It Had To Be You

Chapter 18

Copyright © 2023 Cassey9

Third Person P.O.V

Lea failed to catch the hilarity of her story. Maddie's laughter only ignited the anger that was still simmering under her skin days on. After her last class of the day, Lea would meet up with Sam and have a very candid relationship about their friendship. Their breaking friendship to be exact.

"Could you please stop," Lea demanded of Maddie, "Nothing about what he did is funny."

"I can only imagine your face, Lea," Maddie said rolling onto to her back to laugh some more. "You met up for lunch with his parents and had to sit through it all. Lying straight to their faces. Damn, how I wish I was there too. Plus his mom called you her daughter? I think Sam's mom believes that you two will get married and produce beautiful grandbabies for them. "

"Shut it Maddie. How I wish it was you there."

"I wouldn't mind if it was me," Valerie jumped in surprising Lea and making Maddie laugh even more. "What?" Valerie shrugged, "I think he's nice and cute. But still, what he did was wrong. He shouldn't have put you in such a position Lea."

"Why thank you, Valerie. At least some people don't find the humor in Sam's action," Lea stated as she angled a glare at Maddie.

"Wait a minute," Maddie said sitting up, "Do you have a crush on Sam?"

"I think he's nice," Valerie added nonchalantly. From the handful of times she'd been in Sam's company, Valerie had found him to be charming, engaging and a great listener. The only downside to Sam's wonderful traits was his deep interest in Lea. He hung onto every thing Lea would say or do and at most times cling onto their friend's side despite the platonic nature of their relationship. He was like a love sick puppy. A bit obsessed with Lea. "First time I met you two together, I must admit that I thought he was your boyfriend."

"Everyone kinda does, Lea," Maddie said calmly.

Lea groaned aloud and slumped down and hard onto Valerie's bed, "Why? Why does everyone keep assuming that Sam and I have something going on! What am I doing wrong? At this point I feel like I should be carrying a poster announcing that the both of us aren't together. We're not."

"Why didn't you leave then?" Maddie questioned her friend. From her point of view, Lea could have easily gotten up and left the Camerons to their own devices and ended Sam's charade there and then.

"Maddie, come on," Lea murmured and moved to join her friends on the floor. "You know Mr. Cameron, you've met him. You know how he is when it comes to his son."

"Oh, yeah. You're right," Maddie murmured and grabbed her friend's hand. "I understand why you did what you did, Lea. You're a good friend."

"Is he that bad? Sam's father?" Valerie asked.

"Yes," both Maddie and Lea stated in a heartbeat. "He can be so horrible to his only son sometimes," Maddie added for more emphasis.

"So how long will you keep this up for? You and Sam?"

"Not long. Honestly, I'm starting to rethink about my friendship with him?" Lea said to the two in a low voice. "I don't want this lie to get out of hand."

"You shouldn't," Valerie softly said and squeezed Lea on the thigh. "Nip it at the bud while you can."

"Definitely," Maddie added, "The more time passes the more Sam will start believing it to be true. He really likes you Lea. Sometimes I think he's in love with you."

"You're right," Lea agreed. "I can't be his friend with him acting this way. I'm going to have a talk to him. A serious one."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Can you focus on what we are doing here, Liam," Lea said and softly thwacked the back of her brother's head. They still had a few questions to go. "Get your head out of the clouds."

"Lea," Liam called to his sister and set his pencil down. "Is it weird that we have two mothers?"

"No. Not at all Liam. Why would you think like that?" Lea asked and slid her chair closer to her brother. "Is someone bothering you about it at school."

"No. No one is. Everyone thinks they're so cool. Well, I... I just have this school thing about bringing your..."

"Dad to school day," Lea finished for his brother. "You could go with uncle Gary. I always went with him or..."

"He'll be with Christian and... and I want to go with someone else. I want my..."

Lea closed her eyes, hoped, prayed that Liam wouldn't say their real dad. They didn't have one. They also didn't need one. The few men in their lives played the roles well. Their mothers' love, dedication and care transcended everything and made their family whole.

But also a part of her did understand her brother's need to know. She had once asked their parents about him and the answer she'd gotten had been enough in itself to quench that desire for a father figure.

"Uncle Callum. Will mom agree?"

"What? Why him?" Lea asked coming out of her thoughts.

"Well, Uncle Gary will be with Christian in school. I don't want to share, it will be weird. Everyone knows he's my uncle. Besides Uncle Callum is so cool and he..."

The pitter patter of approaching feet had the siblings glancing in the direction of the sound. Their parents walked in murmuring and laughing in low voices.

