Don't Give up on Me

"Andi! Andi, Andi!" Ryan screamed from his mustang as he pulled into the driveway.

"In here," I called from my art space, my feet propped onto my desk. All of the windows were open because this addition of the house wasn't air-conditioned like my father had promised. It was a good thing I wasn't currently working on anything, otherwise I'd be concerned about the breeze that kept blowing in. Instead, I welcomed it on this especially hot day.

"Where's loverboy?" he asks as he perches himself beside my feet.

"Getting some cereal, because why not?" I shrugged, grinning. "God, its hot today, isn't it?"

"Are you serious right now? It's 85 degrees. We used to go work with Gramps in 110 degree heat with humidity. I think you can withstand something minor like this," my brother scoffed, genuinely surprised at my comment.

"I have red hair and sensitive skin, it's a little hot for me, okay?"

"Excuses," he rolls his eyes, but we're both grinning. "Guess what?"

"You finally quit your ridiculous diet and went to Taco Bell?" I offer, making him chuckle.

"No, little sister, I'm not a Valley Girl on some stupid fad diet. I'm on a diet so I can keep these guns." He even flexed for effect. "This is actually serious, like, lifechanging."

"What is?" Zacky asks as he walks in, handing me my bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I smiled when the scent of cinnamon and sugar hit my nostrils.

"My news," Ryan fills in for him.

"Well, hurry it up, I don't have all day for this," I said after finishing a bite of my food.

"I forgot you actually work now," he mutters, then continues. "Anyways, I found a place. It's a few blocks away from your apartment, actually-" Obviously, he was referring to Zacky right now "-and my friend Benji's dad hooked me up since he owns the building."

"Does that mean-" I started, but he beat me to the punch with his excitement.

"We're moving out, little sister!" he grins.

I hated to be a buzzkill, since my brother's smile was the first genuine one I'd seen in a while. I, myself, was excited, too. But, it had to be asked. "Have you thought about how you're gonna tell Dad?"

His smile faltered. "Ten bucks says that Kyle erupts like Mount Saint Helen," Zacky says, adding his lame joke of the day. It was a good thing that, 1: I was used to them and often liked most of them, and 2: that I loved him, because honestly, some of them were horribly corny.

I bit my lip. Ryan hadn't said a word. "You know what I think you should say?" Still no answer. "Just say that you want to give him and Laura privacy when they get married. I mean, it's practically just you and I here most of the time, too. And if he tries go argue, remember that Serena lives in the guesthouse of the McMansion now."

He gives me an odd look. "How are you confident in that?"

"That's easy. My name is Andi, and I'm never wrong." Zacky snorts at my cocky answer. I felt my cheeks grow warm with anger, that asshole. "And, truth be told, I have a lot of time to come up with situations in my head at work, believe it or not. Business is slacking recently," I added lamely, taking another bite of my cereal.

"You've worked there for two weeks, Andi," Ryan points out.

"Yeah, well, I noticed that Ron doesn't play any baseball games on the million TV's he has on 24/7 and the Buffalo Wild Wings across the street has a hell of a lot more people there than we do."

"What?! How does a sports bar not play baseball? In the middle of baseball season!" Zack exclaimed.

"Babe, it's not a sports bar. We're two steps away from being a sports bar. Huge difference," I reply like the bitch I am. Maybe that's why we make a great pair.

He glares. I try not to laugh. "Okay, well, either way, it doesn't help me out," Ryan says, bringing me back to his attention.

"Look, Ry, you're overthinking this. Which is weird, considering that it's my job to do that. Just don't be hostile with him and don't let your temper get the best of you if he argues. Simple," I shrugged again.

"I think I'm just gonna take a drive and think about it. See y'all later," he finally says, climbing back into his Mustang and speeding off.

"Excuse him, he's on his period today," I told Zack jokingly when it was just the two of us again.

"Hey, I don't blame him. Your dad is fucking terrifying."

"I give it ten minutes before he comes back and paces while he waits for my father."

"You don't have much faith."

"This is Ryan we're talking about. You know how protective he can get when it comes to me, too, so he's dying to get this over with."

He grinned, and damn it, it still made me blush when he did that. He knew it, too. Like moths to flame, we were drawn to each other. It was no surprise that I found myself in his arms for the millionth time that day.

However, it was a surprise when we heard the familiar horn blare from my brother's Mustang, making us jump apart.

