The Rules My Brothers Made

Chapter 2

Irish lit was a disaster.  I could barely focus, due in large part to the hunky new kid who was sitting close enough to me that I could smell the woodsy scent of his cologne.  He was an absolute dreamboat.

Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely not the type to fawn over guys.  i wasn't about to doodle his name all over my notebook or anything.  I just appreciated his very fine form.  Growing up with four brothers, all of whom were athletic, kind of ruined the appeal of guys for me.  Let's face it.  Guys smell.  They're messy, loud, obnoxious, inappropriate, and smelly.  Ever have to clean up after 5 guys?  If you did, you can certainly understand why I feel the way I do about them.

I have never really been one for dating.  My mom died before I was old enough to really jump into it, and without another woman to turn to, it was hard to navigate the horrific rise and fall of hormones on my own.  Sure, I had my friends and their mothers, but it wasn't the same.  Plus, I was just too busy dealing with all the men I already had in my life to cater to one more.  Then, of course, there was Mike and Matt to deal with.  They played the overprotective big brother role very well between the two of them, and it put a damper on the love life every now and then.  There's nothing worse than hearing a cute guy wants to ask you to hang out, just to find out that he wimped out because your older brother got wind of it and nipped it in the bud before all your teenage hopes and dreams could be fulfilled.  I had long ago accepted that dating in high school was just not in the cards for me, thanks to the ridiculous web of protection the boys had surrounding me.

I guess in some ways, it's nice to know that they're looking out for me, but a girl has needs, you know?  And let me tell you, I wouldn't mind letting Jackson take care of some of those needs.

Snap out of it, Bucky!  I thought to myself, shaking my head and clearing out the hunk-induced fog that had invaded my brain.  I had officially wasted that entire class on nothing, but I really don't think I missed much.   I really needed to get it together today.  I am not on my A game.

I quickly packed my stuff into my backpack and took off for the cafeteria.  I pretty much always sit at the same table, and various people join me depending on who was on the same lunch as me that day.  As I made my way over to the table, I saw Emily was already sitting there eating a sandwich and talking on her cell phone.  I mouthed a greeting to her as I sat down, and she grinned up at me but continued her conversation.   I pulled out my history textbook and plugged in my headphones so I could do some reviewing.  Luckily, history came easy to me so I wasn't too worried about the exam.  Once I was confident that I was comfortable with all the material, I slammed my book shut and looked up, shocked to see that we had been joined by Matt, his two best friends, and Kate.  "Oh.  Hey guys."  I said to everyone as I pulled my headphones out.

"Oh?"  Matt's friend Bruce teased.  'That's all we get?"

I blushed.  "Sorry, I was in the zone."