McKinley and Her Brothers

You Hate Me.

Tate's Point Of View:

Does she really think that I'll fall for that? One thing about McKinley is that she has always been bad at keeping secrets and oh yeah, being quiet.

Yes, I might have been a little mean earlier to her, okay maybe a lot mean! But I can't help it. I'm not like Griff or Matthew who offers hugs and kisses whenever they see Kinley upset. I'm not known for speaking problems out either, getting mad and building up a wall is way easier!

Buttttt, my job as an older brother is to make fun of my sister and it's her job to snitch, which is very common.

So, what I'm going to do is pretend like I don't look for her, but really I know where she is hiding all along. When we were younger, mom and dad used to have a lot of arguments and fights, which consisted of yelling, lots of it. Me and Kinley's spot would be the guest bedroom' closet, it was a really big closet. Matthew was going through his closed-off teenager phase, and Griff was in college and just starting to get his life together. Me and her, we only had each other at times, she would climb on my lap and fall asleep as I finish my homework for school. When the yelling calms down, I pick her up and I would put her in her bed and I sleep on the small couch that we used to have in her room. 

 After dinner, I assumed that she probably started her "plan" and I lounged on the sofa in the living room turning on ESPN.

"So, Griff, where's Kinley?" I ask nonchalantly. 

"I'm not sure Bud, I actually haven't seen or heard from her in a while. Can you please go up and check on her?" This liar. I knew that he would be helping Kinley. They are literally partners in crime.

I roll my eyes away from Griff's eyesight and say, "No way dude, she's probably already so mad at me. That little girl doesn't know how to take a joke." 

Now I'm walking on thin ice, here's a tip. Don't talk bad about the Hayes Siblings in front of them, especially if it's the baby of the family.

 Griff clears his throat to prevent himself from yelling.

"What you said didn't seem like a joke to me Tatum." He said still putting the leftovers in the fridge.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, I'm going to bed," I say looking at him suspiciously.

"Can you please just see what Kinley is doing before you go to bed?" He asks with stern eyes.

"No Griff! She will literally pry my eyes out!" Before he can say another word, I run up the stairs quickly. 

Although I am the meanest brother, I am not a monster.

I walk by the guest room casually to see if there is light in the room, and just like I suspected there is a small light coming from inside the closet. At least, now I know that she really is hiding. 

Oh man, I can't wait to see her reaction in the morning. Revenge is sweet!

McKinley And Her Brothers

I hear soft whispers and loud sobbing, both of which are happening at two in the morning. Immediately I get concerned because no one else sobs in this house except for Kinley and Matthew.

I hurriedly turn on my room light and follow the sound source. I open Griff's room to see Griff laying on his bed holding a sobbing Kinley. I also see Matthew dozed off on Griff's desk chair snoring softly, so they must have been here for a while. I close the door shut behind me and immediately all eyes snap to me, even Matthew's. 

Yes, I might seem heartless and all, but as soon as I see my sister snotting up our eldest brother's shirt and her face all blotched up my heart breaks.

"Baby, what happened?" I ask softly while walking over to her.

Matthew angrily rushes over to me and whisper-yells at me. 

"What did you do this time? She's refusing to tell us!" 

I sit on Griff's bed and I thought that she would immediately latch on to me, but instead she moved further away from me. Okay, wow, that hurt.

It takes a lot more of Griff's sweet words and back rubs for her to relax and start talking. At the three words she said, my heart dropped.

Kinley looked me directly in the eyes and said, "You hate me." A lump forms in my throat and I am unable to speak.

Matthew's frown deepens and Griff freezes.

"What do you mean baby? Did he hurt you?" Matthew asks cautiously.

The waterworks start again and she blubbers out the words, " I was gone for the whole time after dinner and even after that, not once did he come looking for me, he just wishes I would have died! He wishes that!"

Never in a mill-

My thoughts get stopped short by my own words.

"Baby, I want you to listen to me very carefully okay? When you, mom, and dad were in the hospital after the car accident, I stayed in one person's room. I refused to leave, the doctors and nurses told me to leave. But, Kinley, I didn't leave that room for four days, day and night I would watch over you anticipating for you to just wake up and say 'I love you' to me again." My own tear slips down my face now and Griff was just as shocked as Matthew.

Tatum doesn't cry, but he would die for his baby sister.

Kinley's eyes were just as shocked, but not because of my tears, but because of what I said, I said the complete truth. She unlatches her arms from Griffin's body and comes closer to me.

"You didn't leave the room for four days? What about showers?" She asks sniffing.

I wipe the tear away and say, "Baby, the last thing I was worried about was body odor."

"But, why didn't you come to look for me?" She asks upset.

"McKinley, when we were little the one place where you and I found safe was the guest room closet, and before I went to bed, I checked if you were here and you were. I wouldn't let you leave me even if I do say some mean things." I slowly look up at her.

She encircles her arms around my waist and snuggles her face into my neck. Her hands find their way to the hair at the nape of my neck. This is a typical McKinley 'I'm Sorry' move.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I should have never said those things and looked at you that way okay. You are so strong and brave. You are a wonderful woman. But you'll always be my baby. I love you so much." I say with a smile.

She mumbles the same words against my neck.

"I can't hear you," I say with a smirk.

"Fine, I love you too!" She yells.

I wince and attack her with tickles. She immediately erupts into a fit of giggles.

Eventually, her breathing slows down and she cuddles up against me, Griff already snoring with Matthews's foot on his shoulder.

"One more thing Tate," she says.

"Yes?" I ask tiredly.

"You smell weird." She says sassily.

"Deal with it," I reply.

I kiss her cheek and we eventually fall into a deep slumber.

THANKS!