The Girl

EIGHT: POP THIEVES (MAKE IT GOOD)

"All my friends are telling me, oh, you need to slow it down, yeah. But I'm so tired of wasting all this time, I need your love right now. Give it to me right now..."

SONG: POP THIEVES (MAKE IT FEEL GOOD)

ARTIST: CHILDISH GAMBINO FT. JADEN SMITH

I swallowed and licked the water off of my lips nervously. She stared at me with reassurance, fingers intertwined with mine as she managed a small smile. Brianna leaned up, moving the cup away from my face to kiss me tenderly.

"She already likes you," Brianna muttered against my mouth. "I don't care what my brothers think."

But I do.

"Okay," I exhaled and allowed her to take my cup from me--my fifth cup of water to be exact, and now I really needed to pee. "I need to pee."

She laughed and nodded her head, pointing to the stairs. "Use mine."

I nodded and hurried up the stairs. Her bathroom was small and completely smelled like her. Her perfume lay uncapped on her sink, lipstick on its side behind the faucet. I smiled at her messiness before actually peeing.

By the time I got downstairs her brothers were downstairs and complaining about the lack of parking until they saw me. I swallowed and bit down on my lip. Jorge--the only one whose name I knew--stared at me like I was doing something wrong.

"Come join us," Brianna's mother smiled, waving her hand toward her--motioning to come forward. "Brian is almost home--we'll eat soon."

I managed a smile and sat down beside Brianna who took my hand immediately. "I was thinking for Nelly's birthday we could take her to the city and just have her--you know--shop around."

"Are we not going to talk about him?" One of her brothers piped, tilting his chin at me. "We don't even know his name."

"Luke," I managed and leaned forward, offering my hand. They all took it--one by one (even told me their names)--except for Jorge. "I own a music store down central. It's small--"

"That where you got my gift?" Ted asked, looking at his sister who nodded. "Awesome."

I grinned. "Yeah."

"What about your family?" Jorge asked, raising an eyebrow. "We don't know anything about you."

I swallowed and looked at Brianna before looking at the floor--then at him. "Um--I have depression, which is why I don't drink, my mum died due to cancer her in her ovaries, and I have two brothers and I'm going to be an uncle in about a month."

Everyone went silent at the mention of my depression and dead mother.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" Brianna asked bitterly. "Is that what you fucking wanted, Jorge? You've figured him out. He's just a guy trying to fucking live his life."

Her step dad came in and then dinner actually started.

*

"I hate it when my brothers are like that," Brianna threw her bag onto the couch and headed into the kitchen. "Wait--You told them you don't drink, but you drank yesterday."

"It wasn't a lot--I didn't even finish it," I told her and bit down on my lip. "I can take small quantities."

She nodded and sighed softly, running her hands over her face. "Can I use your shower?"

"Yes, of course," I told her and watched her disappear into my bedroom. Part of me was scared that she didn't like me anymore. That her brothers reacting to me made her realize how fucked up I really was.