The New Romantics

Chapter Twenty: The Best Day

"Alex, I'm home!" I called once I stepped foot in the flat. I normally didn't tell him, because he never cares. But tonight I felt compelled. I was just so happy about the turn-out of tonight, I didn't care if Alex got annoyed by my useless information.

"Can you make me pancakes?" He yelled from his room.

"How many?"

"A lot."

I walked to the kitchen after hanging up my bag and pulled the Pancake Bucket out of the cupboard.

You must understand, ever since Alex came to Baker Street, pretty much all he's eaten is pancakes. The problem with that, though, is he can't cook, and he refuses microwavable pancakes. So if I'm not home, I'm pretty sure he doesn't eat. Unless he use to go out and eat with Ally... Anyway, I made this bucket like, three-ish years ago so all the ingredients were easy to get to whenever Alex asked. It has toppings too. I'm pretty proud of it.

As I mixed ingredients, Alex came out of his room in a rush. He looked rather upset about something. "Are you really going to make me food?"

I tried not to laugh. Those are the kind of questions you get when you don't make your brother food for a year or so. "Yeah, I was. Did you change your mind?" More pancakes for me. 

"No. No, I still want them. " Not more for me. "It's just- you usually say you're too busy or something like that."

"Well I wasn't until you started talking to me. Now shoo so I can cook." I smiled sisterly at him.

"Fine. I see where I'm not wanted." He turned to the living room and sat in Dad's chair. There was a weird but somehow comfortable silence as he watched me pour the batter on the pan. I tried not to hum as I worked, like I normally do, but it was harder than usual. Tonight was a lot like my first date with Benjamin. I came home dancing through the living room and singing despite Alex's hatred for my happiness.

"What happened tonight? You're never this content." I realized I had been smiling and immediately wiped it from my face.

"Branden called it off."

"The relationship?"

"No, the engagement, did I not tell you? He proposed and called it off all in the same night. It was rather hectic." I looked up to see him mocking me. He's finally caught on to my sarcasm. "Yeah, he called off the relationship."

"And you're happy?" Bless him. He sounded so confused.

"Kinda, I guess." I placed the first two pancakes on a plate and pushed it to the end of the counter. He stood up and stayed next to the counter so I could continue stacking.

"Why?" he mumbled around his food.

"Because... I don't know. I just- It ended well I guess."

"I don't see how a relationship can end well."

I didn't know how it could either. I stacked another two just as he finished his second. "He let me go. He could tell I had someone else on my mind, asked what I liked about-"

"You still like Ben? You broke up with him." He sounded so annoyed at my indecisiveness. I  didn't really blame him.

"Yeah I know I did. That doesn't mean I stopped having feelings for him. Anyway, Branden asked what- never mind. That doesn't really matter." Alex rolled his eyes. "What does matter is he let me go because apparently I belong with Benjamin. Everyone seems to see it except me."

"Could you not pity yourself over my pancakes.I hate the taste of sadness."

"I didn't know you felt sadness," I shot back bitterly. He somehow seemed to always annoy me, even in my happiest of moods.

"Occasionally. When I'm out of beer or food."

"Not when you miss Ally or The twins?" Alex's wife had run away with their twins not too long ago. Rather tragic.

"Nah. I've gotten past that." Not so tragic for Mr. Alexander Luxbury I presume.

I finished off the batter at hand but noticed Alex was still eating easily. I swear my brother has a whole in his stomach. As I started mixing more pancake batter, Alex started talking again.

"What are you going to do?"

Assuming he was talking about Benjamin, I replied simply. " I'm going to go talk to him. He's a reasonable guy. The least he'll do is listen."

"And if he refuses to take you back?"

"If he refuses to take me back then you're buying me another cat and a truckload of ice cream."

"You're such a teenager. He's a boy. Nothing to fret over." He shrugged as if the female mind set was as simple as that.

"You just want all my attention to go to you."

"Yes," ooh a confession. "but that's not the point."

"Than what is?" I raised my voice and looked away from the pan to Alex. My temper is so easily swayed. I should probably fix that. I went back to flipping pancakes to cover my anger.

"The point is, Branden was right. You and Ben belong together. I may hate the guy, but I hate not being able to hate him even more. Seriously. It's boring when you're out of a relationship. Nothing to plot against." I rolled my eyes.

"When I said you're a teenager, I meant your already planned through the worst possible outcome. What I meant by he's a boy is he'll most definitely come back to someone as sweet and pretty as you. He may be an idiot, but he's not enough of one to miss an opportunity like you."

I smiled slightly. How my brother is able to toy with my emotions so easily, I'll never know. "You know, sometimes you're not that bad."

"I know." He came around the counter and gave me a hug before taking the pancake off my spatula. "Neither are your pancakes." I pushed him away.

He smiled and ruffled my hair. "I love you, Lizzy and I really do want the best for you. Unfortunately the best is Ben." 

After the moment of awkwardness that always follows our picture perfect sibling moments, I cleared my throat and asked if he still wanted pancakes.

"Of course. But you can stop making them if you want. You have a busy day tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" I planned on sleeping tomorrow. Maybe writing. Probably rehearsing my apology speech to Benjamin.

"We have to pick out a cat and figure out how much a truckload of ice cream is going to cost."

"But I thought-"

"I'm just messing with you." He grinned my favorite grin of his and walked to his room. I shook my head with a smile and started cleaning the kitchen. Thanks to Alex, I had a good feeling about seeing Benjamin again.