Advil.

Chapter three.

Bien

"Hey bestie," I say, shutting the front door with a gentle click before settling down beside my brother on the living room couch. I let out a sigh of relief as I plop down, feeling the familiar comfort of being in the presence of family.

Mardy is sprawled out, wearing his slim office glasses and scrolling through something on his phone. His dreads are neatly bundled up in my pink bonnet, a sight that always makes me smile. It's one of those quirky things that make our shared moments feel special.

Absentmindedly, Mardy leans forward and presses a soft kiss on my forehead. "How was school today?" he asks, his voice warm and attentive.

"Normal," I shrug, taking off my shoes and tossing them into the corner. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Mardy tilts his head slightly, a hint of concern in his eyes. "You're sure you're fine walking all the way to school? It's quite a trek, and I don't want you pushing yourself too hard."

I laugh dismissively, waving off his concern. "I am. It's not that far, you know. Besides, my back doesn't hurt like it used to. I'm managing just fine."

"I'm just saying," Mardy begins, but his voice trails off as if unsure how to continue.

"No, I don't want you dropping me off," I insist, shaking my head. "I'm really okay. I've got it covered."

Mardy looks at me with a resigned sigh. "Alright, but you know I'm always here if you need a lift or anything."

"Thanks, but I really don't want you to worry about it," I assure him.

"Mom and Dad phoned today," Mardy says, his tone shifting slightly.

My heart sinks at the mention. "What?" I ask, disappointment evident in my voice. "I didn't get to hear their voices today."

"They'll call another time," Mardy says reassuringly. "They were just checking in. They miss you, you know."

My lips thin into a fine line. I miss living with our parents in Marseille, too. This whole high school experience in a different country was their idea of teaching me independence, but it often feels like the opposite. I end up relying on Mardy for almost everything, which sometimes makes me feel less self-sufficient than I'd like.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I'm about to ask. "So, did Rose talk to you about anything recently?"

Mardy's eyes lift from his phone, a look of curiosity crossing his face. "Oh, yeah. She mentioned a party."

"Mardy, pleaseee can I go?" I beg, my eyes widening as I look at him. I get up from the couch and put my hands together in a pleading gesture. "Pleaseeee."

"Bestie," Mardy begins, his tone more serious now. "You know how I feel about you going to these parties. They can get pretty wild, and I don't want you getting caught up in something you're not comfortable with."

"I'll be with Habibi and Tay the whole time," I say, trying to reassure him. Although I realize that mentioning only two boys might not be the best argument.

"Two boys," he repeats, his eyebrows raising.

"Well, Ren is going too," I add quickly, though I'm not entirely sure if Ren is going or not. "So I won't be alone or anything."

"No," Mardy says firmly, shaking his head. "That's not a good enough reason."

"Come on, I won't drink or anything. I really want to go. I haven't been to one of these parties in a while, and it's not like I'm going to be irresponsible."

Mardy scrutinizes me with a critical eye. "You usually don't plead so much when I tell you that you can't go to a party. Is there a particular reason you're so set on going to this one?"

I hesitate, wondering if I should tell him the truth. "Well, there's someone I'd like to see..."

Mardy's eyes narrow in suspicion. "A boy invited you?" he picks up quickly.

I stumble over my words, unsure of how to respond. "I..."

He chuckles lightly, his tone teasing. "You realize he probably wants to sleep with you, right?"

"No! He invited me because he's looking for an excuse to see me!" I protest, trying to sound more confident.

"And how would you know that?" Mardy asks, his curiosity piqued.

I hesitate for a moment, trying to frame my thoughts. "Because he's a really nice guy, Mardy. And all of my friends will be there too. May, Joey, everyone I know!"

Mardy's expression softens a bit, though he still seems skeptical. "Well, considering that Rose asked and she's responsible enough not to let her siblings go to wild parties..."

I stifle a laugh. Habibi is known for attending every party, no matter how wild.

"I'll let you go," Mardy finally relents, "but we'll need to lay down a few rules."

"For real?" I ask, my eyes widening in surprise and excitement.

"First of all," Mardy says, holding up a finger, "throughout the party, I need you to make sure you take your phone off Do Not Disturb. I need to be able to reach you and make sure you're okay."

I nod eagerly, reaching for my phone and opening the settings. "There, done! See?" I show him the screen with the notification settings turned off.

"And," Mardy continues, his tone a mix of authority and concern, "I know you have a tendency to dress in a way that might attract attention, but I don't want you wearing a skirt. You can wear anything but a skirt. I don't want you drawing unnecessary attention to yourself."

Mardy talks as if even if I were in a full military outfit, I would be able to keep it on if I were feeling a little rebellious.

"Yeah, sure," I say, nodding and grinning. "I'll do that."

"And," he adds, his expression turning serious again, "before you come home, I need you to call me first. I might not be home all night, and Carter is coming to pick up some stuff that same Friday night. I don't want to leave him alone in the house with you, so I need to be sure he's left before you get back."

Carter... right. I barely think about him at the moment.

"Definitely," I say, my voice filled with enthusiasm. I bounce over to Mardy and throw my arms around him in a hug.

It's not an easy task, given Mardy's bulk and the height difference between us. He pats me on the back, his arms enveloping me in a protective embrace.

I scurry upstairs to my room, excitedly pulling out my phone to text Tay. "omdss Mardy said I could come."

Tay's Bitmoji pops up almost immediately, a grin plastered across his virtual face. "For the first time in forever lmao."

I can't help but grin back at the screen.