My Future Stepbrother

Chapter 66

I wake up with a sense of dread. I need to talk to Al.

I can hear May clattering around down stairs and Granny is already shouting. Fucking brilliant, Sabrina must have dropped them back early. Shit. Why didn’t they wake me?

“Brie!” My favourite little nuisance wraps herself around my leg. “Sabrina made us scrambled eggs for breakfast but then Granny told her she had tasted better boot leather and she got all huffy and brought us home.” Well that explains it.

I glare at Granny. “Gran, she was doing us a favour watching you guys. You can’t say stuff like that.”

Granny just rolled her eyes. “I basically raised that girl, she shouldn’t be so bloody sensitive to me. I ate it didn’t I? I used half a bottle of hot sauce to cover the damn taste but I still ate it!”

Sabrina was my mother’s best friend growing up and was one of the first people to add themselves involuntarily to the family. She was completely ashamed of my mother for abandoning us, she cut her off years ago but had really stepped up to support us since.

I can see Granny struggling with her pill bottles. “Give it here.” She huffs but hands it over reluctantly.

I put the different ones she needs in the morning into her bowl and grab her a water.

“Do you want something else to eat?” She just shakes her head and returns to watching her reruns. It’s been hard since she had that episode, she’s always been so active and involved with us but now she’s so tired and the meds are making it impossible for her to stay awake for more than an hour at a time.

I run out to grab the mail I had forgotten about yesterday. Well not so much forgotten as accidentally on purpose not looked so it didn’t spoil my day. How many final notices today? Oh only two. They’re going down.

I had been trying to pay everything off slowly but as soon as I had one under control another one popped up. I took the letters upstairs and hid them with the rest in the suitcase under my bed. I sat down with my notepad and tried to figure out which ones I could get done after my shift tonight. At this point the rent was becoming a lost cause but I’m pretty sure I can keep the electric on until we get evicted.

I let my head fall back against the bed as I sat on the floor in front of the mirror. My hair was now more matt than curl and I’d forgotten to wash off last nights make up. It wasn’t my best look.

“Brie can you do my homework with me please?” May’s little voice shouted up the stairs. Time to put on your happy face Brianna.

I plaster on a fake smile and get ready to face the day.

I’m nearly two hours into what should have been a five minute homework sheet, if May would’ve just sat and paid attention, and losing the will to live.

I’m finally saved as my phone lights up showing Aleah calling.

“Al! Are you okay?” I’ve been so worried about her. I spot May grabbing a large kitchen knife from the drawer as she attempts to cut herself an overly large  slice of brownie. “May! Put that thing down before you kill yourself!” I grab the huge knife from her tiny hands and cut her a more appropriate slice. “Sorry babe, where are you?” I ask returning to my phone.

I pop my head into the living room and see May cuddled in with Gran nibbling on her cake. I take the opportunity to run upstairs and lock myself in my room for a moment.

I’m relieved to hear she’s at her old house and not some shady motel, not that I think Jayce Thompson would ever step foot in a motel anyway.

“It’s the lie Brie....I fucking hate liars, you know that.”

My heart sinks. She deserves to know. I don’t know why I didn’t just tell her straight away? I look at my outfit for work tonight laying on top of my drawers. She would never judge me, she loves me.

“Babes, can you come over in a bit?” I ask hopefully.

She can sense my worry, she always could. Hiding my emotions from that girl was pointless, she knows me too well.

“Yeah of course just let me.. fuck, Milo!”

Fuck Milo? She wants to bang another Thompson brother?

She explains that she already has a day planned with the cuter brother. I’ll grab her early in the morning and talk to her before class, I can’t keep this in any longer. We don’t keep secrets, it’s just not us. I hate this.

She seems different though, more relaxed than she should be considering everything she found out last night. Oh my god..

“You, Jayce, whole house to yourself- spill!”

I can practically hear her smirk through the phone. “Are you sitting down?”

