A Stupid, Hopeless Crush

Chapter-2 Worst Punishment Ever

I wake up real early, and run to Kris's room first thing in the morning. If I tell you that his room is dirty, I'd be putting it way too nicely. Yeah, it's huge like mine, but it looks like a pigsty, minus the mud. The trash and the pig are present.

I walk inside, and I'm greeted with the strong stench of cologne and sweat. I swear to the gods, I think he bathes in that stuff. The whole place is dark and messy and reeks. There's a TV, like mine, but no video-games, only DVD's of action and porn movies, strewn across the floor.

I step through piles of clothes on the floor and jump on his bed, where he lies, snoring. "Kris! Wake up!" I say, poking him. He just mumbles something like 'Chocolate' and turns over.

That's it.

I sit down on the bed beside where he's sleeping. "I'm really sorry, bro," I say, before kicking his ass hard, making him fall on the floor with a loud thud. "Ow! What the heck?!" he exclaims, as he gets up from the floor, rubbing his head. I can see a welt on his head from colliding with the floor. I look at him and laugh, my sides aching. His expression is literally priceless! Oh gods, where's a camera when you need one?

I'm rolling on the bed, laughing, when I'm suddenly pushed down. "Kris! Stop it!" I yell, laughing. He pins my arms with one hand, and tickles me in the side with another. "Oh, no way, sis! I'll have my revenge!" He tickles me until my sides ache and my face is flushed red. That's when he finally lets me go.

"What're you doing here, by the way?" he asks me, once I've sat up. "I wanted to ask you whether you'd talked to Mom yesterday," I say, rubbing my sides.

He looks at me, suddenly serious. "No, not yet. But promise me you won't cry if she doesn't allow you."

I look at him like he's from outer space. "Are you crazy? I just cried yesterday, because I've never experienced grounding, and you know that." He nods. "Yeah, yeah. Now go on, get out of my room."

I smile, and shaking my head, I walk out.

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

"Kylee? Come inside; I want to talk to you," Mom says, and I follow her inside the study. Our study is really beautiful - because Mom and I chose to decorate it. There are a couple of plush armchairs in front of the window, a coffee table in between them. An elegant mahogany desk stands in the center; a large chair behind it. The whole back wall is covered with bookshelves, like in a library. The walls are peach-colored and there's a Cashmere carpet on the floor. There are several portraits on the other walls, like the Mona Lisa (fake of course), Joan Of Arc and others. The opposite wall is covered with our family photographs, kind of like a timeline.

Mom sits down on one of the armchairs and I take my seat on the other one. "Kylee, your behavior yesterday was really irresponsible. Your father and I were very embarrassed when Kris rushed down the stairs saying that you were nowhere to be found. Kris talked to me a while ago and told me that you're very...unhappy, about not going to June's house. So, I have a punishment for you."

I jerk my head up. "And if I fulfill that punishment, I can go to June's?"

She nods her head. I squeal and reach over, hugging her. "Thanks, Mom! But what's the punishment?"

"You have to bake one of your special cakes and take it to the Dashners, as an apology for what happened yesterday. Only then can you go to June's house," says she. I pull back and stare at her blankly, before bursting out laughing. "Oh Mom! You kill me with your jokes!" I exclaim in between laughs. She just glares at me impatiently. Noticing the look on her face, I stop laughing abruptly, and suddenly my brain flashes a warning that she might be serious.