Desolate - h.s. ✓

° forty-three °

     It was clear by the look on my mother's face that she did not like my dress. Of course, it did show some cleavage, but there wasn't much I could do about that. The dress fit my figure rather well, and my father said that he thought I looked nice. Ethan stared for a couple of seconds, appearing confused.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Ethan," my father scolded.

"She looks different," my brother stated.

"I'm just going to point out that Nikki is going to be seventeen. She isn't a kid anymore."

My mother still appeared displeased, but seemed to also understand what my father was explaining. Ethan appeared skeptical on my look, but glanced elsewhere. Since I was the last to finish up, we headed to the car. My brother texted on his phone for a majority of the car ride, leaving me to stare out the window. It wasn't long before we reached the restaurant, Anne, Robin, and Harry already there. I could tell when Harry looked at me, his eyes widening slightly and his hands nonchalantly falling into his jean pockets.

"Hello!" Anne greeted, hugging all of us. "I have missed our get togethers."

"Me too," my mother agreed.

Anne and my mother chatted, Harry and Ethan also talking. I felt a little left out while my father spoke to Robin, Ethan saying my name. He waved me over to where he was standing, Harry glancing me up and down briefly before looking at Ethan.

"It's her body, man," Harry stated. 

"Nikki, you don't think that dress isn't the slightest bit scandalous?""

"It's kind of weird that you're so worried about how much skin I'm showing," I told Ethan.

"Ew, I'm not trying to be some perv, I'm just saying," he muttered. "You look nice, but you also look like you need to make money."

"Mate, chill," Harry scoffed, the boy pissed suddenly. "You shouldn't talk about your sister like that."

Ethan rolled his eyes, saying he needed to use the bathroom. He told our parents, heading inside as I stood in front of Harry. It was hard for me to not push his hair back, or simply place a kiss to his cheek, Harry probably struggling also.

"You look good," Harry said. "Don't listen to him. "I wore this for you," I told him. "You know, to get you all worked up."

"Well, it is doing its fucking job."

Grinning up at him, Harry rolled his eyes. He talked to me softly about what he wanted to do to me, and how he would teach me a lesson for doing this to him when he was unable to so much as push my hair behind my ear. I felt my cheeks redden with his words, green eyes focused on me in the evening air.

"That's us!" Robin stated, showing the blinking item the host gave him.

We all headed inside, Ethan coming out of the bathroom right as we were about to head to the table. Somehow, I managed to sit beside Harry. It wasn't like we scoped out exactly how the two of us could sit next to each other, but it still worked out, Ethan sitting across from Harry.

"So, have you heard anything about UCLA?"

Ethan shrugged. "They're working on it. I know that someone is supposed to watch me play baseball, so if they like me then apparently they'll work their magic or something."

Harry nodded. I thought it was sweet that the boy beside me was worried about whether or not my brother got into the school he was attending. Before we could do much more talking, a woman came by, asking what we wanted to drink. I ordered a water, Harry doing the same while Ethan ordered a soda. I was pretty sure the parents ordered liquor, about to say something when Anne spoke.