The Trouble With Three

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for not updating for so long. I've been in the middle of writing a new story. Good news is that it's another series. Bad news is I don't know if I'll get a chance to finish it before I'm in professional school this fall. I will definitely do my best. Read on, and maybe I'll tell you more...

Chapter 8 – Homecoming

Kevin rapped on the front door three times. The Brooks’ new home was a lot bigger than the one that Carly had grown up in. It was a blue, two-story Colonial-style home with a surrounding white porch that screamed classic New England. It was a lot older than Kevin’s home, which had just been built around the time he had been born, but this house was still nice, nevertheless.

The front door was opened by a tall, older man who had the same tawny hair as Carly. A smile crept across his face when he saw Kevin, and the older man’s blue eyes twinkled.

“Good evening, Kevin. It’s nice to see you again, son.”

“Good evening, Mr. Brooks. It’s good to see you again, as well.”

Carly’s father ushered Kevin inside, leaving only the screen door closed behind him.

“Carly!” Mr. Brooks called out. “Kevin’s here!”

“Okay, Dad! Be down in a minute!”

Mr. Brooks checked an imaginary watch. “That means she’ll be down in about twenty.” Kevin chuckled in response, and Mr. Brooks shut the television he had been watching off. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No thank you, Mr. Brooks.”

“Then, at least follow me into the living room, and tell me all about school. I’d like to know if you plan on going to California to play ball, Kevin. That arm of yours is something special.”

Kevin smiled. He thought that Mr. Brooks was one of the coolest guys in the world – much cooler than his own father. In a way, Mr. Brooks had influenced Kevin’s decision to pursue football in the first place. Kevin definitely considered Carly’s father almost as his own. He was looking forward to shooting the breeze with the old man, in fact. Add that to the anticipation he was feeling as he awaited Carly to step down her staircase looking gorgeous in her homecoming gown, and you could definitely call Kevin Maguire one happy son-of-a-bitch.

****

Carly sat in front of her vanity, assessing her hair. She had wanted to pin her hair up, but the pins just would not stay in place. In the end, Carly just nixed them, so that her golden hair tumbled in luxurious curls around her face. She smoothed the wrinkles in her white gown – a strapless gown with a tulle skirt and a fitted bodice that hugged her slim figure beautifully. Carly hadn’t wanted to wear white – it was already October, after all – but after finding this dress online, she had fallen in love with it. Carly loved how it made her feel like royalty.

She needed all the help she could get right now.

As excited as Carly felt, her mind still dwelled on the confrontation with Aaron earlier that week. They had avoided one another since then, and suddenly, Carly was growing more and more chummy with Kevin. Why couldn’t her relationship with both of them be equally healthy at the same time?

Carly’s thoughts flew back to that passionate kiss she had shared with her former best friend, and a multitude of emotions thrashed about in her poor, confused mind. She hadn’t expected Aaron – her Aaron – to ever have the guts to do what he had done. And suddenly, Carly had to reassess the implications of Aaron’s professed emotions for her. A horny teenage boy might kiss her the way that Aaron had, but it was the things he had said to her that really got Carly thinking.

He said that in reality, neither of them had changed – which Carly could agree with. They’d grown and matured physically, but deep down inside, Aaron was Aaron and Carly was still herself. Kevin was essentially still the same kid at heart, as well. But if that were the case, then logically, wouldn’t that have meant that those two had been head over heels for Carly back when, as well? Aaron had said as much, and frankly, the very thought frightened Carly. What would three seven-year-olds do with those emotions? Had Aaron loved Carly all this time? Had Kevin, as well?

“Carly!”

Carly snapped out of her reverie at the sound of her father’s voice. “I’ll be there in a minute!” she repeated. She ran her fingers through her hair once more and patted the sides of her dress as she stood up.

Oh boy…now, she didn’t really even know if she’d rather have Aaron at the dance or not.

****

“You look…beautiful, Carly,” Kevin said for the hundredth time.

“Th-thanks,” she answered him for the hundredth time.

“I like when you put your hair down, Carly,” Kevin added as he parked his car in a spot next to the school gymnasium. “I was used to seeing you tie up your hair in a ponytail all the time…remember?”

Carly nodded and laughed. Kevin smiled back at her before exiting his side and coming round to help her out of the car. He pulled her hand and guided her out of his car. His green eyes glistened with awe at how pretty she looked this evening. Kevin’s eyes must have lingered a little longer than necessary because Carly eventually found herself growing uncomfortable. She tried to start a new conversation.

