Sister of Syn

Something warm and heavy landed on top of me. Without opening my eyes, I tried to push it off. It didn't budge. There was a chuckle above me. "Are you awake, tiddlywink?"

"Bri, you're crushing my internal organs."

"Payback is a bitch." He relaxed his full weight onto me.

"Oh my God!" I again attempted to shove him off.

Brian grinned. "I love you."

I glared. "You're an ass."

We both looked up as Jimmy stepped through my door and froze. He stared at us. "Syn," he said after a long pause, "what in the hell are you doing to Baby Gates?"

"Murdering any chance of having nieces or nephews," I muttered.

Johnny appeared in the doorway with Mickie. He raised his eyebrows. "I'd heard that incest was the best, but I didn't know you two were into it."

"Ha ha." Brian got up. "You're sick, gnome."

"I do try," Johnny said, feigning modesty.

"Baby Gates, is there anything under that blanket?" Jimmy asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him over the top of my HIM comforter, which was tugged up to my chin. "Yes."

"Prove it," he challenged.

"No," I refused.

"But I wanna know what you're wearing!" Jimmy whined playfully.

"Jimmy, man, you're a fuckin' perv," Brian said.

"Oh, lighten up. I'm just messing with her." Jimmy came to stand beside the bed. "You know I'm just playing, right, Baby Gates?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Rev."

"I love my baby sister." Jimmy leaned down as if to hug me. In the next instant, he had gripped the blanket.

"Jimmy!" I shrieked, catching the blanket just in time.

"What are you guys doing to my girlfriend?" Zacky questioned, entering the room with Kristy.

"She's naked!" Jimmy accused.

Kristy crossed her arms over her chest and feigned anger. "Why do you care?"

"She can't tease us like this!" Jimmy declared. "It's not fair."

Zacky glanced at me. "Are you naked?"

I smirked. "Why don't you come and find out?"

"I'm in a room with three guys trying to figure out if my little sister is naked," Brian commented while Zacky crossed the room. "Yep. I'm officially scarred."

Johnny and Mickie laughed. Zacky peeked under the HIM comforter. I was clothed in a tube top and plaid pajama pants. Zacky caught my eye and gave a low whistle in order to fool Jimmy.

"I knew it!" Jimmy cried. "She's naked!"

Kristy shook her head. "Melia, seriously, are you naked?"

"See for yourself," I suggested. Jimmy's eyes widened.

"Hello, therapy," Brian grumbled.

Kristy approached and looked under the blankets. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I just came," Jimmy said.

Kristy and I giggled.

"That's another year of therapy," Brian remarked.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" I queried of Jimmy, Kristy, Johnny, Mickie, and Zacky.

"Shads wanted us to tell the Haner clan that the New Year's Eve celebration is at his house this year," Johnny answered.

"He's trying to make up for being such an ass," Zacky said.

"Good," I said. "I missed my Shad-Man. It'll be nice to have him back."

"So, do you want to spend the day with me?" Zacky inquired.

"Of course!" I agreed. "Let me get dressed."

"Why?" Zacky murmured huskily. "I'm just going to take your clothes off again."

Johnny, Brian, and Mickie left. "C'mon, Kristy," Jimmy urged, starting for the door.

"Oh, no. She can stay," I said teasingly, grabbing Kristy's arm.

Jimmy frowned. "That is wrong on so many levels. Unless I get to watch."

Kristy, Zacky, and I laughed. "I'm kidding, Rev," I said, tossing away the blanket to reveal that I was fully clothed.

"You're cruel, Baby Gates," Jimmy stated.

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, I'm going to take a shower. You coming, Kristy?"

Kristy flashed a devious smile. "Not at the moment, but I've got the feeling I will be." He chuckled and pulled her out of my room.

I changed clothes, then Zacky and I went to his house, where my clothes ended up on the floor.

*****

"Sorry we're late," Zacky apologized as we walked into Shads' house.

"We forgive you," Brian said. "Just don't tell us why you were late."

Jeanie giggled. "Poor baby. Do you not like you little sister getting laid?"

"She wasn't getting laid. They were playing X-Box," Brian grumbled.

"Oh, no!" I exclaimed in mock dismay. "He's lapsed into denial. And I thought he was coping so well."

