The Distance Between Us

Chapter 2: Where We Stand

This chapter is dedicated to @playboystiles for the suggesting the title Where We Stand.

Chapter 2: Where We Stand

I stared at the long aisle of chips, watching as my brother practically leaned over the cart and skated down the aisle. His annoying laughter filled the air as the handcart practically tipped over; it would've if he hadn't jumped off when he did. "Can you please hurry this up?" I asked impatiently.

"Stop being so uptight," my brother muttered as he handed the cart over to me. He began walking down the aisle, snatching whatever bag from the shelf that looked slightly intriguing. I'm going to laugh if we get to the register and everything totals up to more than whatever's in his wallet.

Once he had eleven bags in the cart, he turned the corner. I slowly followed him, watching as he grabbed a bunch of chilled bottles of soda and cans that we would put in the fridge. Further down the lane, he noticed candy. I wanted to crawl on the floor and bawl. My brother and candy don't mix well at all. "Okay, isn't that enough candy?" I asked after he practically dumped four rows of sweets into the cart.

He was now shoveling chocolate into the cart. "There is no such thing as enough candy," he reminded me.

"Yeah, it's called diabetes," I muttered as he grunted and moved on. "Aren't we done? We have candy, soda, and chips. What else do guys like?"

"I'd expect you to know that," my brother replied. "You've been living with one for sixteen years, almost seventeen now."

My lips turned downwards as I let out a sigh. "Unfortunately."

"Hey, I'm not that bad," he retorted.

"You're worse," I smiled wryly. "Now can we please check out?"

"Excited to go pick up the guys, are we now?" Dylan joked as he pushed me away from the cart. I guess it was heavy enough now to hold his weight. "Perhaps Axel, since you know, you have a crush on him."

"Yes, I can't wait to see him," I sardonically replied. He rolled his eyes before hopping onto the back of the cart and soaring towards the checkout.

Once I found him, I noticed that he chose the lane with the pretty girl who was obviously a couple years older than us. I wanted to sigh yet again. Nothing's better than listening to your brother chat up a girl. "So...I'm not a minor," he lied to her.

"Awe, you look like one," the girl cooed and my brother's sly grin turned into a frown.

"Not when I don't shave for a week," my brother tried again, offering up a flirty smile.

"I bet you look absolutely adorable then," the girl shot him down.

My brother's frown was permanent as he muttered that he'd be outside getting the car. I snorted before allowing her to bag the food. I stuffed it into the carriage after I paid. Like he said he'd be, my brother was outside, allowing the car to idle. "Ooh, shot down," I grinned as I approached him with the cart.

"Shut up," my brother told me. I got into the car, allowing him to pack up the trunk. It's his food for his friends- he can put it away. I doubt I'll be getting any of it, anyway, not unless I'm the one packing it into the fridge. "Can you do me a favor?"

He was buckling his seatbelt and I quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Can you not tell the guys about that?" Dylan requested awkwardly as he began driving the car.

I grinned. "Of course I won't, big brother. Now who are we picking up first?" Or in other words, who is going to know about the big ole rejection first?