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

I am so bloody happy for that girl. I’m not jealous... not at all... okay a little bit. She had this amazing guy who would literally die for her making her feel like the most important girl in the world when she gave him everything she had. I on the other hand had no-one, a life full of responsibilities and lost my virginity around the back of a Burger King to a guy I’d met that day whilst his mate kept a look out for anyone coming. Not exactly the most romantic story.

At least I’d convinced her to get the injection with me last month. Miss ‘I’m a virgin so why do I need to get stabbed with contraception’ will be glad I made her do it now her and Jayce will be at it like bunny’s. I’m far too young to be a auntie yet and the world isn’t ready for lots of tiny Thompsons running around the place.

I start getting set up for tonight. It takes too long to put on the crazy level of make up required for this job and I’ve got rehearsal first as well. I know I’m spreading myself so thin I’m practically stretched to the point of being transparent but a girls got to do what a girls got to do.

As evening comes I thank the lords that Harley dropped me to the Manor yesterday and I still have my car. Facing Cole or Tara right now is not something I wanted to see on my never ending to do list.

I grab my keys off the counter.

“May’s flat out, I’ve ironed her uniform and made her lunch ready. There’s soup in the microwave if you get hungry but make sure you’re careful pulling it out when it’s hot.” I can feel her eyes burrow into the back of my head but I don’t care.

“I’m not an invalid Brianna! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. My hand is almost completely healed now anyway!” She waves her arms at me dramatically.

“Yes Granny but please just be careful, for me?” She could never argue when I asked her to do something ‘for me’.

I take a deep breath as I grab my bag from the side.

“I’ve got rehearsal until really late so don’t wait up for me okay?” I’m lying. She knows I’m lying. I know she knows I’m lying.

Granny struggles to push herself up from the chair. “Damn stiff joints!” I grab her arm and help her get up right.

She looks at me concerned. “Pumpkin, maybe I should talk to Ms T about going back a few days a week? Just until we’re a bit more together, then you wouldn’t have to... stay at rehearsal so late.”

I look at the beautiful woman who raised me. Her face has more lines and her hair more grey but she still has those gorgeous eyes. I know she hates this but we both know it’s just what needs to happen at the moment.

“No. You’re not well enough to do anything like that right now and I wouldn’t let you even if you were. You’ve done enough taking care of everyone. Let me take over for a bit.” She strokes her finger across my cheek and I see the disappointment she’s trying to hide in her eyes. I know its not even directed at me, nothing I do would ever disappoint her – unless it’s my attempt at her fried chicken.

“You take the weight of the world on your shoulders Brianna, you always have. I wish you’d split the load sometimes.”

I smile. “I’ve got big shoulders, I’ll be fine.”

I get outside and get into my front seat. As I look into the mirror I see a small tear threatening to spill but I refuse to let it leave.

I’m a bad boss bitch, I got this.

**********

Rehearsal was a flop. Cindy flaked again so Harley didn’t have a partner and the transitions in the dance just aren’t working. I need to borrow Al this week to sort them out.

I get changed quickly in the toilets and wrap myself up in my long coat to cover my work uniform. I step out and crash instantly into Ms Day.

“You finish? You clean. You lock up.” I’m sure her Russian accent gets thicker through out the day. Great just another thing for me to be in charge of.

Harley graciously offers to stay and help me clean up. He’s been coming to this class for years and I’ve watched him bloom from the shy little feminine kid who got bullied by his own shadow into the strong confident gay man he is today. I’m so proud of him.

“So are you going to tell me about that secret boyfriend of yours yet?”

He smirks. “Are you going to tell me about that secret job of yours yet?”

Touché.
 
He gives me a hundred squeezes before I get in the car as his own personal version of a pep talk. I’ll take it.

Okay. Time to go to work.

I’m not sure why I’m still sitting in the car staring up at the building. I can already hear its busy and if I get in any later the manager is going to tear me a new one. I notice one of the bulbs has broken in the sign but you can still see what it says - ‘Square room’. No more hiding Brie, it’s time to face what you are.

As I step through those doors I can sense the change wash over me. I’m no longer Brianna but now..

Destiny – The stripper.