The Bird and the Worm

Brian slipped out of the driver’s seat and settled into the backseat as we pulled into place at McKenna’s high school, and I raised an eyebrow at him via the rear view mirror. “Don’t you want to socialize with your sister, love?” He stuck his tongue out at me. “What?”

He laughed. “I’m her brother.” My eyebrow remained raised. “I socialize with my little sister every time she has guy problems. You haven’t seen her since we told everyone we’d gotten married. You two should just…talk away.” He relaxed a little in his seat, smiling slightly, obviously proud of himself for coming up with this Heather-proof plan. “Besides. Who else is going to get her salivating over someone other than Joe Jonas, eh?”

I rapped my fingernails on the steering wheel, laughing lightly and shaking my head. “I swear, Brian…you have the weirdest family.” He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Alright. You’re right. My family’s worse, but can’t I think that my in-laws are just a little bit insane?” He wrinkled his nose at me. “Alright, alright. Your in-laws are crazier. Don’t rub it in, alright?”

“I love you, honey,” he said.

“You’re funny. Real funny. I’m dying right now.” I rolled my eyes, and he snickered.

“Heather!” McKenna squealed as she rushed to the car. “I knew when I saw Brian’s Escalade, good things would happen.” I rolled my eyes, and she tossed her bags in via the door Brian had opened. “Alright. Get out here. I am not leaving this school without getting a hug from big brother’s miracle wife.” I glanced in the rear view mirror, and Brian laughed, shrugging as I got out of the car, met by McKenna’s eager hug.

“Hey, ‘Kenna,” I said, and she gave me an even tighter hug before letting go. “School go okay?” She nodded. “Sign Mrs. Joe Jonas enough in your notebook?” She eyed me carefully, and then she glared death at Brian. “Hey, don’t blame him. I crack the jokes. Hottie back there supplies the information.”

“It is so weird hearing my brother being referred to as ‘hottie’…” she mumbled, getting into the car and buckling into the passenger’s seat as I walked around the car, settling back into the driver’s seat. “Even weirder that someone actually married him this time.” She glanced over at me, and she didn’t look back at him, but I glanced into the rear view mirror, and his gaze connected with mine as he smiled a little. “So. What’s on the agenda today?”

I gave her a wicked smile. “Well. I figure we can drop everything off at your house, and then Brian and I are going to ruin you.” She quirked an eyebrow. “It’s about time your poor rock and roll family heard something other than Billy Ray Cyrus’ obnoxious daughter and the poppy Jersey version of Green Day.” Her eyes widened, and she gave a very short, kind of awkward laugh. “Hey. Don’t kill the messenger, okay?”

She glared back at Brian. “Married three months and already a bad influence,” she teased, and then she turned back to facing forward as I slipped on my sunglasses and maneuvered Brian’s very expensive vehicle out of the swarm of parents picking up their children. “What else did they tell you about me?”

“That you can’t stand any of the clothing the people that listen to your poor brother’s band wear.”

“So?”

“So. We’ll go to Forever 21, just to humor you, and then you’re going to at least try Hot Topic so that you can get your family off your back.” I flashed a smile over at her. “Besides. There’s music there.”

“Wow. You must really hate the Jonas Brothers.” She let out a laugh, and then she covered her mouth. “And considering your words on Miley Cyrus, you must not be very fond of her.”
I laughed softly at her, patting her arm. “Honey. I married Synyster Gates. Not the local Zac Efron look-a-like. Do I look like a Disney boy toy lover to you?” She shook her head. “Thank you.” I glanced into the rear view mirror. “What do you think, love?”

“I probably would not have been able to handle being in your presence if your dream consisted of a marriage to Zac Efron.”

“You two are horrible,” McKenna groaned, leaning her head against the window. “I can’t figure out if my brother corrupted you or if you corrupted my poor, unfortunate brother.” She eyed me warily. “And to think…you two are in this for a lifetime.”

I laughed. “Well duh. Did you see the engagement ring he bought me?”

“You’re still ridiculous,” she breathed, rubbing her forehead. She knew I wasn’t materialistic like that, but there was the fact that upon becoming Brian’s wife, my credit card limit had lifted quite a bit and, well, it didn’t exactly hurt. I was a female, after all, no matter how low-maintenance or tomboyish I was on a regular basis. “How long are we going to be gone, anyway?”

I glanced back at Brian, and he chuckled. I cracked an impish smile. “We’ll be back in enough time to have some of Deb’s marvelous cooking.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t judge me, okay? I’m still learning. I’ve probably gotten to make Brian five dinners in the last month.” My gaze was met by a raised eyebrow. I almost laughed. I was being questioned by someone four years younger than me- and for a moment or so, it didn’t feel like that much, since I’d just left my teen years a few months before. “Yeah. Perfect housewife. Me. Right. Whatever.” I snorted, and she shook her head, leaning against the window again.

