“So about you not having a boyfriend….” Justin said, turning to face Sophie that night on the bus, an easy smile spread across his lips.
“Yeah, I’m kinda curious about this too.” JC added, putting the movie they were watching on pause.
“Me too.” Joey flipped onto his belly and propped his head on his hands. Sophie rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. She looked expectantly at Chris. Lance was absent once again.
“You might as well tell us. We’ll never leave you alone.” He shrugged.
“I don’t have a boyfriend. What else is there?”
“WHY you don’t have a boyfriend.” Chris answered shaking his head as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Sophie laughed.
“Oh is that all?”
“It’s just hard to understand.” Joey said. “You’re beautiful, sexy, fun, what else is there?”
“She’s also intelligent, sweet, and talented.” JC chimed in.
“That’s really wonderful of you both, although I’m very interested to know what talents I’ve showcased so far.” Sophie said with a smirk.
“You manage to put up with all of us.” He returned, meeting her eyes with an intense look.
“Point taken.” Sophie said with a nod.
“So…” Justin said sharply, drawing Sophie’s focus off JC. “What is such an amazing girl doing without a boyfriend?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just never had need for one.”
“Wait, what?” Joey said. “Did I catch that? Did that mean she’s NEVER had a boyfriend?” He looked with wide eyes at Chris.
“That’s what I got from it.”
“Me too.” The stunned JC and Justin answered together. Sophie laughed at them all.
“Did you forget Sugar? I went to an all-girls’ boarding school. Unless you’d think I’d pair up nicely with a middle-aged physics professor, you shouldn’t be shocked in the least.”
“But, what about after high school?” Justin asked.
“I got a B.A. in English at a women’s college.” She answered with an almost apologetic shrug.
“But you’re only twenty.” Chris said.
“I got most of my credits while I was in high school. And then I came to live with my father for the last eight months or so and the only men I ever had contact with worked for him.”
“So you wouldn’t date somebody who worked for your dad?” Joey asked.
“Most of them are either boring, hideous, or just kissing ass. I don’t think it’s picky to ask for a man with a spine.”
“You mean an interesting, handsome, man with a spine.” Chris corrected. Sophie laughed.
“Ok, an interesting, handsome, man with a spine.”
“Anything else? Cuz so far you can’t turn me down.” Joey grinned. Sophie tucked her legs up and chewed her lip for a moment.
“Well… I’m tall for a girl, so I guess I’d like somebody taller than me.”
“Tall, interesting, handsome, man with a spine.” Chris ticked off.
“And…” She stopped. “I don’t know guys. I haven’t ever thought about this. I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“That’s ok my love.” Joey said as he kissed her hand. “I’m about to fall asleep anyway.”
“Same here. Night all.” Chris yawned.
“Night Bubbles, sweet dreams Joey Beautiful.” Sophie said softly. She sighed and looked at JC and Justin. “Movie?”
“Yeah, sure.” JC nodded and crawled over Sophie to stretch out on the bed.
Justin put one long leg up on the couch in JC’s vacant spot but didn’t look at the screen when the movie began to play again. He watched instead as JC reached for Sophie’s hand and the latter took it gladly, smiling down at JC.
Not more than a half an hour later JC was fast asleep. He’d curled up on his side with his back to Sophie and Justin, but her hand still rested on his warm shoulder as though she got comfort from the touch alone. The movie still played and Justin still didn’t watch it.
“You’re staring.” Sophie said quietly, not taking her eyes away from the screen.
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Tell me about Chase.”
“He’s my little brother.”
“I thought your parents were divorced.”
“Step-brother.”
“Oh. So I guess your folks are like mine, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“They knew they could never make anything so perfect again, and so they decided to go off and try things with other people.”
“Not quite.” Sophie did smile slightly, but didn’t stop watching the movie.
“You have two step-sisters too, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Charlotte and Miranda.”
“Chase is your favorite though?”
“I adore Charlotte too, don’t get me wrong. But every year she gets more like Miranda, who gets more like Jillian.”
“Jillian is your step-mom.”
“Right. But yes, Chase is my favorite. I love him more than anything in the world.”
“Even more than you love me?”
“What? You don’t believe that’s possible?” Sophie said, finally facing him. The bus swayed and bounced, signaling an inevitable stop.
“Well, you know,” Justin tugged at his shirt and tried to play it cool. “There aren’t many women who can resist me.” Sophie smiled, but turned to JC’s sleeping form and softly kissed his temple. She moved to stand, but paused and looked at Justin.
“There must be something wrong with the ones that can.” She whispered. Sophie looked into his eyes and leaned in to tenderly kiss his lips, sending a shockwave through his whole body. He was so dazed, that when she got up and left, he could only lay there and watch her disappear into the dark hallway.