My Best Friend's Brother

Application for Shower Buddy

"Wake up," I poked her again, "Wake up," I poked her again, "Wake up!" Sarah wasn't budging. She had already passed out before I made it up to her room last night. It is now ten minutes til noon and she was still passed out.

I grabbed my clothes and snuck down the hall to the bathroom. Liams door was shut.

A nice hot shower is exactly what I need. I took my time setting the water temperature before I stepped in and preformed my own concert. Halfway through my third song I hear clapping.

"That's not bad for a dead bird."

I jerk the shower curtain around my body and peer out from the side, "OH MY GOD, GET OUT!"

He shifted through my stuff on the bathroom counter, "Hold on, I'm looking."

Pissed off I begin to raise my voice, "What on earth could you be looking for?"

He looked over his shoulder and smirked, "The application for a shower buddy."

"GET OUT!" I throw a bottle of body wash at him from behind the curtain.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play." He reaches over and flushed the toilet, freezing cold water hit my back.

"IM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

He laughed and walked to the hallway, "We will see about that."

I made a mental note to tell Sarah the bathroom door lock doesn't work, but my guess is that she already knew that. After I wrapped up my shower and got dressed I met Sarah in the hall.

"It's about damn time you woke up."

She rubbed her eyes and stared at me, pleading for me to shut up, "My head is killing me."

"Getting drunk does that to you."

She walked past me and went into the bathroom.

"I'm going to go to town to get some food. Are you two hungry?"

Sarah heard Liam from the bathroom, "YES! Starving."

I pointed over my shoulder, "I guess we are hungry."

"Cool. We leave in fifteen."

*******

The ride into town was filled with awkward silence until Sarah felt talkative.

"So I know it was like a paying debt thing but it was kind of cool for you to invite us to the party last night."

Liam nodded his head, but no words left his mouth.

Sarah continued, "And it's kind of cool for you to take us to eat...," her eyes narrowed as she went into thought. "Actually too cool. Why are you being so nice to us?"

We approached a red light and Liam adjusted his rear view mirror to land on me, "I guess I am tired of you telling everyone I am a horrible human being. I'm not the bad guy, ya know."

His eyes met mine when he spoke his last words. Sarah laughed, "Yeah, okay. What do you need me to do for you? Cover for you? Lie to mom? What is it?"

Liam shook his head and turned the music up. We pulled into CiCi's diner and parked amongst a group of cars full of students from our school.

"Y'all go on in. I will catch up with y'all." Liam dismissively waved us out of his vehicle.

Sarah and I walk on in and find a booth lined beside the windows facing the parking lot. She scans the menu for a minute.

"So did you know that there was almost a fight last night?" She leaned over the table almost whispering.

"What?"

Her eyes lit up. She loves gossip, "Yeah! I totally heard that some guy was hitting on this girl and her boyfriend yanked the guy by his throat. Totally rad. Did you see it?"

My heart fell to my stomach. I didn't just see it, I was in it. Although the story was stretched, Liam had grabbed Leo by the throat. I wasn't sure If Liam would be okay with me telling her the truth, so I didn't. I simply shook my head no and picked up a menu.
After several minutes of Sarah giving me a play by play of her make out session with Jett and how it ended by Liam dragging her out of his car, he finally came inside. And of course, he wasn't alone.

Liam, another guy with long wavy hair, and a girl with short blonde pigtail braids squeezed into our booth with us.

The waitress was waved over and we placed our orders. Small talk was the center of our table but I sat in silence.

"So I was just telling Emilie that some girls boyfriend snatched a guy by his throat last night, did y'all see it happen?"

"That's not true." Liam cut Sarah's excitement off at the belt. She looked confused, but his eyes never moved from hers.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Well did anyone see Michael doing body shots? Because that was for sure true!"

The rest of the table broke out into laughter and began taking about each of their experiences from the night before, but Liam and I both sat in silence exchanging eye contact every few minutes.

Our food came and we ate and everyone laughed more. My phone rang and my moms name popped up on my screen, "I have to take this."

I scooted out of the booth as everyone stood to let me out. I walked outside and take a seat on the bench.

"Hey, mom."

"Where are you? I thought you would be home for lunch today?"

"I'm sorry, we overslept and then Sarah's brother took us to eat at the diner. I will be home soon, I promise."

"Your father leaves tomorrow."

"I know, mom. I will be home in just a little while."

The phone call ended and I sighed taking on a breath of fresh air. My dad is in the Army, so he leaves a lot. But it doesn't get any easier saying goodbye.

"Everything okay?" Liam took a seat beside me.

"Yeah, I'm good, it was just my mom. She is being all 'where are you' and 'your dad is leaving tomorrow'...-"

"Leaving?"

I nod my head to explain, "Army."

"Then let's get you home. I will go get Sarah." He hands me the key to the Jeep, and heads back into the diner.

I don't tell many people that my dad is in the army, because they start to act different and look at me different.

Liam didn't tell Sarah, and I had appreciated it. No one really knew much about me or my family and I hadn't been here long. Moving was routine for us, so I tried to not get attached. I had only been here for six months and it was already my favorite place so far. A new school brought new friends and new memories, but most importantly a new start. I could be whoever I wanted to be, and no one knew any different.

I walk into the front door of my house. I hear laughter in the living room, and as I turn the corner I see my past staring me straight in the eyes.

"Emilie."

"Jackson."