Somebody Else

IX | Night (2)

Swishing around the milk in the small glass, I sit in the dark kitchen as I listen to everyone in the living room laugh and shout as they play the most terrible game of charades to date. I don't believe through the hour or so they've been playing that anyone has actually guessed right.

This is the time I decided to walk out of the kitchen to peer in on the scene now unfolding in front of my eyes.

"Okay okay, one more okay?" Garry says as he's standing on top of Lauren's burgundy cushioned sofa, much to her dismay. But she holds back her anger for my little brother as he proceeds with his charismatic charm and tries his best to continue this awful game of charades.

"Hurry it up Garry before I choke you for standing on my sofa," Lauren says with her arms folded as she sits on the ottoman with a frown on her face.

Everyone was no longer full from our dinner, but rather anxious and already dressed for the outside to prepare for the annual battle of the Black Friday sales. In order to escape this year, I opted to watch Leilani, who was upstairs in her bed fast asleep.

Garry begin to spin around on his toe like a ballerina obviously opting for that to be a his display of whatever the word was, but as he kept doing it and that kept getting shouted out, it became clear that everyone was wrong.

"Come on you guys. I was a freaking dancer," Gar throws his hands up in the air as everyone sighs in sync. Unfortunately for him, no one was able to hold back Lauren and as a result she choked him until he stepped down off of her couch.

Everyone thought it was amusing, especially Kimberley who wasn't in her heather gray pea coat but rather some black and white striped pajamas that Lauren had given her to sleep in.

They wouldn't even think about letting Kimberley leave tonight. Because as I predicted, they fell extremely hard for her. She was laughing so hard at the moment that she didn't even realize that I am staring at her.

I wasn't very fond of my sister exposing me and my feelings to myself earlier, but if she didn't do it, I'm afraid that I wouldn't have ever realized it on my own.

Sighing, I head upstairs to check on Leilani, who I'm sure was fast asleep by now as it's almost two in the morning. My hand pushes the white wooden door open just a little, to see that she is still snuggled under her beige blanket and still in a peaceful state. I slowly close the door before I head back downstairs to see everyone by the door.

"Hey Cheryl, are you sure you don't want to go with us?" Sarah asks as she zips up her brown hoodie.

"I'm positive. I'll be here when you guys get back," I say to her before they all begin to head out. Lauren is the last to leave before she turns around.

"Don't do anything stupid," Lauren points at me before she walks out and I sigh. Rolling my eyes, I close the door after them before I look in on Kimberley. The white light on her phone is illuminating her face slightly as she stares down at it.

I think to myself that it's best not to be in the same area as her. Stuffing my hands into the coral pink pajama pants I am wearing, I head into the backyard where I sit on the metal swing set that Garry and I spent three hours putting together for our niece.

Despite that devotion and dedication to the swing set, Leilani is afraid of heights, so she never actually touches it.

Shaking my head, my phone begins to hum one of its default melodies, which causes me to put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I ask leaning back on the swing.

"How was your Thanksgiving?" Eli's voice is strong in my ear as I sigh.