My Stepson, My Brother

4

“So, how do you know my mum?”

“Frank! Please, just shut the hell up for five minuets, please!” I begged him.

He’d been asking me questions non-stop for the past half an hour, I was about ready to smack my head off the steering wheel.
“I can’t help wanting to know stuff! Plus, I’m bored, and I talk when I’m bored, it’s like…word vomit or something. I can’t seem to…”

“I’ve realised,” I sighed, cutting him off mid-sentence.

I spotted a small restaurant type thing at the side of the road and decided to turn off into there, at leased I could get a coffee or something to help deal with Frank’s incessant talking.

“Where you going?” He questioned suspiciously.

“To get coffee,” I replied.

At this statement his face lit up.

“Can I come to?!” he practically squealed.

“No, you have to stay in the car,” I said sarcastically.

Frank, obviously not getting the sarcasm, instantly started to sulk.

“Oh come off it! I was only joking!” I laughed at him.

“Yeah well, I can’t tell with you!” he snapped.

Sighing I parked the car and got out, slamming the door shut.

Frank mimicked me and slouched behind me the whole way to the store.

We picked our coffees and so muffins – my treat, as an attempt to cheer Frank up; a sulky teenager is the last thing I need.

We sat for a while in silence before Frank opened his mouth again.

I raised an eyebrow at him and instantly he shut up and went back to blowing on his coffee.

I turned my attention back to mine before staring absentmindedly out of the window at the passing traffic.

But I was brought back to earth with a jolt as a small body lent against me.

I looked down to see Frank attempting to snuggle into me.

“What are you doing?” I questioned slowly.

“I don’t know really, I just, had an urge to do it, you know? It feels oddly familiar for some reason.” He mused whilst snuggling into me further.

I gave up and lifted my arm above his head so he could cuddle right up to me before I placed it behind his back.

“You used to fall asleep on me like this all the time when you were little,” I told him, smiling slightly.

“You knew me when I was little?” he questioned confused.

Suddenly realisation took hold of me.

I wasn’t going to tell him anything until we were at our destination.

This is going to complicate everything…

Damn…