Notorious

Favoritism

Liam Russo has always been the golden boy that overshadows me.

He was captain of his soccer team –sorry footy team, since we moved to England- did volunteer work, earned straight A’s, and never ever got in trouble with our parents.

I, on the other hand, can barely run for two minutes without feeling like I’m gonna die. I have never been involved in any charity work unless it involved some form of compensation, I would’ve failed my classes if it wasn’t for some harmless flirting with my pervy teachers, and I had more red on my ledger than I would like to admit.

My brother and I have always been complete opposites really. He is Ross and I am Monica.

So, am I surprised that my mom calls Liam twice a week to check up, when she hasn’t bothered to call me for almost two months? No. Does it hurt? More than I would care to admit.

“Yes, mom, I got the care package in the mail,” Liam snickers at my agape mouth. Care package? The fuck, “I’ll deposit the money when we’re done with rehearsals.”

I childishly mock him behind his back and Zayn barely holds back his snorts of laughter. Liam turns to give me a glare, but I drop my hands and flash him an innocent smile before he can notice.

“Hi, mumsy!” I yell in his ear towards the phone and he cringes slightly.

“Yeah, that was Aspen. She says hello. Do you want to talk to her?”

I wait patiently next to Liam as he listens to our mom on the other line. His face falls slightly at whatever she is saying and avoids my eye-contact. I suddenly take interest in the rips of my boyfriend jeans already knowing what mom’s answer was.

“Love you too, bye,” he hangs up the phone and turns to me apologetically, “She had a meeting to go to. She said to tell you that she loves you, though. And that she’ll call when-“

“Yeah, yeah. No need to lie on mother dearest’s behalf.” I grumble and the heels of my boots click on the floor as I make my way over to the mic.

“Don’t be like that. You know she’s busy, she loves you just as much as me.”

My head immediately whips to face my brother who is now sporting puppy-dog eyes and pouted lips. The room fills with awkward tension as Zayn hums his way into the kitchen and Niall leads Avery away from our confrontation.

“Favoritism/ noun: The practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another,” Liam rolls his coffee colored iris’ in exasperation, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing, “She always went to your games instead of my gigs, she practically throws money at you, but won’t even lend me twenty bucks, and she still calls you constantly when I haven’t spoken to her for over a month.”

Liam is silent as my words sink in and his bushy eyebrows link together in pity, but I just shake my head. It bothers me, yeah, but I’ve lived my whole life knowing that if both of us were at the edge of a cliff, my mom would choose Liam to save every time.

I want to blame it on the fact that my emerald eyes match the exact shade of my father’s and that I get my plump lips and quick temper from the man that left my mother for some thirty year old harlot. But, I know it’s much more than that.

“It’s fine, Li. I don’t blame her for favoring you. I’ve disappointed her more times than I can count.” I muster up the best smile I can manage, but Liam has always been good at reading people and he is about to open his mouth before Avery waltzes back in.

“Harry is on his way up.” She can’t even control her giddiness as she pushes up her large chest. Traitor.

I groan exasperatedly at her words. It’s only been a week since Harry has joined our band I have already had multiple daydreams of killing him in various creative ways. I am really starting to question my sanity.