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Chapter Nineteen: Your People


It happened fast - - but it also seemed to crawl along at a snail's pace, too. We fell into a habit, a routine, where I would meet her at Fresh Oasis for my breakfast smoothie, she'd come over my place after work, we'd pick some movies, and go back to her house to watch them with Bruce and Bradley. Then we'd go to my place and spend the night. I'd hold her until she fell asleep and we'd wake up the next morning in time to head back to Fresh Oasis to start all over again.

The best was the night we all watched the Star Wars original trilogy back to back to back, and Bradley, who had seen the movies, according to Becky, only about 'a hundred billion umpteen times', was whisper-yelling the lines along with the characters excitedly under his breath. He knew every line. Every. Single. Line. "LUKE!" He shouted, "I AM YOUR FATHER!" Then, in a slightly different voice, "NOoooooOOoOooo!"

I laughed and looked over at Becky, who was smiling at Bradley with eyes that were a mixture of pride, amusement, and sadness. I reached my arm around her and pulled her close. She looked up at me, and smiled and leaned her head against my shoulder and breathed let out a little breath that sounded like maybe some of the worries and cares that had rested on her shoulders for all her life were lifting just a little bit.

I felt good that maybe my arms around her helped the world be better for her.

Six days later - almost two and a half weeks since I'd first met Becky as Princess Neryls of Hatteras - I'd completely forgotten about Chris and our stupid bet. And I probably never would've remembered if it hadn't been for Chris texting me one morning while I was sitting in Fresh Oasis sipping on breakfast and arguing playfully with Becky about the new Spiderman movie and if it was a legitimate addition to the Spiderman franchise (she argued no because it rewrote Spiderman history in a way she didn't feel was canon, which I felt was bullcrap).

Up by one, man. What's down? (Obviously not the Ladies!) They ain't as slutty as you remembered? ;)

I made a face at the phone.

"What?" Becky asked.

"Nothin'," I muttered. I started typing out a reply to Chris.

I ain't even been trying, dude. The ladies are just as slutty as they always been. Took u awhile to get laid again I notice u ugly bastard. ;)

"You know, I've never met any of your people," she said suddenly.

"What?" I looked up from my text with Chris. I sent it by accident. I'd been meaning to take the wink face off before sending. Oh well.

Becky came over and sat in the chair opposite of me. She held a towel she'd been wiping the counter down with. "Your people. You know. Family. Friends. Brief aquaintences. I've never met anyone of yours."

"I don't really have anyone to meet," I answered quickly.

"No friends?" she asked, surprised. I shook my head. "What about your family?"

"Nawh."

"What about your sisters?"

"I'm an only child," I said.

Becky made a face. "I thought you said you had sisters," she said slowly. "That's why you knew who New Kids on the Block were that first night we went out."

Fuck. I had said that, hadn't I? I felt a crawling, creeping sensation rise up in my stomach and reach across my middle part. I knew I should tell her the truth, but the time just didn't feel right. Not here, in Oasis, when she was just about to start her shift. That was something to talk about in privacy. She was staring at me, waiting for a response.

"They're step sisters," I answered, "They haven't been around in awhile. I had'em back when New Kids were, you know, relevant." I smirked. If only Donnie could hear that dig now, he'd be piii-iiissed.

Becky narrowed her eyes, "They are relevant, thank you very much. Blue Bloods, man. Blue Bloods. It's like a super popular show. And Donnie is in it. The New Kids are relevant." At least she was pissed about something meaningless now, I thought. She could've been ripping my balls off for lying.

And I had a feeling when I did come clean she'd be pulling a Lorena Bobbit.

Carter Junior's too beautiful to be Bobbited!

Luckily a bunch of customers came in the store. I stood up as Becky rushed behind the counter to help them. "I'll be back when your shift's done," I called, waving.

"Okay," she called.

Out on the side walk I let out a streaming sigh of relief that I'd managed to - yet again - scramble my way out of a big pile of shit that I'd got myself into.

My phone vibed and I pulled it out and looked at it.

Ur the ugly bastard dude!

I'm fucking amazing man...get the memo...millions of bsb fans cant be wrong!

Too bad they all know who you are then cos theyre apparently the only ones that'll fuck you man... haha

I felt my blood boil a little.

Chris certainly knew my buttons and how to work'em to get me going. He'd always been good at that. I had got in more shit over the years thanks to Chris and his fucking button-pushing. Countless drug-induced mistakes (not the least of which included a nipple piercing) could be directly traced back to Chris and his persistent button-pushing and bet-placing.

No way in fuck was I gonna let him win this damn bet - if for no reason other than I wanted the power to cockblock the bastard every time we went out for the rest of his forseeable future.

I climbed into my car and drove to the pharmacy. I needed to buy more condoms if I was gonna do this because I hadn't brought any along with me that morning (I'd forgotten to carry any for the past few days that I'd spent with Becky). Once I'd got my little box of raincoats it was off to the gym to find me a woman that would have sex with me before Becky got out of work at three-thirty.

And then, I promised myself, I would tell Becky the truth that night before things got any further out of hand than they already were.

Before we were in so deep that she couldn't forgive me.