December 17th.
"Well don't you look like hell."
I roll my eyes.
"Hello to you too."
Brandon cracks a smile, "Come 'ere Bee." He wraps his arms around me.
I smile and embrace my brother.
"So you're talking to me again?"
"I guess I have to. Who else is gonna tell you that you reek of alcohol?"
My eyes widen and I push him away.
"I do?"
Brandon gestures for me to head upstairs.
Saying no more, I go upstairs to shower.
Rushing to shower, I get out and take an Advil. Heading downstairs for some toast, I run into mom.
"Hey honey, can I talk to you?" Mom halts me.
"Uh, sure." I turn around and head back to my room. Taking this opportunity to untangle my hair, I grab my brush and take a seat at my vanity.
"Where were you last night?"
Busted.
"Do you want the sugarcoated answer or a little white lie?" I winced.
"How about the truth?"
Right. The truth.
Well, the truth is I got into a fight with Shane because drunk Bridgit can't keep her mouth shut.
"I stayed the night with Shane… but he slept in a totally different room! And we didn't do anything!"
We just disheveled a bottle of Jack Daniels, but that's still innocent right?
My mother takes her head in her hands. "You were the good child!"
I resist rolling my eyes. You have no idea.
"I'm still the good child! Honestly I just fell asleep in his bedroom so he slept in the living room! All we did was talk!"
"You know I have to tell your father about this right?"
I frown. I was hoping not.
"And you're grounded."
I should've seen that one coming.
She walks over to my desk and takes my latest stack of books.
"Wait! Mom-!"
"Grounded is grounded!"
"Then take my phone like a normal parent!"
"Then be a normal child!"
I want to retort but I can't. She has a point.
Now what am I supposed to do?
"Call one of your friends, go on a date, anything-!"
I scoff. She can't be serious. Brandon would hang my head.
Saving me from an even longer awkward social conversation, a loud noise interrupts us.
Mom and I share a glance before we head towards the hallway.
"Oh no." I feel my stomach sink as I gaze down the stairs.
I watch as my brother and Shane argue in the doorway.
I run down and yank on my brother's t-shirt. "Back off Brandon!"
"Why is he here?" "Because thanks to you, that girl right there-" Shane points in my direction, "Won't go out with me. She's friend-zoned me even since you met me all because of your stupid-" "Shane!" I cut him off.
"No let him finish." Brandon crosses his arms.
I groan. I look at Shane with pleading eyes.
His eyes catch mine and his features soften. He focuses on Brandon. I squint.
Are his eyes… gray?
"Look," Shane strains. "I tried to please you. It obviously didn't work. So my last resort," he hesitates. "Is her." He gestures toward me.
"Don't you want her to be happy?"
He did not just pull my happiness card!
"You don't get to tell me what I should want for my sister." Brandon hisses though clenched teeth.
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Romance"There is a way to avoid falling in love." He pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "What? Let them fall for you first?" I kicked my legs onto his and laid in the grass. "No. Jump." I raised an eyebrow. "If you jump head first into love, it eliminates...
