Brotherly Love

Chapter Five: Brotherly Surprise

-Avery




During lunch the next day, I stood in the school hallway with my band members. Reese and Corey were in a deep conversation about the band, while Ash was complete focused on a girl by her locker, and I was watching the three of them. Watching my friends was like watching a TV show; very entertaining.
"I think we should get more into jazz," Reese said, motioning with his hands.
"Reese, we've been over this!" Corey exclaimed, growing his arms up."We should have more country!"
Ash had a smirk on his lips."Hello, lucky lady," he said lowly, thinking we couldn't hear him.
"There's an electric guitar in our music," Reese pointed out."Country people don't play the electric guitar!"
"Why do I hang out with these guys?" I asked myself aloud, rolling my eyes.
"Hey, Avery?" I turned to see Laina, Dean's stalker and Autumn's enemy, standing next to me with a big smile on her face."Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure." I followed Laina a little ways down the hall.
Lamination a deep breath before she started."Okay, so my birthday is this Saturday, tomorrow, and I'm having a pool party. I really want Dean to come, but I know he won't because of your sister."
"What do you want me to do?" I asked suspiciously.
"I want you to convince your sister to come to my party. I'm sure she'll listen to you."
"I highly doubt that," I said with a laugh.
"Well I want you to try." Laina gave me the deadly puppy dog face."You'll be my best friend."
"Fine."
"Fabulous!" Laina began to skip away."Oh, and you're invited too!"
I walked back over to the guys, seeing that they hadn't noticed that I was gone. I stood where I had before, sighing.
I started to think about Autumn. She had asked me if I had feelings for her, and I couldn't answer. I was unsure of myself. I felt a little guilty since I was trying to decide if I liked my sister or not. But then again, I didn't really care. Things didn't last too long in my mind at times.
"Yo, Ave," Ash called, nodding at me.
"What?"
"There's a girl and her friend over there. Want a chance at the friend?"
I frowned."No thanks, I'm good." Ash shrugged it off and made his way over to two girls by the lockers.
"Lunch is almost over," Corey pointed out, looking at the wall clock.
"We can continue this conversation later," Reese said, starting to walk off with Corey."See you, Avery."
"Bye guys," I called back, already heading to my class.
This is stupid, I thought, I should even be thinking of my sister in this way. I was thinking of autumn during class. Not paying attention to the homework assignment like I should have been, but thinking about my sister.
The rest of the classes were the same as usual, and the day dragged on. On the walk back home, I was able to walk with Autumn. She didn't have practice today. We walked in silence, and I actually didn't feel awkward about it.
When we got home, I decided to strike a conversation."So I talked to Laina today."
"Oh?" Autumn dropped her bag on the floor."What did that little demon want?"
"She wants me to convince you to go to her birthday party tomorrow." I went into the kitchen and started looking around for food.
"I'm not going. That girl just wants my boyfriend." Autumn followed me into the kitchen
"Come on, Aut!" I turned and faced her."It's her birthday. Just go." I smirked at her."For me?"
"Whatever." Autumn sat down on a chair by the table.
"Why do you always have to be against me?" I asked with a chuckle.
"Because you're an ignorant, insignificant jerk." Autumn crossed her arms.
"Whoa, that escalated a little too fast for me," I said, putting my hands up in surrender. I heard a knock at the door, then Ellie's voice call for Autumn. Autumn hurriedly went to answer the door, giving me a look.
With a bowl of popcorn, I sat in my room on the floor. I needed to be alone for a little while to think. I pictured Autumn and I together. It was weird, mostly because I just pictured us standing next to each it her like statues. Then, I imagined us holding hands. That seemed even more unusual. Finally, I thought of us kissing. That was by far the creepiest thing I have ever imagined. I threw my head back. I felt like I was contemplating the meaning of life.
I could hear Autumn and Ellie talking next door. Autumn giggled, then screamed out,"No I don't!" Sometimes girls really confused me. First she's laughing, then she sounds like she wants to rip Ellie's head off.
In a way, I liked how Autumn confused me. She was a challenge. As I thought about this, I heard a knock at my door. I said,"Come in," and Autumn slowly opened the door.
"Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but... I'm sorry for snapping at you," Autumn said, talking fast.
"No biggie." I set the popcorn bowl down beside me."Now, what's the real reason you're in my room?"
"What?" Autumn seemed baffled at how I saw right through her.
I stood up."Autumn, I've know you long enough to know that you don't apologize to me unless I practically tell you to. What's going on?"
"Fine." Autumn crossed her arms, looking away."It just bothers me that you don't know whether you like me or not. I know we really messed up, but the first step to fixing a problem is admitting that there is a problem, so I need to know if you like me or not."
Autumn was right. As much as I didn't want to have feelings for Autumn, I needed to know for sure if they are there at all. I looked up at Autumn."Give me till tomorrow night. I'll answer you then."
Without another word, Autumn left my room, closing the door behind her. I knew she'd be mad at me, but it didn't matter. As I sat on my desk chair, I realized that tomorrow was Laina's birthday. Would I have to tell her there?
"I don't even think this much for school," I thought aloud.
What was it about Autumn that made me want to be around her? Was it the fact that I could easily anger her? Or was it was it something farther than that?


