Butterscotch Candies Remind Me Of You [Reese]

[Graham Kerr]

Gray had always had a fondness for butterscotch candies. When he was younger he used to beg his mother to bring them from the store, although they barely had the money to afford them. She bought them for special occasions, giving him candy for his birthday or in his Christmas stocking.

Now that he had the money to afford them, he still only bought butterscotch candies on special occasions. They were something he looked forward to, something he always wanted to be special to him.

When he first kissed Juli he tasted it. Candy on the others breath, washed away slightly by the alcohol but still there. Unmistaken taste of butterscotch. It made him smile all through their first kiss.

Today wasn't a special day by any means. It was the day after something extraordinary had happened, but that didn't make this day special. It made it worse than most of the days he'd had in the past though.

He'd seen Reese, two days ago, kissing Tony after a party, when he'd come over to tell her goodnight. He'd heard the other whisper sweet words that he couldn't mean, and slipped out quietly, not wanting to alarm his sister.

Ever since then he'd been avoiding her, until Tony had come to see him late the night before. He'd been arrogant and cocky and far too fcuking clever for Gray to ever find a way out. There was no way in hell he was telling Reese what had happened, though he'd said a brief hi to her in the hallway - different from the rushed glances he'd been giving her the day before. Still more than what he gave Juli though. He'd made sure to stay away from him, noticeably so. Had to, if he wanted to convince Tone to stay away from his sister.

[Reese Mackenzie]

So. Was she just plain stupid or had she lost her head for a moment when she let her heart have control? Reese wasn’t sure but she knew she did feel weird about kissing Tony. Part of her was happy cause that meant he liked her, part of her was sort of sad knew she was just another girl to him and the last part was feeling guilty cause in some way it felt like she had betrayed her brother.

Up and till now Reese had only told Mickey about how she had been making out with Tony so if Tony had kept his mouth shut there were now three people who knew about it. Although Reese was scared Graham might know somehow. Every since that night they had not talked to each other. Something that was weird considering they always saw each other every day.

Reese wasn’t stupid, she knew at least something was up with the way her brother had glanced at her and had said hi to her this morning. She just wasn’t sure what it was yet and honestly? She was afraid to ask him about cause if it was about the making out with Tony thing…well it would be awkward. She knew how Graham disliked Tony and Reese would never hurt her brother on purpose. But she couldn’t help it. She really liked the singer. Ah man, Graham was going to be upset or really pissed. Or both. Fcuk.

When she entered the Sweets store the little bell above the door let the shop owner know another sweet tooth had entered. Not exactly knowing what she was looking for Reese just walked around in the store. Either today or tomorrow she should go talk to him, tell him about Tony. It wasn’t like they were dating, she just made out with him once. But if it was that unimportant than why was she feeling so guilty about it now?

This sucked.

[Graham Kerr]

It had been pretty obvious, his way of avoiding people and trouble. He hadn't walked Reese to class, nor had he spent any time in their common room, which usually happened pretty much every night. He was there far more often than in his own department, because his sister and his crush were both around and well, he liked to watch him.

It had all changed lately. Or well, since last night. He couldn't spend any time around him anymore. And it was hard to look his sister in the eye when he knew she'd been making out with Tony. Tony, of all the guys in the world she had to hook up with the most despicable, sociopathic asshole imagineable.

Hearing the bell jingle he glanced up. It was second nature to check, not just today but all the time. He liked to watch people. And to make sure that he could avoid people he didn't want to bump into. When he saw Reese he felt like hiding, but instead he looked around, making sure not to draw any attention.

[Reese Mackenzie]

You know how in movies you always bump into the ones you don't want to bump into? Or when you bump into the one you have been thinking about all day long? Or, that someone you liked a lot, suddenly declared their love for you? It was all planned by the writers of the movie so it could not happen in real life. Unless of course your name was Reese and always bumped into the ones you tried to avoid.

So when she decided she was walking around in the store without any real purpose, nor with money on her to actually buy something...she of course turned around the wrong corner when heading towards the exact. Graham. Great. Well, better now then...well....it would get messy.

They never fought, but when they did it was never a nice sight.

"Can I have three guesses why you're avoiding me or should I just wait till you tell me?" she said, quickly recovering herself from being surprised to see her brother here. Tony. What else could it be? But maybe she was lucky and it would be something else, but honestly...she couldn't be that lucky right?

