Halfway There

I sat at the shore, still fuming over Kate and Drew. I should’ve never told them anything about my family. We’re just a group of troublemakers. Leah’s been flirting with Carl like crazy. Like I cared. That’s just how my family is.

Why? Why are we like this? Why can’t we learn from our mistakes instead of repeating them?

“Amen to that, sister,” Ross says, sitting down beside me.

“What?”

“I agree to what you were saying.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t realized that I was thinking aloud.

“So, what’s up?”

“The sky.”

“You always had such a sense of humor, Emma, really,” Ross says sarcastically, “I meant, what’s bothering you?”

“Drew, Kate, Leah, Mac, Chase —”

“Everyone?”

“Pretty much,” I say, rolling my eyes, “Why are we like this?”

“We just are, Emma, and I don’t think there’s any hope for us to change.”

“It’s just … ugh! We always make the same mistakes over and over and over again! Why can’t we just be somewhat normal?!”

“I dunno. I’m not a genius. And I think Drew’s really the only one of us who’s messed up. He was the oldest.”

“Yeah, and the biggest dick.”

“Ooh, you cuss!”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, so?”

“I’ve just never heard you cuss.”

“Grow up, Ross,” I say teasingly.

“I will when you do.”

I grin. Maybe my life really isn’t just crap. Maybe it’s a diamond in the rough.