20 I'm grounded

"Oh no you didn't. I would have done the same" she looked at Jason "your mom is really lovely, I wish my mom is that sociable."

"I'm lucky" Jason replied her with a smile before looking at Anna "have you eaten?"

"Not really, mom and I will be making dinner soon, and I also ate lunch in school, so you don't need to worry. Or else you are hungry?"

"Nope, mom made lunch for me and it was crispy and delicious."

"Oh I see, and you are making it sound like this, so that I will regret going to school today right? It's aren't working."

He laughed and it sounded like music to her ear and not just her, Courtney too "I like your laughter. You should laugh more" she complimented him and Anna clenched her teeth, you are not supposed to notice, she screamed in her mind.

"Thank you" Jason said.

"So, when will you be taking me to the movies? I will be leaving soon remember?"

Anna bit her lip, she waited patiently for Jason's answer but her heart was thumping in her chest "I'm sorry Courtney but, I'm grounded" she heard Jason said and she looked up at him immediately, why, that's true, how could she have forgotten? She found herself rejoicing that her brother is grounded.

Courtney looked shocked "grounded? Since when?"

"Since today."

"What did you do?"

"I did something against my parents wish and they grounded me."

"What's that?"

"Something."

"Something that you can't tell me?"

"Maybe not yet" he flashed her a smile and she sighed.

"Okay then. If you say so. How long will it last?"

"A week."

"What? Isn't that too much? I'm mean you are an adult now."

"Not really, I will be fully eighteen in two months time."

"Oh, but still ..."

"It doesn't matter Courtney. Don't worry, when you are back in town, I will take you to the movies" he promised.

"Okay then, I will hold you to that."

"I accept" he smiled.

Anna stood wishing she will not come back, wishing that she will travel back and meet someone else in order to forget her brother, she don't know why, but she really don't like Courtney for him. Although she doubt if she will like to see him with anybody else but Courtney is just the worse, she can feel it.

"I need to go now. I promised Megan I will join her to make dinner."

"Oh, that's okay. I appreciate you coming."

She leaned forward to kiss him and he bit his lower lip before giving her an eye signal that Anna is still around. She chuckled and let him be, since he can't kiss his girlfriend in the presence of his sister, she is not going to make it awkward for him "get well soon."

"Thank you."

She stood up and picked up her phone and her bag before turning to look at Anna "bye Anna."

"Let me see you to the door" Anna offered and she smiled, she looked at Jason again "bye Jason."

"Bye" he replied.

Anna heaved a sigh of relief before following her out of the room, down the stairs.

"Bye Mrs. Macaulay" Courtney said and Veronica looked up from her laptop and smiled.

"Bye dear, see you some other time."

"Thank you" Courtney replied and Anna walked her out. Don't come back, she screamed in her mind, and don't date my brother again, I don't like you "bye again Anna" Courtney's voice called her out of her stupid thought. She smiled and waved at her before heaving a sigh of relief again and then walked into the house, she really don't want her for her brother.

"You don't like her" Veronica commented immediately she walked in. Anna was shocked and turned to look at her.

"Of course not" she denied.

"Really? Course it was screaming in your eyes 'I don't like you, leave my brother alone' I can see that young lady."

Anna bit her lower lip "it's not like I don't like her but that she is leaving off town. I don't want Jason to practice long distance relationship."

"Well, you won't tell me he doesn't know about that."

"He does" she muttered.

"And he still chose her didn't the? Maybe he just want her. Sweety, it's not all long distance relationship that doesn't work it. It's not all about the distance, as long as the root of the relationship is strong, the distance doesn't matter. Okay for example, are you going to stop loving your brother or caring about him if he leaves town?"

Anna was startled, why did she use Jason as an example? Did she know about her feeling?

"Another one, I travel almost every time, does that affect my relationship with your dad? No it doesn't, and that's because our root is strong. Now Jason chose her, the least you can do is to be happy for him, like he always is with you, okay? Don't go screaming in your heart, that his girlfriend should leave him, anybody can see that" she smiled

Anna bit her lower lip and sighed before nodding "yes mom."

"That's my good girl. Now go take a rest, dinner will be ready soon."

Anna nodded and walked up the stairs to her room, thinking about what her mom just said and wondering if she will say the same should she find out that she is madly in love with her very same brother.

Jason parked his father's Toyota in front of Megan's home. He stepped out of the car and straightened his bow tie, he looked very handsome in the tuxedo he was putting on. His shiny blonde hair was combed all back, revealing every part of his face, his blue eyes shines brighter than the evening sky, making the young lady watching him from her window gasp for air, she really do adore him but have only one problem, he is not free with her and hardly wants to spend some alone time with her.

They have been dating for nearly a month now but not once had he kiss her, so many times she had tried to initiate the kissing herself but he always avoid her in his own sweet way that will leave her shocked but can't voice any complain. Her happiness is that she is his first girlfriend and for the fact that he asked her that himself, makes her feel over the moon. She had somehow found out the college he wants to attend and had made it her first choice, she will really love to remain with him but the fact that he hasn't done anything of intimacy with her makes her sad and she is really struggling to keep holding up.

"Hey Courtney, Jason is here" she heard her cousin Megan say before she stepped into the room. She was dressed in a long blue gown that enhanced every curve on her body.

"Do you think he will do it tonight?" Courtney asked, she was dressed in an identical gown like Megan only that hers is wine in color.

"Maybe, you never can tell and besides, his friends from what I heard had all booked a hotel. Tony booked for us too" Megan replied.

Courtney bit her lip "but Jason had not discussed anything of that sort with me, I mean, sometimes he acts as if he doesn't even want me to be his date."

"You are his girlfriend, of course you have to be his date."

Courtney sighed "sometimes I feel like I can't be compared to Anna in his eyes."

"Anna is his sister, of course he will love her."

"But don't you think there is something off about that? I have got to stay with him a lot of time but the way his eyes brightens whenever he sees her has never happened like that with me. A brooding Jason will turn lively once Anna is around. Once I had met him in his bad times, I tried everything I can to make him smile but nothing. And then Anna showed up, just seeing her, he was already smiling."

Megan rolled her eyes "Anna is his sister, it won't be a crime if he warms up to her more than you."

"But ..."

"Courtney, Jason is downstairs, are you going to go down and be his date to prom or are you going to be here asking questions that I don't have answers to?"

Courtney took a deep breath, she licked her lips and gathered her self "how do I look?"

"Beautiful" Megan smiled.

Courtney smiled back "thank you. I hope Tony comes soon" she added before walking out of her room and went downstairs to see Jason standing at the door talking with her aunt.

"Oh there she is " Megan's mom Tracy commented immediately she saw her "you look beautiful sweetheart."

"Thanks aunt" she hugged her and Tracy kissed both sides of her cheeks.

"Have fun darling" she said and looked at Jason "you better take good care of her Jason."

"You have my word Mrs. Hertz" Jason answered in his deep voice. Courtney smiled and Tracy handed her to Jason who thanked her and led Courtney to his Toyota. He opened the passenger's door for her and closed it after she got in before walking around the nose to get in the driver's seat. He put on his seatbelt and asked her to put on hers before starting the car and driving off. Megan watched the car light as it goes out of her sight and couldn't believe how lucky Courtney is.