What I Hate About You (#1 What I Hate About You)

Chapter 9

Lindsay locks herself in her room as soon as we get home from school, which is great. With her out of my way I can have some peace and quiet without her. For once I didn’t have to wait for my sister this afternoon to hurry up and get out of the school grounds. She has a date with Simon tonight and wants to make sure she looks perfect for him.

I sit in the lounge room on the floor, leaving my back up against the couch while my sister was upstairs. Scottie is out of his cage and walking around the wooden coffee table. I flip through a photo album, trying to pick out a good photo to sketch.

I come across one photo I really liked. I pull it out of the album to have a closer look. The picture is of me at age five sitting on my dad’s shoulders. It was taken at the beach. He was shirtless while I had a pink flower printed swim suit with a matching hat. White sun scream is on my nose. I was laughing in the picture while dad made a face into the camera. Memories of the day it was taken flooded my mind. Lindsay was sick that day when we were at the beach. I don’t remember why. I think she had heat stroke. I remember the days where Dad would give both Lindsay and me a ride on his shoulders. I was the one who got to ride on him the most, more than Lindsay since she had a fear of heights, and hated the idea of being so high up on his shoulders.

I missed riding on him and wished I could be five so I could do it all over again.

I put the photo album underneath the photo album and begin sketching the picture.

After spending an hour in her room, Lindsay finally comes downstairs to annoy me. She is dressed in a black and mini-skirt and a black camisole. I know she is coming down to show off the outfit she is planning to wear tonight when she goes out with Simon. She is only wearing the outfit to get his attention. Just looking at the piece of clothing makes me sick. I don’t know why she has to wear an outfit that reveals too much every time she goes on a date with Simon. I know my sister is still a virgin, but what she is wearing wasn’t going to help her stay one for long.

“What do you think of this outfit?” she asks, swirling around to give me a full view of it. “Do you think Simon will like it?”

“I hate the outfit,” I answer straight away without looking up from my sketch book. “Of course he’s going to like it. Any shorter and you might as well not be wearing it.”

I don’t even have to look up to see what my sister’s face looks like. I know she will be furious with the comment I made. Well, it is true what I said.

She crosses her arms across her chest. “Can’t you say something nice for once?”

“Whatever.”

 “Alex, why don’t you just get yourself a life and stop hating everything? All of this hating business is starting to get old.”

I glance up from my book. “Lindsay, shut up.” I look down again.

“Seriously, why can’t you just be nice for once? At least tell me if I look nice! Act the way a sister should and not someone who doesn’t have a heart. All I want to do is look my best for my date with Simon. It’s our one year anniversary tonight. He has something special plan for me.”

“Why should I even care?” I look up at her.

 “I’m your sister, Alex!”

“Right, so you want me to tell you how slutty you look for your date with Simon, who only wants to get in your pants.”

Lindsay chews the inside of her cheek as she frowns at me, and then flips her middle finger at me. I return it.

“You’re so unbelievable,” she says before storming away, running up the stairs to lock herself in her room again.