Invisible

Alec hadn't caught Corrie until after she'd gotten to the kitchen knives. She was in hysterics, complete hysterics, and right as I walk in Alec slaps her. "Get ahold of yourself, woman!" he says in a commanding voice.

That doesn't help whatsoever.

I take over and calm Corrie down enough that she can talk. "What happened?" I ask. "Before Mom screwed everything up."

"I've had enough experience to know what he was thinking," Corrie whispers hoarsely. He, obviously being Eddie Roe. "That man... Is such a creep."

"I know, believe me. He hit on Lorrie one time-"

"What about me?" Lorrie asks, coming in on six inch heels.

"Remember Eddie Roe?"

Lorrie's face darkens considerably. "Yes."

"He's hanging out with Mom again."

Lorrie closes her eyes, then opens him slowly.

"Wait, what?" Corrie asks.

"Nothing baby, just don't leave my sight, alright? Don't go anywhere without Alec, Ashton, Jake-"

"Lorrie," Lorrie adds.

"Lorrie," I agree. "Or me, okay?"

"Alright," Corrie says, obviously a little confused.

"And Mom was being a complete bitch, don't listen to her. She's probably just PMSing."

Lorrie smirks meanly. "Menopause," she corrects. "I heard Mom crying about it a month ago."

Oh, that was cold.
~
I had Corrie's hand in a vice grip for most of the evening, but she was bound to go missing eventually, and that never went well.

I was talking to River again, I really did like him, he seemed pretty cool.

"Yeah, no, I play the drums," he was saying. "My band sucks though, but its good practice, and they're my best friends."

"AARON!" Alec squeals, literally, running up to me. "I lost Corrie!"

"You what?!"

"I'm sorry! She just vanished! I've looked everywhere, but I can't find her. She's not back at the house and no one's seen her or anything-"

"Shit! Alec! Didn't I tell you to keep a good hold of her?!"

"I'm sorry! Can we fight after we make sure Corrie's alright?"

"Wait, what?"

"Corrie's self destructive, and scares very very easily," Alec sums up, running off.

"Dammit," I sigh, scanning around. She'll probably be under the tables, or folded inside a cooler, or something.

Turns out, River and I don't have to look that far.

Corrie is standing between a table and some guy reeking of alcohol.

"Oh. My. God. Forest. I am so sorry Aaron, but that's my dumb ass drunk brother."

"Hey!" I snarl. "Back the hell off!"

Corrie looks at me like I'm her knight in shining armor. All I need is the horse and well... The armor.

"I said back the hell off," I hiss, coming to a stop in front of Corrie.

Forest is so obviously drunk it isn't even funny. "Who the hell are you?"

"Her boyfriend," I seethe. "Now, unless you want a trip to the hospital, you better back the hell off. I'll kick your ass you stupid son of a bitch."

Jake and Ashton materialize on either side of me as back up. Corrie shrinks away to go hide behind Alec, who is standing beside a very embarrassed River.

"Get lost," Jake says, like its a suggestion, an option. "Aaron will put you six feet under before letting you at Corrie."

"Hey, brake it up!" Some random man says, running up with several others in tow.
~
An hour later Corrie and I are sprawled out on the beach, next to a fire so its not to cold. The twins are entertaining a group nearby, but we don't pay them very much attention.

"I'm sorry that happened," I say for the millionth time.

"'S not your fault," Corrie replies for the millionth time. "You can't protect me from every ass hole."

"I can sure as hell try."

Corrie shifts on the sand, curling closer to me. "I love you Aaron."

Those words send shivers through me as I stare up at the stars, listening to the murmur of conversation and the ocean. "I love you more."

She laughs softly. "Impossible."

I twist my head and kiss her cheek. There's going to be so much sand in her hair. My nose brushes her forehead and shut my eyes.

"HEY!" Sand cascades over us and I cuss, sitting straight up.

"Dammit, River!"

Corrie makes a noise as she stands up and brushes sand off of her with her tiny little hands. I follow her suit.

River's grinning, holding out two red plastic cups. "I'm apologizing for Forest's behavior, here."

"What is it?" I ask, staring suspiciously.

"Is that booze?!" Corrie asks, horrified.

River frowns. "Whats the problem?"

"We don't drink," I explain. Corrie is bristling... Rather like a porcupine. Its adorable.

"You don't?" River asks in disbelief.

"But are they just handing out drinks?" I ask.

"Yeah. everyone at least has a buzz, I mean, its only twenty minutes till."

"Damn, have you seen my friend Jake..."

"Completely trashed, assuming you mean the not British guy that came to back you up against my brother."

"Shit," I sigh.

"I'm going to kill him," Corrie says in disbelief. "Where did the twins go?"

"They aren't drunk, yet," River says. "Do they drink?"

"Yes," I sigh.

"Doesn't anyone realize its illegal?" Corrie asks rhetorically, to no one in particular.

"I do," I say.

"And that's why I love you," Corrie says, smiling in a way that melts my heart. It always.

"God, you are so beautiful."

Corrie blushes, and River re-attracts our attention. "So, wait, are you like related to each other?"

I laugh. "No, no. No. Jake and Corrie, they're my guests. Corrie, obviously, is my girlfriend. Everyone else is related to me in some manner."

"Well that makes sense, as Jake's tongue is down some girls throat. I'm fairly certain she's your family."

"What does she look like?" I ask.

"Smoking hot blonde?"

"Aw, hell, Jake," I groan.

"Wait, Lorrie?!" Corrie half shrieks. "I have to go find Alec!" And she's gone before I can catch her.

"BE CAREFUL!" I yell after her. "EVERYONE'S DRUNK!"

"So whose Lorrie?"

"My sister."

