Wild Horses

Chapter 4

Caroline had given me something to ponder for the day. After everybody left, I was alone in the house, but my mother was there, in spirit, of course. Eventually, I got Caroline's suggestion into my head and started to think of all the guys in my grade, and the one's above me. Billy Dawson was cute, and so was Daniel Baker. I shook my head. I was too busy for a boyfriend.

"Catch!" I yelled and chucked a rolled up pair of socks over to Bryan.

"The running back catches it, the tackle misses and -TOUCHDOWN!" Bryan yelled.

"Jeans." Bryan read off his list, and I handed him five pairs.

"Sweats.'' The three pairs that he had, went into the trunk

"Coffee." He said, and then chuckled.

"What?'' I questioned him.

"Coffee. Go get me some coffee.'' He demanded jokingly.

"Please. My favorite sister, please get me a cup of coffee?" I mocked, and got up to make him a cup.

"Undies." He said. I giggled.

"What's so funny?" I know you wear them too, you're thongs always get mixed up with my laundry." He said and rolled his eyes at me.

I giggled.

"Oops."

"Summer reading book. Really, still gotta read while at camp? That seems a little sacrilegious." He whined.

"Here." I said, and handed him Othello. He rolled his eyes, again.

After we had packed up most everything, except his toothbrush and cologne, which he insisted on bringing.

The next day I was in the backseat of the car, looking out the window, and trying to ignore Bryan flicking my ear every minute.

"Stop it!" I said and he started to laugh. I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and read a couple chapters. Bryan then proceeded to yank the book out of my hands, sit on it, only then, did he finally catch my attention.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked him, exasperated.

"If I'm going to be gone two weeks, I won't be able to bug you, so I'm getting as much as I can in now." He said then smirked.

"Dick." I muttered under my breath.

"But, seriously, can I have my book back? I am NOT going to reach down there to get it." I insisted.

He laughed, but obliged, and released my book from its prison. I fake "aired it out", and got yet another loud guffaw from my older brother. Yeah, so not gonna miss him as much as I thought.

Bryan's Football camp took place a while from home, The map was one of the community colleges in the area, named after some big, important person whose name I didn't know. I helped him with his trunk, and groaned as beads of sweat welled up on my forehead, and in the front of my bra. After he found out where all the bags were supposed to go, he had to go.

"Bye, you little bastard, be good. Don't get too drunk with Caroline." He said quietly as he hugged me.

"Shhhhhh! Dad could have heard you." I shushed him halfheartedly.

Bryan moved over to my dad, and gave him a big hug, which Dad gladly returned.

And that was the last we saw of him for two weeks.The house, while being much cleaner, was more empty than normal. No cracking of jokes from Bryan, or hogging the bathroom. It should have felt like heaven, but it didn't. I missed him, kind of. Dinner with dad was a quiet affair, and we didn't talk much.