The ten-minute car ride from the high school to the supercenter was quiet, and then as we got out of the car, I gave Brian his sunglasses back, since I’d stolen them from him, as he discreetly took my hand, and then we let his sixteen-year-old sister lead the way into the mall, up the escalator, and to the Forever 21 store that took up a quarter of a floor.

Before we walked in, though, she turned to me. “If we’re making me over, even if it’s only long enough for a couple of pictures, then we’re making you over too. Before we leave,” she grabbed my wrist, pulling me away from her brother, “you will own something from this store.” Glad that she was excited about this excursion, I let her drag me along, and then we found the section with the zillions of shades of blue, and Brian, bless his soul, relaxed by the dressing rooms, smiling and nodding each time either of us came out in something, not looking bored at all.

He did not, however, seem even opaquely interested until McKenna emerged in a top that was almost black, a pair of leggings, shoes that I’d found that matched, and bangle bracelets and a funky necklace.

“My God,” he said. “You actually look like you’re related to me. Heather, love, take a picture of this.” He pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead, and she laughed, wrinkling her nose as I pulled out my digital camera, taking a few pictures. Her facial expression didn’t return to normal until I snapped the last few, and then Brian released her, rubbing her back for a moment. “You look good, sis,” he said.

“Says the man that cuts the sleeves off the shirts he designs at night,” she retorted, laughing as she returned to the dressing room, changing quickly and easily into the clothes she’d come here in. When she emerged, she eyed me carefully. “Alright. You found a picture-worthy outfit for me. Now let’s find one for you.” I was a little wary, but that didn’t matter. “Brian, will you put these back?” She put everything in his arms, and then she grabbed my hand. “Alright, Mrs. Haner. I’m having fun with you.”

She led me off, and in less than ten seconds, I was face-to-face with a wall of yellow. “No,” I said. “No, no, no. Yellow is definitely not my-“ I sighed. “Fine. But please. Don’t embarrass me too much. You know your brother will be taking pictures of this.” She laughed a little, and then we began searching through the racks.

A couple of the tops seemed to work, but none of them seemed picture-worthy until a goldenrod one popped right out at McKenna. She picked it up, looked at me, looked at it, and then looked at me again, a wicked smile on her lips. “Alrighty then. Let’s find accessories.”

Moments later, I was being hustled into a dressing room with my arms full of the top, leggings, a few bracelets, odd rings, and a necklace almost as awkward as the one I’d picked out for her.

This was a change I made in five minutes.

When I emerged, McKenna was standing beside Brian, and his eyes widened a little. He cleared his throat, and she grinned up at him. I did a turn, my hands in the air, and he smiled at me, pulling me close to him and quickly pressing his lips to mine. I could tell that McKenna was making a face, but that didn’t matter. Brian winked at me, stroking my face with the back of his hand for a moment before pulling away.

“Y’know. I may have been wrong about blue.” He touched my chin. “Yellow looks good on you.”

“Want me to buy the outfit?” He nodded. “Okay.” I stole another quick kiss before backing toward the dressing room. “Consider it done,” I said with a laugh, and I saw my favorite boyish smile before I pulled the curtain closed. And while I changed, I could hear McKenna gushing at Brian, complaining about how she hadn’t seen his wedding ring properly, and I could hear her giving him commentary on how she was glad that his taste was so oriented around what he knew I liked.

I could hear him say that it didn’t matter to him what his ring looked like, and my heart almost stopped, but as he said it, I was pulling the curtain back, merchandise folded neatly over my arm.

“Let’s ditch this place, yeah?” he said, reaching for my hand, and I laced my hand into his, walking to the checkout counter and paying as quickly with my shiny and practically limitless piece of plastic before walking out with a huge back hanging from my arm and a rock star holding onto my hand, his little sister walking beside us.

“Hot Topic, right, ‘Kenna?” She nodded grimly. “Oh, it won’t be that bad. Brian won’t say a word, I promise.” He glanced down at me, raising an eyebrow, and I kissed his cheek. “He’ll be a good boy. He knows what happens if he’s not.” His eyes widened playfully, and he gave my hand a squeeze. “And if you don’t sample something as easygoing as Nirvana before we leave, I may go insane.”

She groaned again, but she let me lead her along to Hot Topic. Brian followed quietly at my other side, glancing around and taking in the sights of the stores around us, not really seeming to eager to break the silence with conversation that would only last for a couple of moments anyway.