Everyday Combat

I had quite possibly painted myself a hole in the paper I was working on. It was Brian's fault for infuriating me so much; I hadn't ratted him out to Zack for the other night but only because I could use it as a means of leverage over him in the future.

No, if he found out it was because Matt had either told someone else or he had gone straight to my brother. It was not because of me, I swear down.

But then, this hole in my paper could also have been assface's fault. As in Assface One as in my brother. I've already mentioned how it could be the fault of Assface Two.

Frustrated that I wasn't suffering a creative block, rather more of 'I'm-a-teenager-and-I'm-so-pissed-off-at-the-world-right-now-it's-so-cliche-it-hurts-me' block, I stood up, screwing the paper into a ball and lobbed it through the basketball hoop to land in the trash can beneath it.

Then I tipped my water out down the drain, stuffed my brushes into the pot and stalked back inside. The house was nice and cool but I had no intentions of staying in it if Zack and dad were inside of it. Had mom been here I might have stayed in but as it were she was stuck in court once more.

I totally did not understand how my mother could be a lawyer, and my father a highly respected officer of the law and yet we didn't seem to be able to afford life’s luxuries. Mom and dad drove the cars they drove because they were company cars but that was it. Where was the rest of it going?

I mean we weren't exactly dirt poor; we lived comfortably. We were kept in a nice house with a nice garden in a nice area, our mom would shop for groceries once a week, and once a month sometimes twice we could go out as a family for a meal. Our wardrobes were full of clothes. If we needed something, within reason it was brought. Our parents made enough money to make sure they could care for us.

"Some of it is going towards college funds for you two," Mom had once explained. "Some of it pays bills. Some is being saved for Christmas, and some for your birthdays. But quite a bit of it goes on paying for flights to Italy and paying you two's doctor's bills."

Oh yeah. That's where it went. Well we'd have more if they shipped Zack off to live in Italy with our great-grandfather who is totally scary and shit, on a Mafia scale (just not a Mafia member, unless there's something he hasn't told us) but only when he wants to be. He has so much respect for women, and if he knew Zack was being the way he was, he'd be in for it.

Stepping back outside onto the porch and smirking to myself at the thought of what granddad Uccio, the head of our family, would do to Zachary for getting his beloved and angelic perfect sister Faith into trouble and upsetting his girlfriend and implying stupid thoughts such as he had.

I mean, I even had some girl called Kathryn call me in the middle of the night to ask me what was up, and I have no idea who the hell she is!

But anyway, I shoved my aviator glasses over my eyes to shade them from the sun but unfortunately they didn't block the unwanted sight of Brian shuffling up the garden path towards me, wearing his board shorts with his top slung over his shoulder.

He stopped just before he got to the porch, and I stopped on its steps. Neither said anything but after a while I realised he was staring down at my body which was covered in a bikini and my own board shorts, and nothing else.

I glanced down at my toned stomach and then my legs to check I wasn't covered in bloody paint (just my luck I would have been) before realising there was no paint, he was just staring because of orders from his knob.

"Can I help you?" I frowned, folding my arms over my chest. Brian never replied, just kept staring. Rolling my eyes, I hopped down the steps into the full glare of the Sun and snapped my fingers in his face to get his attention before ripping off my sunglasses. "The face is here, dipshit. You talk to the face."

"Oh, err, sorry," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing slightly red and I laughed.

"Big badass Syn getting all hot and flustered over a girl," I joked, shaking my head lightly with a smirk. Yes, I was thoroughly enjoying this teasing, and it was the least he deserved for the other night. "Since when did that happen huh? I mean, I'm not exactly anything special."

"Faith have you looked in the mirror lately?" Brian retorted, trying in earnest not to stare.

Bless him.

"I mean, I would totally have you right here if your dad was-"

"You touch my sister and I swear to God I will kill you!" A voice suddenly interrupted from the depths of my house. I scowled, and Brian flushed even deeper red. We were silent for a bit, the both of us just standing there in the scorching heat with our top halves getting most of the damage.

Not that I burnt. I tanned.

"So erm, I'm sorry," Brian suddenly muttered.

"Yeah?"

Brian scowled. "Faith-"

"What?" I asked trying to be innocent. "If you're here to talk I'm busy with my non-existent boyfriend. In fact, I'm busy being a sour old crazy spinster cat lady kids think is a witch."

Brian huffed this time. "How many times?!" He almost yelled, throwing his head back to look at the sky. "You are not going to be single the rest of your life, Faith! Now let me apologise. This is your cake so damn well eat it."

"I am eating it," I grinned back. "It's good cake, too."

"So anyway, Matt told me what you said," Brian now said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "After he gave me an earful."

I rolled my eyes and looked down at my feet upon which I was wearing low top Chucks. I had long scribbled across the white toes, and made a start on the pink canvas with my own little sketches. Certainly the most original pair of Chucks I'd seen anywhere.

"I said a lot of stuff," I frowned, replacing my sunglasses as I looked back up. "He's just...iunno Brian, he says he's the most in love guy in the world and can't shut up about her and suddenly she's the biggest bitch known to man. I didn't actually care at first but now it's like, what the fuck? I mean, who's Kathryn when she's at home?"

Brian shrugged. "One of Sarah's friends perhaps?" He suggested and I shrugged myself.

"Well whatever the point is I had her calling me in the middle of the night to find out what was going on and I don't even know who she is!" I exclaimed, gesticulating like crazy. "The guy is a douche!"

"Yeah well, you guys take it in turns to be the evil twin don't you?" Brian grinned, trying obviously to lighten my mood.

I simply frowned, fighting a smile. "Not helping Brian."