Living with Brothers

Payback's a B*tch

Merry Christmas ;)

One whole week had gone by since Kiera had outwardly proclaimed her love for Josh. I hadn't brought it up with him yet. To be honest, I didn't think I ever would. He seemed oblivious and as long as she didn't make a move I had no one to compete with. 

The thing that was truly concerning me was that a full 9 days had passed since the Winter Formal and there was still no sign of any payback. I felt as if I was walking on egg shells.

By the time I had gotten home from soccer practice it was already dark out. I bounded upstairs, took a quick shower, finished my Physics homework and read the next short story for our AP English class. 

Once I finished my work, I carefully grabbed my leather bound diary from beneath my mattress and sat on the window sill listening to the rain. I twisted the black pen between my finger tips several times before catching a glimpse of Josh in the window. He was in the front yard shooting hoops with his older brother. I felt my pen fly to the page before I could.

My hand wrote before the words fully processed in my mind. I gushed about how kind he was to me, how strong he was, how beautiful his highlights were and his long lashes and his lips. Those lips that were softer than my pillow. And his strong broad shoulders from basketball that made my knees buckle everytime he wrapped them around me. And the smell of his cologne and-

"Emma it's time for-"

I jumped at the sound and immediately shut my book, smushing it underneath the palm of my hand. 

Logan made eye contact with the book before I had time it shove it behind me.

"What do you want?"

He looked at me and did a double take. "Right, it's dinner time."

"Get out, I'll be down in 5."

He nodded, startled and shut the door behind him.

Idiot I thought to myself.

I finished writing down my thoughts, crammed the book underneath the mattress and bounded down the stairs for dinner. 

"So, Emily, how's your boyfriend?"

My brothers subconsciously tensed at my fathers words.

"He's not my boyfriend, dad." I laughed, happy that my brothers were so uncomfortable.

"And your girlfriend, dear?", my mom asked turning to Logan.

His ears turned red and Kyle and I snickered, recalling how they broke up.

"How did that punch taste?", I laughed.

Logan kicked me hard in the shin underneath the table and I yelled. "Dammit, Logan. Stop hurting me."

"You deserved it," Jacob muttered.

"Surprised you washed the red out of your hair. I liked you more when you smelled like grapefruit," Kyle snickered.

Jacob kicked Kyle under the table as well and he winced, cursing under his breath.

"Enough, calm down. Can't we just once have dinner in peace?", my father asked.

We rolled our eyes but shut our mouths. 

********

I woke up the next morning with a bad feeling. 

"You're late, dipshit. Get up!" 

I groaned, threw a pillow at the door and rolled over in bed. 15 minutes later, Cole barged in with a bucket of snow from the front yard. He tossed it over me, turning my bedsheets into an Arctic Snow cave.

"COLE DYLAN KINGSTON I WILL MURDER YOU!", I hollered chasing him out of my room and down the stairs.

The little shit snickered, and clapped his feet together like a fucking leprechaun. 

I slid so fast into the kitchen that I fell on my back and settled on the ground in a heap. Before I could pounce, my mother caught me from behind.

"You're late, Em. The boys have left without you."

I turned around exasperated, not bothering with Cole.

"WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME."

My mother turned to Cole in the kitchen and the two shook their heads.

It took me 2 minutes to brush my teeth. 34 seconds to wash my face. 19 seconds to put my hair in a ponytail. 1 minute and 11 seconds to get changed. To punish my brothers for leaving without me I wore lululemon leggings. That'll show them.

My phone rang as I was about to bound downstairs. 

"Um, Em. Where are you?"

"At home, tell Ms. Aderell I'll be there in a minute."

"You better get here...", Amy whispered. "Like now."

"Amy, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"No, Em, I'm serious you need-"

I huffed annoyed. "The longer you talk, the longer it'll take me to get there. She can start class without me the world will not end."

I slid my phone into my pocket and caught a ride with Cole. The school lot was empty, but the halls inside were flooded with students.

I checked my phone. 11 missed calls.

I swung open the door and the blood drained from my face.

Inside the main entrance, the walls were decorated with pages. But not just any pages. The pages of my diary.