The Broken Girl and The Golden Boy

Dino Bites and Freak Storms

Chapter 12: Justin

I stared at the ceiling of my room, feeling like I was dying of sheer boredom. Of course, that would've been better than having my brother fling my door open and stand there with that shit-eating grin on his face. Which was what actually happened.

"Has your girlfriend called, Justin?" Leo called from my doorway, "Is she going to come over for dinner tonight? Are you going to make her some more fancy spaghetti so she'll love you?"

Spaghetti. What had I been thinking?

Leo had been taunting me relentlessly ever since I made it for Piper last weekend. Just because I hardly ever cook and the spaghetti takes a long time to make and it tastes really good and... damn, it does sound like I was trying to impress her.

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling over onto my side and chucking my pillow at the smug little asshole. He just sidestepped and grinned even wider.

"Is poor little Justie cranky because his girlfriend isn't here?" he teased.

"She's not my girlfriend, you dumbass!" I snapped.

"Oh, so she's available then?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You haven't got a snowball's chance in hell, pervert," I replied. I'm pretty sure Piper wouldn't go that young.

"Ow, Justin," he pouted, "You're damaging my fragile self-esteem. I'm just a kid, you know, I'm very easily influenced and... crap like that."

"Yeah," I snorted, "Fragile self-esteem. Please, you have an ego the size of the continental United States."

"Huh," he said, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "Then it looks like I've got a way to go."

"You're telling me," I said, rolling my eyes, "You need to get that ego in check."

"In check?" he shot me a confused look, "No. I meant I need to add Alaska in there. Maybe Hawaii too."

"You're such an idiot," I said, but I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth despite myself.

"You're just saying that because you feel insecure about your relationship with Piper," Leo said.

"We're not in a relationship," I pointed out. But Leo just kept talking like he hadn't heard a word that I said.

"I don't see why you're so worried though," he continued, "She's clearly into you. And she practically had an orgasm from just eating the freaking spaghetti you made for her." The fu- did he just say what I think he just said?

"What the hell, Leo?!" I shouted, springing up off my bed,  "You shouldn't be talking like that. You're only in sixth grade! Where did you even learn that shit?"

"Eighth-graders," Leo replied with a shrug. He acted like it was no big deal, and that made me even more pissed off, "They tell the younger kids all kinds of stuff."

"That's messed-up, Leo!" I exclaimed, placing my hand on his shoulder, "Stop treating this like it's normal. The eighth-graders shouldn't be telling sixth-graders about sex - hell, I don't think they should know about it themselves." 

"Yeah, well, they do," Leo said flatly, "So could you stop trying to be my dad and fucking let it go?" He shrugged off my hand and stormed out of my room while I stood frozen in shock in the doorway.

When I finally recovered from my surprise, I raced down the hallway after him and banged on his bedroom door. "Leo!" I shouted, "Leo! We need to talk about this!"

"Go away, Justin!" he yelled back. He turned his stereo on and blared some horrible heavy metal song so loud that it shook the walls.

"Leo, I'm serious," I hollered, "We need to talk this out!"