Brian grinned and shoved me playfully.

"C'mon," Jeanie said. "Everybody's outside. They decided to have a bonfire."

Brian, Jeanie, Zacky, and I filed through the back door, across the miniscule square of grass that Shads called a back yard, and on to the beach. Basically everyone we knew was gathered around the fire.

Zacky and I were almost immediately separated. Zacky was cornered by some guys he, Brian, Jimmy, and Shads had graduated with. I was grabbed by two of my favorite people in the entire world, the Berry twins.

"Baby Gates!" Jason drew me into a hug. "I hear you've been knockin' boots with Mr. Vengeance."

"You heard correctly," I said.

"You little slut!" Jason joked, passing me to his brother, Matty.

I laughed. "You know how I roll."

The hours passed. We drank, ate, talked, laughed. Jeanie, Jason, and I did the Cupid Shuffle, much to everyone's enjoyment. Jimmy and Kristy went skinny-dipping. No one actually saw either of them naked, but catcalls and wolf-whistles rang out anyway from a group led by Jason.

It was ten 'til midnight when Shads found me. "Can we talk?"

I nodded. We trudged down the beach, away from everyone else. "Melia..." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I was jealous. I am jealous. You've grown into an amazing young woman, and I didn't know how to deal with my attraction to you. I'm not supposed to feel this way. Not about you."

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. Eventually, Shads continued: "I still want you, but our friendship is more important. So, please forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you!" I threw my arms around him. "I love you, Shad-Man."

"I love you, too." He kissed the top of my head.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" came the voices of our friends and families. The night was illuminated with fireworks. Shads and I watched the display for a few seconds before heading back to the bonfire.

"Baby!" Johnny called, spotting me first. "Can you please make me a Mudslide?"

I had fixed drinks for Brian and his friends more times than I could count and so was something of an expert. I looked at Shads. "You got the stuff for Mudslides?"

"Yep," he replied.

"I'll be back." I started for the house.

"Thank you!" Johnny called after me.

I went inside, where the older generation was listening to music and playing Wii. In the kitchen, I plugged in the blender and found the Mudslide mix. Someone turned on "Letting Go" by Paul McCartney and Wings.

"Ah, she tastes like wine, such a human being so divine," I sang, dancing over to the freezer and taking out a bag of ice and a bottle of rum. "Oh, she feels like sun. Mother Nature, look at what you've done." As I turned away from the freezer, I saw Zacky in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He was watching me, eyes dark with lust.

I smirked. "Oh, I feel like letting go. Oh, I feel like letting go." I set the ice and the rum on the counter, then began swaying my hips in earnest. His arms suddenly slid around me from behind and his breath was warm on my ear as he sang: "Ah, she looks like snow. I want to put her in a Broadway show. Ah, she'll dance and dine. Like a lucifer, she'll always shine. Oh, I feel like letting go. Oh, I feel like letting go."

We were moving together sensually. I could feel him growing hard. My mouth went dry.

"Ah, she sings it so. I want to put her on the radio. One day, and there you are. Ladies and gentlemen, a brand new star. Oh, I feel like letting go."

"Ready to go?" Zacky whispered against my neck.

I nodded. We started for the door and Dad stepped in, blocking our exit. "Are you kids leaving?"

"Yes, sir," Zacky said. He'd never called my dad "sir" before. I swallowed a giggle.

"I need to talk to my daughter for a second," Dad said.

"I'll be in the car." Zacky left.

Dad ran a hand through his hair. "Am I right to assume you and Zack are sleeping together?"

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"You two have been careful, right?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy," I assured him.

He shifted awkwardly. "Umm...you need to get on birth control before going back on the road with him."

"I'm already on it," I told him. "I got put on birth control when I was fifteen to regulate my periods."

Dad covered his ears. "Spare me the details."

Brian strolled in, took one look, and said, "You brought up birth control, didn't you?"

Dad nodded.

"And she mentioned her...female problems?" Brian guessed, and Dad nodded again.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh my God! Will you two grow up? Period, period, period, period, per--"

"Okay!" Dad cut in. "Go have fun. I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you, too, Daddy! Bri, fix Johnny a Mudslide, 'kay?" I pecked Brian on the cheek and breezed out to where Zacky was waiting beside his car.