He Stole My Bandana (So I Stole His Heart)

Chapter Nine.

Lilly went home after we got to my house. Amanda had dinner ready and Grant was already back, all smiled from his "non date" with Jasmine. She had told him that they were going on the date as friends. But I'm pretty sure they're more than that, though.

"Grant and Jasmine, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Reese called out childishly as the three of us walked into the living room. Grant put Reese in a headlock and got him down on the ground, something they always used to do.

"So, how're my favorite little twins?" Once we all collapsed on our couch, Grant sat in the middle and put his arms around our necks to pull us close to him.

"Uh, we're not exactly little anymore." My statement came out strangled because he was practically choking me.

Grant laughed. "I know. But you'll always be my little Jay and Ray." He rubbed both of our heads, getting a groan out of Reese and I. Lots of people called me Jay, but no one ever calls Reese Ray. That's always been an only-in-this-household type thing. What happens in the Eldridge house, stays in the Eldridge house, in other words. I patted my hair down and rolled my eyes at my brother.

"You don't have to give us per names. Reese complained. Grant chuckled and rubbed Reese's head again.

"Okay kids, I have a few things to tell you all." Dad came in the room with Amanda slowly trailing behind. She's been acting weird all day and it was worrying me. What if she heard me earlier talking to Reese before school about how I don't want anything to change?

"We've decided on getting married after New Years, while you guys are still off of school so there's nothing to interrupt that." Dad explained. Grant hooted and I couldn't help but smile at him. He was the silliest one out of the three of us.

"So-" My dad was cut off by the phone ringing. Amanda jumped out of her trance and grabbed the phone off our computer stand. She pressed answer and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered. There was a look of confusion on her face but it soon cleared up. She smiled down at her feet as she listened to the other person talking.

"Yes! They're all right here actually." Amanda looked up at us kids and smiled. My dad only shifted uncomfortably until she looked at him.

"Okay, here's Bo." Amanda handed dad the phone and he took it, not expecting it to be his ex-wife.

"Savannah..." Dad said, his enthusiasm was obviously forced. He listened to her talk for a little while but my heartbeat picked up when I saw anger flash through his eyes. He say down on the chair behind him and seemed to be calming down. Dad closed his eyes for a moment and sighed in a defeated kind of way.

"Okay, yeah. That's a good idea. I don't know if I'll be able to talk them into it though." He said as he glanced up at us. I took a nervous look at Grant beside me. He didn't seem too tense so I tried not to worry.

"Alright, bye." He hung up the phone and handed it back to Amanda.

"What?" I asked immediately. Dad looked at me and gave us an apologetic look.

"Your mom wants you to spend New Years with her." As soon as the words left his mouth I was shaking my head.

"No." I said. Reese was sitting up, wanting to know more about this while Grant was smiling. Of course he wanted to go. He was the good kid, the favorite, the one that you could get to make you cookies with a puppy dog face. I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted.

"Now, Jasey. Listen." Dad started. "She wants you to come and spend December 30th through January 1st with her. It's only a couple days down in Miami, I think you'll survive." He told me sternly.