Chapter Text
At the batting cages, Sophia and Jude have stayed relatively silent towards each other, besides when Sophia shrieks at the baseballs flying towards her and Jude's laughter.
"Get over it!" He smiles, and in response she scoffs; shaking her head and lining up her bat.
"Swing!" He directs when the next ball comes out, and this time she shrieks happily, after successfully hitting the ball for the first time.
"I did it!" She celebrates.
"Finally," He teases, and she turns towards him with a grin, shoving him playfully.
"Ah!" She forgot about the next ball, dodging it in a panic and letting go of the bat so it falls to the ground.
He chortles, walking over and stopping the machine.
She sighs out a laugh, watching him smirk and sit down on the bench behind her.
"So why'd you invite me?" She asks, still unable to wrap her head around why Jude would want to go to the batting cages with her alone.
"What, I can't spend time with you?" Again he smirks.
"Of course you can, I'm just saying; why not Connor? Or, wouldn't you at least want to invite him along?"
"Nah." He shrugs, expression going brittle. "I think we're fighting."
"What?" She never thought that it could be so. "Why?"
"Uhhh..." Sophia's crush being gay and crushing on both him and his boyfriend is something he'd rather not tell her, eyes darting across the ground.
"I don't wanna say."
She frowns.
"If you don't wanna say then why'd you tell me.”
"I don't know" he fibs, blinking and dodging eye contact as Soph' suspiciously stares him down with her hands on her hips.
"Alright," she decides, turning away and walking back to the machine. "You keep your secrets from me, and I'll just get back to my baseball." She turns it back on.
"Okay." Jude scoffs in disbelief.
"Okay" she repeats, picking back up the bat and positioning herself.
Jude watches her as she lines up the bat again, missing but still flinching at the ball that comes her way.
"Shit" she whispers, feeling her heart in hopes of slowing its beat down.
With a sweating lip and racing thoughts that he ignores, Jude can't continue to hold in the words.
"Sophia Ian's gay."
"What?" She looks over at him in shock; just before the next baseball shoots out and smacks her right in the side.
"Owe!" She lets go of the bat and drops to the ground knees first, Jude gasping and standing up, turning off the machine before running back over to her.
"You okay?!" He asks, slightly lifting up her shirt and expecting the spot of redness on her skin.
"Stupid" she criticizes, making Jude drop down the part of her shirt he had lifted up and frown in offense.
"What?"
"Not you,"
She stands up right. "Me." Her correction has her resume eye contact.
"Sophia no-"
"Yes! I mean I am so stupid!" She loudly exclaims. "I have the worst gaydar! I mean first I like your boyfriend, and now Ian!"
"Are you mad...?" Jude's face scrunches up in worry.
"Only at myself." She exhales.
"Sophia don't be. I didn't even believe it at first. Connor only started suspecting it 'cause he thought he liked me."
"Well does Iah like you?" She suddenly wants in on all the drama.
"Yeah. That's why he felt so terrible when he found out we were dating. And now he's getting his feelings confused about both Connor and I, so he's avoiding us." Jude explains to Sophia, who's taking it all in.
"Shit..."
"I know."
"Well my crush on him probably made him feel so awkward. Was it obvious?" She cringes in fear.
"Yeah, kinda..."
"Uck." She kicks the dirt below her.
"Soph'-"
"I'm so stupid!"
"Stop saying that." Jude instructs. "You had no idea about any of these things."
"But I should've picked up on them." She looks back at him.
"Including Taylor's crush on me!"
"That's okay, Soph'. In fact, maybe this a sign that you should be with her...!" He tries weakly, spreading out his arms for presentation.
"It's not, Jude. Stop saying that."
"You never know, okay? Maybe if you just try-"
"Jesus Jude being interested in the same sex isn't something that you just 'try.'" She barks.
"Okay; Sophia—I worded that wrong." Jude holds up a palm, keeping his tone calm. "I just meant-"
"I don't even wanna hear it, Jude. So just stop talking."
"Okay you know what?" Jude's tone and attitude shifts entirely. "My boyfriend's already pretty mad at me. So I don't need you being mad at me too." He's grown uptight.
"Maybe I wouldn't be mad at you if you didn’t keep trying to pressure me into shit!" She's already turning around and beginning to stomp her way off.
"Fine!" He decides to yell out after she's gotten to the parking lot. "I guess I'll just stay here by myself then-!" He picks up the nearest bat, before throwing it down and catching up with her desperately.
"Don't walk near me" she demands, the two now walking together throughout the lot and towards the sidewalk to the left of the road.
"Fine." He decides to walk far ahead of her, knowing the walking directions from here to home like the back of his hand.
Unlike her.
"Jude? Wait!" He's already out of her sight, had turned a corner.
"Which way do I go?!"
Stef is so glad that Lena isn't here to experience the awkwardness, that is Ian and Mandy uncomfortably sitting at the kitchen bar; and everyone else surrounding them in something that can only be described as shocked awe. "Sooo..."
