Lahat ng Kabanata ng My Stepbrother's Baby: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

I woke up early in the morning. Not because I re-membered to set my alarm clock. These days, I didn't even need to.My parents were arguing, and even with my door closed, the noise was hard to muffle. I groaned and rolled off the bed, and went to take a shower. Not for the first time, I was glad to have my own bathroom. I didn't have to get out there with them to get ready. I was ready way too soon, and I picked up my stuff. It was too early for school, but I couldn't stay there any-more.Mom and Dad had moved their argument down-stairs. I heard something like glass break and hurried over. I stuck my head into the kitchen, but it was noth-ing. A glass just fell, and neither of them noticed. Mom was probably the one who threw it. I looked at her, and it took less than a second to realize she was drunk.Mom? Already? My thoughts turned sour and I knew my day was ruined already.I said nothing as I ducked back out, and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and scoff

"I still can't believe you're hanging out with that girl," Abe muttered. "I thought people were kidding, but I saw you."I rolled my eyes and looked away. We were on the football field even if it was out of season. A habit that never died even during spring and I pretended to be en-grossed with the runners doing laps around the track."Why do you say that like it's a crime?"He smirked. "It's just unlike you, and it is all over the school. Girls keep coming up to me and asking me about it like it's any of my business in the first place."Abe smacked my shoulder, and I frowned. He was a quarterback on the team, and he was a big guy. He was also one of the guys I regularly hung out with.Mason, the team's linebacker, grinned as he smacked me on my other shoulder."Tell the truth; she's the same girl you've been blow-ing us off for, right? Tell us her name.""Would you guys shut up," I grumbled.I knew people were talking about it, and I guess it was big news. It had been

I waited patiently, but the way my foot tapped on the floor said that was a lie. Still, I waited. The last bell of the day, the bell for those that had been given de-tention, would soon ring and Anita's time in detention would be over. I'd made sure mine would be the first face she saw as I waited at the door. I'd left my own class early, after the teacher left when she was called to the office. I had to see Anita, see her face. I wasn't disappointed. When she came out of the door her face scrunched up in the cutest way and her jaw dropped. I have that effect on people, what can I say? Anita was good though, and the shock was quickly replaced with a grin.The difference from when we first met to now was so huge; I unconsciously smiled back."Hey," she said, walking over to me. "What are you doing here?"Her curly red hair was in a pony tail on top of her head, soft, glossy curls caught my attention before I glanced down to see those eyes of her smiling up at me.I grinned

I sat down on the bed, bouncing a little. It squeaked in protest, but I ignored it. The bed felt hard under me, nothing like my own big, soft bed. I almost wished I could take Anita to my room, but that might not go down well with my parents. I didn't want her to see what my home life was like, either."There isn't much in here." I'd noted the absence of pictures or the other wall hangings I'd noticed in the bedrooms of others girls I knew. It wasn't like my sis-ter's room at all; hers had been covered with ribbons she'd won for a variety of activities, and other mementos from her time in high school. Anita leaned back against the door and crossed her arms over her chest."I don't need a lot of stuff, to begin with. All I ever do in here is sleep or study.""Hmm."Our gazes met and held, and the small space be-tween us grew charged."Come here," I said, motioning with my hand for her to sit next to me.The bed was pushed against the wall opposite the door, but there was

I skipped down the steps of my apartment build-ing, humming a tune under my breath. I came to a com-plete stop when I arrived outside, only to see Evan had parked his car right outside, and his face melted into a wide smile when he saw me."Morning, Anita," he called, pushing off his car and walking over to me."What are you doing here?" I blurted out in shock.He chuckled. "I came to take you to school. I'm just glad I caught you. You have to leave home early be-cause you walk every day, right?"It was true, but instead of answering, I frowned at him."What about you? Wouldn't your parents wonder about you leaving home this early?"Evan shrugged, dismissing it. "It's not a problem. Come on, hop in so we can go."I'd realized he did that a lot when it came to his family. He didn't want to go home early yesterday, ei-ther, and he'd been waiting out my detention with me to drive me home the past few weeks. The thought was quickly wiped away, though, when Evan opened the doo