Battle of the Captains

defense

"What are we doing here?"

Austin faced me as he shut off the car engine. As he took in my slumped position in the passenger seat of his car, arms crossed in front of my chest, he said, "Don't start with me, Kody. You're the one who wanted to get out of the house." I smiled, knowing that I most definitely would've started with him.

"I meant to get something to eat," I said defensively. "You were the one complaining about being hungry. I didn't want to cook for you guys."

"Don't start with him, Kody," Kyle's voice chimed in mockingly from the backseat where he had been unsuccessfully, sitting quietly so he'd be allowed to come. I glared at the face of my snickering little brother through the rearview mirror. I hated how much he sounded like Austin, who had easily become one of Kyle's main role models. If Austin ever needed one, Kyle was the perfect excuse to hang around with me and my family, with the kid always asking me if he was coming over or if he could stay longer. While I had to admit, Austin wasn't a terrible role model, he was terribly annoying and irritating most of the time, which made me worry for my brother if he wanted to be more like him. It was no surprise that Austin had taken an immediate liking to my kid brother as well, not having a brother of his own, which in turn, was Kyle's excuse to hang around us.

I turned around in my seat to face the little twerp and pointed an accusing finger at his face, in between his two widened, brown eyes. "Don't make me regret taking you with us."

"Actually," Austin chuckled, gently taking my wrist, moving it away from my brother's face and placing it back on my lap. "Don't make us regret taking you with us." He gestured at the wide, green, alluring football field that we were parked in front of. "You're technically just the chaperone."

And then he shot me a cheeky grin, which seemed to make my heart beat faster than it made my blood boil like his cheeky expressions used to and it was totally, strangely different. Or maybe the explanation for my flushing cheeks was the fact that he still hadn't released my wrist.

I glanced at his hand touching my skin to realize that it was real and it was actually happening. I wasn't crazy at all.

I kind of had this strange itch to move my hand and lace my fingers through his. It was stupid and impulsive and crazy, which was exactly why I didn't do it.

"But now, I'm hungry," I said. The truth was, I thought it was so nice of Austin to go out of his way and practice with Kyle now that my brothers couldn't do so since they were stuck in college and my dad couldn't either since he was busier than usual with work. It was sweet and I honestly didn't mind much but Austin could've told me what he was up to so that I could've stayed home instead and do something more productive with the time I was going to spend watching them and 'chaperoning'.

"We can drive through a McDonalds after," Austin said, releasing my wrist to unbuckle my seat belt for me before I could protest. Ever since that totally weird non-date date that never had a follow up, Austin and I had become friends who actually hung out outside of school. Sometimes we went out with our large group of friends, which was a combination of his and mine, and other times, it was just us two studying and doing other things after, like hanging out with my brothers like now and even getting something to eat like we were supposed to. We'd also learned the art of compromise. "I'll pay."

"Will you, now?"

"Please, Kody?" Kyle leaned forward so that his head was in line with ours. I could say 'no' to Kyle about anything but when he asked nicely like that– like it was the only thing he'd ever ask for ever again– I was nothing but a doormat that he could step all over. If he'd been smart enough to realize that, he would've been able to get away with anything.