Giving the seated kids' glasses of water, she's still lost as to how she's going to start conversation.
Mandy's outfit is pretty distracting, despite there not being much to look at.
"You go to school with Ian?" She asks a pretty mediocre question.
"Yup" she answers proudly, as Ian gulps down most of his water. It's obvious he didn't want to bring her here.
"Kids why don't you go upstairs" Mike says to Debbie and Carl. Debbie obeys, having to pull an ogling Carl with her.
Once they're gone, Mandy decides to ask the questions.
"So what made you decide to foster Ian?"
Fiona and Lip look at each other miserably, knowing that isn't going to end well.
"Well, um..." Stef is caught quite off guard by the question.
"First we started out fostering Fiona,"
She points over to her, who awkwardly waves when Mandy takes notice.
The seventh grader who slapped both her and her best friend who is so obviously trying to bone her little brother standing in her kitchen isn't making Fiona's day any better.
The only reason she is staying here is because she needs to keep and eye on them for the sake of Ian's life and her sanity.
"And turns out Ian and their little siblings Carl and Debbie had gotten separated from her within the system so when we discovered them, we decided to foster them all." Stef finishes, and Mandy forces a smile.
"Well Debbie and Carl are just adorable."
Stef forces a chuckle, and Fiona swears she's going to be sick.
Lip follows her into the dining room.
"I do not want her here." She declares to him.
"I'm pretty sure Ian doesn't want her here either." Lip tells her.
"Then why is she here-?!"
He shushes her. "Keep your voice down. She's dangerous. I heard she outed Taylor, right?"
"To Sophia, yeah. How'd you hear about that?" Fiona almost worries that word about what happened had gotten around.
"Um-Callie told Brandon. And he told me." It's the truth, but the fact that that truth involves Brandon is making Lip scratch the back of his neck.
"What's going on with you guys?" That reminds Fiona how Lip was acting at the simple mention of him.
"Uh w-we're fine why..." Lip is doing a terrible job at lying; face flushing and fingers continuing to repeatedly scratch the back of his neck.
"Alright..." She squints, noticing his gulp.
"W-what about you guys?" He wants to hear what she thinks is going on.
"What? We're—we're fine, I dunno." She automatically grows defensive; not wanting to be reminded about the sudden conflict with her sexuality.
"Fine."
"Fine!" She throws up her arms, and the two of them walk back into the kitchen together where Ian announces that he and Mandy will be in the living room watching TV.
'This should be good,' Lip thinks.
"Oh-uh-uh-uh are you sure-?"
Mike has to put a stop to Stef's frazzling. "Yes, Stef. They'll be over in the next room." He safely puts an arm in front of her figure.
Mandy tries not to snicker at her reaction, while Ian is uncomfortably playing with his hair.
"Okay, um," he jumps down with a clear of his throat. "Let's go" he says, as Mandy jumps down next to him with a big smile and batting eyelashes.
This time he takes her hand. Everyone else watches them carefully as they walk into the living room, and back at each other when they're gone, expressions consisting of shock and panic.
"Oh my god!" Stef shout whispers, before Mike insists "maybe she knows. She could be just a friend who's pretending to date him."
"No one is just friends with a girl like that-"
Everyone interrupts Stef's rebuttal with rough shushes.
"Not so loud" Fiona says. "That girl is a mental case. I don't like her any more than you guys do. She slapped me and Callie."
"Jesus" Mike comments.
"Why would Ian need a beard for home, anyway? He should know that we're all aware. He's trapped, is what he is." Stef is raising her voice again.
"Well let's just wait it out and-"
"Ian??!? Can you come here for a moment?!"Stef screams in a panic, wanting him in here as soon as possible and for as long as possible. Everyone else cringes at her.
"I-I'll be right back" Ian smiles to a giggling Mandy on the couch, getting up with a heavy heart and walking back into the kitchen.
"Okay..." He starts to the four intense scowls staring him down.
"I know what you're-"
"Are you crazy?!" Fiona almost shrieks, being roughly shushed by everyone else on instant.
"She doesn't know about me yet, okay?" He whispers lowly.
"Then tell her." Lip emphasis.
"Just let me handle it. All I gotta do is not set her off." Ian thinks it through.
Mike sighs. "Alright...But you're not gonna do anything you don't want to, right?"
"No."
"Well she is clearly going to try something; she's dressed like a street walker!" Stef exclaims.
"Does anyone not know how to shut the hell up?!" Lip whispers.
"I'm going back out," Ian exhales.
"Good luck. Pinch her nipples if things get dangerous" Fiona advises.
"Yeah yeah" Ian gestures her off, turning back and returning to a patiently waiting Mandy.
"Hey..." He smiles, sitting back down with her. "Sorry about that. They're uh—protective." He chooses his words carefully.
"It's okay" she smiles, finger trailing down his bare arm and making him shiver. "I get it," she expresses, now rubbing his skin and almost having him lurch.