"Dude... That's kind of gross."

"I know, but Jake is a slut and Lorrie is a slut, and they're both drunk, so it was bound to happen sometime," I sigh, running a hand through my long blonde hair. I needed to get it cut. Just a little though.

"So why don't you drink?"

I just shrug. "I don't want to ever not be in full control of my senses."

"So no drugs either?"

"Of course not! Plus Corrie doesn't like alcohol, and I'm sure if I ever even tried to do drugs, she'd probably leave me in a heartbeat. I love her to death, and I don't want to upset her."

"You really got it in for that girl."

"Duh."

"So have you two... You know, done it?"

"I'm a virgin," I say, a bit to harshly. "And so is she."

River blinks. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Well what are you, just the social outcast?"

"Star of the football team, idiot. I stay clean by choice."

"Damn." River blinks at me in awe. "And your sister is a slut?"

"Complete."

"How the hell did you turn out like this? Are you like, a complete stickler?"

"No. I've broken about every other rule on the planet, I just don't drink or have sex."

"Weird... But I totally respect you man." He's now drinking what would've been my drink.

I go to find Corrie. she finds me, holding two more plastic cups. I stare at her in shock.

"Its grape juice," she says, laughing at my face. Corrie passes me a cup, grinning.

"So why'd you go after Alec?"

"No reason," Corrie says, obviously lying.

I wrap one arm around her waist and pull her closer. We're in a crowd of people we don't know, all with to much alcohol in their bloodstream, but its only the two of us.

3...2...1. The explosion of fireworks is blinding, and our eyes are shut.

I kiss her. "Happy New Years baby."

Sadly, our perfect little world is ruined by my drunk best friend, my super drunk slut of a sister, and Alec.

Alec screams, and we both whip around to look. He's staring in horror at an unfazed Jake and Lorrie, who are basically fucking in public. I swear, they can both be so damn gross.

"Alec!" Corrie yells, but he's already running away. Ashton detaches from the crowd and chases after him.

Corrie sighs, wraps her arms around my waist, and puts her head on my chest. "What was that about?" I ask, stroking her hair, still completely happy.

"More than you'd think," Corrie says, her voice muffled against my chest. "Can we elope now?"

"Aww, come on babe, lets go inside before we get drunk from just the smell of alcohol." I take her hand and pull her away. Before we get very far one of my very drunk aunts tells us to collect the kids. We do and half of them have gotten ahold of some form of alcoholic beverage, be it beer, wine, or God knows what.

Corrie puts them all to bed and we retire to the sun room, so we can watch the fireworks and remain warm at the same time. Corrie seems rather dispirited, though.

"Whats wrong lovely?" Why can't she ever be as happy as I am?

"Um, Lorrie and Jake."

"I'm honestly not surprised."

"Neither am I, really... But still. I can't believe they got so plastered that they'd do that. I mean, she's your sister, and Jake is your best friend."

"Trust me, I know. They'll both be horrified when they wake up. If the hangover lets them process it."

She smiles.

"But don't think about it. Lets just live in our own perfect little universe."

"Alright." She climbs onto my lap, facing me, and kisses me roughly. her hands twining into my hair, and I can feel her smiling.

Ten minutes later I pull her off the couch and we half stumble upstairs, as were still kissing. I nearly fall as were going up the stairs and force her off of me just long enough to get upstairs. "You are so damn beautiful."

She opens the door to our room, and its over flowing with more hydrangeas. Corrie goes into a mad giggling fit and I smirk, picking her up and dropping her on the bed. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"I love you too," she says with a smile as I tug off her shirt. "What happened to making it a huge freaking deal?"

"What, this isn't a big enough deal for you? All these flowers, fireworks, the fact its the new year?"

"When you said 'big deal', I thought I'd be waiting until like, our anniversary. Or honey moon. Are you ready?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that, Corrie," I say, more serious now, as I sit up.

She just smiles.

"I even went through Lorrie's bags and found condoms. Whore, but I've got one." I get up, going to go find them.

"No," Corrie says, her voice different.

I don't stop. "Protection isn't an option, Corrie. What if you get pregnant? Not until were long married."

"We don't need it."

"Even if your on the pill, a condom is still necessary," I say patiently, pulling out the little packet. "Now I don't really know how to put it on so..."

"No, Aaron, we really don't need it," says Corrie, now sounding perilously close to tears. I look up at her, now confused.

"Whats wrong baby girl?" I ask, walking over.

"I was... Getting worried that my dad or or one of th-the men h-he sold m-me too had given m-me and STD so I made Alec take me t-to the hospital. I-i always thought I was j-just one of those girls who d-din't get their period until r-really late but-" she cuts off, wiping her eyes furiously, then restarts. "I don't have and STD, b-but all the m-malnurishment and t-treatment-."

I get what she's talking about now. "Oh Corrie, baby, its all right," I say, hugging her. Her tears fall weakly on my shoulder. "ITs okay."

"N-no its not! I always used to imagin my life th-thirty years from n-now. Its what helped m-me for a while... Aaron I can't e-ever have k-kids and th-they're all I w-want. I want a little daughter like Beth."

"Its okay angel. Just because you can't get pregnant doesn't mean you can't still have kids. We'll adopt. A little girl from Korea, a little boy from Africa, one of those rescued child soldiers, and a set of blue eyed blonde haired twins. The twin genes run in my mom's side, but if we can't have them ourselves, we'll adopt."

Corrie smiles weakly. "You are wonderful." When I kiss her I can taste her tears on her lips. "I'm sorry I kind of killed the mood."

'If you don't want to, I waited this long."

"No. I want too." She reaches her arms behind her back and unhooks her bra. "I love you Aaron."