Life in Color ✔️

19~ Disappointment

"For you, my lady." Ashton says, setting a smoothie on the table for me.

My mouth waters as I snag the drink, God, I love smoothies. We're in the library for the first half of lunch to finalize some points for our project. Not to toot my own horn or anything but we made A Devil in the White City our bitch.

We finished the last sections of the power point, now the only thing left to do is to work out the speaking parts. My favorite. Every time I try to speak in public I come close to passing out. It's so bad most teachers give me a pass but not Ms. Miller.

"You're a saint" I tell him in between sips. He just chuckles with an amused look on his face.

Twenty five minutes later were headed to the cafe, my smoothie half gone.

"Oh, good, you're here!" Ella exclaims.

She has a look in her eye, one that definitely means she's planning something. "Yes, why is that a good thing?" I ask cautiously taking my seat.

She smiles widely, "We're having a Christmas party!"

Stella seems the most excited, she squeals before pulling her phone out. I'm intrigued more than anything, we normally all get together to watch movies in our pajamas but this could be fun too. I take notice of Sage's grin, eyeing him skeptically. "Why are you so excited?"

I watch my brother lean back in his seat, resting his arms behind his head. "Because a Christmas party means mistletoe." he wiggles his groomed eyebrows suggestively.

Moments later Sage falls to the ground after being slapped by Ella and I. "What was that for?" he demands incredulously, while climbing back into his seat.

I take another sip of my smoothie, "That was for being stupid."

Everyone laughs, extremely amused by my brothers childish antics. Sixteen years old and he still thinks like a preteen boy.

"So are you guys in? Of course your families will be invited as well, it will be so much fun." she pleads, as if we'll say no.

"We're in." I tell her, Ella gets so excited she gets up to give me a hug. I pry her off gently, that's enough physical contact for one day.

I reach for my smoothie to find it gone. Hearing a slurping sound, I turn to find Sage drinking my smoothie.

I think the hell not little brother, snatching my drink back. "Spit it out." He freezes, glancing at me slightly panicked.  "Spit. It. Out." I hit him with each word, ignoring his winces of pain.

He shakes his head, looking around the room.

"Sage Forest, I swear I will make you walk home." We don't live that far away, he'll survive.

We stare at each other, stuck in a Mexican standoff. The table is silent, knowing better than to interfere with our fights. Just when I think he's gonna give up I watch his throat bob.

He just drank my smoothie. I gape at him, a mixture of sadness and anger swirling inside of me.

"Sorry." Sage says, throwing his hand in the air, "That was good."

Does he not know to stop while he's ahead?

"Yeah! It's mine!" I exclaim, punching him again.

Sage rubs his arm that's surly sore by now. "What does it matter? We're siblings."

What does it matter? I raise my fist to hit him again but Ashton grabs my hand, preventing me from starting a fistfight. "I'll get you another one, Sweetheart."