Boyfriends and Brothers Don't Mix

When Mom told me we were going out to dinner, I generally had forty-five minutes to get myself ready, so I took a quick ten-minute shower and spent the next five minutes blow drying my hair. I brushed it but didn’t bother to put it up yet because I still hadn’t chosen what I was going to wear. I had it narrowed down to two choices, at any rate; the typical little black dress, falling to my knees with thin straps and lace trim, with a white and black bow right under the bust. The bow was white with black polka dots - okay, so that might have been irrelevant information, but it’s cute. Paired with that, I had a modest pair of one-inch white heels, held on by just the thick strap by the toes and one around the ankles.

Decision number two? This one was the bright, clean color of innocence; white. It went just past the knees and the upper half was like a halter top. There were black designs around the bottom edge, all swirls and dots that, in their graphic art-ness, looked like vines. With the white dress, she paired her most modest black heels, which were about an inch and a half tall. The heels closed about the toes and covered them, then stopped. There was one other strap across the foot, just about half an inch away from where the toe part ended. Yes, yes, I know, it’s like a grade school kid describing shoes - the ‘toe part’, indeed. Blah.

“Which one do I wear?” I asked myself exasperatedly, looking from one to the other. I loved the polka-dot bow of the black one, and I loved the graphic art trim sort of thing on the white one.

I plopped down on my bed in just my robe, glancing at my door to make sure it was still locked, and stared at the two dresses laid out in front of me. Then my thoughts strayed back to what Henry had said - dinner with the McKinnons and the Harrelsons…both of whom had sons in my grade. A smirk grew across my face then.

I didn’t particularly like either Joseph McKinnon or Ben Harrelson. They were really both jerks, and jocks, but they acted nice enough to me. I guess I would consider them kind-of friends, on the account that they were never rude to me, but then I would see what they said or did to someone else (because they were like, best friends - and have been since birth…or longer), I’d just get mad and not talk to them for weeks on end. It was their rude qualities that made me have such an…aversion…to them - in the romantic sense. I couldn’t deny that they were both absolutely gorgeous - more so than your average sophomore guys. I just…well, I wasn’t attracted to either of them right now. I did kind of like someone, but that’s not really important! Dress. Yes, that’s what I’m trying to figure out.

I grabbed the black one.

The black one would make the brothers more edgy, maybe a bit more rude towards Ben and Joe. Perhaps it was mean of me, but if it would make up for any of the things they’d done, it was worth it. To some degree. And I just liked pushing my brothers’ buttons - can you blame me? Especially Greg and Ash, since those two go out of their way to humiliate me and keep me away from any guys. So the shorter dress, the better.

I put it on, saving the heels for later, and went to find jewelry that would match.

*

Twenty minutes later, we were getting ready to head out the door and I was strapping on my heels. Greg eyed my outfit with distaste and I hid my smirk, checking the hall mirror to make sure I still had my hair back in an aesthetically pleasing and kind of dressy messy bun. It was tied there with a black hair tie, but I had added a black rose clip to match my dress.

“We all ready?” Mom asked, smilingly, as she walked back into the room. She was still wearing her blue dress. “Oh, you look nice, Eliza! A little dark, but nice.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I grinned, glancing at Ash’s dark look. Glee welled up inside of me.

Tonight was going to be so fun.

*

True to my expectations, Double Trouble was exceptionally tense. The second eldest, Duane, was outwardly calm but emitting vibes of Don’t look at my sister or I’ll kill you…, directed mostly at Ben (who had always been, as we all knew, the more perverted of the pair). Henry was the calmest, understanding that there was a limit to getting between me and guys (finally) but still exuding a certain tenseness, although not nearly as clearly as Greg and Ash. While the twins almost glared at the two non-related guys the whole time, and Duane cast constant glances that way, mostly at Ben, Henry conversed with his friend John, Ben’s brother, while only occasionally giving my classmates a quick glance.

No one died during dinner, but Mom and Dad made a good business deal with the combined company that belonged to Mr. McKinnon and Mr. Harrelson. To celebrate, Mrs. McKinnon invited us all over to a party they were holding at their home shortly after the dinner was scheduled to end, and Mom and Dad kindly accepted.

I was inwardly jumping for joy at the scowls on the faces of Ash, Greg, and Duane, and the slight grimace that Henry hid fairly well.

And so we headed off to a party - and let me tell you, my brothers were not pleased at all to hear that six of the ten families attending had sons around my age - that is, in high school - that were also going to be there.

I bet they’d also love to know that my crush would be there, too.