"Uh-uh-" He scrambles for the remote. "You wanna watch something?" The eyes that look into hers are nothing but desperate.
"Sure." Her smile is a killer.
So for the next five minutes with no words exchanged, Stef, Mike, Fiona, and Lip, all overhear Mandy and Ian awkwardly watch television in the other room
"I'll be in my room" a bored Lip announces, heading up the stairs and sensing Fiona follow him.
"You better now?" She asks him, following him into the hall.
"It's nothing" he hastes, spinning around and making full eye contact while stopped in his tracks.
"You can tell me what was bothering you."
"No. I can't."
"Well if it makes you feel any better—I'm not in the best mood either."
"Something happen with Brandon?" His eyebrows raise.
"Not everything is about Brandon." She says, and Lip looks away from her to gaze at the floor.
"Yeah. I wish it wasn't..." He mutters, having her squint in response.
"What. Something happen with you guys, you guys get in a fight?"
"N-no..." The truth is revealed within his tone and all over his face.
"Um..." She decides to begin, still having no idea if she should. "How much, do you-know about him...?"
"What do you mean?" Lip's forehead crinkles.
"Nothing. Well, I dunno. I don't know if I should be telling you this." She looks away and then back to him again.
"I heard this thing, about how...He might like guys?" She watches Lip blink and react in no other way, maybe in no way at all.
"Did you know?"
"Yeah. Uh he told me."
'By kissing me.'
"Oh okay. Well—" she doesn't know how to express this to him.
"Does this-make you not like him?"
"No. No no I'm totally okay with that. In fact um-"
He can notice the tears inside her eyes being blinked away and the sweat shining on her forehead.
"Fiona..."
Her throat might as well be closing up.
"Um-"
Liam begins to wail from his crib inside the room a few doors down from them, making them both jump and having Stef look over at Mike.
"I'm gonna take care of him. You keep listening."
"They're not even talking...!" There's still no sign of any conversation.
"Then that means they could be doing something else."
"It doesn't sound like they're doing anything at all-"
"Bzzz!" She points at him, turning away from him and going upstairs; passing a numb looking Lip and Fiona on her way to the little one's room.
In the living room, Mandy brings up to Ian, "You never told me there was a baby here."
"Oh, yeah" he chuckles, face flushing again. "That's Liam. He's two. He uh—Stef had him with Lena."
"Cool." She casually looks back to the screen.
Ian glances at her with a smile.
"I've seen Lip around school" she continues.
"Yeah, he's cool."
Since they've started to talk, Mike figures that he can go off on his own now and not try to spy on them from the other room.
"I need a cigarette" he mumbles, heading off into the garage.
Mandy smirks when she hears the door closing.
Upstairs, where Stef is taking care of a quieted down Liam, Lip and Fiona still stand stiffly before each other inside the hallway.
"I'll be in my room," she finally excuses, rushing away from him and walking inside so to see Debbie and Carl playing on the floor.
"Fiona!" They can all hear Lip calling.
"Get out." She commands.
"It's my room too and Carl's my guest!" Debbie tells her.
"Well then you can be a guest in his and Liam's room. Out." She repeats, pointing them towards the doorway while jumping onto her bed.
"And close the door!" She barks, watching them walk out of there.
Debbie does as told. Content with officially being left alone, Fiona sighs a groan and buries her face within the first pillow she can.
Debbie and Carl notice Lip in the hall. "What's wrong with Fiona?" Debbie asks him.
"Don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." He informs them.
Hearing that information, the kids go play in Carl and Liam's room where Stef holds the child and lightly shakes him up and down.
"I was just leaving," she farewells kindly, already on her way out.
"Is Liam okay?" Carl had heard his cries.
"Yeah, he's fine. Just woke up, that's all."
"Is Ian still with that girl?" Debbie remembers.
"What? Oh, crap!"
And so does Stef.
She rushes out of the room with Liam still in her arms, speed walking down the hall where Lip still stands with much on his mind.
"Hey, Mom, uh-"
"Hold your brother." She responds, sending Liam over to him and running down the staircase into the empty kitchen.
"Mike...?" She looks around warily, before noticing the lack of presence within the room next door without even having to check.
Here comes Ian, walking through the front door tired and in a haze.
"What happened? Did she leave?" Stef's urgent.
"Yeah..." With a blink, he shuts the door.
"Did you tell her?"
"No..."
"Oh, Ian, you have to."
"That's the thing, uh..." The look he's giving her is worrisome.
"She doesn't exactly want to talk to me."
"What? Why?" Stef cringes at such a thought.
"She started kissing me. She wanted to have sex, and, I let her down. Gently." He holds his hand up in emphasis.
She nods along.
"She started crying, and, she left..." Ian's hands fold together with discomfort.
Stef exhales. "What would happen if you told her?"
"She wouldn't be mad, I don't think. But I can't risk it getting around to her brothers. They're scary."
