My Sister's Boyfriend

Chapter twenty-one

I inched closer to him, I didn't care that he had been ignoring me this past week, I'm just glad he was back, physically this time. I went on my tippy toes and we grabbed each other tightly. I hoped I didn't stink, I had been sweating for about an hour.
    "Sorry I'm sweaty, I probably smell like armpits," I say embarrassed.
    "Oh it's okay, you've smelt worse," he jokes. I pull away from his hug and smack his arm,
    "Oh you jerk," I say, folding my arms.
    "Just kidding of course, and what's that I heard you screaming across the parking lot?" he asks with a h it's okay, you've smelt worse," he jokes. I pull away from our hug and I scoff and hit him on the arm.
    "Take it back right now," I say with a smile. He laughs and pushes my shoulder a little bit,
    "You know I'm just messing with you," he softens his smile. "So what's that you were screaming all the away across the parking lot?" he asks. I smile and clap my hands together with excitement.
    "Kara Webster is officially on the team again," I say. His eyes light up and he laughs. He then picks me up and spins me around,
    "See I told you you'd make it, I'm so proud of you!" he says putting me back down on my feet.
    "Thanks, I am pretty ecstatic myself," I say. "Hey, it's not a big deal but um-why didn't I get a text back this whole week, I was expecting a call or something?" I ask curiously. He sticks his hands in his jean pockets and looks off to the side, like he was guilty of something.
    "Sorry I was kinda busy this whole week, I uh- I've been distracted and my grades were kind of slipping," he says. I feel bad, I felt like it was me who was distracting him.
    "Oh-I'm sorry Danny, I hope I didn't have a play in that," I say hoping he'd dismiss that.
    "Well, I'm on break now so it doesn't matter anymore, let's get us home yeah?" he says. I half smile and nod slowly, did I do something? I think to myself as I get in the truck. The ride home was nice, snow crept down a little. We listened to our favrite christmas music until he pulled into his driveway. I hop out of the car and Danny and I walk over to my house. We walk in and my mom smiles at me as she's waiting in the kitchen.
    "I see you picked up the booger from try-outs," my mom says. I roll my eyes,
    "I'm on the team again mama, I made it," I say hoping she'd be proud of me. She nods and smiles a little bit,
    "Good job Kare, I know how much softball means to you," she says. I look at Danny and he has an upset look on his face,
    "I always wanted you in dance or even cheerleading, not sliding around in dirt, but I guess you can't have everything in life can you?" she says with chuckling at Carol, whose face was blank.
    "Well I think she's the best softball player I have ever met," he says putting his arm around me. I try to hide my smile, Danny was there to always pick me up.
    "Aw that's sweet honey," Carol says. I look up at him and as soon as I do that he takes his arm off of me, he must still not be over Kaley or something. Kaley walks in the door,
    "My gosh it's starting to get colder out there-" she says while stopping as she notices Danny. She doesn't move and she is just stuck there in her jeans and white sweater. Danny looks down, ashamed. I look around the room aimlessly. It was all super awkward.
    "Kaley I made the team!" I say breaking the silence. She shoots her eyes towards me,
    "That's great Kara," she says. "Excuse me, I'm gonna just walk right past-to my room," she says as she zips past us. My eyes grow wide, what an interesting holiday this is gonna be, I think to myself.
    "Oh danny we're all just so happy you're home, I wish you could stay forever," My mom says.
    "He wants to stay 3 extra years, but I told him I want grandkids," Carol says. I chuckle and look up at him with embarrassment,
    "No kids for a very long time mother, and you're staying a mother for a long time too," he says. We all laugh and then I turn to face him.
    "Hey you wanna go play some video games or something?" I ask. He siles for a second and then he breaths out. He looks around and then looks back at me.
"You know I've had a long flight I think I'm just gonna go take a nap," he says. I blink with confusion, he would never turn down video games with me.
    "Oh right- o-okay well you go get your rest then, we can play another time," I say with a soft smile. He nods and then taps my shoulder softly. He walks over to his mom and kisses her on her head and then leaves out of the door. My eyes dart to my mom and then I exhale, there was something going on with him. He was acting all nice last week and now it kinda seemed like he was trying to avoid me in some way. Later on I go and knock on Kaley's door.                 "What?" she asks annoyed. I open the door and she's on her bed doing homework.
    "You okay?" I ask. She looks up at me and nods,
    "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Kaley asks. I sigh,
    "Kaley it's okay you don't have to pretend with me, I know that you feel awkward," I say.
    "Okay and? Of course I do, it's fine I'm busy you can leave now," she snaps. I nod and then smack my lips,
    "Okay well goodnight," I say. She looks at me from the side, which in Kaley's language means to get the heck out of her room. She could be such a brat sometimes. I enter my room and throw my phone on my bed. I put my air pods in and then turn on some music. I begin to pick up dirty clothes off of my floor, and throw it into the hamper. I start to dance to the music, I grab my hairbrush and put it up to my mouth white mouthing the words acting like I'm a pop-star. I used to do that as a kid all of the time, and as you can see I still do it now, yes I'm guilty. I flip my hair and jump around like I'm in Hollywood, or the biggest stage. I keep jumping and singing until I'm stopped by a figure across my window. I do a double take and my head jolts over to Danny's window. He's leaning against his window frame with his arms crossed watching me. I tuck the hair that was in my face behind my ears as I collect the shame and embarrassment that I had just caused myself. He starts to smile and then he shakes his head, unfrtunately this wasn't the first time he had seen me do this. I pause my music and walk over to my window. He opens his and yells through,
    "Another pop-star night huh?" I suck my teeth and smack my head with embarrassment,
    "You will not tell a soul, you know I get into my music," I say.
    "Oh trust me I have it on video," he smirks.
    "Daniel Lorene you delete that now!" I yell
    "Woah, woah full name? Be careful now," he says. I start to laugh too, honestly I didn't mind that he was watching at this point. We both stop smiling and I fold my arms over the bottom of the window.
    "Hey Danny, are you like upset with me or something?" I ask concerned. He looks down and then looks back at me.
    "Not at all Kare, you should get to bed though," he says. There it is again the dimissing and sudden coldness. I nod,
    "Night," I say. He shuts his window and then closes his curtain which he never really did. My eye-brows furrow and then I close my window too. I take a shower and think about Danny, what could've gone wrong. Maybe I said the wrong thing, or maybe he really was just tired, maybe he still loved Kaley, who knows. As I laid in bed that night I thought about how the probability of us being together would be so low. And if we were together, no one would be happy. Carol always planned for Kaley and Danny to marry. My mom has their wedding already planned out. Her perfect angel in a ball gown. Pink roses and a beautiful three-tiered cake. Kaley of course would feel so betrayed, she's my sister I don't think I could do that to her, no matter how much I did love Danny. I needed to start getting used to the fact that I couldn't get what I wanted. The things that I wanted would always be a disservice to people, I didn't want that, and I never would.