Living with Brothers

The Pre Party

My parents returned from Spain. It felt like they were gone for months, through all the time I had been avoiding my brothers.

"Call him, Em."

"I already told you he couldn't come, Logan."

"Well, I don't believe you. Call him. Right here, right now."

I had been faking conversations at school with Josh for the past 2 weeks. Everytime my brothers asked when he was coming over I would pretend that he couldn't do it that week, and that next week was better. But the later I pretended to push it off, the more suspicious my brothers got that Josh didn't actually know about the dinner.

"Are you deaf, Em? You heard Logan. Do it.", Cole said.

I grabbed my iPhone from the table and dialed Amy's number.

"Josh?", I said into the phone.

"Em? It's me, Amy."

I prayed to God that my brothers couldn't hear Amy. Hopefully they'd think it's Josh. That's what I was trying to do.

"I was wondering if you could come to dinner this Friday."

I paused a second. I may be a pretty bad liar but I wasn't an idiot.

"You can't? Again? Okay, next week then. Promise? Thanks, Josh. Bye."

I hung up the phone leaving Amy in confusion.

"Happy now?" I asked.

"When's he coming?", Nathan asked crossing his arms.

"Friday, October 16th."

"Em that's in two weeks.", said Logan.

"I know."

"Mom and Dad will be home by then."

I nodded again. "I know. It's not my fault he's so busy."

"Too busy to meet the family?", Kyle questioned.

"You're forgetting he's already met the family. He's practically lived here for the past 11 years."

"Yeah,", Cole said. "On a friend status. Now he's moved up to boyfriend. It's a whole new playing field."

"You didn't really call him.", Jacob said softly from the kitchen.

No wonder he was so quiet.

"What?"

"Don't give me that shit, you know it too. I don't know who you called but it wasn't Josh."

"Yes it was."

"Let me see your phone history then."

"No!"

"Why? Hiding something?", Logan taunted.

"No. I just deserve privacy."

"You don't deserve anything after the way you've been sneaking around our backs.", Jacob said walking closer to me.

I stood up from the dining table and marched towards him until I was a foot in front of his face.

"He can't come, Jacob. And just because your pretty boy fantasy of making fun of me in front of my boyfriend when Mom and Dad aren't around to scold you is ruined don't go blaming your sister. Let it go."

Kyle stepped between us and pushed the two of us away. His arm landed on my chest and I flinched. He noticed and quickly pushed me from my stomach. That was awkward.

"I know you were lying, Emma."

Shit.

"Your eyes were everywhere except me, you talked too fast, you were biting the inside of your lips and I could see your fingers twitching from a mile away. You only do that when your lying, Em. Out with it. Hand me your phone. I'm calling him. For real."