"Mm." Stef twitches her lip, taking in the information.
"Well, one's actually nice. Believe or not." Ian figures that he can't put Mickey in the same boat as his siblings.
"Really?"
"Yeah, uh, Mickey. He's helping me with math."
"That's great!" Stef beams, more than relieved that that situation in particular is beginning to patch itself up.
"Yeah. He—he's nice." Ian looks off while saying that, almost questioning it. It's then when he knows that Mickey's friendliness towards him is nothing to speculate about.
"Is he the nice one of the family?" Stef smiles.
"Well, he still has a tough personality and everything. But he's nice to me."
"That's good. What about Jude and Connor?" Stef's question throws Lena off guard, making him blink and almost stiffen up.
"Ummm—Connor's nice. But I think Jude's starting to not like me."
"Why would you think that?" Stef crosses her arms.
"I dunno. Just a feeling..." Ian's newly saddened eyes drop to the ground.
"I dunno..." Repeating himself, his hands wring stressfully.
"I don't want either of them to not like me. 'Cause I kind of like them." He looks back up.
"You must be overthinking. You can talk to them about it on Monday," Stef flashes a nice smile.
"No, I mean-I really like both of them..." Ian expresses.
"Oh. Both of them?" Stef blinks.
"Yeah...And they know it. First I just liked Jude, but, now I like Connor too. Connor's being cool about it, but, I can tell that Jude feels weird."
"Oh, well, honey it's totally normal to have crushes-"
"Not to mention that they're dating each other." Ian finishes.
"Oh-oh..." Stef tries to overlook that for the both of them.
"Well back to what I was just saying: it's normal to have a crush on two people. Even if they are dating each other."
"Yeah, but, I just don't want to ruin anything between them, or all of us. I feel like I have."
"That can't be true—"
In comes Mike, smelling of smoke and wiping his sniffling nose.
"What...What happened..." He studies Stef's scowl and Ian's bland expression.
"Mandy tried sleeping with Ian. All because you just had to go out for a cigarette!" She yells.
"Oh. That happened?" He looks at Ian with an agape mouth.
"Yes. I said no so she cried and left." His tone turns sharp.
"Oh. Damn. Well, that's that." Mike shrugs and begins walking towards the stove. "So what's for dinner?"
Ian and Stef roll their eyes together, and Ian announces
"I'll be upstairs until dinner.” Jogging up to the second floor and checking for his earbuds within one his duffel bags inside he and Lip's room.
He frowns when seeing they're not in the specific bag he knew he brought them in, knowing that they were with him when he moved into this house.
"Hey" he finds Debbie and Carl in Carl in Liam's room, where Lip is setting the youngest one inside of his crib.
"Any if you guys have my earbuds?"
"No" they answer one by one.
"Maybe Liam took them." Debbie smirks, and Ian giggles while walking over above the crib and ruffles Liam's hair.
"Fiona's gotta have them 'cause I usually leave them in only one of my bags." He goes walking towards the doorway, and Lip informs, "I'd watch out for her man. She's hella moody."
Ian shrugs. "I've seen it firsthand a billion times."
"Mandy still here?"
This has Ian look back at him. "No she left."
"She get the hint?" Lip's eyebrows raise.
"Had to. I told her I don't want to be her girlfriend and got all mad. Cried and left."
"Shit, man. We all know she's a psycho. What happens if she takes action? Or gets her brothers to do something?" Lip theorizes.
"I'm pretty sure her brothers would understand why nobody wants to be with her..." Not seeing a problem in terms of the male Milkoviches going after him, he walks out and casually makes his way to Fiona and Debbie's room.
In terms of Mandy, not even Lip can predict what she has up her sleeve.
He sounds a knock before entering, a knock she didn't hear because she has Ian's earbuds in while listening to her playlist and sitting on her bed. These are her weekend plans. She's seriously considering Callie and canceling their night with Karen.
"Fiona." Ian can hear how loud her music is, needing to raise his voice.
"What." Noticing him out of of the corner of her eye she looks at him and turns her volume down.
"I'm gonna need my earbuds back."
"You can have them back when I'm done." She and her irritably just want him to leave already.
"Alright," he can hear it in her voice, getting the hint and turning back.
She guiltily watches him walk away.
"Wait..." She calls out, taking them out of her ears.
He looks back and returns to the same place.
"I'm sorry." She apologizes.
"It's fine. Do you, need to talk about it?"
"I need to but I don't want to. Where's Mandy?" Fiona suddenly realizes that she's still supposed to be here.
"She left."
"Already? Did something happen?"
"She tried to sleep with me. Had to shoot her down."
"Well did you come out to her?" Fiona sits up in worry.
"No."
"Well you'll have to tell her; it'll be her only logical reason for someone not liking her!" Fiona cries.
"She's evil. She outed Taylor to Sophia! She'd definitely out me."
"Not if you're on her good side! So be on her good side."
