Living with Brothers

The Wild Goose Chase

Things at home couldn't get more awkward.

"Emily, you haven't touched your dinner."

I rolled my eyes at my mother's comment and shoved another green bean into my mouth.

"What happened at school today? You all seem a little tense."

I looked down at my plate as my brothers did the same.

"Silence? That's unusual and you all know it. Now spit it out. What's wrong?"

"Rosie, I think today were tryouts.", my dad said when no one replied.

"How did they go?"

"It was fine.", Kyle said not making eye contact with my parents.

"Yeah, whatever.", nodded Logan.

"Alright that's it.", my mother said standing up. She never raises her voice so we were all taken back. "You're going to tell me what is right now or so help me God you will all be grounded until next semester."

My mother absolutely couldn't stand being out of the loop.

"Nathan didn't let Josh try out for varsity.", Logan whispered.

"Logan!", Nathan yelled.

"You did what?", cried my mother.

"But then Emily overreacted and said she hated me."

"Emily!", my dad shouted.

"It wasn't my fault, he was being unfair!", I pleaded.

"That was only because Emily was being a brat the entire tryout."

"Jacob, shut up what do you know?", Kyle said standing up for me.

"A lot more than you, dipshit."

"You wanna bet?"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned to face my dad. He was pinching the bridge of his nose and deciding which child to punish first. I knew this look all to well and let me tell you, it wasn't good.

"Why didn't you let Josh try out, Nathan?"

Nathan blushed and looked at his feet.

"Nathan, I asked you a question. If you want to act like a baby, fine but you will be treated no differently than how you treat Emil-"

"Because I knew he would make the team if he did."

"And why did you not want him to make your team. You know he's a great athlete."

"I know. But if Emily made the team too than those two could interact more than ever. Sooner or later they would start dating and I'm not okay with that, Dad!"

His voice was starting to crack out of anger and I knew he was being too over protective but a part of me wanted to smile at the fact that he would always look out for me. Another part of me wanted to punch him in the face and tell him to stop treating me like a baby.

"Now was that so hard?", Jacob mocked.

Nathan kicked him hard under the table and Jacob yelped in pain.

"Shit, Nathan. That really hurt!"

"A soccer player's trained to kick balls. If you do that again we both know where I'll be kicking."

With that said he pushed off the table, dumped his plates in the sink and trotted upstairs before slamming his bedroom door.

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