the him of hers

4

"Brea, would you please help me set this dinner table. Snapcat can wait a few more minutes."

"Mom why do we have to set the table with so many plates? It's just us."

"Go get Braylen. Give me that economic device of yours. Now!"

"My phone?" I asked while I scrolled through instagram.

"Give it." She snatched it out of my hands. "Go get him and do what I told you to."

I hopped off of the barstool in the kitchen and dragged my feet around the house to go find my brother. Apparently we were having someone over for dinner. Yet, I still didn't know who.

"Braylen! You're skateboard broke!"

I heard a fucking dinosaur upstairs on its way down. In a rush. As if there was an urgent problem. My lies always worked with this dumb nut.

"What?!" He damn near made gravity nonexistent the way he jumped down the staircase and landed, with a game controller in his hand.

"Go set the table for my mother."

"No! You do it dip shit!"

"Watching your damn mouths!" My mom was rushing around the kitchen. Trying to set one of the few meals she always made on the table properly. Chicken and rice with a side of green beans. "Bray clean the living room for me please. Brea, come help me set this table."

My brother and I glared at each other while my mom complained continually in the other room. He made a cutthroat gesture and gritted his teeth at me.

"Chicken little seems to be having a bad day today. Twins?" I teased him.

Braylen walked up to me now and was kind of towering over me.

I kept noticing over the years how he was gradually growing. He was an 11th grader this year, but it felt like yesterday when he was still that badass five foot 10 year old, not having as much of a smart mouth that he had now.

Now he was taller than me, a good 5'11. I had a feeling he thought his height could be intimidating. But not to me. I could still kick his ass any day.

"Step closer and you'll get fucked up."

Of course he did. Always trying me. So I reached up quickly and brought him down into a head lock. He fought back by biting me, which didn't affect much. The psycho always bit me.

I went to the floor with him still locked in my arms and started tickling him. Yes, that's the secret. Tickle any boy and they'll fold. But be ready for punches.

He attempted to throw strikes into my abdomen. He got a few in, but not many. My hands went to his throat and started pushing down. Not too hard. Not too soft. Just, perfect.

Braylen started screaming and laughs came out of my mouth. I was in victory. I was winning.

But his hands were free. I just remembered. Right when I remembered his fist went to my stomach and my insides felt like they opened.

"Fuck." I fell off of him and onto my back on the floor. He stood up and reached down to grab something attached to my body.

My hair.

This was the second time today.

"Braylen! No-" my voice was cut off when that same sharp feeling came from the top of my head.

"You two!" The "gods" my mother fucked with were on my side today as she rushed into the room we were in. She walked up to Braylen and plucked the side of his forehead repeatedly.

I knew it hurt, because she always did the same to me when I did some unacceptable shit.

My head lifted off of the floor and so did my body. I stood up, not ready to end this fight. I kicked off my shoes and tried to jump over my mom and onto my brother.

The doorbell rung and all of our bodies paused in action.

"Answer the door...or I will make this earth shake while both of you are still on it. If I don't terminate your lives first." She pushed us both away and smoothed out her dress, flipping her fluffy hair in the mirror back into place. And then she lifted her eyebrows at us and put one finger on the crystal around her neck. "Now." She was pissed.

Braylen walked over to the door. Quiet now, cautious. Not trying to break the thin ice we both were already on. He opened the door and didn't greet the people on the other side.

Something was wrong. Because he always said some sarcastic comment or something quick and simple to anyone he opened the door to. My brother turned around and looked to my mom, then to me. His eyes were wide.

"Well, greet our guests." My mom stood with her hands on her hips.

He didn't and instead moved to the side of the door. The unexpected people entered. They were for sure unexpected.

Axel, Blades, De, and some older man all walked in our home. As if they'd been here a million times.