Dramatic Summer Love Story

Sibling Supper

I sit up quickly in the bed I'm in. I look around me and see that I'm not in my own room. The room is also dark and so I wonder what the clock is. I check my phone which sits on the bed beside me, it reads 10:24, I slow down a bit and relax before realizing it's Thomas's room I'm in.
My head turns to the couch and my memory tells me nothing happened between us. Don't know what I would do if something had happened, would I be devastated or happy? It's a question I won't ever get the answer to.
As I continue to look around and try and figure out what I'm supposed to do I feel my whole body start to turn upside down, my head starts to pound and the familiar feeling I get before throwing up is in my stomach. I remember about the bucket Thomas gave me last night and quickly get it before puke starts inclining up my throat and out of my mouth and nose, the sour taste disgusts me and I gag and coke while puking. I hear rustling on the couch behind me as I finish up my business.
I lay my hand on the top of the bucket and look up at Thomas. "Good morning," I say and the smell that comes up makes me want to hurl again.
Thomas just chuckles and greets me. "You can clean up the bucket in the bathroom."
"What a gentleman, your guest throws up and you don't offer to clean it up yourself." I tease but there is no joy on my face after that incident.
"Well you made the mess and I'm not about to clean it up for you if it isn't all over and you aren't dying."
"I fucking am," I say and stand up with the puke-filled bucket in my hand.
"You know where the bathroom is," Thomas says and keeps his eyes off of me while I walk out of his room in my underwear.
In the bathroom, I clean up the bucket and leave it in the tub to dry. I slump down on the cold toilet and my body cringes from the cold. How did I end up in this situation? And why do I crave the attention from him, I want Thomas's eyes on my half-naked body? Maybe I should just admit to myself and Thomas that I kind of maybe possibly may like him.
I take a deep breath and stand up from the toilet that my skin just started getting used to. Like last night I quickly cleanse my mouth with mouthwash and leave the bedroom to return to Thomas's bedroom.
Thomas stands by his couch facing away from the door, he's putting on a shirt making his back muscles flex and my fingers want to touch them. But I don't allow them to.
Thomas hears the door close and looks at me bending over for my clothes that are beside the bed.
"How are you?" He asks, probably because of me puking, he has also opened a window to air the room out.
"I'm fine." I shrug and throw my things on the bed so I don't have to keep reaching down. "Better after filling the bucket but my head's still pounding."
"Well hurry up and get dressed," Thomas says and slumps down on his couch. I wonder why his tone changed from very nice to not wanting me around and having to get the hell away from me, or am I overthinking this? Well instead of answering him I nod and turn around to clothe myself. Every once in a while when I look back Thomas looks stressed and like he needs to be somewhere yesterday.
"Are you okay?" I ask because it's polite and I'm also curious about this thing he has got to do right now.
"Yes I'm okay, what's not okay is you taking three years to put on a couple of clothes." Why the hell is he so sour all of the sudden.
"Sorry," I mumbled not really knowing for what but not wanting to maybe make him feel better if I can even do that.
Thomas doesn't respond so I try to speed up putting in my clothes and when I'm done, or finally done to Thomas, we walk out of his room after I quickly grabbed the last of my things and we go up to jump into our shoes, and then Thomas practically pushes me out of the front door.
I walk by his car and then stop. "Where are you going?" I ask him as he opens his car door.
"Westminster." He answers, and I nod.
He starts the car and I hop into the passenger seat.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Thomas clenches his jaw and looks at me his eyes angry.
"Well since you're going there anyway I thought I could get a ride."
"Yo7 thought wring, now get out."
"No, because I got an offer for you." I pause. "If you take me with you I'll pay the gas there and then I'll also get you something from the shop."
Thomas stares at me then he looks back straight forward and turns the engine on, my eyes are still on him and they scan his jawline and the small freckles he has. He's hot and cute at the same time I realize.
"You know starting was not a part of the deal," Thomas tells me and I smile and look away my cheeks turning red as we back out of the driveway and start driving.
Again I find some music to play and when we get to the gas station I pump gas into the car pay for it and then I ask what Thomas want's from the store and then I go buy what he wants and I too.
Once I have given him my gifts Thomas turns the music up to a level where we cannot talk so I take the hint and don't talk until we're outside of my mom's house.
"Thomas," I say softer than I wanted to.
"What?"