-Autumn


After Ellie left my house, I started heading out towards Dean's house down the road. I bundled up in a jacket, feeling dumb for not putting jeans on and wearing shorts. I really didn't feel like hanging out with Dean that night. I mostly wanted to get out of the cold. After a cold, slow walk a few blocks down, I stopped in front of Dean's house.
I rang the doorbell, then held myself as I jogged in place. Dean didn't take long to answer the door, and he immediately kissed me.
"Hey, Autumn."
I looked at Dean in awe. He wore a very goth like outfit, black shirt, black baggy jeans, and boots. I couldn't help but stare.
"Hey," I managed to say.
"Yo Sling, who's at the door?" A guy with a rough voice said behind Dean. He looked over Dean's shoulder, giving me a hard look. He had a mohawk, and wore dark clothes like Dean.
"Sling?" I exclaimed, raising my eyebrow at Dean.
"Flynn, this is Autumn, my girlfriend," Dean said. He wasn't talking in his normal voice, but a rough one like Flynn had."And I thought we agreed not to call me that anymore." Flynn ignored Dean and went back into the house.
"Dean, you've got some major explaining to do," I said.
Dean started leading me away from his house."I'll explain on the way." Then, he turned back to his house."Guys, let's go!"
Then, two other guys came running out of Dean's house with Flynn. The first was bald, and had various tattoos on his head. The second had a ponytail on the top of his head, and his hair came all the way down to his back. He had a nose ring and about five earrings in.
Dean held my hand and dragged me forward, catching up with the rest of the boys."The bald guy is Starch, and the other guy is Manic."
"Stop dragging me!" I said, pulling my arm away from Dean."What are we doing?"
Dean didn't answer me, but instead ran past me to catch up to his weird looking friends. Using my softball skills, I ran as fast as I could and caught up to them in no time. Dean was acting strange, an it annoyed me how he wasn't answering my questions.
After a while, we had all stopped running. Looking around, I noticed we were in town, where the stores lit the streets. Flynn and Manic went inside a store called,"Sine", while me, Dean and Starch stayed outside. A few seconds later, Flynn and Manic came rushing outside again.
"Let's go," Manic said, holding up a box of eggs. Once again, everyone was rushing by me, and I was walking behind them.
I was beginning to get worried. No matter how fast you are, no one can go in a store and check out that fast. They had to have stole it. I stopped dead in my tracks.
"Dean, take me home," I said sternly. Dean and the other boys turned to face me.
"What?" Dean said in confusion.
"Take. Me. Home." No way was I staying there with criminals.
"Sling, go talk to your girlfriend," Flynn said, shoving Dean towards me. Him nod the others continued onwards.
"Dean, what is this?" I growled at him."Why are you hanging out with these guys?"
"Autumn, calm down," Dean said, grabbing my shoulders."Look, I've been stressed out lately. These guys relax me."
"They're criminals!" I said, exaggerating "criminals".
"Autumn, I'm not taking you home."
I had to take a second look at Dean. Was this really him? He almost never said no to me, especially to walking me home."What do you me you're not taking me home?" I was getting angrier, but I was mostly hurt.
"I can't. I have no clue where we are."
This was not happening. I couldn't control my rage."You mean to tell me you've been going around with theses guys this whole time without knowing where we're going?"
"They said it was going to be fun."
It was right then and there that I slapped Dean for the first time ever. I've slapped a lot of faces, but when I slapped Dean, it had to be the hardest slap I had ever distributed. And the only reason was because I felt betrayed.
Dean stumbled to the side, holding his face."Ah!" He wailed in pain.
"What kind of boyfriend are you?" I screamed, getting attention from people a crossed the street. At the time, I didn't really think about it.
"What do you mean-" Dean tried to say. I quickly interrupted him.
"I'm your girlfriend. You're supposed to protect me and keep me from danger. Not bring me into it, you idiot!" I pulled out my phone and started pressing buttons.
"What are you doing?" Dean said, looking up at me.
I put my phone to my ear."I'm calling Avery. I'm not staying here." After a few rings, Avery picked up, saying,"Autumn?" I talked harshly to him, but not on purpose."Come pick me up at a store called Sine."
Dean opened his mouth to stop me, but he stopped when he saw the look on my face."What's wrong?" Avery asked.
"Don't ask, just pick me up!" I yelled at my phone.
"Okay, okay," Avery repeated."Where's "Sine"?"
"Look it up." I hung up, turning around and walking back to the "Sine" store.
"Autu-" Dean called.
"Dean, don't run after me and expect me to forgive you that easily," I said, still walking."This isn't a movie."



