intoxicated

nine

"Me plus you
Equals everything we shouldn't do
But you plus me
Equals everything I wanna be" - Kiiara, Hang up tha phone

The following few days are mainly just spent thinking of a birthday present for James (and maybe a certain brunette who is friends with said brother snuck his way into my head a couple of times too). After already having spent way too much trying to come up with a great present, I sigh and ask who I always ask when I'm clueless - the internet.

James is turning 21, and not even Printerest or Tumblr could deliver a good idea for a present. I frustratedly slam my laptop shut and curse my parents for not blessing me with some genes of creativity and originality. So, I decide I'll just get him something stupid rather than something useful or meaningful, and start my laptop back up again.

I go to one of those sites where you can design shirts and write "BEST (AND HOTTEST) BROTHER OF THE YEAR" on it and put a picture of a crown and the heart-eyes-emoji next to it, because my brother's ego really can't ever be fed enough. I chuckle a little when I'm finished, amused with the outcome. I hit 'save and buy' and enter all the information for the delivery. I also order a cool-looking phone case, because the case he's using right now is close to falling apart and just a boring pattern. (It's ugly and I want him to have a prettier one.)
I decide that has to be enough of a present and start looking for a decent picture of us to print and use as a card. Turns out there isn't one, except a family picture from two years ago. It was christmas time and mom felt the need to send out a card to all of our relatives, so she booked a photograph and we got some ordinary pictures taken. Dad was still there then, his one arm laid around my mother's waist and his other hand on my shoulder. Mom's hand was on James' shoulder, who was sitting next to me in front of our parents. We were all smiling brightly, no clue that half a year later James and I would be practically living and taking care of ourselves on our own. 

I sigh and close the picture, then open another one and decide to use that one for the card. It's a selfie I took with him last month, and we're both making ugly faces, but it's the only up-to-date picture I have of us, since I'm not really a fan of taking selfies. I print it, and put the photo on my desk. I'll worry about what to write on it once the other presents arrive.

Getting up, I grab my phone to go downstairs, when I hear two voice talking in a hushed tone. I stay back, hiding behind the wall next to the stair and strain my ears.

"How come you two were hanging out, anyways?" The voice I recognize as my brohter's asks.

"I don't know, I didn't think anyone would see us. Not him, especially." The other person answers. It's a voice deeper than James' and I immediately know it's Jack.

"Clearly." My brother scoffs. He's getting annoyed, and it makes me wonder what the hell they are talking about - James barely every gets annoyed.

"Dude, listen, I'm sorry. I guess I just wasn't really thinking." Jack says. When my brother doesn't answer, he adds. "Nothing's gonna happen to her."

"Well, something surely is going to happen to her if you don't f.ucking stop hanging out with her." James spits.

Her? Who is her? I didn't even know James had a girl important enough to get upset about in his life. What's going on?

"It's not like anything's going on between us. I wouldn't do that. You should know that." Jack assures him.

"It doesn't matter if I know. What matters is what he knows. Or thinks." James says, and I hear his footsteps pacing around the room - something he always does when he's stressed out or nervous.