Run Between

Better Brothers

        I'm curled up on my bed in a fetal position, tears trickling from my eyes, when Mom comes in.  "Hey, Lulu," she says softly.  She walks over to me, and pulls my shoulders up until I'm in a sitting position, then sits down next to me.  "How was today? Was it... fun having Kat there?"

         This is one thing about my mom.  She's not good at comforting people.  For her entire life, she skirted around misery as if it were a bully, and now has trouble going up to face and stand up to it.  I know she's doing her best, but it only makes me start to sob.  How can I tell her Kat and I are no longer friends? After a few minutes, I catch my breath and choke out, "Kat and I... fought..." Tears flow down my face, and my mom faces me with concern, asking me to continue.  "She said I had a crush on Ai---someone, and I don't...and I just got really annoyed that she was trying to tell me who I should be in love with, and then... then she said she was loosing me through Summertime...and then she left."  For the first time in years, I fall into my mothers arms, clingy and needy as an infant. 

        "She'll come around, sweetie," Mom says, although obviously uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. "Kat was always a bit headstrong.  I'm sure she wasn't trying to tell you what you should do." We sit akwardly for a moment as I wipe my eyes.  Then, Mom turns to me, "Why don't you go hang out with your brothers.  I know they've missed going to the beach with you this summer.  They're watching Harry Potter in the basement, now." 

        I could almost laugh at my mom's antics.  She always tries to push sadness away: sends us to play with each other, or call our friends; sometimes she even lets us invite people over on weeknights, just so she doesn't have to comfort us.  "Thanks," I say shortly, and trudge down the stairs.

        When I arrive, I see Ben and Evan pretending to have a wizard deul, with Danny giggling on the sofa: partially because of them, partially because his favorite part of the movie has just started.  They don't even notice me until I say, "Hey, guys."  At once their heads turn towards me. I'm not unused to this (being the only girl, there always seems to be some sort of attention on me), but for once, their gazes aren't playful; but a bit... closed off.  Ben and Evan at once break off their "duel", and Danny stops giggling.  For a moment, all I hear is British accents from the TV, until Danny says, "Hi, Lulu!"

       "Hey, DanDan," I reply, giving a small smile.  I go sit down on Danny's right, squished up against the arm of the couch.  I don't mind, though: it's so good to be back, hanging out with my brothers, that I almost forget about today. 

        Almost.  

        "Can I watch with you guys?" I ask.  Danny nods enthusiastically, Evan bobs his head, but Ben turns to me.  "Oh, so now you want to hang out with us? Because you have nothing better to do, like video chatting with Arnold and Stuart, or whatever their names are?"

        I gape at him, ignoring Danny's tugs on my arm to try and get me to watch the movie.  "Is that what you think?" I ask.  "You know, I don't even know why I still talk to you.  That's twice you've insulted my dreams.  And not meant your apologies, obviously."  Then I notice Evan.  He's starting at his shoes, refusing to meet my eyes.  "Evan?" I say softly. "Do--do you think that too?"  I wait a moment, hoping for the best--then, he nods. 

         "You've been ignoring us, Lucy.  Since you started the movie."  Evan always was a quiet one, so I don't expect more, but the few words he's said break my heart. 

         "I don't mean to.  I just don't have much time, and I need to use that extra time to see Ka--people from school so I don't loose contact, where as I live with you three."  Ben and Evan don't respond. "I'm sorry you feel that way.  I'll spend more time with you guys, I promise."

         "Oh, really?" Ben roars. "Like I said, being famous changes you.  Wait and see, you'll be like the rest of them, who've lost their family entirely.  It's either be a good sister, or be a good actress."  I turn to Evan, to see if he'll defend me, but he just nods again.  

         I stand up. "Well, Danny's on my side--aren't you?"  He looks up at me, eyes wide.  "You don't spend time with us anymore," he says.  My eyes start to sting, recognizing this as his cute, eight year old way of saying he agrees with Ben and Evan.

          "Fine, then," I exclaim, already running upstairs. "Be that way." I refuse to let them see me cry.

         When I get upstairs, I immediately go onto iChat.  Out of habit, I go to press on Kat's name, before remembering I don't like her anymore.  I'm about to close it, when I realize Steve's on.  Aidan, Steve and I have grown pretty close during the whole process, but Steve is definately the nicer one.  As much as Aidan can be nice and funny at times, the other half of the time, he annoys me to death; whether he's imitating me in a high voice, saying I'm a "newbie", or just teasing me about my character.  On a whim, I press "call" under Steve's name.  He answers on the first ring, the video revealing not only him but also Aidan, to my surprise.

        It turns out that the pair of them are much better comforters than my mother, or my brothers.  Steve listens carefully, and Aidan, for once, shows his sweet side and sides with me.  Both of them gasp at the right places, growl when Ben says something particularly mean, and cheer me on when I stand up for myself.  In the end, they proclaim themselves my honorary brothers.  The rest of the night, they distract me from my sorrows, Steve starting conversations, me continuing them, and Aidan making funny and snarky comments about everything.  This time, I forget about everything that's happened today.

         Everything.