Smoked Success

25.

"Isn't he 'a friend'?" I ask, making virtual quotation marks with my fingers.

"Jessica, you're my eldest daughter, right?" She questions. Irrelevant but I'll go with it, I nod. "Well, I'm sorry to break this to you, but you're not."

Tyler and I's jaws drop, confused. She continues anyway. "When I was sixteen, you know I was in Australia. I also was pregnant of your elder brother, Peter." Mom has spent her life, I don't know how to say it, but I'd call it on some really different sides of the world. From Washington to London, from London to Melbourne, from Melbourne to back again London where she currently is now. She can spot an Australian from a British person so quick.

"That's why he spent most of his lifetime with us." Tyler sarcastically says, rolling his eyes. I honestly agree with him.

"Let her finish." Peter snaps. I roll my eyes at them, sick of this already.

"It was the year I left London, and I was heartbroken. I didn't want a child so early, plus with a dude I didn't stand, so I gave him up for adoption. I got pregnant at eighteen, of you, and I didn't want to do the same mistake. I dreamed of Peter all the time, and I wished he could be by me, where I could play with him and all. And after Christina died, we all collapsed, and I wanted to see him so bad, but his parents refused, because he was getting along with their family style so well." Mom says, tears running down her face.

"What's he doing in Los Angeles?" I ask.

"Peter works in a hospital in Melbourne, but he asked to transfer to the same hospital's branch in Los Angeles. I want you all to be close one to the other, first to support your young brother during his hard time, and second to get to know your older brother better." Mom states. "Oh and Jessica, he's going to be moving in your loft, I called Schmidt's daughter and she said she'd be happy to share the rent with him."

"Look, first, you don't just come and tell me that I've a brother and expect me to be fine with it. I have my issues for god's fucking sake, Angelina, university, you know the pressure. Second, no he's not going to be living with me in the same loft, never." I shake my head. "Excuse me, but I cannot stand this, good day."

I couldn't handle, it was like the timer in the grenade's over, and I blew it up. No, I'm not fine with having older siblings, I was always the old one, I was always the one to take responsibility, like now to get a lung. What did Peter do in his life? He stayed like a spoiled brat with an adoptive couple that loved him endlessly and didn't make him live through difficulties. I really want to smoke, but instead, I'll call Katherine. As long as I'm not driving for now, it's okay to call her.

"Hello Jessie." Katherine answers at the first beep, so glad she isn't at work.

"Am I interrupting anything?" I ask, first before I say anything.

"Nope, still waiting for the doctor to check on Melissa." She replies, sighing. Her daughter has three weeks left till she gives birth.

"Can I blurt out something, that probably is stupid." I say, really wanting to smoke.

"Sure." She declares.

"My mother just told me that I have a brother who's older than me, and he's Australian." I blurt out, wanting to cry and collapse.

"Oh my god. Jessica, I'm so sorry, but I have to go." She states. "We will talk about this later, I promise." I hang up. It's perfectly fine, her daughter's issues are probably more important.