Something There

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten:

Long story short, although I wan't late for my voice lesson, my teacher was still in a bad mood. I really don't know why, but it didn't help either that my voice didn't seem to agree with me and wouldn't extend to my usual full range for some reason. It usually wouldn't be a big deal, but I have auditions for universities in New York too soon, and I'm already stressed enough.

Either way, Charlie and I are on our way back home now, singing along to some obnoxiously overplayed Katy Perry song that I don't think I've heard since 2012. I'm sure it'd be quite the show for onlookers as my poor brother can't sing for the life of him.

I'm already sending prayers out to whoever he marries, as they'll have to deal with this even more than I do.

By the time we pull into our driveway, there's already a perfectly polished black Mercedes-Benz parked on the street in front of our house, a tell-tale sign that our guests must have arrived already.

I can't stop myself from wondering just how many cars Bryce and his father must own. This is pushed aside in my head though as I notice my mother's car parked in the driveway. She must be having a fit inside that her sweet little children aren't inside to greet our guests.

"Mom's gonna be pissed," Charlie says as he kills the engine, unlocking the car doors.

We both step out, and he locks the car with the click of a button. We're halfway up the stairs to the front porch when my phone buzzes in my jacket pocket.

I pull it out to see the lock screen lit up with a notification.

Bryce:
Where are you?
Leaving me with all the old people.
How rude.

I smile to myself, not bothering texting back as I'll see him in a moment, and also, knowing me, I'd probably tumble up the steps if I attempted to text while walking.

Charlie tries the door handle, and it's locked, so he knocks a few times and the rings the doorbell as well.

"You're going to get yelled at," I warn him, and he doesn't seem fazed. "Don't blame me, then," I add, just as the door opens.

"What took you two so long? You're late," our mother scolds immediately, not even greeting us as the quickly shoves the door shut behind us. We both kick our shoes off and I line mine up neatly on the shoe rack, before shrugging my coat off. Our mother quickly takes both of the jackets, hanging them up in the closet.

"It's rush hour. There was traffic," I answer her blankly.

Her head turns so quickly towards me that she probably could've gotten whiplash. Her eyes are in narrow slits, and one of her eyebrows is raised.

"Don't you dare talk back to me, young lady," she basically hisses. Charlie is slowly slipping away into the dining room which leads right to the kitchen, where I'm sure everybody else is, and when our eyes lock, he shrugs in defeat.

He mouths the word 'sorry', but he doesn't seem apologetic whatsoever.

I turn back to my mother nervously, really not wanting to pick a fight right now.

"I was just answering your question—" I barely get out, before she's walking back towards me in a few quick strides.

"What are you wearing?" she asks harshly, and I look down at my perfectly fine outfit that is't at all revealing, so I don't know what she's even getting at.

God, she's insane. She cares way too much about how I dress and I really just wish she would leave me alone for once.

I fully understand that there's a legitimate reason why she's this absurdly overprotective, but it still doesn't make it okay in my eyes.