Chapter nine: Two heads

"AND THERE'S YOUR BABY BROTHER?" what?

Beside the wine fountain, Elliot appears in a black tuxedo along with Noah who's struggling with his bow tie in a dark red tuxedo as well. They walk through tables as if they're in a runway. I notice the hungry looks they receive from girls. I down a whole glass of water.

I don't want to get started on how good looking Elliot and Noah were. Elliot looked like an Adonis among men.

If Elliot turns out to be josh's brother, then man I am so done. "Josh you have a brother?" I hear May say. I hope it's somehow Noah because there's no way Elliot and Josh are related. Josh is as sweet as a muffin; Elliot is sour, very very sour!

"Yea, the guy in black tux is my brother, his name is Elliot". Okay game over. He gets nearer and nearer his smile is growing up with each step until he's right in front of us. "Hey Joshy" Noah skips past Elliot and hugs josh. Elliot notices me and confusion is written all over his face. May senses my tense body as she puts her wine glass on the table "Sheryl are you cold?" I shake my head.

I wonder why we keep crossing ways, out of all people he's Joshua's brother.

Josh and Elliot hug as Danielle makes her way to a small stage in the corner spanking Elliot's ass in the way.

I stifle a laugh at his horrified face.

Noah's second to notice me, because when he did he grasped me in a deadly hug. I choke on my breath and push him. He doesn't budge until Josh pulls him by the ear. "Noah are you trying to kill me?" I say throatily and all of them crack a laugh, I notice josh's grumpy-but-entertained face toward Noah.

"Hell I didn't expect you to be here, you look smoking hot Cheryl wanna hook up?" I am sure he's high or something.

May laughs beside me "Cheryl do you know the guy?" I nod my head as Elliot pulls his friend who's complaining that he didn't get laid for a week. Elliot sits by my side; I get a whiff of his cologne "do you already know each other?" josh asks, Noah nods his head like a kid "they fought the other day, Cheryl was about to strangle your brother because he was being a dick" May's eyes question me.

To this point I am sure Noah's drunk.

Elliot and I roll our eyes at the same time. Noah hoots and hollers, his friend smacks his head shutting him.

Maturity on its peak.

"We bumped into each other last week that's it" I answer both josh and May.

"Noah had a round of ping-pong before we came that's why he's spitting nonsense" Elliot talks for the first time. They laugh hard on what he said. Boys and their inside jokes. "Hey Cheryl being hot isn't nonsense!" Noah cries. My god I am dying of embarrassment. I hear Elliot mumble a sure.

"Hey I am May Cheryl's roommate and best friend" may introduces herself. Elliot smiles and she returns one "I am Elliot and that's Noah, his brains are blown now, don't mind what he says" I join the conversation, "Noah can be very kind once he's sober unlike some people" the words tumble from my mouth before I can stop them.

Josh excuses himself at the same moment, his father calling him. Elliot's mouth lifts in a half grin but says nothing.

"Pleasure to meet you May" the jerk says after a moment. I ignore the rest of their conversation. I don't want to end up fighting with him and embarrassing myself.

He acts rude with me out of all people.

Danielle comes back with a mug of coffee for Noah. He drinks the whole cup and looks my way grinning.

Besides hitting on everyone he sees, Noah is a cute drunk, I smile back at him.

"Elliot!" squeaks a voice behind us; I turn around to find a girl walking toward us and I instantly remember her. Elliot's octopus. I immediately start laughing, as Noah joins me despite his drunken state. Elliot stands up and she captures his lips. I registered the stink eye she sent us.

For a matter of fact, she looked fancy in a blue dress that emphasized her breast. She wore a choker-style necklace, her hair in a high ponytail. She sits on his lap as they continue kissing.

The last thing I want to see is hormonal teenagers on top of each other.

"Are you Joshua's girlfriend?" Danielle nicely asks me. "Oh no we're only friends" I answer her smiling. "Well my friend here misses the need-a-boyfriend gene, I am practically begging her to have a taste but to no avail!" May exclaims openly about my very active love life, I hit her on the arm.

