Forbidden

chapter - 2 - temperance

October 24, 2017

They were doing it again. I could hear their screams from inside my bedroom as they bickered, screamed and fought with what seemed to be a silly argument. I know I'm not supposed to be listening but it was as if their voices were connected to an amplifier that even the most soundproofed room couldn't withstand.

I tried to ignore them, focused on my homework but I couldn't. The barrage of arguments seemed to have no intention of stopping. I was actually waiting for objects to start shattering —they did that once, threw our furniture at each other, and I'm pretty sure it could happen again.

I tried putting on some music but even the loudest volume on my earbuds can't block out the noise that were coming in from their room, which was at the end of the hall. I'm not even sure why the neighbors haven't gotten the police involved.

I was about to give up when suddenly, I heard my bedroom door open and my brother, Aiden, went in.

"Hey, sis. Want to get out of here. I need to do some studying and I can't do that if those two don't stop." He smiled. That's when I noticed that he was holding my coat behind him and he was dressed for strolling the cold nights on the streets of Kenilworth.

One of the most expensive villages in Chicago. Yup. That's where we lived. It didn't feel that way, though, because my parents don't act like we live in one.

"Where will we go? Starbucks is closed at this hour." I asked. I did want to go out, let the adults fight without hearing any of it, but most establishments near us were already closed.

"How about the beach?" My brother sure does know where to go, especially at crisis like this. "Just grab your stuff that you need and I'll drive."

I picked up my notebook, shoved it into my handbag and grabbed my phone. I stood up, took my coat from his hand and made my way down the hall quietly, although, they really wouldn't notice it because they're busy fighting and Aiden and I have been sneaking out for years.

We literally laughed our asses off while driving away from the house. Aiden kept imitating mom's annoying voice whenever she'd try to win an argument with dad. She's usually the one who starts everything and dad was the one who always concedes even when it really isn't his fault. No wonder mom's first husband left her.

"So what do you want to do?" Asked my brother when we arrived at the beach. I really thought he'd be studying. Well, that goes my effort in bringing my notebook.

"I'm beyond doing homework right now. Let's just walk the beach. No swimming though because the water's freezing." I joked.

"Too bad, I'm wearing my Speedos." He countered. "The one you spilled hot coffee on?" He looked at me dramatically then smirked.

"Oh my God! That happened once and I apologized!" He laughed at my seriousness then gave me a warm hug.

"Sis, it's just a joke. You've got to chill." He said.  He broke the hug and ran towards the beach. "Come on. We still have time. I know they're not gonna finish fighting until mom leaves for a hotel tonight so let's go walk."

My brother always saw the good in things. Everytime our parents fight, he made it as an excuse to either eat out or take me shopping, usually the latter. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, that if dad gets fed up fighting with mom, he'll take us and move away from her, but that hasn't happened yet. My mom didn't want to lose us because she knew if they separated, we'll always choose our dad.

Aiden is the most positive person I know. He can turn the saddest day into one of the brightest, sunshine and unicorns kind of day. One time, a kid in school insulted him in front of class but he turned it around in an instant. He became the funny guy that everyone likes.

When I got tired walking, I stopped sat on the sand and just stared at the beach. He was still frolicking on the beach but when he noticed me, he ran back and sat beside me.

"What're you looking at, sis?" He looked at me then averted his gaze to the same direction I was looking at.

"Nothing. Just…" I wanted to tell him that I love him and that I'm really happy that he has always been there for me when mom amd dad weren't.

"What? You can tell me." Aiden said. When I looked at him, he, too, was now staring blankly into the ocean.

"Why did you choose community college instead of going out of state to Duke? You had full scholarship." I always wondered why he stayed. He could have just went there and left our troubled home.

"Because I couldn't leave you…" He said softly without looking at me. "If I left, no one would take care of you. I mean, dad would, but he's too busy running an empire and mom's a total bitch. I couldn't leave you."

In that moment, everything that he did for me flashed before my eyes —The way he helped me become the one to beat in math, the way he cheered on me in my soccer tournaments when mom wasn't around, the way he fed me, took me to my favorite restaurants whenever mom and dad were too busy fighting to even cook us dinner, the way he always waits for me even after his football and swim team practice just so that we could go home together, the way he chooses me over his girlfriends everytime I want to go out.

I grabbed his hand, held it tight then looked into his eyes. "Thank you." I murmured softly.

He looked at me when I said that. Every emotion that he had worked their way into his hazel eyes and moved to mine. It was the first time he ever looked at me like that. I was surprised with what happened next.

He kissed me.

My brother, Aiden, held my face, pulled it towards him and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. At that moment, everything felt right. Everything felt perfect. So I kissed him back.

I opened my lips to let him in and he did.

We made out.

I completely forgot everything. I forgot my homework that wasn't done. I forgot my parents' endless bickering. I forgot myself and my problems. And…I forgot that he's my brother.

My eyes widened when I realized what we were doing. Immediately, I pushed him away, stood up then stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What did we just do?"