"I don't think I am anymore!" Ian turns high strung.
"Listen-on Monday I'll uhh I-I'll talk to her brother. Okay h-he likes me."
"The one you were in the library with today?"
"Yeah he tutors me. How'd you know we were there?"
"Connor and Jude told me at lunch when I asked where you were."
"Oh..." Ian turns bleak at the mention of them.
"Everything...Okay?" She notices the change in attitude.
"I think Jude has it out for me."
"What? Why?" Fiona's ready to fight.
"He knows I like the both of them. Him and Connor."
"Oh..." Fiona didn't know that's what Ian meant this morning by 'things have gotten confusing.'
"Yeah..." Ian's growing embarrassed again; face flushing and his hands reconnecting. "Connor's been nice about it. But Jude, I dunno..."
"What? That's it I will make Callie have a talk with him-!"
"No!" Ian holds out his palms in alert.
"Then I'll talk with him! I'll fight him!" Fiona declares.
"Fiona you're not fighting a thirteen year-old."
"Why not?!"
"O-okay I know you're only getting like this 'cause you're in a bad mood so I-I'm just gonna leave now." Ian points his way out and turns in the needed direction.
"Wait!" Fiona yells in desperation.
"Yes." Ian steps back through the doorway.
"Um..."
"Gonna tell me what's wrong?" He tests.
"No, just—out of curiosity, and all..." She scratches the back of her neck.
"How did you know you were gay?"
Ian's eyebrows arch in surprise. "I dunno...Justin Timberlake? Why?"
"No reason..." Fiona turns shy.
"Wait...Is that what this is about? You-"
"Don't tell anyone" Fiona sharply whispers in response to Ian's ability to put together the dots.
"Okay," he understands. "I won't. Love you." He wants to remind her.
"Love you too. And hey. I will fight someone for you if I have to." She smirks, in which he scoffs.
"Sure."
"So this Mickey kid-he nice to you?" Fiona checks.
"Yeah. He wasn't at first, but-"
"What?" She asks, although what Ian said is not too surprising. A Milkovich is always rude until you get on their good side. That specific Milkovich being Mickey.
"Well he better apologize!" That she expects of him.
"It's fine" he laughs, before exiting back out.
"And Ian?"
"Yeah?" He turns his head back.
"Justin Timberlake? Really?"
He snickers. "He's cute!"
"Was" Fiona teases, having them both laugh. "Here" she decides, unplugging the earbuds from her phone and throwing them to him.
"Sorry I didn't ask."
"It's fine. You can have them back when I’m done.” He says with lighthearted eyes, finally leaving and feeling Fiona's smile directed towards him all the way down the hall.
The girl flops down back on her mattress with the same expression, picking up her phone and calling Callie.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Callie?"
"Hey." She's smiling.
"We still hanging with Karen tonight?"
"Yeah, we should be."
"Tell her I'll be there."
Callie hangs up at the kitchen table, where Sophia and Jude are sitting across from each other and sneaking dirty glares.
"Dad can I go to a friend's house tonight?" She asks Don who's sorting out bills at the nearby desk.
"Which one."
"Her name's Karen."
"That girl who made out with Brandon?" Sophia cringes.
"So what?" Callie turns defensive. "We're gonna hang out with Fiona."
"Ooooh," Sophia starts unnecessarily teasing, which turns Callie beat red and Don automatically suspicious.
"Why the 'oohs'. What's going on." He comes stomping over.
"Thanks, Soph'." Callie snaps, which only makes the younger sister snicker in response.
"She your girlfriend?" Don demands an answer.
"Jesus Dad, no...! She doesn't even like girls. Believe me I have a terrible habit of crushing on straight girls." Callie says to him.
"And I have a bad habit of crushing on gay boys." Sophia comments, which Don can't help but chuckle at.
"Dad! It's not funny!"
"You're right, you're right, I'm sorry" he says, despite not even trying to stop his laughter.
"So you found out about Ian?" Callie feels bad.
"How come I'm the last to know everything?!" Soph' cries.
This time Jude laughs.
"Oh shut up. I don't even know why he likes you." Sophia gives him no patience. "Your own boyfriend doesn't even like you right now!"
"Shut up!"
"What the hell happened between you guys while you were gone?" Don directs to them.
"Don't you think I would be with Taylor if I could, Jude?!" Sophia automatically starts yelling at Jude about what caused the tension in the first place. "I can't! You think this isn't hard for me too-?!"
"Alright, alright!" Don stops her.
"I was just trying to say that you never know what could happen." Jude rolls his eyes at her.
"Wanna know what'll happen if you keep talking-?!"
"Sophia. Enough" Don scolds her. She huffs out a sigh, resting her chin upon her palm.
"I never said you weren't right, Sophia. You can't help how you feel. But I don't think any of us want you guys to stop being friends." Jude explains.
"Who said we'd stop being friends?!" This sends Sophia into crisis mode.
