Troublemakers

4.0

"How was your guys' trip to the ice cream shop?" my mother asked the three of us kids. We were all currently sitting out on the front porch because April shooed up out. She always has to set the table all fancy with the food and we are not allowed to see it until it is time to eat.

Sometimes I never understand that woman.

"It went good," Brice answered her, and just like April, my mom pursued for more information.

"That's it?"

"Well," Carson piped in, giving me a sideways glance.

"Don't," I demand, pointing a finger in his direction. He purses his lips and raises his eyebrows in amusement.

Too much silence, without an answer, passed and my mom continued, "Spill it Carson."

"Lauren was checking out a guy with his girlfriend," he replied rather quickly in one fast breath.

"Hold on," I said, trying to take the amused face that was now on my mom's face.

"Lauren, you never look at a taken man," my mother scolded me, making Carson let out a light laugh.

"Hold on!" I said again, flailing my arms in the air. "It could have been a cousin, sister, or friend."

"He had monkey ears," Brice joined in all of the sudden.

"Don't you even get in this conversation," I said, giving him my best glare. With a different result than what I was going for, he laughed at my attempt to be serious and threatening.

"His nose was a little big too," Carson added, rubbing his chin.

"You all aren't supermodels either," I mumbled, leaning back into the chair and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Aw, don't be like that," Carson whined across from me. He got up and started advancing towards me.

"Don't come anywhere near me," I warned.

Ignoring my threat, Carson kept coming towards me and jumped onto me in one swift motion. Grunting from the impact, Carson started bouncing up and down.

"Get off of me," I blew out in a breath when Carson bounced.

"I was just teasing you," he said, as I heard a laugh escape from my mom across from us. "Do you forgive me?"

"If you get off of me!" I yelled at him, and got the wind knocked out of me one more time before he got off of me and sat back down in his seat.

"You are so weird," Brice commented, shaking his head at Carson.

"Well, you aren't so normal yourself," Carson shot back at him. I looked between both of them, hoping that another fight would not start, especially not in front of my mom.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Brice said, putting a hand over his heart. "That might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

I let out a sigh of relief, and started smiling to myself. This was the Brice that I had loved for years upon years, the one that would joke around, but was still serious at the same time.

"Dinner's ready!" April yelled, sticking her head out of the sliding glass door and pressuring us to hurry up and come in.

"Calm down mom," Carson said as he passed her on his way inside. "You act like you are getting a Grammy or something."

"I just get excited when we have dinner the first night," she said, bunching her apron in her hands. She looked down, and realized that she still had it on, and took it off and placed it on a hook in the kitchen.

"I just like Mexican," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"I just like food in general," Brice added across from me.

I looked over at April and she was grinning while shaking her head. "You ungrateful children."

"Well, I think it looks great mom," Carson said, coming from behind her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Seriously, thank you though," I commented, giving a smile towards her way.

"Well you all are welcome," she said, a huge smile spreading across her face. "Now come on, grab a plate."

We all move towards the table and look at all of the food that is set up buffet style. Carson steps forward first and grabs the pure white plate, and takes a deep breath to intake all of the wonderful food in front of him.

"Hurry up," Brice pursues, giving Carson a light punch on the shoulder. "There is a mass of starving people behind you."

"Did you just use the word mass?" Carson asked, turning towards his brother. Brice nodded his head, confused by the question. "I did not know that you knew that big of a word."

Carson reached out and patted Brice on the head. He swatted his hand away and rolled his eyes. "Mass isn't that big of a word."

"I'm not trying to be rude," my mother piped in from behind us. "But hurry up!"

"That's what I said!" Brice exclaims, flailing his arms in the air.

Carson finally started moving and made his plate and I watched him as he made his way towards the deck. Brice started to make his plate, and then it was my turn. I grabbed a plate and inhaled deeply, letting every spice tingles my nose in delight. Mexican food is my weakness.

Even if it is Taco Bell. And I don't even know what that is made from.

I made my way outside as well and took a seat across from Brice and next to Carson. Sitting down and setting my plate in front of me, I felt the tension being built back up again.

"What are we going to do tonight?" Carson asked, leaning back in his chair. I knew that the tension did not involve Carson, but it was between Brice and I.

I dared to look up, and immediately wished that I hadn't. Brice's eyes burned into mine and he seemed to be angry at me. If anything, I should be angry at him. He was the one who snapped at me when I was clearly trying to help him.

"Are you both alright?" Carson asked, looking between the both of us.

"Yeah," I answered, turning away from him and looking at Carson. He raised his eyebrows at me in question. He also knew that I was lying. I gave him a small smile and then pulled out my phone to text him something.

Lauren: We'll talk about it tonight

His phone dinged and he pulled it out, and cleared his throat once he had seen it was from me.

"Stupid flappy bird!" I yelled at my phone, which had my text messages open.

Carson and I had had this trick mastered for a while. We would text one another in front of people and make it seem like we were not really texting each other.

"You actually play that dumb game?" Brice asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"This coming from the guy who plays Crossy Roads," I shoot back, raising my eyebrows.

"That's a good and addicting game," he tells me, pointing a finger in my direction.

"No one ever answered my question," Carson interrupted our conversation. "What are we doing tonight?"

"How about we do truth or dare?" Brice answered, raising his eyebrows waiting for our answers.

That was something that we did every year, and let's just say it never ends up good.

A few years ago, I had to skinny dip with Brice.

Long story.