"You're not done yet guys?" Hazel asked her daughter and son. She pulled a chair and sat next to Liam. A grumble of protest arose from ruffling her son's hair but a quick kiss and a tickle to the side smoothened things out. "Is it hard, sweetie?"

"No Ma," Liam answered proudly. "I just have three more questions to go."

"Yes and if you could only focus, we would have been done already," Lea complained at the side. Unable to resist the urge to annoy her little brother, Lea sneaked a small pinch to his leg.

"Ma, Lea..."

"Wants you to finish your homework. Now quiet!"

Lenora placed a glass of wine before her wife and rounded to sit at the helm of the table near her daughter. She too ruffled Liam's and Lea's heads in greeting. A swell of pride and joy grew within the vampire as her eyes darted around the table to take in her family. Seated at the dining table, the laughter and chatter was something Lenora looked forward to.

"So how's school," Lenora asked as she slowly sipped her own drink.

"Good Mom," Liam answered first. "I wanted to invite Uncle Callum to bring your dad to school day. Is that okay?"

"When is this, son?"

"Next week on Friday?"

"Will you ask him for me? So that he can come, mom?"

Hazel swirled the drink in her mouth and watched her wife for any signs of discomfort but saw none. Her vampire simply nodded at her son's request and looked her way. The relationship between Lenora and her older brother wasn't as tumultuous as before but distance and time did contribute to its continued strain. Callum had taken Lenora's position in the council after the Farris incident.

Despite Farris' violent tendency, the council hadn't taken Lenora's retaliation well. According to them, a lot of humans had died in the name of saving Hazel and Lea. The attack had sparked a lot of attention from the authorities and the media. It had taken years for the ordeal to die down. Lenora's lack of remorse and actions had gotten her kicked off the table and the open position soon taken over by Callum.

"He can take you son," Lenora answered her son.

"Yes! Everyone is going to be so jealous. Ma, Mom, can uncle Callum take me to school on his motorcycle?" Liam asked eagerly. "Maybe Sheila will finally talk to me. When... When she sees how cool I am. "

"No!" Hazel jumped in and turned to look at her son, "Your uncle will use the car, I don't want to spend my entire day wondering and worrying if you ever got to school safe."

"But Ma..."

"You'll use the car, Liam," Hazel answered her son with a tone of finality. As much as her son wanted to win over this girl, she was setting her foot down. A sharp look at Lenora quickly silenced the vampire. There was no compromising when it came to their children's safety or the topic of motorcycles. Callum had rubbed this particular interest on their son. His visits though scarce involved motorcycles and this had sparked Liam's attention and interest. Maybe in a few years, Hazel internally debated with herself but not now. "What about you Lea? Is school okay?"

"Yes. Some units are tough but I'll be fine Ma."

"You can do it sweetie," Hazel lovingly assured her daughter. "Just remember to study hard. Plus you have all the help you may need. Your mother for starters is very adept in all those building stuff and your aunts too."

"I'm done!" Liam yelled out and shoved his books across the table. "Can we play ladders and snakes or... or Jenga? I want to play Jenga Ma. Ma? please? Can we all play together?"

"Sure sweetie," Hazel stated and earned an excited yelp from her son. "I'm going to bring the snacks out, but first, Liam put your school things back in your bag."

"Yes Liam," Lea murmured under her breath, "I'm not driving you back home if you forget to pack your homework again."

"But that was only two times, Lea!"

"And there won't be a third time," Lea lied knowing fully well that she would drive back home if it meant saving her brother from after school detention. She had hated those while in school. "Now hurry up or I won't let you play."

"You can't do that!"

"Who's Sheila?" Lea asked as the name somehow popped up and grabbed her attention. "Is she your girlfriend."

"No."

"Do you want Sheila to be your girlfriend shortstop?" Lea taunted whilst playfully jabbing her brother's side. He was about to get a dose of his own medicine. Liam was laughing. His attempt at getting away from his sister futile, her reach seemed long and wide.

Liam's face was flushed and his sister's teasing only worsened his flushed state, "Stop."

"Do you want to kiss her? Huh, Liam?"

"Princess," Lenora warned her daughter from the side. "Go fetch the games before your mother returns. And you both better prepare yourselves to lose." Lea huffed and halted to go do what her mother had asked of her.

"No way mom," Liam yelled as he packed away his stuff. "You are the one that will lose. You can bet on that mom! Five dollars?"

"Will I get the five dollars from you once I win," the vampire asked her son.

"Yes," Liam huffed in protest.

Lenora laughed loudly and nodded accepting her son's bet. This was Liam's way of fishing for extra money but as a parent, Lenora was more than pleased to be a part of this time. Her family time. Nothing in the many, many years she'd been alive could live up to this exact moment.