"No one, okay...!" Turning high strung, Jude holds his hands up.
"Just—you guys aren't going to see each other until Monday. You should talk. The more you don't talk, the more awkward it'll get."
"Of course I'm gonna talk to her! I-I was going to anyway!" Sophia's voice uncomfortably raises.
"In fact, I think I'll text her right now. No, you know what? I'll call her!" She takes out her phone.
"Maybe I'll invite her over!"
"Okay," Jude shrugs.
"Maybe you should do the same with Connor?" She asks.
Callie and Don question his glare.
At the house of the girl Sophia's about to call, Connor sits in front of his bed, next to his sister who's asking him why he's been so quiet. Yes their Dad kept spouting his bullshit to them when they got home but they've learned to not take it personally anymore.
"Jude and I are fighting I think."
"Why?" Taylor frowns at the thought.
"He's acting immature about Ian, and I called him out on it." Connor claims with a shrug of his shoulders.
"How was he acting immature?"
"Just not caring that Ian feels bad; calling how he feels weird and stuff." Connor shrugs again but time insecurely, scratching the back of his neck and darting his eyes.
"Oh...Well are you sure you're not just overthinking it?" Taylor knows Connor has the tendency to do that with most things.
"No. I don't want to talk about it. I'm not even gonna care about it until Monday."
Taylor's phone begins ringing, having Connor urgently checking his phone and pouting when it's not Jude.
"Holy crap it's Soph'." Taylor panics when she sees her name.
"So pick it up!" Connor motions her.
"Not until after a few rings I don't wanna seem obsessive."
They wait.
"Well hurry up!" Connor yells before it's too late, and Taylor answers it before the call can pass her by.
"H-hello?" She's already sweating, hand that holds the phone against her ear almost shaking.
When it starts to Connor has to be the one to steady it.
"Hey Taylor," Sophia smiles while purposely looking Jude right in the eyes, making him roll his very own.
"Hey..." She tries to sound casual with the grin on her face.
"So I was wondering if maybe—you wanna come over?"
"Really? When?"
"Now, maybe?" Sophia hopes.
"Oh! Yeah, um, okay. My Dad won't care."
He really really won't.
"Cool. Uh, maybe you if you wanna bring Connor-?"
But Jude is shaking his head at her and giving her hand gestures that indicate a big fat no.
"Uh-uh he's sleeping..." Taylor lies, as Connor gives her a sorrow look.
"Yeah yeah never mind" Sophia chuckles, getting the feeling that Taylor must also know about the current tension.
"Yeah uh..." Taylor giggles, and Connor scowls at how they're laughing about what’s going on.
"So, I'll walk there?" Taylor suggests.
"You sure? We can always pick you up."
"Nah no. It's fine." Neither of the twins exactly need Adam to come outside and present his drunken self.
"Ya sure?"
"Yeah it's not too far. Bye" Taylor figures she should hang up now before it grows uncomfortable, and Sophia happily farewells.
Right after Taylor puts the phone down, Connor tells her to report back to him about whether or not Jude says anything about him.
"You sure you'll be okay here without me?" She asks, after she scoffs and shakes her head.
"Yeah. Maybe I will just sleep like you said I was doing."
"Okay. I'll tell you when I'm there." With her phone, she stands up and grabs her jacket from the corner of the room. "And by the way, maybe I should tell Jude not to feel so weird about Ian, considering Mickey Milkovich has a huge crush on him."
"Mickey likes Ian?" Connor swears he didn't hear her correctly.
"Yup." She keeps her eyebrows raised as she nods.
"You sure we're talking about the same Mickey?"
"Yup. I'm friends with him; believe me he's told me himself."
"That's still kinda hard to wrap my head around." Connor means Mickey Milkovich and his very own innocent twin sister being friends.
Taylor chuckles. "Yeah. Same here."
"So Mickey really likes him?"
"Why do you think he tutors him?" Tay' smirks.
Connor sounds out a breath. "Damn."
"I know. But don't tell Mickey that you know that or he'll kill you." She reties her sneakers and takes off out of the room.
"Bye!" The door closes.
Long after Taylor's walked out the front door, Connor's still gazing into space and cursing under his breath about what was just revealed to him.
Climbing into bed, he thinks about it his entire way to sleep.
Sophia lets Taylor enter the home on her own, and Jude barely gives them any time to greet each other.
"Hey!" Sophia sits up in her kitchen chair with a smile.
"Hi," Taylor laughs nervously and momentarily, walking over and saying hi to Callie.
"Hey Jude-"
"Has Connor said anything about me?" She almost jumps at the sound of his desperation. "Oh, uh..." She blinks, having not a clue what to answer as Callie and Taylor start glaring at the boy.
"Just-that-he doesn't know if you guys are fighting or not. Are you?" Taylor's hesitant to know.
"I think so. Maybe. I don't know. T-tell him that's for him to decide!" Jude becomes frazzled.
Taylor shrugs. "Okay..."
