To Short For This

Parents won't crash this pizza party

The mood in the room was so sour that she could almost taste it.

Lottie stood in the entrance to the living with her arms crossed, her naturally soft facial features scrunched in a scowl.

Her brother sat on the couch uncomfortably next to their mother. His eyes darted nervously between the two, just waiting for the situation to escalate.

Lottie and her mother haven’t gotten along since she cheated on their father and divorced him.

“Lottie, dear, come have a seat.” her mother patted the couch in a sickeningly sweet tone.

However when lottie refused and continued to stand her mother dropped the ‘sweet’ tone,” Dont be an ungrateful bitch lottie. Come sit next to your mother.” she demanded.

Lottie went and sat as her mother told her to. Cringing at how quickly she bent to her mothers will, she mustered up the courage to ask what she wanted.

“Why are you here?” Lottie asked,” We barely have enough money, so we can’t give you that. We’re both adults and not going to college, so it's not like you're here for any schooling. What could you POSSIBLY need that your rich ass, stuck up, sorry excuse of a new husband can't provide.”

Van snickered at the insult but quickly stopped at the look their mother gave him. His normally strong willed personality and loud mouth were both muted in the presence of their mother.

Her eyes had narrowed during lotties little ‘speach’. It happened so fast  neither of the kids had seen it coming, lotties messy bun had been grabbed by their mother.

“OW! Mom- mom, let go!” she yelled as their mother pulled her off the couch, and in front of the table, they kept in the living room.

Van had at this point jumped up off the couch and was yelling too,” Mom! What the hell are you doing? Let go!” 

“You ungrateful brat! I’ve been nothing but kind to you, and all you can repay me with is a few snot nosed comments?” She let go of lottie’s hair and towered over her. Lottie’s face was blotched red in some places, and her eyes were watering.

“I- I just-” she started before her brother interrupted her. Van had Lottie's phone, and he had called the first number saved in it.

“I called the cops. If you don’t leave now, you’ll end up arrested.” While there wasn’t any sound on the other side of the call, it had been answered, which was enough motivation.

Their mother looked panicked as she grabbed her bag off the table before practically bolting.

Lottie sat on the floor,” Did you actually call the cops?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Her mother hasn’t done anything physically to her, and van sense they moved out 6 years ago, even when she did have these surprise visits.

The momentary silence was broken by a smooth baritone voice that she knew didn't belong to her brother.

“ Uh, I'm not sure if this is a bad time? Do I need to call the cops?” Luther asked, confusion and concern laced his voice.

Their eyes widened at the voice, and van went to hang up.

“Did you hang up?” she asked quietly

He nodded, with wide eyes saying," You never told me his voice was daddy level hot, you voice hog!” he hissed playfully.

She broke out into laughter. she and her brother always bounced back. They had to, or the crushing weight of sorrow would be too much.

“Uhhhhhhh, thanks?” A very confused sounding voice rang through the room.

“SHIT!” they yelled together.After making sure they hung up properly, van’s stomach growled loudly. Like a grizzly bear loud.

They both said pizza before another fit of laughter ensued. Van helped his sister off the ground as he began their dominos order.

Lottie went upstairs to their shared bathroom to wash her face and freshen up. 

Upon entering the living room, the temperature had turned up as Van got comfortable on the couch with a green and yellow quilt. It was quite ugly and itchy, but their father had made it for them a few years prior to the incident.

They set up some popcorn and a tinkerbell movie while they waited for the pizza and sodas. Dont judge. They’re both die-hard tinkerbell fans since they were kids. Having seen all of the 7 movies at least a million times, they considered themselves experts.

Of course, once the movie got going, there was a knock at the door, signaling that the sustenance for their ‘pizza party’ had arrived.

“Nose goes!” they said at the same time as they placed a finger on the end of their respective nose. There was another knock on the door, the delivery man was CLEARLY impatient. After a quick round of rock paper scissors, they just decided to get it together.

When they opened the door, there was a man with a slim figure leaning against it. Lucky van had opened the door and cushioned the man's fall with his body.

Lottie saw this and began howling in laughter, laughing so hard she had tears and had to hold her tummy.

After the embarrassment of the situation had passed, Van had the three boxes of pizza, and she had the two bottles of Sprite.

The guy Lottie noticed is actually pretty tall but mainly scrawny, and he seemed to be busy horribly flirting with her brother instead of getting the money so they could go in and eat.

She huffed and went inside with the soda, deciding that she could just watch the movie without her brother. He was too busy, she thought and rolled her eyes, whore.

Whilst sitting on the couch with a cup of Sprite, her brother finally came back inside with the pizza. She gave him a nasty look,”He seemed cute” She muttered.

He just rolled his eyes,”Don’t be like that. Be glad the pizza’s not cold, and I didn't screw him in the damn hallway for the whole apartment to hear.”

“Did you at least get his number?” she asked while helping herself to a piece of pepperoni pizza, the only good option in her opinion.

He slumped down on the couch, burying his face in his hand, “noo..,” he mumbled,”He rushed off right before I was gonna ask.” he groaned as lottie laughed and started the movie back up.

In the corner of her eye, she saw her brother look at her for a good minute, his eyebrows pniched in thought. After the movie, lottie noticed her brother hadn’t eaten much of his pizza.

“Are you not hungry? Normally, you eat enough food to feed an entire family.” She joked casually.

Her back was turned to him as she put the leftovers in the fridge. She didn’t see the offended look that crossed his face.

“Do i?” he asked, “ I guess i’m just not hungry today: he shrugged as she turned around.

“Wanna have a dance party?” she asked hopefully,”We haven’t had one in forever!”

He just kinda looked at her. It got awkwardly quiet as her face fell,”Van?”

“I’m not really feeling it. That’s kinda immature anyway. Night.” he turned and went upstairs. She stood in their small kitchen and watched as he went up and into his room at the top of the little hallway.

“But- but you love dancing?” she whispered confusedly.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Okay so I'm thinking maybe a short book about the brother??

I'd like this one to be as long as I can possibly make it, but what's a good number of chapters to shoot for?

🫶🏽