This should be fun

Chapter 4

I'm not going. I don't care what she says or thinks, I won't go.

We had been arguing about this for hours now and I refuse to cave. Last time I went to a party, she forgot all about me. I stayed in a corner most of the night. It did help that it was a party out of state, but sucked because I was by myself alone the whole time.

"Ren, please," she said sticking her lip out. "You'd let your sister go to a party on her own. What if he's actually a rapist. I don't want to get raped. Do you want me to get raped, Aeron? I could get a STD or get pregnant and who's to blame, Aeron, because she let me go to a party alone."

I rolled my eyes at her spinning around in my desk in my room. Homework was much better than having this discussion. She came up behind me, whirling my chair back around facing my bed, where she was sitting.

"This is my last time asking, but before you answer, Liv doesn't that you bombed your chem test," she said crossing her arms.

I rolled my eyes again giving her a bored look. "And you point is? You bomb you're tests left and right and don't try to say it's because your not smart."

She chewed the inside of her lip, now focusing on her fingers. I wasn't for sure if I struck a nerve or not. She was real good at hiding or projecting emotions that she wanted you to see.

"I'm not a good test taker okay," she said shaking her head, like she was trying to get the thought out of her head. "That's expected of me anyway. You on the other hand, ace every test without trying. You failed that one, because she took your car away for a week. So do you want that secret to slip out or go to the party." She looked down to check her phone. "Shit, it's already midnight. It's either you come or don't which is it, I need an answer now."

"Why is this one an us thing? You never asked me to go with you before. Tell me why it's a must for me now. It was your choice to go, I'm not the one who told him yes. Nalani, I don't want to go so why won't you leave me be. Look at me," I said holding my arms out. "I still have flour in my hair."

Liv walked past scowling at us. Usually we'd be corralled in the living room, watching Netflix and eating popcorn. Not sitting in my room staring at each other like we're seconds from a screaming contest.

We gave her a gentle smile and she kept walking. Lani walked over to me, turning my chair around. Now I was looking at myself in my mirror above my desk. She pulled my hair out of my ponytail letting it hang over my shoulders.

"It's an us thing, because some random boy decided he wanted to befriend you out of no where and invites you to a party. He wasn't asking me, he just knew I wouldn't pass it up. Now I don't know who he is, where he actually came from or if he even likes you. I just want to see who he is, who he hangs with and why he's having a party." She started brushing the rest of the flour out of my hair. "It's just one night and I won't bail on you. It should be fun."

I rolled my eyes at, holding my hands up surrendering. "Fine. I'll go, but we leave before the sun comes up. Okay?"

Nalani nodded quickly, holding her pinky out for me to take it. I waited, there was still a catch. There was always a catch. I knew and she knew it. That was a trick I learned a long time ago when I agreed to something, she knew I wouldn't enjoy.

It's like 'I promise you won't get hurt on the balance beam, you can do the back flip.' Then I go over to the training beams and she's like 'oh I didn't mean that one.' I was waiting for the catch, but wrapped my finger with hers. She took one deep breath and smiled at me in relief.

"I know this whole anti-social thing isn't completely an act, but I know you aren't entirely shy. So for the night you're not, Aeron. You're, Ren, my sister, my best friend and you. The real you this time."