She makes sure to text him that she's here, and Jude takes notice, asking in a panic— "Wait what are you saying to him?!"
"Just telling him I'm here," Taylor chuckles out. "He's probably asleep."
"Oh. Okay."
Sophia rolls her eyes, scoffing and taking Taylor by the arm. Much redness floods to her cheeks.
"Let's just go." Soph’ excuses them.
Don comes walking in, seeing that Tay's here and greeting her.
"Hey kid."
"Hi" she smiles.
"We'll be upstairs." Sophia let's them know, before specifically looking over at Jude.
"Don't bother us."
He scowls.
Don, Jude and Callie all watch the two head upstairs, Callie making sure that they're gone before she asks,
"You think they'll end up okay?"
"They'll be fine" Don says, Jude practically interrupting him with "what about me and Connor?!"
Callie rolls her eyes. "Will you stop being such a spaz? You'll be fine. What are you even fighting about?"
"Ian likes us both-"
"Wait both of you?"
"Yes. And Connor doesn't see it as problem." Jude expresses what's upsetting him.
"Well maybe it's not. Maybe Ian can keep himself together."
"He's avoiding us. You call that keeping himself together?" Jude tests.
"Maybe he just wants one of you to go to him."
"I don't know if I wanna do that-"
"Will you just do it? God you're an idiot" she says to him under her breath.
"Hey!"
"Callie." Don scolds.
"Can I go to Karen's tonight, daddy?" She smiles at him a bit too nicely.
"Oh." Jude rolls his eyes. "Say no."
"Isn't Karen a little...?" Don doesn't want to finish that sentence.
"Dad, it's fine. We'll just be staying in the house. Her Mom has some sort of phobia."
"Okay, but what about this other girl? Fiona?"
"So?" Callie's already blushing.
"So, why was your sister teasing you about her?" Don's arms cross impatiently.
"I,"
She pauses.
"Kind of like her okay?"
At that Don sighs.
"But it's not like she'd ever like me back." She claims.
Think again.
The girl that could never possibly like Callie back, is still laying in her bed with no choice but to listen to her music out loud, while sulking up at her ceiling and feeling too lazy to get up and ready for Karen's.
"What," she whines, when there's a knock on her door.
In walks Lip, who comes with a message from Stef and wanting to know if there's a way he can find out why Fiona still isn't feeling better.
"My Mom wants to know what you want for dinner."
"I won't be here tonight." She responds, getting out of the bed and soothing her hair.
"Where will you be?"
"Karen's."
"Don't you think you should be getting permission first?" His eyebrows raise as his arms cross.
"I will. They should say yes." She frowns at the thought of anything otherwise.
"Okayyyy" he sings. "Are you sure? You looked pretty..."
"I'm fine now."
"What was the problem?"
This has her automatically shrivel up uncomfortably and shrink down.
"Fi'..." He starts. "C'mon what was it..."
She looks back at him intensely, pausing to figure out how to form what she's going to say.
"When I found out—that Brandon's bi..."
Lip's eyes darken at how she might continue. "Y-yeah...?" His heart's already thumping.
"And it made me think about, how maybe..." Her mouth is growing dryer by the second. She has to force herself to remember how to properly talk.
"That I might be bi too..."
Lip's eyes widen with suddenness, longingly staring at her in complete curiosity and wonder as to how coincidental this has become.
"Really...?" He can finally speak.
"Yeah..." In an instant she rids of the tears in her eyes.
"Wanna hear something?" He chooses to confess, and she waits to hear what she already knows.
"I'm definitely bi."
"I know."
"What?" At first he thinks she's talking about something else.
"I know. That you're bi."
"Oh..." He blinks at a fast rate and tries to keep himself casual. Just because she's picked up that she's bi can't mean that she knows-
"I put two and two together about Brandon, so..." She shrugs.
"You what." This time his pupils shrink.
"Yeah." She squints playfully. "I was doing some thinking, and I finally realized why you guys were suddenly spending so much time together, why you got so jumpy at the mention of his name..."
"I didn't get jumpy."
"Yes you did." She smirks, and laughs when he frowns in defense.
"So what's the deal. You guys fighting?” She assumes.
"Yeah. I kinda fucked it up."
"Yeah you probably did." She laughs. "How?"
"I, uhhh...Found out you started liking him again."
Her face turns blank.
"I never wanted to be involved with him as long as you felt something for him."
She almost resumes crying. "Really?"
"Yeah. He found out through Callie, and he told me. So I broke it off..."
"Lip you didn't have to-"
"I did. And if you still liked him then I wouldn't have started things up again. In fact if you still do-"
"I don't. I'm—I'm pretty over it. And it was never anything crazy. Just a crush." She clarifies.
"And I can tell that it's much more for you."
He chuckles. It's not like she's wrong.
"Did you start out sleeping together?"
"Well first It was a kiss. And then it escalated from there. At first there were no strings, but..."
"Of course you've already slept with him." She teases.
