Beautiful Disaster

Chapter Five

Sebastian

Driving through the winding mountain roads, I couldn’t help but being surprised.

Dusk was nothing like I had expected. Although I guess, it was my fault believing what the media said.

She was loyal. That much was obvious by her defending her dad. She was mature and intelligent one moment, then playful and sarcastic the next. I just couldn’t get a read on her; which was unusual because I could always read people.

I was pulled out of my pondering when my cellphone rang, singing “count on me” by Bruno Mars. I shook my head; already knowing whom it was.

“You know you’re the only person I know who would steal my phone, change my ringtones, and change my contact for you,” I stated with a bored tone. When I looked at my phone her contact now came up as “the most beautiful and wonderful best friend in the whole wide world!J” Although I couldn’t say I was surprised seeing as how this is the third time she has done this.

“Whatever, you love it,” she happily chirped. I just rolled my eyes and smiled; used to her antics.

“Anyway, did you need something?” I asked in a monotone, purposely annoying her.

“Can’t a girl call her best friend for no reason?” she asked, faking offended.

“I’m hanging up now.” 

“Aww Seb, don’t be mean. I just wanted to make sure that you gave Dusk her wallet.”

That’s why you sent me isn’t it?” I asked slightly exasperated. I could just imagine her rolling her eyes at me as she sighed.

“Sometimes you really annoy me with your whole personality thing,” she said, irritated. I geld back my laugh as I asked, “What personality thing?”

She sighed as she replied, “Your calm and collected… thingy,” she finished lamely.

My eyebrow rose unconsciously as I asked, “thingy?” thoroughly amused. She huffed angrily as she tried to explain.

“How you’re always so calm and collected and in control, damn it! You knew exactly what I was trying to say,” she accused.

“Of course I did,” I stated with a haughty attitude.

“You know what? You’re an ass and I’m hanging up now,” she declared, before doing exactly that.

I smiled as I called her back.

“What?” she asked angrily as she answered.

“Nothing, I just wanted to get in the last word,” I replied smugly as I hung up, cutting off her string of expletives. I laughed loudly as I turned up the stereo; imagining her huffing and puffing angrily in her room as her mom just smiled and kept walking.

Seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds later, I pulled into my mom’s driveway.

Looking up at the modest, two-story Victorian style house, I couldn’t help but feel a little homesick thinking about my cold apartment compared to my mom’s warm, cozy house.

Shaking off these feelings, I opened my door and stepped out.

Before I was even halfway to the front door though, it was thrust open as two little giggling bundles of joy flew through the door.

“Seb!” they squealed as they ran towards me. I smiled as I leaned down and scooped them up.

“You guys just saw him yesterday,” my other sister Abbi said in disgust. I just sighed as she walked out the door; setting my sisters back down.

“Nice to see you too,” I said flatly. She just rolled her eyes as she walked to my car.

I gave my mom a questioning look as she walked out the front door. She just shook her head as she gave me a hug and kissed my forehead.

“How long has she been this bad?” I asked. Every time I came over, she either was at a friend’s house or holed up in her room.

“About a month, but she’s just like you, so she doesn’t talk to me. At least not as much as she used to,” she replied, sounding tired. I gave her a reassuring hug as loud music came from my car.

“I’ll take the girls inside,” she said as she grabbed the girl’s hands and tugged them in, all the while ignoring their protests.

Smiling, I walked over to my car and knocked on the passenger window. Abbi looked over from the driver seat and unlocked the doors. I got in and we sat in silence for a while.

When she was ready, she started talking. I didn’t interrupt or say anything, knowing she needed to get it all out.

She was feeling guilty because she was mad at our mom. She was mad at our dad for leaving. Embarrassed because she never had any money to go do things with her friends. She told me everything, knowing I wouldn’t judge or condemn her.

It was our thing. When life has to be too much, we would talk to each other, no matter what time of day it was.

About halfway through, she started to cry. I held her hand as she let all her sorrow out. I didn’t comfort in any other way. I just being there was enough.

I knew that was one thing that frustrated our mom, our lack of emotions. No, that wasn’t right. We had emotions we just didn’t show them. Abbi and I were like our dad in that sense. While our mom was the complete opposite, she felt everything so strongly and lived life passionately.

After a couple minutes, she stopped crying and stared straight ahead.

“I felt the same way after dad left when I was your age,” I said softly.

She looked at me with wide eyes. I almost wanted to smile at how surprised she seemed at that, but thought better of it.

“No way,” she exclaimed, shaking her head.

“Why is that so surprising?”

“I don’t know, just that it’s you. You’re like a god! You don’t let anything bother you, especially not silly, whimsical human issues as petty as envy.”

I laughed as I teased her, “You think I’m a god? It’s my godly good looks isn’t it?”

She just rolled her eyes at me and muttered, “Whatever, you know what I mean.”

“Uh huh, sure. I know that my sister thinks I’m a god,” I sung as I got out of the car.

“Ugh, shut up you know what I meant!” She yelled as she got out after me, slamming the door shut.

“Whatever you say,” I teased as she walked towards the front door.

“Aren’t you coming in?” She asked, holding the front door open.

I shook my head as I opened the driver side door of my car. “I have some things to do today. Tell mom and the girls’ bye for me.”

She just nodded as she walked inside and I pulled out of the driveway, thinking about her comment. “’You don’t let anything bother you…’”

“That’s not entirely true, Abbi,” I said to no one.