"I just wanted to say thank you for you know letting me crash and being such a gentleman about it, I'm really thankful for it."
"Yeah, it was no problem, usually you can just hit me up if you need something or whatever."
I smile, "Thomas I don't have your number." But as I say it I remember the prank call I made to him from my phone. "Never mind, I do have it, just forgot it."
"Yeah exactly." Thomas smiles and I bid him goodbye and thank him one more time.
I climb out of the car and walk up to my mom's new house, it's a suburban house you see in American movies with a white picket fence and other cute little things that slightly annoy me. When I reach the blue door I knock twice quickly and then walk in.
"Hello!" I yell and take my shoes off.
"Hey," Viktor says while he walks between rooms with a box of decorations. Mom runs after him but doesn't greet me. I follow them all into the living room and they stand by the fireplace, Viktor holds the box, and mom puts decorations on the fireplace to see what fits.
Brooklyn then walks in with another box and instead of holding it like Viktor she puts it down on the couch that is assembled but yet to be moved in the right place. This house looks too much like an American movie house if I was going to live here I would be so bothered by the fact that I'd live on a movie set.
"Hey," Brook says and I open my arms for my younger sister to walk in. I squeeze her and before I let go she wheezes the air out of her lungs once she's out of my arms she catches her breath and smiles.
"Do we have anything to eat?"
"Yes," Mom says.
"Nothing you'd like." Viktor corrects her.
"I haven't eaten so can we go get some food?" I ask Viktor mostly because mom won't abandon the food in her fridge.
"I'm going with you," Brook tells us.
"Yeah, won't you be alright if we go out for a bit?" Viktor asks mom and I'm already on the way to get my shoes on, Brook does the same except she needs to get a jacket from her room. I go out and when I hear Brooklyn run downstairs and then into her shoes I hurry into the passenger seat so I'll be sitting in front. Viktor is right behind Brook as she runs out and gets disappointed to see me in the seat she wanted.
"Unfair." She sticks her tongue out at me and Viktor shakes his head as he gets in his car.
"I played very much fair and square."
"Bullshit."
I roll my eyes at her crying and then we drive out of the driveway.
We drive towards the small downtown in Westminster and talk about where we want to go while I also send a text to dad telling him where I am, we decide on Chick-fil-a. We pull into the parking lot, and I already know what I want when we get inside I tell Viktor it and then pick a table for us three siblings.
Brook comes over when she's done ordering and leaves Viktor to wait for the food himself.
"So what's up?" I ask her.
"Nothing, just the usual mom wants me to stay to help her but I want to go to dads to be in Hampstead." Brook sighs.
"That's just typical mom, why don't you get Viktor to drive you to dads?"
"Because he won't like going behind mom's back."
"Are you kidding! You don't know a lot about Viktor, do you?" I chuckle. "He lies and does things he's not supposed to do all the time even though mom and dad both have had a conversation about why he shouldn't do it."
"I did not know that, it always seemed like he was the golden boy and you the rebel girl than me the angel."
"Well, that is definitely not the way it is. I may be a rebel at times, Viktor is just better at hiding his rebellion."
"Then I'm going to talk to him."
"Let me know if he doesn't agree then I'll talk to him." I wink at her as Viktor sits down beside her.
"Talk to who?" He asks and slides over my food.
"No of your goddamn business," I answer him and unwrap my chicken burger.
"Okay." Viktor immediately gives up for some reason, maybe because he knows how stubborn I am and he won't get the information out of me.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"What's up with you?" I ask once more.
"Nothing, just waiting to start the next semester," Viktor tells me.
"Nice."
"You?"
I take a bite out of my burger and lift my finger telling him to wait. Behind Viktor, I see Chloe and Aaron walk out of Chik-fil-a. I swallow and start talking. "I'm trying to find a part-time job over the summer and just enjoying the summer before college."
We continue talking and teasing each other like siblings do and finish our meals. We head back to the car and I allow Brook to sit in the passenger seat. We drive home and when we get inside I call Chloe to ask how she's getting back home to Hampstead.
"Thomas will be getting me." She says.
"Okay, can I tag along, and also when are you going?"
"You probably can and he's picking me up in a half an hour from Aarons's house."
"Great, I'm at my mom's so I'll be there in twenty," I say and then hang up.
I walk into the kitchen where mom is stacking plates on top of each other with help from Viktor while Brook checks out the boxes around them.