"Keep it PG, Baker," Ryan barked at Zacky, walking into the house.

"Yeah, yeah," Zack mumbled, waiting until the door slammed shut so he could kiss me again.

**************

It was childish, but I totally eavesdropped on my Dad and Ryan's conversation. I stood at the top of the stairs and listened to the echoing voices while Zack judged me from the doorway to my bedroom.

"I can feel your eyes on me, Baker, and they're not on my ass, so stop it."

"They are now," he replies simply before I shush him.

"So, Dad, how was work?" I heard Ryan's voice echo up. It almost seemed like he was purposely talking louder, knowing I was doing  the exact same sneak-tactic we perfected as kids. He would talk just above his normal tone, and I would hide and listen behind something so I could see whether or not we got to have something. It worked with getting tickets to see Rocky Horror when I was barely 12, but I knew that this would be a stretch.

"Son, you never work a day in your life if you do what you love." I scowled as I pictured my father's cheesy smirk plastered on his face.

"That's funny, I don't recall you ever saying that when we lived in Austin," I muttered under my breath.

"Shh," Zack said, startling me. I hadn't noticed him move beside me. "What?! You want to know this more than me."

I pressed as hand over his mouth as I listened in again. "Speaking of news-" Great, I missed something major. "I, um, got an apartment today."

"That's great, son," my father said, though I couldn't tell how he really felt by that.

Here's your shot, Ry. Don't you dare blow it. "Yeah, um, about that. I have something to talk to you about relating to that."

"So talk, idiot," Zack and I said in unison, briefly looking at each other before shutting up again.

"Shoot," my father says, the clanging of metal pots echoing upstairs. It was one of his rare Not Spending Time At The McMansion/Actually Half-Acknowledging My Children days, and the noise sounded familiar but tinged with relunctance.

"How would you feel if Andi moved into the apartment with me?" my brother says bluntly, his voice unwavering.

My father snorted a laugh. "Why would you want her to live with you? Don't all older brothers hate their annoying little sisters?"

"Harsh," Z says softly. I shrugged; this was nothing new for me.

"We have a better relationship now and you know that. I think its because we've both grown up."

"She still thinks that the world revolves around her, Ryan. That's still childish in my views. Exactly like your mother, if you ask me," my father says lazily.

"And he wonders why I'm never home," I spat, my temper flaring. Zacky's thumb rubbed reassuring circles into my hand then. It was the only thing keeping me here on this step rather than yelling at my father.

"Well, look at it from this perspective: she has a job, pays her own insurance, and she's as independent as much as she can be. She always has. I think this will be good for her, prepare her for when she graduates next spring."

"Thanks, Ry," I whispered.

"And before you say anything about her being too young for this, Serena lives in the guesthouse. They're the same age," Ryan adds quickly, taking my advice.

"I can see the guesthouse from the kitchen. Who's to say that Andi won't sneak her boyfriend in when you're not there?" my father says dully. I can practically see him roll his eyes.

"I'll kick his ass if that happened."

"I dare him," Zack laughed, trying his hardest to suppress it.

"Dad, just look at it like this: when you and Laura get married, you won't have to worry about her."

I don't know what offended me more, the fact that my dad actually contemplated that option or the fact that that statement was what made him say yes.

"How should we tell her?" my dad dared to asked.

"Don't worry about it. I've got it. I'll go tell her now," Ryan said, his sneaker clad feet noisily announcing that he was on his way up.

"Pack your shit, sister, we's movin' out!" he says after closing my bedroom door.

"Did he have to make that comment about Mom? So, what if I like to, Idunno, actually enjoy life? I almost fucking lost it. He's so insensitive," I fumed, stepping into my closet and closing the door.

"What are you doing?" they both asked through the thin door.

"Changing into something that makes me look good. We're going out."

"Am I included?" Ryan asks warily.

"How else are we supposed to get beer?" I asked in an "how fucking stupid are you?" tone. "Can you zip this for me?"

Zack obliges, but only because it was an attempt to raise the slightest of chills along my spine in a subtle way. I glared at him, but he knew it wasn't for the same reason I had sent the same one to my brother seconds before. He winked at me before gathering his wallet and keys. I did the same.

I knew that by going out, it would only prove my dad's point more. But he already agreed, and besides, this was the last time I could truly storm out of his house and he pissed me off greatly.

I need a drink, I thought to myself, and I need it now.