[Graham Kerr]

"I haven't been avoiding you" Not really. Graham offered her a candy flower, smiling a bit. "I was just...not feeling well for a day. Had to think about some stuff, you know how it goes" Only, Graham barely ever thought about things. He was a doer, not a thinker. Which got him into some trouble on occasion, but that was alright.

"It wasn't just you. I've been in my room most of the time. Thought that I might as well do something productive, so I wrote lyrics." A bunch of them about Juli, about love, and a few about betrayal and friendships. "I decided that I'd been feeling miserable for long enough, so here I am again."

[Reese Mackenzie]

Alright so if he wasn’t avoiding her as he was claiming than he was avoiding someone else. And there was only one other person in the dance department he could be avoiding. But why? That didn’t really make any sense. You wanted to be close to your crush, not avoid him. So, Graham was avoiding Juli now? Usually her brother would take any opportunity he could get to glance at the male dancer.

Reese shook her head but smiled faintly. Tugging her hands in her back pockets she raised a brow. “Yeah, when I’m the one doing it. Graham what’s going on? You don’t sit in your room thinking about stuff without one very good reason for it. And if it’s not just me you’re avoiding than it’s Juli.”

But it was …just...her. So Graham was upset with her? Was that it? Cause he knew about Tony? Her eyes were locked with his, trying to force him to tell her what was going on. It could backfire though, he could scream in her face he knew about what she had done. How he felt betrayed by her, but at least she wouldn’t have to hide it anymore. That would be good right?

[Graham Kerr]

"I'm not avoiding him. Not really. I just...pretty much decided that I'd rather not be involved with him." Graham hated it when Reese looked at him that way. Disappointed and calculating, as if she was trying to read his mind which was totally unfair because he could never read hers. Girls...they were just so complicated!

"Or with anyone, at the moment. I mean yea, we fcuked, twice, and it was good, twice, but I'm not ready to be all...look at me, I'm gay. I mean, I haven't even told mom yet, or any of my friends. And yet I've been making out with him in public. In front of everyone, and the only reason they haven't asked me is because they think it was just a stupid drunk mistake."

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese shrugged. “Fine, then you’re not avoiding it. It’s not totally weird that you first want to be with him, come to me for advice, spend more time in the dance department so you can ‘glance’ at the guy you are lusting after. And then change your mind and behaviour again over 2 nights? Sure. Makes perfect sense.”

Guys could be so…weird. “Don’t lie to me Graham.” She hated it when he did that, which was rare, or when he not wanted to talk about something and just started to talk around it instead. “What does it matter what others think? I’m bi and do you see me bouncing around with it?” she didn’t but she didn’t hide it either. “Don’t use mom as an excuse, she doesn’t know about me liking girls either but that doesn’t stop me from making out or sleeping with one.”

[Graham Kerr]

"I didn't say I didn't-" Graham sighed, running fingers through his hair and rubbing his temples for a moment. Reese could be so fcuking frustrating when she nagged at him, trying to get the full story. Why couldn't she just leave him be for a moment, and not drag the entire complicated and hurtful truth out of him.

His voice was soft, and he didn't look at her. "Yeah, okay, I want him. I never said that I didn't, but it's not enough. First off, he can get anyone in the world, why would he want me? Second, I'm not ready for the whole boyfriend thing. It makes me uncomfortable, it makes me nervous, and I'm scared. Maybe that's not a good enough reason for you, but for me it is." He was snapping a bit, upset with himself for not being completely honest with his sister, and upset with Reese for putting him in this situation.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Why could guys be so annoying about what was going on inside of them? First they acted like something, then they said they felt exact opposite and then suddenly denied everything again! Or claimed they weren’t ready to settle. Gay, straight, bi. People were all the same and Reese was getting sick and tired of it. Fine. Graham wasn’t ready. No wrong thing about that, but why all the dancing around?!

Reese groaned, really getting tired of the entire ‘he can get so much better than me’ explanation. “Graham come one! If you keep being all negative like that he is going to want someone else. There is no reason why he should not like you or want you or whatever so cut the cr*p on that alright?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare trying to make me look like the bad guy. If you don’t want to date someone then fine! You know I stand behind every decision you make but don’t you dare try to shove it on me by saying that I don’t support you.” That was fcuking bullsh*t and it didn’t just piss her off it hurt her as well. “I’m only trying to help but fine. Then I won’t.”

Apparently he didn’t want her help.