“Remember when I lobbed my hair off because it was sooo hot that one summer?”

Kevin tried to suppress his laughter. “You looked like Cousin Oliver from ‘The Brady Bunch’!”

“Shut up!” Carly scolded good-humoredly as she slapped Kevin on the arm. “I thought it was a pretty good job done by a third grader.”

Kevin shrugged. “Okay. If you say so.”

The October night air nipped at Carly’s exposed skin. She had stupidly forgotten her shawl at home. She tried to hide the fact that she was shivering like crazy but was failing miserably at it. Within seconds, Carly felt Kevin’s dress coat descend over her shoulders.

“Kevin! You don’t have to do that. We’re, like, thirty yards from the gym entrance!”

“You’re freezing, Carly. I’ll take my coat back once we’re inside, okay?”

Carly smiled in response to Kevin’s selfless gesture. It wasn’t that Kevin wasn’t the chivalrous type, but this was the same guy who planted whoopee cushions on Carly’s chairs during their elementary school years and the guy who splashed muddy rainwater on Carly’s brand new sneakers when they had been in the fourth grade. She just wasn’t used to this side of Kevin at all.

As he opened the door for Carly, her mind inexplicably drifted back to her confrontation with Aaron. She didn’t think Aaron would have the desire to show up at the dance. Knowing him, he’d probably want Carly to come to him, instead, which was fine with her. Carly only wanted to have a good time tonight. After the dance…that’s when she’d begin getting her life back on track.

****

“Whoo!”

Kevin kept a polite smile on his face as he watched Eden Halliwell not know how to dance. She was jumping around in her black dress and bare feet, having taken her shoes off earlier. Kevin didn’t know Dean Allen all too well, but he still felt sorry for the son-of-a-bitch. Sure, Eden looked uncharacteristically pretty tonight, but Kevin wouldn’t wish a night out with Eden Halliwell on anybody.

Kevin would have preferred congregating with his own friends, but Carly seemed to be especially at ease around Eden, so he put aside his personal dislike of her for one night in order to make Carly happy. Carly really did look beautiful, and as much as he hated himself for thinking such thoughts, he hoped that his night with Carly wouldn’t end with the dance. He was hoping for a lot more, in fact.

Carly hooked her arms around Kevin’s neck and began shaking her hips. It was meant to be cute, but anything Carly did with that hair and wearing that dress…was just plain sexy. If Kevin hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that Carly was flirting with him. Unfortunately, he had tested the waters by placing his hands on her waist and pushing his body closer to hers. Every time he had attempted the contact, Carly had placed subtle distance between them, and Kevin had to face the fact that Carly Brooks was, perhaps, not in the same place as he was.

As the fast song faded into a gentle ballad, Kevin’s pulled Carly in closer, and this time, she had no reason to refuse the contact. Kevin loved that.

****

Carly was shaking. Kevin was a little too close for comfort. Yes, it was a slow dance, but the idea of being joined at the front with a hot guy who also happened to be one of her best friends, was a little too weird for Carly. At least Kevin wasn’t making her look him in the eyes. Carly distracted herself by watching Eden and Dean slow dance. They were a pretty cute couple, except neither one of them particularly looked as if they were having fun as they swayed to the ballad in unison. Carly wondered what was going on in Eden’s mind at that particular moment.

“Are you having a good time, sweetheart?”

Sweetheart. They had each used the endearment many times before, but the context of its use this time unnerved Carly. “Um-hmm,” she answered.

Kevin pulled back slightly, and Carly had no choice but to meet his eyes. The gym was dark, but she could still see a twinkle of green amidst the flashing light.

“Remind me to thank Kaitlyn.”

Carly arched an eyebrow. “What?”

Kevin didn’t answer. Carly barely had enough time to guess what was to come when Kevin’s lips descended over hers. She murmured an involuntary protest, but Kevin seemed unfazed by it. Kevin’s tongue parted Carly’s lips, and she momentarily forgot who she was kissing. Kevin traced her lips with his tongue, applying the right pressure at the right points and showing Carly just how much of an expert he was at this.

Yet, something felt seriously wrong. Kevin was a very good kisser, and yet…something was seriously wrong. Carly wasn’t feeling the emotions she had felt when she had kissed Aaron. Why not? Her history with Kevin was almost identical to her history with Aaron, wasn’t it?

Carly forced herself to pull back first, and Kevin looked disappointed at the loss of contact. “What’s wrong, Carly?”