"I'm going," I say, my mom's face becomes a little sad but she tries to hide it and I don't really want to stay here and do some unpacking.
"Okay, honey." My mom walks to me and wraps me in her arms, I hug her back, and when we're done I fist ump Viktor and hug Brook, then I leave.
The walk isn't short or long so I just walk normally and look around myself at the almost identical suburban houses, I don't think I ever want to live in a town like that unless it's Hampstead. The time I left Hampstead for five years was horrible, I got in lots of trouble with friends I shouldn't have been with but the trouble never got out to my parents. Those years were pretty unpleasant and I never want to end up in that situation again.
I walk past a park and at a corner of it I walk up a street and on the third last house on that street is Aaron's house. I sit down outside not wanting to bother their goodbye session. On the step, I sit on I pull up my knees to my chest and wait. Two minutes later Thomas pulls up. I walk to him and get in.
"What?"
"I'm coming with Chloe."
Thomas nods quietly and I look around the car, there are bottles of Red Bull all over and I open the glove compartment.
"What the hell are you doing?" Thomas asks. I would think it would be in an angry voice but his voice is calm, maybe because he has nothing to hide.
"I'm looking around." I continue to rummage through his things, I find a bunch of booklets and screws and some shit but also a pack of condoms. I take the condoms out and show them to Thomas. "Who's the lucky girl?" I smile but my stomach feels like it's in a knot.
"There is no lucky girl."
"For how long?" I ask without thinking.
"None of your business." He answers.
"I've been craving some dick," I admit, my mouth talking without communicating with my brain.
Thomas laughs. "Are you not a virgin?"
"No, what are you think that?"
"Don't know, just never thought that Taylor Blake was having sex."
"Well I have, how many partners have you had?"
"Four."
"All girls?"
"Yeah, what about you how many people have you done?"
"Don't say it like that." I scold him and close the glove compartment.
"Sorry." Thomas puts his hands up.
"But I've been with three people."
"All dudes?"
"No, I had sex with a girl once."
"How was that?"
"I liked it."
Thomas nods and we go quiet.
"How long have you been dry?" He asks me.
"Funny, I'm not telling you if you aren't going to tell me."
"Okay, I haven't had sex for eight months."
"Rough," I smile. "I'm not better though, I had sex last summer around the end of it." I sigh.
"That's even longer than me." Thomas smiles and I jokingly I've him my middle finger. We hear the front door open and we both look, Chloe is on the way to us except she gives Aaron one more kiss and then also a few more.
When I look back to Thomas he's opening another Red Bull.
"How many do you drink in one day!" I ask.
"Three to four," Thomas says.
My eyes are wide but I still ask, "Can I have a sip?"
"Sure," Thomas answers and takes a sip himself before handing it over to me, and finally, when the Red Bull is in my hand Chloe sits down in the car.
"Hey," I say to her and tilt my head and Red Bull to drink.
"Hi!"
"Did someone get some last night?" Thomas asks her teasingly with an arched eyebrow, he looks back at Chloe waiting for an answer.
"I'm no longer a virgin!" Chloe exclaims.
"Are you kidding?" I finally turn back to her after staring at Thomas.
"Nope, after you dropped us off last night Aaron remembered his family was visiting his grandparents in Washington and so we were home alone and one thing lead to another." Chloe smiles, she and Aaron have been dating for a little over a month, and since I lost my virginity in an awful experience I've been telling her to take it slow before she had sex even though it might not seem like a big deal at the time and she kind of didn't do that but she's happy so until she's some other emotion I'm also happy.
"Good for you," Thomas says and smiles even though he probably doesn't want to know any of this. He turns back but I look at her for a while longer.
"What?"
"Nothing, I'm just happy for you."
"Okay," Chloe says and I turn back and sit down.
I look at the road as we drive home to Hampstead, my eyes, however, flick over to Thomas constantly and I try to keep them fixated straight ahead.
We roll into town and my grandparent's house is the first in the town so I see that everyone is there. We drive to Chloe's house and he drops us off there. I thank him for the ride and also say goodbye t9 Chloe and leave to walk to my grandparent's house.
I arrive and my dad's brother's family is there, he has a wife and two daughters, I immediately get attacked with hugs from my nieces. After I hug them they continue running around and I walk to the adults and sit down with them, I often listen to their conversations more than I engage in them and so when I can't keep track of their conversation because my mind diverts to thoughts about Thomas they don't notice anything.