Tabby

As it turned out, I really had no reason to rush Lance and Steven. My mother got home promptly at seven, her car loaded down with bags of groceries. I quickly explained that Corey wasn't feeling well, so as not to give his previous activities away, and helped her carry everything in. When we were finished, I hurried back upstairs to check on my brother.

He'd been falling out of his bed every few hours, and since I was small and petite, it was quite a task to yank him back up into it. I made a mental note every time that he owed me, though. This time he was flung across his bottom bunk instead of the top, his arm hanging over the side and his mouth open. I figured he'd gotten tired of falling from death promising heights.

One eye was open, and it focused on me as I shut the door quietly with my heel, setting the mug of hot coffee I'd brought him down on his bedside table. He groaned at the warm aroma, pulling a pillow over his head so slowly, I could barely detect any movement. I crossed my arms as I studied his figure under the sheets.

"Mom's home," I stated cheerfully, delighting in his obvious hang over. He said nothing, his legs thrashing around wildly for a moment before coming to a stop.

"You're a handful, you know," I said matter of factly, uncrossing my arms and going into his bathroom. I hadn't been able to pull him up into the shower after Steven and Lance had left, so I figured now that he was awake, he'd help himself. I left the light in the bathroom on and turned on the shower, making sure it was ice cold. Served him right.

"Go...'way..." came his muffled reply from his bed as I stepped back into the room. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll go away once you get your ass in the bathroom. You should be ashamed, Corey. Do you like it when your friends see you falling all over yourself?" I surprised myself, sounding exactly like a mother. But then again, someone in this house had to, didn't they?

"They...duncare," he growled, turning over and slipping off of the mattress. I would have laughed at his slurred words, had he not been my relative. I watched as he stumbled past me into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I waited for a minute, listening to see if he was actually going to get in the shower. When all I got was a loud thump, I decided it was no longer my concern, and I left.

The house was quiet when I reached the bottom of the stairs, and I noticed my father's car in the driveway. At once, my whole mood brightened. He was never around, always away on business trips, or so he said. My mother had the slightest suspicion that he was having an affair, but I could tell from his worn out expression that he wasn't. My mother was just as paranoid as I was, if not more. But the one thing we didn't share was the understanding of where your mind's limits should be.

I could hear his voice in the kitchen, and I hung back in the doorway, watching my parents reunion. He'd been gone for a whole week, and this time it was to Cincinnati. We weren't that close, but I figured I'd have to take up some of his attention tonight, so as to distract him from my disgusting excuse for a brother upstairs. I stepped into the kitchen, plastering on a bright smile as their eyes flickered over to me. Immediately, my mothers arms loosened around his neck and she stepped back a bit, always the overprotective one. According to her, PDA even between parents was unheard of when she was little. She'd carried her beliefs right into this household. I wasn't one to object.

"Hey, Dad!" I couldn't hide the enthusiasm in my voice, if not for myself, than for my mother. She was always more animated and happy when he was around.

He smiled at me, his tired eyes reminding me of slowly rising shades. I walked over and gave him a hug before setting the table. We all chatted for a while about how things had been for everyone, and I could tell how excited my mom was about the fact that he wouldn't be leaving for another month.

"So, how's your brother?" Dad asked after a while. Mom and I exchanged knowing glances and she clenched her jaw, shaking her head.

"He stayed at a friend's house last night without telling me until one in the morning."

"Oh? And where exactly is he now?" Dad's voice didn't seem all that concerned, but I answered anyway.

"In his room, sleeping."

"Sleeping? It's only seven o' clock, and a Saturday night at that," Dad mused in mock disbelief, as if he couldn't imagine his oldest child having no plans on a weekend night. I sighed, praying he wouldn't ask me what I would be up to, because I would tell him my agenda for the night consisted of the same thing it always did: nothing.

Dinner came and went, no one bothered to wake Corey up. Least of all me, seeing as I'd done nothing but wait on him hand and foot since he'd been hustled through the door. When dinner was finished, I shrugged my jacket on and lied that I was going to meet some friends in town. What I was really planning on doing though, was waiting outside my brothers window to see if he intended on sneaking out tonight. Yes, I was that sibling.

I liked having things to black mail him with, loved it, actually. It wasn't like I'd ever have the chance to use it because he had next to nothing on me, but it didn't matter. Just the fact that he knew, that I knew who he'd lost his virginity to and who sold him pot every Tuesday, gave me some sick kind of pleasure. Corey should have bowed down to my every command.