"Now tell me what happened."
Avery had just pulled up to our house and parked. He turned the car off and looked at me. The whole car ride he had been bugging me to tell him what happened.
"Dean just got me mad, okay?" I stormed into the house and to my room, Avery on my heals.
"Autumn, you know you can tell me anything." He grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Fine, fine!" I pulled my arm away from him, still angry."Dean took me out on the streets with his friends, they stole stuff, and Dean basically disrespected me. I slapped him and told him off then called you. Can I go now?"
Avery blinked."Are you okay?"
"You don't see any scars, do you?"
Avery sighed, then walked past me."You don't have to be rude. I'm not the one you're mad at."

"I know," I said lowly, walking towards my room."But you know how I get when I get angry at someone."

     in my room, I flopped on my bed. I would have to see Dean in the morning. Most likely I would end up forgiving him, but I wasn't so sure if I should. Not only that, but Avery was supposed to tell me how he felt about - well, me. Plus, I had to go to a birthday party and be forced to be nice to the girl who was trying to steal my boyfriend. As I sat on my bed, I couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with me.

     For one thing, I really had no reason not to like Laina. she was always noce to me, and she had never actually came out and said that she liked Dean. Besides, I was almost positive Dean truly loved me. I was just flat out being mean the way I treated Laina.

     Sencond, I  wasn't even doubting that I liked Avery anymore - at least not in my head. I was basically letting what was happening happen. Recently, when I looked at Avery, he didn't look like an annoying older brother that I wanted out of my life anymore. He was the gorgeous male model that I was destined to be with. More and more I felt like a character from one of those sappy romance books that I hated.

     In a way, I felt like it was the first time I had ever fell in love, like Dean never existed.

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I'm so sorry I took so long to update! This probably ended up being one of those "sappy romance" chapters like Autumn hates.

I don't really have much to say.

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thanks so much for reading and thanks for the comments and votes! let me know how you like the book and if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions! Love ya'll!

-Inspirella c: