The Worst Couple

Chapter 4

.....I raised an eyebrow. I knew that tone of voice. It was his I'm-going-to-attempt-to-bribe-you-into-doing-something-you-don't-wanna-do voice. He looked at his feet guiltily.

"Well, this year, you're going to Ethiopia for the sum.mer, right?" Daddy asked, "I was thinking of letting you take a couple extra suitcases and giving you an extra hundred thousand...."

I frowned. I didn't like where this was going. Cody sputtered next to me, "Ethiopia? Hundred thousand? That's-"

"You know how we're really close to Diane and Steve?" Diane and Steve were Cody's parents.

"They were planning to go on vacation and they were hoping we would find a way to take care of Cody. And I was thinking, possibly, that you could maybe-" Dad was cut off.

"No!" Cody and I both said at the same time.

"He's NOT going with me to Ethiopia, Daddy! This is MY thing. ME! I've been doing this since I was 8, Daddy! Since I was EIGHT!"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Stop repeating yourself, Blake."

Tears were brimming up in my eyes. Yeah, I know, hormonal, right? But seriously! He was annoying as hell, more spoiled than I am, which is weird considering I'm filthy rich, and he would attract unwanted attention.

Dad sighed. He then did something that infuriated me. He pulled the puppy-dog face. I hated the puppy-dog face. I abhorred the puppy-dog face. I could never resist the puppy-dog face! I swiftly tucked my face into my lap, not looking at him. I heard a low chuckle. Cody was laughing.

Daddy was pleading. "Pwease, Blake, pwease? This would make everything so much easier! Pwease baby girl?"

I groaned, shaking my head. Screw him and his magical abilities that managed to make me listen to whatever he said. It was almost magical. I looked at him suspiciously. Maybe he was secretly part unicorn. "Fine. But I don't have to be happy about it." I grumbled, crossing my arms.

Daddy jumped up and hugged me. I I wrapped my arms around me and inconspicuously sniffed him. Apparently I wasn't inconspicuous enough because Daddy pulled back and gave me a creeped-out look. "Are...are you sniffing me?" He asked incredulously. I nodded vigorously. "I was checking if you were a unicorn." I said with a grin. "You don't smell like puppies and sunshine, though." I noted, frowning. Cody was practically rolling on the floor laughing

"You're so weird." He said, smirking.

"I'm sorry you're not," I snarled, faking sympathy.

"Blake!" My dad warned, but he was smiling.

I squinted at Cody for a couple of minutes. "Cody...." I said, my voice building up to menacing.

"Yeah, Blake?" He asked, actually sounding nervous.

"Where the FUDGE is Xander?" I screamed, already on hyperactive mama-bear mode. I ran outside, leaving Cody to search inside. Multiple possibilities crossd my mind. Kidnapped by psychos. Trampled by deer. Impaled while trying to climb over a pointy fence. Drowning in a puddle. Kidnapped by unicorns. "Dear God, he was kidnapped by unicorns!" I yelled, getting hysterical. And then I saw him.

He was rubbing his eyes with his little fist in the middle of the street. With a car going 60 mph coming straight at him. Great.

"Xander, get out of the way, baby!" I yelled, running. I heard Cody come out of the house. I heard his footsteps pounding behind me as I flung myself across the street, tackling Xander to the other side. In midair, I flipped myself under him and curled Xander up into a ball, shielding his little head with my arms.

People say pain is as bad as you let it be. I let it knock me out.

I entered the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.

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(imagine me being all soap-opera-y) Until next time on, "The Worst Couple"

Next episode: "Will Blake wake up? Will Xander be okay?" Find out next time on "The Worst Couple."

Duhn-duhn-DUHHH!!!! :D