Chapter Twenty-Two
Tyler
I start to head out of my house to swing by Jared’s and pick him up. My dad is in the den area next to the garage pouring himself a drink.
“Where are you going? Did that girl of yours ask you to keep her company?” He winks at me then lifts his glass of whiskey to his lips.
“Yeah, Dad. Don’t tell Mom,” I say. That’s the only thing my dad understands is work, and getting some action from a girl.
He nods. “Just be back for breakfast, you know your mother will be on her special broom if you don’t.” He stumbles over to the Christmas tree set up in there. “Four damn trees. Who in the hell needs four damn trees? It’s like we’re living in a forest.”
“Right. Well, nice chat. I gotta run.”
“Uh huh.” He slumps down into the sofa and continues to drink. I take this chance to make my exit.
“Dude, what took you so long? You told me you’d be here ten minutes ago,” Jared snaps.
“Sorry. My dad caught me, so I had to explain what I was doing.”
“Wait. You told your dad you were going to sneak into your girlfriend’s house and decorate it? And he was okay with that?”
I shrug from the driver’s side of my Cherokee. “Yeah. Did you get the star?”
Jared looks annoyed. “It’s in my bag. I hope you know I felt like my manhood shriveled up and died when I bought it.”
I’d laugh at this but at least he didn’t have to go buy ribbon unlike me. Layla better appreciate this shit once Jared and I are done.
“Don’t peel out of here, I don’t need my dad waking up and calling the police,” Jared warns.
I roll my eyes. “Bro, when have I ever tried to get you in trouble? You know what, don’t answer that.”
“Exactly.”
We cruise to Layla’s house. The clock on my dash turns one o’clock as I shut off my lights and throw my Jeep in park, once we enter her driveway.
I reach the door and without thinking reach for the doorbell. Jared slaps my hand away. “Are you nuts? Don’t touch that. It’ll wake the whole house. You’re supposed to call Juliet.”
I give Jared my phone. “You call her. I’ll get the shit out of the back.”
I make my way to the back end of my vehicle. Jared hisses, “We look like a bunch of creeps out here.”
I pop up my back door. “Oh, shut up.” I stack two boxes and walk back to the porch.
The front door opens and Juliet waves us in. The floor beneath Jared creaks and Juliet scowls. “Shhhh. You wanna wake up the whole house, you oaf?”
“Oaf?” Jared has the most confused expression and I want to laugh.
I tap his ass with my foot. “Yeah, oaf, we need to get this done. Quit screwing around.”
Jared narrows his eyes at me. “Do you have any more boxes in the back of your Cherokee?”
“It’s cool, I’ve got it. Juliet, how about you take Jared to your supply of Christmas stuff.”
She folds her arms and huffs. “Come on. Move those big feet quietly.”
“I’ll try to be a little more stealth mode for you, shorty,” Jared muses.
“Don’t you ever call me that again or I will rip out your tongue,” Juliet growls.
Wow. I feel a little sorry for Jared. One wrong move and my boy might be going home ballless.
I retrieve the last box from the back and make my way inside. I look around the living room which is dimly lit by the small light on the table leading to the spare bathroom and Ms. Valentine’s office.
I open one of the boxes near me and pull out the pre-lit strings of garlands. I plug three separate strings together and tiptoe up the stairs. I start to wrap one end around the banister and Layla’s door pops open. Shit. I use my football training exercises and hit the deck. My chin smacks against the step and I bite back a groan.
“Juliet?” I hear Layla say in a groggy voice.
“Yeah. Here. Sorry,” Juliet pants and then she steps right on my hand and twists her heel. Mother of Jeeee … I hold in my grumble as sharp pain fills my hand.
Relief comes when her foot leaves my hand, but the pain comes back. What the hell did I do to deserve this type of abuse?
“Oh. Okay,” Layla says. “I was going to get a snack.”
“Nooooo!” Juliet tells her. “I was um … I have an idea. Let’s um … try those cookies out?”
“What? No. I’m not going to eat Tyler’s present.”
Cookies! She got me cookies? I want to hop up and hug my girl.
“We don’t have to. I have a bunch of spares from the batches we made in my room,” Juliet says.
Layla grumbles. “Oh my God. Have you cleaned in there since this morning?” I hear Layla ask, her voice seems to fade. I lift my head and watch Juliet shove Layla into her room. Yeah, that’s not suspicious or anything. We’re going to be busted before the night’s through. I can feel it.
Jared whispers, “Are they gone?”
“Yeah. Shhhh. We’ve got to be super quick.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
I get up and work my way down the banister. I’m halfway done, and I hear, “I just want some milk,” Layla says.
Son of a bitch. I hop and roll off the side of the banister and motion for Jared to kick the boxes to me. He does, and we hide near the stairs like a bunch of burglars.
“Juliet, were you trying to decorate the stairs?”
“Uh. Yeah. You caught me though, so I decided to distract you with the cookies,” Juliet says. “Will you please let me get the milk? I don’t want to ruin any of the other surprises.”
“Fine. Bring it to my room though. Your room smells like a sweat box. It’s gross.”
“Whatever.”
Jared nudges me. “I thought she was supposed to be asleep?”
“Layla?” I ask. “I thought so too but whatever. Juliet seems to have gotten us covered for now.”
“She also took credit for your gift,” Jared says.
Yeah. For now, she did.