He snickers at her. "But hey. If you're still not cool with it-"
"No! No no no no." She speedily waves both of her hands. "Of course I am. I liked him. Okay? But I let him get in my head too much. It was just-"
She scoffs. "A stupid crush. And believe me I've had a lot of them."
He smiles appreciatively. "You sure?"
"Yes." She insists.
"Th-this has never happened to me before. I never thought I'd feel so seriously about someone this young..." He expresses.
"So that's why you're gonna go see him, and tell him how important your feelings for him are." It's almost a demand.
"Come with me?" His face scrunches.
She laughs.
"Oh come on. You have to see Callie anyway."
With that being said her feelings resume to anxiously tense.
"Yeah...Yeah let's go..." She leaves before he can see her like this any longer.
He turns around and shakes his head in her direction.
"No way."
"Yes! I am serious. He never shuts up about him!"
Just like Connor, Sophia can't believe the fact that Mickey is actually crushing on Ian.
"Holy shit!"
They both laugh at her curse.
"Ah," Soph’ pushes back her hair. "I mean no wonder he was acting so weird in class! Did he start tutoring him on purpose?"
"Yes."
Sophia guffaws laughing, laying all the way down on her bedroom floor where Taylor sits beside her.
She hesitantly chooses to lay with her. "I'm sorry about what happened today..."
"Not your fault. Crazy bitch's fault." Sophia means Mandy, and the two of them giggle.
"Yeah..." Taylor turns over and looks at her.
"I'm still sorry. For all the confusion..."
Sophia turns her body so it's facing Taylor's own.
"I don't think I'm so confused anymore..." The words drastically hang in the air.
Eyes popping up in fear, Taylor sits up with pure anxiety that consists of sweating skin and a dropping heart.
"Ummm where's Brandon been all this time...?" She randomly brings up.
Brandon, is standing with perfect posture in the middle of his room and planning out his future apology to Lip, with the perfect mood setting My Chemical Romance song playing from his speaker.
It's like seventh grade all over again.
"Lip..." He starts. "I understand that you don't want to hurt Fiona. A-and that's one of the things I love about you. You care about people. B-but...I care about you too okay?!" This speech taking a sudden turn, he begins to yell out of rage.
"And I wish I could tell you that I care about you enough to not see you anymore but...God dammit no fine!" Next to him there's a pillow on the floor which he picks up and throws against the wall.
"Fuck!"
"Brandon stop screaming to your music!" Don is yelling from downstairs.
Groaning, the teenager walks over and turns off the vocals. Next he walks over to his phone, switching between contacting Fiona and Lip.
It's either he tell Fiona what he's helped keep a hurtful secret, or ask Lip if this is really it.
Lip, who is on his way with Fiona right now.
While scrolling through old text conversations as a needed distraction, a familiar name catches his eye.
In Sophia's room, the awkward tension died down and has been replaced with nothing but laughter, as she and Taylor talk about their brothers' feud.
"Sometimes I think Jude's not mature enough to handle a boyfriend." Sophia shares, now sitting back upward with Taylor who looks at her skeptically.
"Really? Not even Connor?"
"Do you think Connor's mature enough?" Sophia questions.
"Yeah." She says without a second thought. "Sure yeah he's a young dumb kid but...He's also in love. He's loved Jude for years."
Soph' smiles at the thought.
"Jude loves him too. But I dunno, this fight, the jealousy-"
"They'll get over it." Taylor promises, looking into her eyes for what she thinks is a bit too long.
With all this returning self-tension, she has to remember to catch her breath.
She grows startled at the sound of Brandon's closing door, hearing him run down the hall and his running footsteps on the staircase.
"You okay?" Soph' checks.
"Yeah, just..." Taylor blinks tightly.
"Uh, can I get some water?" She needs to not be in this room right now.
"Oh, sure." Sophia completely obliges for the other girl's needs, getting up with her and running to the top of the stairs above the kitchen; where Don is opening the door to Fiona and Lip.
They decide to stay where they are and watch what happens.
"Hello Fiona." Don properly looks at the girl standing behind her brother.
"Lip.” Meanwhile that very boy is being scowled right through.
He forces a bright chuckle. "Hello sir..."
"Is Brandon here?" Fiona brings up.
"He just left" Don answers, as Callie comes walking out from the hallway bathroom and takes an alert notice of the two.
"Well did he say where he was going?" Lip asks.
"Yes. I can't quite remember the person's name though."
"Maybe he was going to see me?" Lip can only hope, grinning weakly.
"No."
"Oh." That same smile falls.
"Ah. I remember now. I recall that her name is, uh, oh yeah. Talia."
Sophia doesn't like the face that name matches with.
Callie frowns and stands up straighter with much concern, as Fiona and Lip grow shallowly dense.
"What?" Callie brings herself to ask, being looked at by the two outside.
After curiously looking over at Callie, Don looks back over at them.
"Should you come in?"