Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Jamie

"--And then Bee got arrested!" I hear as I walk through the apartment door.

CC, Bret, Bobby, and Rikki round our kitchen table and I look over at CC. He smiles in his usual faux innocence.

"I what?" I wonder and they laugh.

"According to this twin, you got arrested in high school for arson." Bret speaks up and I shake my head.

"I never got arrested." I admit.

"Then how'd you almost get arrested?" Bobby wonders.

"A bunch of us were at the old school and it caught fire." I explain "That's all."

"And the only reason you weren't arrested was the chief of police's son was on dad's football team and didn't want to get him cut." CC continues and they laugh.

"And don't forget they could prove anything." I finish.

"And we had he worst possible starting quarterback for an entire season, don't forget that Bee." He smiles and the boys laugh.

He laugh and talk for a while. I sit on the counter and they round the table, we talk about all the trouble we managed to get in and there's a lot of it.

At least for CC and I, at school everyone thought that we were going to be some weird reincarnation of Ana and George when we're polar opposites. Teachers didn't like that so much. Ana and George were these goody goodies in class. In all culmination in eighth grade, we had Mr. Foreman and he survived Korea, Vietnam, and Mrs. Forman. He retired after we left for high school, as far as I know. He was a pain in the ass but a good teacher. He gave us detention quite a but but we were pains to. Forman made us look at things in a different light and made us write letters to our future selves.

"So he couldn't survive a year with you two?" Bret wonders.

"Not after having Ana and George." CC assumes.

"Compared to them we were the spawn of Satan or something." I finish.

"You couldn't have been that bad?" Rikki speaks up.

"Nope, I can see it."  Bret laughs as the phone rings.

CC answers the phone then throws it at me.

"Jamie." He says as I catch it.

"Really?" I wonder and hold it up to my ear. "Hello."

"Hey awesome nerd!" Her voice rings in e receiver.

"How's the suburbs and white picket fence?" I wonder and she nervously laughs.

"My stupid fucking husband got signed and it went to his head. He found a love in hookers and Jack, and now my husband is an ex-husband." Jamie explains.

"Divorced?" I wonder.

"No disappearance, you fucking idiot!" Jamie laughs.

"Fair enough, where are you? Your signal is really shitty." I say and she laughs.

"I'm staying with my cousin in LA, but right now I'm on the payphone in the lobby of your building." I hear her smirk.

"There's a payphone in the lobby?" I wonder.

"I see you haven't gotten any smarter." Jamie laughs.

"You're an asshole. I'll be right down." I say as I hang up.

"Jamie's in LA?" CC wonders.

"And divorced?" Bret wonders and I nod.

"Yeah. I'll be right back." I say as I walk towards the door.

I run down the stairs and into the lobby. I see my brunette best friend, still wearing that stupid Mets hat. Yankees are far superior. She jumps at me, knocking me down. Jamie laughs like an idiot. We get up and we hug for real.

"Miss me or something?" I wonder.

"Only kinda." Jamie laughs. "Got a band out here?"

"Not yet, I got rugby lined up for tomorrow though." I admit.

"Sweet!" She cries and moves my hat so I'm wearing it the right way, I have a habit of wearing them backwards. "Still like those stupid Yanks, huh?"

"Better than your stupid Mets." I flick the beak of her cap. Then remember the boys in the apartment. "Wanna see something?"

"No, I came to LA spot sit on my ass." Jamie laughs.

We walk up the stairs and stand outside my apartment door, I look over to her.

"Remember that band we drank with at battle of the bands a few years back?" I wonder.

"The one with that drummer that didn't sit down? That drummer you didn't shut up about?" Jamie laughs, I really hope they didn't hear that.

"That's the one." I say as I own the door and walk in.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" She yells and walks into the apartment. "Hey I know you!"

Jamie recognizes he band and then continues to bother my brother, they have this weird relationship almost like the relationship that CC and I have.

"I see you're still stealing your mommy's makeup, CC." Jamie laughs and he flips her off. "And by the looks of it, your sister's clothes."

"No, these ones are actually mine." He admits looking down at his clothes. "How'd you find us, anyways?"

"I called your mom." She laughs, then looks at me. "Before you even say it, yes I think I talk to your mom more than you do. Also, your sister's stupid Trans Am with New York plates sticks out."

"Oh shit, I have to change those." I half smile and Rikki laughs.

"Did you remember to go down to the DMV and get them changed?" CC wonders.

"Yeah, I remember." I say and they laugh.

"Fucking Smokey and the Bandit car with New York plates." Jamie mutters. "But you wouldn't know that because you don't watch movies."

"Actually I did watch that movie." I say and she looks at me confused.

"I thought you got board during movies?" She asks. "What changed your mind?"

"Me!" Rikki's hand shoots up. "I made her watch movies and now she loves them. Wait no, how'd you put it? You like watching movies with me?"

"Yeah." I nod and Jamie looks over to me and I shrug.

"I've been trying to get you to watch movies for years." Jamie mocks hurt.

"Well boys, I'd say it's as good of time any. To the studio!" Bret laughs.

They all get up to leave but Rikki comes over to me before leaving. I look up at him and smile while he smiles at him. Our smiles meet and without looking I know that Jamie is looking us. We haven't quite gotten used to the whole kissing in front of CC. Rikki pulls away.

"I'll see you later." He smiles.

"I'll see you then." I laugh as he walks away.

The door shuts and Jamie starts beating the crap out of my arm.

"You're together?" She asks.

"No, it's this LA thing, you tongue all your brother's friends out here." I tell her and she laughs.

"You're an asshole." Jamie tells me. "But you look cute together." I smile.

"Thanks." I say simply.