My parents always went to bed at ten, and tonight was no different. Shortly after, I heard Corey's bedroom window slide open, and something hard hit the roof. I figured it was him, jumping out with his board, and I hid in the shadows. He knew his way around a rose trellis better than any drunk I knew, and his skills proved to work even in the dark. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he was running, and so was I. I planned to get back at him for last night's little jamboree.

I was much quieter than he was, my fluid gait enabling me to literally run on my toes. Ballet came in handy much more often than people would think, and by the time we reached the woods, I wasn't even out of breath. I watched with a smile on my face as Corey turned around, his eyes landing on me as if he'd known the whole time he was being followed. They narrowed instantly.

"What the fuck are you doing out here, Tabitha? Go home!"

"I could ask you the same thing! That was a pretty fast recovery," I snapped back, taking a brave step toward him in the colorful leaves. He clenched his jaw, standing his ground as expected.

"Just leave."

"What if I don't?" I smirked, having too much fun to stop. When Corey said nothing, I laughed out loud. He turned around and kept walking, probably expecting me not to follow, but that's exactly what I did.

"Tabitha, I mean it!"

"You mean what? That you'll be embarrassed if I show up with you even though we both know I'm the least likely to cause trouble? Face it, Corey. Me going with you is only going to save you from getting overly drunk and stumbling through the front door tonight." I let this sink in and he froze, pulling his hood up as a chill blew past us. I shivered.

"So, what will it be? Me, saving your ass once again, or Dad, beating your ass because of your own idiotic -"

"Fine! God damn, do you ever stop talking? See, that's why I hate being around you. You never - "

"I think I get it from my older brother," I interrupted, nearly laughing out loud when his expression changed from smug to defeated. He turned around then and kept walking, this time a bit slower than before.

"You've got guidelines."

"Okay. Name 'em."

"No talking."

"Is that it?" I asked, my eyes focusing as the huge park lights came into view. Corey didn't answer, choosing to run ahead of me as a way to avoid any questions from passer-by. There were few girls here but I knew I'd never come off as the "hardcore" type, anyway.

I kept walking, though I had no idea where I was going to end up. I could see Lance and Jake from here, plus Steven and four other tall guys I didn't recognize. It didn't surprise me, new people showed up every day, but surely very few stuck around. Lance was intimidating enough on his own, I could only imagine what he was like on a board. Why Corey was around...I had no idea.

I could hear him making excuses now from where I stood, and I fought the urge to scream. I couldn't make out everything exactly, but I knew it was something along the lines of ignore her or she's only here because of my parents. Yeah right.

I was half hidden in the shadows, but I knew everyone could still see me. I studied the group quietly from where I was, avoiding Lance's eyes when they drifted my way. I pretended not to notice his arrogant smile, or the way he dropped whatever he was holding to jog over to where I sat.

He stopped inches away from me, his black hood up and his eyes twinkling bright as he looked down, obviously about to dole out a round of questions. I glared at him.

"So, which one of you is the babysitter?" he asked, probably thinking it was clever. I looked the other way, ripping up handfuls of freezing cold grass. He shrugged, sitting down in front of me and balancing his chin in one hand. I silently prayed that Steven would look over and call him back.

"Why are you here though, seriously? It's not like I mind...or anything, but your brother seems pissed," Lance said, his voice losing all signs of sarcasm. I looked his way for a second, completely aware of how small I seemed compared to him. I shook my head.

"I don't want him to drink so much that he can't walk on his own, is all. Dad is home and - why do you care so much?" I cut myself off, tossing the grass away from me and shoving my hands in my pockets. Lance grinned, revealing two rows of impeccably straight, white teeth. It puzzled me too, he'd come off as the chain smoker type, not someone who actually bothered with going to the dentist.

"Honestly, I don't know. What's your name again? And don't tell me it's not my concern, either," he warned, standing up and offering his hand to me. I stared at it for a while before he rolled his eyes and took it back, still waiting.

"Tabitha."

"Well, now that we're properly introduced, I'll let you in on a little secret," he said, starting to back away with that same boyish grin on his face. I hugged my knees to my chest, watching his receding figure. My teeth were almost chattering in my mouth, it had to be at least 40 degrees out tonight.

"What would that be?" I hardly cared, but it was something to say, anyway.

"I'm not calling you Tabitha." He left me there, only turning around to face his friends when he reached the cement, a small blur among the icy tears that had sprung to my eyes due to the low temperatures.

Even my brother wasn't worth torture like this.