My Best Friend's Brother

“This is why I never let you make popcorn; you always manage to burn it!” I whined looking down at the bag of almost completely black popcorn. “It wasn’t my fault!” Olivia said from the couch. “You’re the one that made it!” I reminded her before throwing it in the garbage. I grabbed the bag of chips that was on the counter and walked back over to the couch where my brother and Olivia were. “So what are we watching first?”

“I was thinking The Ring.” Olivia said going through Netflix. “Are you sure Justin can handle that?” I asked; he could probably handle it better than I could. That is one of the only horror movies that still scare me to death, well almost. “I can handle it Leighton!” Justin whined, as if I wasn’t going to let him watch the movie. “Okay, okay, let’s watch the movie!”

*~*~*~*

After a few more movies it was around midnight and I was scared almost beyond belief since Olivia knew just about every horror movie that could scare me and made me watch them. “I hate you so much.” I said glaring at Olivia and holding my stuffed monkey that I’ve bad since I was born. “You aren’t the only one that’s scared here! C’mon, we’re sleeping in Justin’s room.” As soon as she turned off the TV, we screamed and ran up to Justin’s bedroom.

“I call the top bunk!” Olivia and I said in unison and racing for the bed.

“I am not sleeping on the floor! Something is gonna come out from under that bed and eat me!” I whined when Olivia made it to the top before me. “Oh grow up!” Olivia said throwing a Lego at me. “Fine, I’ll just sleep with Justin!”

“Nu-uh, I’m not letting that monster eat me!” Justin said getting off of his bed and going for the top bunk with Olivia. “So you’ll let him sleep up there but not me?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest. “Well Justin’s cuter.” Olivia said squeezing him. I dropped my arms to my side and went to turn off the light. “Never mind Leighton, get your ass up here!” Olivia said, “Can you let go of me yet?” Justin asked as I tried to find my way over to the ladder. “No!”

Once I got on the bed my eyes adjusted to the dark and Olivia was still holding Justin while he just looked bored. “Can you let go of me now?” Justin asked, Olivia slowly did and we all laid down. “This was way more comfortable two years ago.” I said with my left leg hanging over the side of the bed. “Something’s gonna eat my leg now.” I said, I wasn’t being serious but it was uncomfortable.

“Shut up and go to sleep.” Olivia said hitting me with a pillow. I hit her back with it before putting the pillow behind my head.

*~*~*~*

“Kids, get up, we have to go to the hospital!” Tom said turning the light on. “Oh my God!” I said covering my eyes from the blaring light. “What’s going on?” Olivia said before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “I’ll explain in the car just hurry up!” Olivia picked Justin up and handed him to her grandpa while I struggled to get off the bed with my eyes still adjusting to the light.

“Since when was there a Lego there?!” I asked once I got off the ladder and stepped on it. “I don’t know but thanks for the warning!” Olivia said avoiding where I just stepped. I glared at her and then went to find the first pair of shoes that I could put on, which just happened to be slippers.

“That Lego really freaking hurt!” I said rubbing the bottom of my foot once I got in the backseat of Tom’s car. “Oh get over it Leighton, it can’t hurt that bad.” Olivia said just getting to the car. “Have you ever stepped on a Lego before?” I asked, Tom stared at me in the rearview mirror and I looked back. “That stuff hurts!”

“Okay Gramps, what is going on?” Olivia asked getting into the front seat. “Chad was in a car accident and is at the hospital.” Tom said pulling out of the driveway. Olivia looked back at me and I dropped my foot. “You can’t be serious right now.” I said getting in the middle seat and leaning forward. “I thought he was smarter than that!”

“Apparently not, he’s going to have to get a job to pay for those care repairs!” Tom said. I know that Tom was concerned about Chad; he just had a different way of showing it. “I am going to kill him when I see him.” Olivia said looking out the window. I leaned back and did the same. “Not if I get to him first.”

The rest of the car ride was silent and once we got to the hospital I had to wake Justin up and try to keep him from freaking out since the last time we were really at a hospital was when our parents died. “Where’s Chad?” Justin asked rubbing his eye with the hand that I wasn’t holding. “He’s sleeping in one of the rooms, honey.” I said nervously as Tom was talking to a doctor.

“Well then can I go back to sleep?” He asked looking up at me, I smiled down at him. “Sure,” I said sitting in the chair next to Olivia and let Justin lay down in the seats next to me with his head on my lap.

“He’s gonna be fine Leighton,” Olivia said smiling at me and squeezing my hand. “He better be.”