(SPECIAL) Lovely Obsession

Sophie's curfew

Since parents are always absent and Leon moved out, Brooke feels the responsibility to look after her younger sister.

SOPHIE

"It's past your curfew!"

I really couldn't sneak past this girl. I froze completely, my body going rigid as soon as I stepped into the hallway. Slowly, I looked behind.

Brooke's arms were folded over her chest as she was stepping out of the kitchen and into the living room. She kept glaring at me, her teeth grit. I held my breath, and we just awkwardly stood and stared at each other.

I had to break it.

"There was..." I paused, and turned to face her, "There was traffic."

"Well, you should have came earlier - you should have expected that!" This girl. Usually it's the parents who set all these curfews and rules. Or, hell, at least the oldest sibling. That wasn't Brooke. But yet here she was, giving me curfews and telling me what to eat and who to hang out with and getting in my business. And, man, it got much worse after dating Tristan. "It's ten o' twelve, you had to be in this house twelve minutes ago!"

"Should have expected it?" I gave her a bewildered smile, "I - We didn't know. There was a crash and there was traffic and everything. We didn't know."

She kept glaring at me, then her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, "Whose car? Who was driving? I thought Tristan hadn't gotten his license yet!-"

"Kerry - one of the people I met." It was just a get together, a chance for me to meet new people and get, well, friends. Brooke was way too controlling to allow that, apparently. "She's almost nineteen - she has her license!"

With all of her controlling nosiness, she doesn't even seem protective. I mean, she has her moments. But I can't help but only see it as some dominance complex. Not only with me, too. I've seen her constantly get in peoples' business and harass them about it, ever since I was little. Even when I entered Highschool, I've found that a lot of people hated her, or even, were scared of her for it. That caused them to completely avoid me, as if I was the same, or send her after them. She has this weird complex of wanting to be dominant over everybody and know everything about them, it's ridiculous!

She stared, then started to soften. She still had to keep her tough exterior though. She can just never drop it. "What happened over there?" Ah, nosiness nosiness. This would seem like simple small talk heading to sister talk to others. But no. She's way too nosy, way too nosy for me.

"I told you, we were talking and went out to the movies." I knew she would ask, "That new horror movie that went out last week, the one about the camera!"

She kept pausing, "Was it scary? I heard there was a huge plot twist. What was it?"

"It was good. And, like I'd tell you!" I smirked and walked over. I leaned against the couch and snickered up at her, "We have to see it together, once Leon's back. Okay?"

"I don't know..."

"Why not?" I made a face, "He said he'll be back in like, a week. What? You scared? Because it had the best jump scares I've ever seen!" A grin washed over my face again, "I feel bad for whoever had to clean up all the popcorn off the ground, because oh my God."

"But you already know what's gonna happen! Leon and I should go alone then-"

I jumped, "What? N-No!" I did NOT like to be left out by those two. "I want to see it again! And see everyone's - no - your reactions! Just-!"

She sighed, "Ask Leon about it." She turned around and headed back to the kitchen. I groaned and followed after her. "Did you make friends?" She asked. Just as I was about to answer, she sat herself on one of the chairs and smiled, "Of course not, you're way too strange to make friends-"

"Damn you!" I hissed, making her laugh softly. It made me soften, that laugh of hers. Cruel or not, I loved her smiles, her laughs. Not the cruel ones. But the really soft, and light ones. Where she seemed so calm and beautiful.

"What're you smiling for?"

I jumped right in my spot, the air coming back to my lungs. Brooke was giving me this strange, awkward smile with raised eyebrows. Just as her lips moved to say something, I squeaked, "Nothing!" Oh God, I did the high pitched voice. Sounded like it was pulled right out of me in an instant.

"You sound... Energetic." Brooke furrowed a brow with a chuckle. Oh God no. "Did you take your pill?"

I wasn't even gonna fight back this time. No. No fighting, no arguing, no insisting and whining. My eyes narrowed down at her, my lips tightening. Slowly, I leaned down closer to her and stared her down. After a pause, I spoke, "I'm not taking any damn pill I don't need." That wouldn't be whining, would it?

"Dad says you have to take it-"

Oh God. "Fuck that." Dammit, I think my voice cracked. I stood and turned away, grabbing onto the fridge's handle, but I didn't open it. I just hung on, as if holding onto my dear life. I shut my eyes, taking in a deep breath, "For the last time. I'm fine without it. I've changed." Change. Everyone changes.

"Grades?"

"They're... Decent." I couldn't hide it from her, she'd harass me until finding out. "Oh God," I turned and ran my hands over my arms, in a nervous shaking wreck, "I failed the History test, I got an F and it was horrible. And don't-! Don't! I studied and studied but I kept getting distracted! The teacher also says, 'study, Clark, you can't pay attention in class, then study at home'! Does that woman not know it's still the same!?"

Brooke's expression was hardening, "Chemistry?"

"I got a B. That's good, right!?" I think I was getting too hopeful. Brooke shut her eyes with a heavy sigh. "But Art!" I grinned, "I have an A in that class right now, the teacher loves me and-!"

"Art." She said, "Doesn't count."

I just stood there, unsure of what to say.

"... I..." I finally looked down, grabbing onto my sleeves, "Need a tutor-"

"Tristan won't tutor you, right? Too stupid himself, only passing because all of those bundles of help without even working himself." She said with a scowl. No, stop stop. "Why not ask someone in those classes you're having trouble with, huh? Someone who's smart."

I laughed, softly, "Oh God, please no. There's two of them in History, and one in Chemistry. No way I'm asking those people." I kept shaking my head, I couldn't stop. "Those three are... Huh, how to put it, how to put it? One hates me, I think. The second is already stressing too much and torturing others. The third... Eh." Don't think about it, stop it now. "I don't wanna approach him."

"Why does the first hate you?"

"No idea!" I gaped, but still laughed, "She just has this thing against me! She keeps glaring at me whenever I speak, hell, get into her line of sight!"

"Why can't you approach the third one?"

Dammit, I don't want to think about it! "I just..." A frown coming to my face, I shrugged, "Don't wanna. He's not exactly... Er... The approachable type!" I started laughing again, "Lots of people tried to get answers and help from him, but he just won't budge!"

"What a dick."

I bit my lip, chuckling nervously. "Ye-Yeah..." Oh boy. I wet my lips before stepping back, turning my head towards the living room, "Think I'm gonna take a walk-"

"No," She sat up, pointing a finger a me, "No, no, no! You stay right in this damn house!" She grit her teeth, scowling at me, "It's already late, you came home late. Can't you just stay still for a day? Honestly." She nodded towards the living room, "No walk. Go straight to bed."

Was worth a meaningless shot. I nodded, frowning, "Okay." I turned to walk out. Better hurry-

"Oh, but read two chapters of that book first, and come to me to summarize."

Goddammit.