Carly’s eyes darted around as she searched for an excuse to end the kissing. “I-I-I’m…thirsty.”

Kevin’s eyebrows arched. “Huh?”

“Could you get me some punch, please?”

Kevin’s confusion eventually faded, and a grin appeared on his face. “Anything for you, Carly.” As Kevin placed a quick peck on Carly’s nose and began walking away toward the refreshment table, Carly heaved a gigantic sigh of relief. She had managed to temporarily kill the confusion that was clouding her judgment. Allowing Kevin to kiss her had been a big mistake, just as it had been a big mistake to allow Aaron to have kissed her. Carly’s hands flew to her face, and she screamed in frustration.

“Are you okay?”

Carly turned abruptly and faced the owner of the deep voice who had just asked her if she was doing all right. It was Aaron.

“You look a little flustered, Carly.”

Aaron Holt was wearing a black tux, black shoes, and a big frown. “What are you – I thought that you –

“Dance with me,” he interrupted. His statement was uttered as a command, rather than as a question.

“Bu-but Kevin just went to get me a dr –

Aaron grabbed Carly’s wrist and pulled her in to dance. The slow song was still going, so again, Carly had no reason to distance herself too much from Aaron. Well…she had a very good reason, but Carly was afraid that Aaron wasn’t going to like it.

“I thought you weren’t showing up to this thing,” Carly finally managed.

“I never said that,” Aaron answered. He lowered his mouth next to her ear. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

Carly blushed and was thankful that the gym was too dark to make it obvious. “Th-thanks, Aaron.”

Aaron didn’t move his mouth away from Carly’s ear. “You pulled back from the kiss, Carly.”

Carly gasped, and her eyes widened. “How did you –

He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “I know what I need to know now, Carly.” Aaron placed a hard, possessive kiss on Carly’s lips. Carly’s heart began beating faster, and just when she was falling into Aaron’s trap, he pulled back again. “I’ll be at Abagnale Point at midnight…Hope you can make it, Carly.” He turned abruptly and left her confused, frustrated, and…wanting.

Carly watched Aaron disappear into the crowd and wished that she’d never agreed to go with Kevin to homecoming in the first place. She wished, in fact, that she had never gone to New Haven with Eden. Carly wished that she had never returned to Connecticut in the first place.

Because she was being forced to do something she never wanted to even think about – to choose between Aaron Holt and Kevin Maguire

“Sorry I took so long, Carly.” Carly turned to find Kevin clutching a small cup of fruit punch. “The lines are so fucking long.” He handed the cup over to her. “Don’t get any on that beautiful dress of yours.”

Carly smiled at Kevin and realized how much had changed, in fact. Maybe Aaron was wrong. Maybe everyone was different. If not, how was she to explain this sudden shift in personalities? Why was Kevin the sweet, gentle one now, while Aaron was the aggressor? She looked at Kevin with a smile on her face, but Kevin would never know that her smile screamed pity. It was becoming more and more apparent that Carly’s heart may have already made its choice, and Kevin was not the one it had chosen.

****

Damn her! Eden thought. She downed another cup of punch before angrily slamming the empty cup on the table behind her. Eden tried to suppress the feelings of constant jealousy she felt towards Carly. Eden did love Carly as a friend, but she couldn’t help feeling that it was so unfair how Carly had two guys fighting over her.

Eden wasn’t surprised that Kevin had a thing for Carly. He was a shallow guy attracted to Carly’s face and body, among other things. But the fact that Aaron seemed head over heels in love with her…was just too much for Eden to bear. Aaron was the type of person who saw the beauty beneath the skin, so his pursuit of Carly made Eden realize that Carly wasn’t just blonde hair, violet eyes, and long legs.

And then, Aaron had kissed Carly right where everyone – apparently except Kevin Maguire – could see! Eden couldn’t believe it. She just could not fucking believe it!

She scanned the gym for Dean. He’d located a just recently dumped cheerleader and was, no doubt, trying to score with said cheerleader. Eden didn’t care. She hadn’t expected Dean to be that great a date anyway. Furthermore, that kiss between Aaron and Carly had effectively managed to dampen her spirits for at least the rest of the semester.

She was pissed and so ready to go home…now.

****

A/N: Yay! Now we get Eden's POV. Anyway, I said that I'd tell you more about my new series. Right now, it's projected to be a five-part series, where the characters are family members. I won't reveal any more for now, but definitely stay tuned. And please keep reviewing this story. We've got a while to go!