My Life as a Teenage Rebel

Chapter 38: All the Better

Evan Touber

CHAPTER 38 All the Better

I slam the door shut with a passion as I enter the house. What the hell was that about?! I throw my bag aside, gritting my teeth as my brother appears from around the corner, exhaustion from the past week showing on his face (although he tries hard to mask it). Ever since our aunt and cousin came along and declared they were going to take me far away because Aunt Judy had deemed Jake “incapable” of taking care of me, he’s bent over backwards trying to prove that he is responsible, and doing so has worn him out even more than the week’s events have irritated me.

But Jake could carry the weight of the world on his shoulders for three days straight and Aunt Judy would still take me away… I know she just wants the best for me, but frankly we’re all happier if she would just leave us be.

She won’t do that though. She’s trying to relieve herself of that guilt… That guilt that hung around her like stale air after Jake and I got out of our situation without her help…without anybody’s help… They were scared. They were all too scared… Well, so were we. But now we’re happy, so would the world just leave us alone?!?

Or…we were happy.

Jake looks around while I stomp past him into the living room with my fists clenched tightly at my sides, trying to keep from grumbling to myself. “What happened?” Jake asks me, following me into the living room while I kick an innocent pillow lying around on the floor.

I start out in a low voice, “Ky slapped me.”

“What for?” Jake blinks in surprise.

I throw my hands up in the air. “Heck if I know!” I exclaim. Is it a girl thing, or is it just the twins in specific that get mad for no reason?

“Well- what happened before she slapped you?”

I sigh, returning my voice to a lower volume. “I don’t know…” I mutter. After another moment, I admit, “They got mad when they found out Aunt Judy wants to take me away, I got frustrated and asked them why they freaking cared so much…and then she smacked me straight across the face.”

I’ll admit it hurt. Although…not so much physically… But, it was like a little twinge in my heart…and it stung a little bit. I wince a bit as the scene plays through my mind like a video again.

Exhaling slowly, Jake starts shaking his head for some reason. He sinks into the couch. “Take a seat, kid.” my brother tells me. And after a moment’s hesitance, I do. “You said this…blatantly?” I nod. “And what were the others’ reactions when you asked them ‘why they cared so much’?”

I think back before answering in a mumbled, grumpy sort of voice, “Shocked, I guess… But I really don’t see why they care; really I’m practically nothing to them…I haven’t been around long enough and I’m not interesting or cool enough. What’d they go and get so mad for?”

Jake chuckles a bit, and I look over at him quizzically. “Okay, kid,” he brings himself forward so that his elbows rest on his knees and he looks at me directly, “let’s put it this way…” Jake clasps his hands together and watches me. “Who seemed the most mad?”

“The twins,” I answer immediately with a bitter tone. Ky did slap me after all, so she and Kyle were most mad…second to them would be Evilyn, probably…

“Okay, the twins,” Jake nods briefly before continuing. “Well, hyperbolically speaking, let’s say the twins were moving to Australia, and they told everybody about it but you, what would you think after finding out?” Jake asks.