My Baby Sister's Boyfriend

The next morning I didn’t awake to the most pleasant noises. I heard yelling; lots of yelling. I yawned, stretched and stumbled out of my bedroom, following the noise down to the kitchen. Mom and Charlotte were at it, screaming their lungs out at each other. You sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, looking down at the wood and cracking your knuckles. Going unnoticed by Mom and Charlie, I sat next to you.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Your mom came into Charlie’s room this morning and saw me there.” You said without looking at me. My stomach dropped and did a couple flips; I didn’t feel so hot all of a sudden.

“She freaks all the time when she finds that Kyle’s slept over without her permission.” I pointed out, but you sighed.

“It’s a bit different, Alex.” You said. In a second, the realization hit me and I knew it showed. I nodded and tangled my fingers together under the table, trying to wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and relieve my stomach of the sudden, painful stabs. I didn’t know what they were from, but my best guess was the alcohol I’d consumed last night.

“You are grounded Charlotte Marie Gaskarth!” Mom shouted, “Go to your room this instant!”

She pointed upstairs for effect and Charlie stormed out, marching upstairs and defiantly slamming her bedroom door behind her. I glanced at you and waited for Mom to start yelling again. Instead, she slumped against the kitchen counter, red faced and a little out of breath from all the yelling.

“Alex, can you take him home?” She asked.

“Uh, sure,” I mumbled. I glanced at you and said, “I’ll go get dressed and we’ll leave, ‘kay?”

You nodded and I went upstairs, ignoring the blasting music from Charlotte’s room and went straight to my own. I was expecting to have a hangover today, but there was no headache and not much of a sick stomach—I was surprised. I changed into a pair of jeans and pulled on the first t-shirt I could find in one of my drawers. I brushed my teeth and ran my fingers through my hair before going back downstairs and getting my keys.

“Alright, c’mon Martin,” I said and ignored the way the muscles of my back tensed when you finally looked up and met my gaze. You stood and Mom didn’t say any sort of goodbye. “I’ll be back soon.”

Mom didn’t acknowledge I said anything and I followed you out into the garage. I unlocked the car and we both climbed in.

“Your mom’s… nice,” you said.

I chuckled. “She just overreacts with Charlotte. Trust me, next time she sees you, she’ll be the normal mother everyone expects.”

“You think so?” You asked and blurted out a direction, “Take a left here.”

I nodded and turned on the signal, turning when the coast was clear. You had fallen silent, watching the cars go by and I sighed.

“Hey, why don’t you hang out with me and Jack today?” I asked, glancing in your direction. You looked back and me and shrugged.

“I should probably ask my dad first,” you said, “But I probably can.”

I cracked a smile, and I really didn’t know why. “Alright; I’ll just wait in the car when we get to your house.”

You nodded again and I kept driving, obediently following your navigation until we made it to your house. It was a decently sized townhouse, big enough for a small family of three or four. There was a nice car in the driveway between your house and another and the front door was open, but a glass door remained closed in front of it.

“You don’t have to wait out here,” you said, “you can come in.”

I started to object, but you smiled before getting out and I had to follow after you. It seemed like all you had to do was flash a smile and I wouldn’t object to whatever came out of your mouth. I’d had similar experiences with girls, where they’d do something like bat their eyelashes or pout and I’d lean into what they wanted, but never had it gone that way with a guy. Not even Jack could make me swing into going his way with something like a smile or a sad puppy face.

If I said it didn’t scare me, I’d be a damn liar.