Amor Vicissitudine

I let out a frustrated growl as I entered my apartment, tossing the guitar from work on the couch as I passed the living room,

"Fuck!" Someone exclaimed sharply, sounding in pain. Wait.. No one else was in the apartment but me. I backed out of the hallway and looked on the couch.

Jaime was laying on it, wrapped in a blanket as though he'd been sleeping there,

"Jaime, what are you doing in my house?" I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, not even caring about the hostile tone in my voice,

"I came to see Sicily. I thought you guys were out." He looked terrible.

His hair was standing up in places it didn't normally and he looked like he hadn't shaved in who knows how long. His eyes were dull and droopy and were surrounded by a redness saying he hadn't slept either. I could almost smell the alcohol on his breath from where I stood.

This definitely wasn't the Jaime I knew,

"No, no Ci's still out. I just got off work and I haven't seen her since I left." I watched as Jaime pushed the guitar off of himself and sat up, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands, "Hime- I'm sorry about everything that's happened." I sat down next to him on the couch, trying to soften my tone. He just nodded and gave me a soft, sarcastic, laugh, "Really. But you need to get cleaned up. Sicily isn't going to want to see you like this."

He nodded again and rubbed his face,

"You know what, you shouldn't have to apologize, I was being a dick about you two. I'm sorry. I can't help but think that this was my fault and that maybe Sicilia really isn't part of the family..." He paused and looked at me. I could see the pain in his expression as he said that, "She's more like our father than I would ever like to admit. So head strong and ambitious and.." As he tried to think of a word to describe Sicily the front door opened, "Wild."

Sicily came in with two of her best friends, Courtney, a young Australian who'd moved here about three years ago to take a shot at the American dream. And Taylor, whom she'd known since fourth grade. All three of them stopped when they saw Jaime and I sitting on the couch together,

"J-Jaime?" Sicily almost didn't recognize her older brother, "What are you doing here?" Jaime and I looked at each other and then he stood up and grabbed her in a tight hug,

"I came to say I'm sorry for being such a fucking failure of a brother and that I miss you and I want you two to come live with me." Ah wait what?

Jaime wants us to live with him? Sneaky sneaky.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at Sicily who seemed just as amazed as I was as she hugged Jaime,

"Wait, you want us to come live with you?" Sicily clarified what he had said and stopped hugging him, holding him at arm's length,

"Yes. to say sorry." He held Sicily's arms, "I know I may look like a mess now, but give me some time and everything will be like it was."

Jaime really was something else. Accidentally lets his under aged sister get wasted and wander off with a stranger who becomes her boyfriend and ends up getting her pregnant only to apologize for not being a good brother by letting them live with him. I could live with that,

"Wait, Jaime. I have to tell you." No. Fucking no, Sicily don't you dare fucking tell him, "I'm pregnant."

God dammit.

I let out a slightly pissed off sigh and scooted away from Jaime.

No use. He turned around and smacked my neck, leaving the area stinging sharply.

I nodded and pursed my lips,

"I deserved that." I decided to stop fighting him. Why try when he can clearly beat me any day of the week. I scratched at the place that he'd slapped and looked at him. He was thoroughly pissed off but he wasn't showing it obviously,

"You little shit." Despite his mood he smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet, "Let's go have a drink, to celebrate! You are going to be a dad and guess who offered us places in a new band?"

"What? Who?" Jaime and I had completely pushed aside the fact that he was probably wanting to pound my face in to share a common interest,

"The Fuentes Brothers!" They were starting a band? Since when?

"No way! What did they need?" I hoped to god not a singer or a drummer,

"Bassist and guitarist! What do you want? I'll let you pick first." Jaime walked out of the room toward the bathroom.

Ooh. Tough choice. I loved playing bass. It was so fun and you could do so much in the breaks that were always present. But guitar was also so energetic and that was where I knew best,

"You can have bass."

"WOOH!" What a goober.