Danielle laughs at our bickering. If she starts talking about the cherry I am going home. "Oh my god is that right Cheryl? If I was a guy I'd ask you out for sure look at you!" Danielle adds still laughing.

I eventually join them laughing over my kid like life.

We hear a kissing sound and Danielle throws a napkin at the couple. "Get a room!" May hoots to them. I was barely handling their presence beside me let alone moans.

"Oh to be young and feel love's keen sting!"I laugh at Danielle quoting Dumbledore. I loved the woman's witty side; she also seems close to the boys. One would notice she's more than their soon-to-be stepmother.

"Wow! How amazing to see so many of you here for our fourth Michelson's charity ball" we turn our attention to a man in his early fifties-I guessed-in a James' bond black navy tuxedo standing on the aforementioned stage. He goes on,

"New location which looks stunning, new charity name and a new logo but all for the same fabulous cause as before, the reason hasn't changed.

There are so many people I need to thank for tonight so here goes...

Thanks to big ball crew you turned the place into heaven, the sponsors; we have a lot in attendance tonight. Huge thanks to you for your generosity.

Special thanks to my soon to be wife Danielle who stuck around when it was hard to keep going

I can't forget Joshua and Elliot my sons who had supported me always despite their young age" Josh keeps looking at his father's figure. Elliot's nowhere to be seen.

"Seven years ago I was planning my wife's funeral. Something a world away from tonight and something no family should ever have to do.

There are no words to describe the pain of losing a member of family and the devastating effect it has on a family.

Tonight is about donning as much as we can to help those families who find themselves in the same sad position we did 7 years ago and with the hope one day we can stop blood cancer on its track.

Thank you and enjoy yourselves!"

The speech ends with people toasting to his words.

So they lost their mother at a young age. It stung me deep, as I felt my eyes burning with tears.

My own mother was living on antidepressants since I was a kid. She was there but at the same time she wasn't.

I was deprived myself from a motherly figure.

"Excuse me I'd like to get some fresh air" I murmur and walk through tables looking for a small garden I've spotted when josh was showing us the way earlier.

I bump into a man who's wearing too much gold and apologize. I hate my clumsy bones sometimes.

I open the door and it appears in front of me, a lovely Japanese like garden with a mini-bridge over a small lake and few benches.

Being an introvert has more issues than ever. I don't like getting constantly surrounded by people, I need recharge time in between to be alone and get my head on straight again.

I take big steps breathing the serene atmosphere, until I spot Elliot hitting a rock multiple times. I pity the poor rock.

"Come closer I don't eat" I hear him say after a while. I clear my throat "I was trying to give you some privacy there". I try to hide my embarrassment.

"It's not privacy when you're ogling me like I've grown two heads" he exclaims "you have two heads!" I emphasis the two and he bursts out laughing. Being around May a lot has its own consequences. I walk to a bench nearby him and take a seat.

Hearing his slight accent again, the nosey side of me, which is quite large, is desperate to ask him where he is from.

"You aren't from here are you?" I ask him playing with my pendant. "I grew up in Chippenham a little town in England" he answers me thoughtfully. Okay

"Why are you here?" I speak again and this time he looks at me "I like the place?" I tilt my head toward the sky; the moon barely shows from beneath the clouds. "Where is your girlfriend?" I ask again and he put his left hand on my restlessly moving leg. My most small hairs stand up. "Aren't you a little nosey thing?" I register his words and smack his hand away. I pull out my scrunchie and collect my hair in a low ponytail.

"I don't do girlfriends" I scrunch my face, he was sticking his tongue down the girl's throat minutes before, but doesn't do girlfriends. Okay

"Why?" the new found bravado in me speaks. He smirks again "are you interested in me?" am I? "Are you serious? You look like something I drew with my left hand!"

A major lie.

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