. “She’s only fourteen.”

Cassie
looks over at him, “I could have a boyfriend if I want.  I’m not that young,
Dylan.”

 “Okay. 
Just remember, there’s no rush to find one.  Enjoy being single while you can
because relationships take a lot of time and effort.  And if you become a
cheerleader, that’s going to be taking up a lot of your time outside of your
school work.  So don’t stress yourself.” I know now that mentioning her
cheerleading dream can shut down a topic.

I
don’t bother asking Luke again. He is going to take time and patience, and I
have decided to leave him alone for this visit, but then Michael, who clearly
doesn’t think I’ve spent enough time on this topic, has to ask, “You didn’t ask
Dylan if he has a girlfriend.” I’m hoping for a Kansas tornado to come through
about this time.  I’m not quite sure how to get out of this situation, but I
can’t just sit here.

My
eyes lock with Dylan’s briefly, and then I say to Michael, “That is something
that I will address with Dylan in private.”

Luke
laughs, but it isn’t a friendly laugh, it’s bitter. Then he looks over at Dylan. 
“You hear that Dylan, she wants to talk about who you’re putting it to in
private.”

Dylan’s
face stays unemotional as if he is trying to stay calm, and I curse myself as I
feel my cheeks heat up. I cannot let this kid get to me, but before I can reply
Luke goes on, “Well I can answer that for you right now. Dylan doesn’t do
relationships, so don’t get your hopes up. If anything he would just be
interested in one quick bang and then be done with you like all of the other
girls, and there have been many of those.”

Dylan’s
face turns furious, and he growls at Luke, “What the hell is your problem?”

Luke
is unaffected and just shrugs his shoulders and acts casual, “What, I'm just
open and honest. I mean we did share a room for a few years, and then there was
the one time that I stayed with you in Oklahoma. That blond that came out of
your room wearing nothing but your shirt was hot.  And if I’m not mistaken
there were two others,
in that one week
.  Trust me, that little
apartment you and Jax had
did not
have sound-proof walls.”

“Luke,
that was five damn years ago.  How can you remember any of that shit?”

This
conversation is
getting out of hand, and Dylan looks
like he might strangle Luke.  “Okay, guys.  I have other appointments I need to
get to.”  I look over at Dylan.  “I just need to talk to you for a quick
minute, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

He
nods and through his clenched jaw says, “You guys go to your rooms or
something.”

They
all stand, and Michael looks over at me, “It was nice to meet you, Brooke.”

I
smile at him, “It was very nice to meet you all, and I will see you next week.”

I
hear Luke mumble, “I can’t wait,” as he heads down the hallway toward his room.

Gabby
doesn’t say a word and just follows closely behind him.  Cassie leans in and
surprises me with a quick hug, “See you next week!”

“Bye,
Cassie.”  She and Michael leave the room, and Dylan and I stay seated at the
table.

Dylan
stays quiet so I jump right in, “Okay, so just a couple of things…”

Before
I can finish Dylan sits up straight, “Hold on, don’t I get to ask you a few
questions first?”

A
devilish smile spreads across his face, and I can’t help squirming in my seat.
I can tell by the way he is looking at me he’s messing with me. I clear my throat
and stay strong, “Of course. Anything you want to ask. Go ahead.”

He
smiles, amused. “You sure about that?”

I
nod trying to seem confident, but something tells me he sees right through it.
“Yes, I told you I’m an open book. I have nothing to hide.”
Not exactly
true, there are a lot of things in my past I would like to keep there.

He
leans forward slightly in his chair, “Why social work? I mean its common
knowledge, the pay is shit, its long hours and its thankless work, so why did
you pick it?”

Oh
thank God, it’s not about my love life. I can’t process talking about dating
and sex with this man
, “I want to help people, families especially,
and to make a difference.”

“Uh
huh, but there has to be a personal aspect to it right?”

I
don’t want to go into my past experiences with the system. I’ve seen my fair
share of case workers, and some have been awful. “I just want to do a little
good in this world.”

He
rubs the stubble on his strong, square jaw, clearly not satisfied with my
answer, but he moves on, “And the boyfriend. Did you part as friends, or was
that bullshit for Cassie’s benefit?”