Chapter 1 // Not Again

Miss Lotts is out of town.  So of course, it's down to me to take care of things around here, like the washing up.  I expect more from Jared. He is in charge after all.  But he's too busy with other things.  Other things like breaking my heart and setting it on fire all at the same time.

I can hear them behind me.  Ellie is asking Jared if she can have her boyfriend over, seeing as she's keeping our 'little secret'.   Bribery suits her.  But she's harmless really.  And the only person I can really trust.  She has this way of sensing things.  She hears everything.  Sees everything.  But she's got my back.  I know this.

"You suck Jared!" she yells.  Jared just stands there and smiles.  He humours her.  Teases her.

"Maybe I will let you have your boyfriend over...Depends though," he replies.

"On what?" she asks.

"I need you to keep Rae busy later tonight."

My ears perk up at the mention of Rae's name.  I love her, really I do.  But she's been sleazing around Jared for way too long.  He picked me.  He wanted me, not her.  Eventually anyway.

"Why?" Ellie asks.  I glance over and Jared is leaning into her, whispering something into her ear.  Ellie stands back and I know she's heard something she didn't want to hear because she looks back at him awkwardly.  I see him mouth the words - 'She can't know I'm out with Robyn.'

Bastard.

My heart thuds.  Not again.  It can't be happening again.  But I can tell by the cheeky smirk on Jared's face.  He's seeing her behind my back alright.  It's got to be that.

I don't know why I'm running away, but it feels good to thud my feet into the ground and to have the sea air slap me in the face.  I needed to be out of there.  I needed to be away from them all so I could crumble into the ground and drown in my tears of self pity.

He's behind me.  I can hear him calling out to me.

 He knew something was up the second I left the house, the door slamming firmly behind me.  He knew i was pissed at him.

"Jesus, Robyn!" he shouts.  "Wait up!"

Can't stop.  Must keep running.  Must get away.  Must not let him see my cry.

He catches me up by the lake.

"What the hell, Rob?"

"You're seeing her again, aren't you?" I accuse him.

Jared laughs.  I laugh too, but mine is drenched in sarcasm.  Idiot.  Thinking it's funny that I'm hurting right now.

"Over reaction, much?" he asks.

"You really think so?" I reply.  "I heard you whispering with Ellie.  You don't want Rae to know we are going out later.  Why, Jared?  Why are you keeping us a secret from her?"

"Because nobody can know about us, Robyn.  If Sally finds out, I'm sacked.  Then I'll never be able to see you again," he pleads.

"Bullshit," I say, shoving him away from me.  He trips over his boots and thuds to the ground.

It made me laugh.  And once I started laughing, I couldn't stop.  Jared stood and took my hand, asked me to come back to the house.  I nodded, but I wasn't convinced he had told me the real reason why he was hiding us from Rae.

"I love you, Robyn," he says as we approach the house.  I can't say it back.  I won't!

"Where have you been?" Rae asks as soon as I step inside.

I want to tell her I was out with Jared by the lake.  To rub her nose in it a little.  But Jared was right earlier.  She can't know.  Nobody can.  Well, nobody except for Ellie.  He's an adult.  I'm only a teenager.

"Jared dropped me off at the library.  School project," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"O...kay," she replies.

I walk away from her.  She hums a song to herself and then goes off to stare at herself in the mirror.  It's  her favourite thing to do.  And who can blame her?

Her looks are the only thing she can thank her parents for.  Like mine and Ellie's, her's abandoned her as a young child too.  We only have each other now.  Despite the fighting and the drama, we are a family now. All of us, and Jared and Miss Lotts.  One not-so-big drama fuelled family.