The Plan [COMPLETED]

Funny Business?

You were absent-mindedly tapping your fingers on the table, staring at the front door. Ten minutes, it had been. Ten minutes since your mother announced dinner was ready, and yet, here you were with an empty plate, and a belly grumbling at the sight.

“Why do we have to wait? I’m starving!” You whined, making your mother laugh.

“You’re hardly going to starve sweetie. It’s proper manners to wait for your brother and Tom.” Your mum explained as she continued straightening out the cutlery by her hand. You could smell the dinner keeping warm in the oven, your favourite BBQ styled chicken and cheesy potatoes, and you whined again.

“They’re always late. It’s only Harry. Plus, Tom isn’t even family so technically…” You started rising out of your chair, but stopped after the cough and death glare you received from your mum. You pouted and started fiddling with your fork. Well, less fiddling, more stabbing the tablecloth.

“He might as well be.” Your mother sang. You rolled your eyes.

Tom had been friends with your brother for decades, eons in fact. Since they were little kids. Your mother had pretty much adopted Tom after him and Harry ended up in hospital after falling from a tree at the park. They only broke a small bit of their arm, but the fact that Tom had stuck with Harry, called the ambulance himself despite being like eight years old, and kept asking about him even when they were in different rooms, well that was enough for your mother to see that he was the type of friend she wanted Harry to keep around. And since then, she had made sure he had stuck around – always asking when Harry had last seen him, when he was coming round for dinner again. She damn near cried with happiness when Harry said they were moving in together after college, and you suspected it was more on the side of relief. If mum couldn’t be there for Harry, Tom was the next best thing in her eyes.

You on the other hand, got the brunt of this brother/friendship they had going on. Despite being only two years younger than Harry, you got all the schtick that came with being the younger sister, which involved a lot of teasing, and a lot of pranks, but having no choice but to spend time together. As you all got older, it was paired with everyone you tried to date being intimidated by the two hulking boys that always seemed to be behind you, and everyone they dated stuck their nose up at ‘the girl that always follows them around’.

Obviously, being in your mid twenties now, this was less of bother to all three of you. The boys were a package deal, and even though you didn’t live with them, you popped in when you could, and both Harry and Tom were quick to shut down any negativity towards you.

You smiled as you remembered one of Tom’s latest fling attempts, who screamed at him for even letting you into their flat. Tom had shrugged and then flung her bag into the hall, and the subsequent facial expression of the girl should have been framed and hung in a museum. Annoying as they could be, you were grateful to have such solid familial relationships.

However, that gratefulness quickly diminished every time they were late for food.

Which seemed to be every time your mother invited them round.

You groaned at your mother, ready to start another tirade of why she should let you eat now.

Then the door opened.

“Men are here! Where is the feast!” You rolled your eyes and stood as your brother and Tom waltzed into the dining room.

“Fucking finally.” You shouted as you walked over to the kitchen. “I’m getting first dibs on the potatoes!” You grabbed the bowl of potatoes, sidestepping your mother who had come to grab the rest, and headed to the table, putting the bowl right in front of your seat before plopping down.