Lane and I had decided to hang out more, and I was not just doing it to get close to Mikki. My house full of cousins was getting hectic. Luckily, Lane did have his own apartment, so whenever we decided to hang out, we went to his place. It was downtown by the library and the skate park. He worked at both.
As I walked up to the door, I could hear music. Not like rock music I figured he would listen to, but classical. A song I couldn't recognize. It flowed perfectly in time, with crescendos and decrescendos. I couldn't help but stand there until the song was over. I gathered to my senses and knocked a couple times on the door.
The song stops altogether and I hear the door unlatch. Instead of Lane at the door, I find Mikki. Not just any Mikki, well it's her but she's different. She's wearing a floral top under a pair of ratty overalls. Her hair is down from being spiked and with a light pink bandana around her head.
"Oh! Wow! I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to barge in!" I say and we both blush.
"Oh you're fine, I was just working in my gar- I mean my room." She states uncertainly as more color creeps into her cheeks. "Lane should be back any minute."
"Are you staying with your brother?" It was the only thing that came to my mind.
"No" a small laugh escaped her lips. "I live with him." She looks back at me and smiles. I smile back and she walks to a small piano that stood against the wall. She sits at the bench and begins absentmindedly moving her thin little fingers against the ivory keys. She looks at me with brilliant eyes. Eyes that mask the real her. I can see the faith and love and betrayal in her pupils.
"What?" She asks breaking my train of thought the same way she did when we met.
"The triangle is crooked." I respond.
She laughs only to be interrupted by her phone vibrating with a text. She keeps smiling until she looks at her phone. She looks up at me and a tear rolls down her cheek.
"Mikki?" She just looks down and a drop lands on her knee. I reach my hand timidly up to her cheek and wipe her tear away. "Mik, don't cry." I just held her shoulders lightly and pulled her to my chest. I sat down on the floor and she sat on my lap, weeping in my arms. We probably sat there for an hour. My legs had gone numb and she had stopped crying about ten minutes ago. I stopped rocking and looked down finding that she had fallen asleep in my arms. I took her bridal style into her bedroom. I'd assume it was hers considering all the flowers. I lay her on the bed but she has a hold of my hand and won't let go. I don't have the heart to wake her up, so I just lay next to her. I swore I could feel her smile as I laid down.
~~~
"What the heck do you think your doing?!" Lane yelled at us waking me up, but yet not waking Mik up. Does she get this everyday? I put a finger to my mouth and began to move off the bed. Of course, that's when Mikki decides to wake up.
"What?" She mumbles as she rubs her eyes. Her hair is flat on one side and her eyes were still a little red from her crying only hours before.
"Shhh, go back to sleep." I pat her cheek and she lays back down, eventually drifting back off. I walk outside the bedroom to find Lane pacing.
"Look," I began but when he puts his palm towards me, I stop.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything drastic. Not yet at least. Nonetheless, I want to know why I found you in bed with my baby sister and why she looked like she was crying?" He inquires. Welcome to big brothers, folks.
"Jackson broke up with her. Over text!" I mutter a few choice words under my breath and hear Lane do the same. I continued. "I just happened to be here looking for you when it happened. I comforted her and she fell asleep in my arms. The I took her in my arms to her bed, but she wouldn't let go. I gave up and laid down next to her and fell asleep. Simple as that."
He just looks at me with persecuting eyes. I feel as though my soul is being examined over and over again. This look is familiar. It's Mikki's.
As if on cue, Mikki walks out of the door frame and moves in between the two of us.
"Don't worry, we won't fight." I chuckle as I explain. Mikki looks at me with her eyebrows raised to question my motives.
"Okay. Lane, Jackson was a jerk, yes. But don't you dare go try and fight him. He is taller and stronger than you." Noticing what she said, she quickly added, "I love you!" She smiles and my stomach does backflips.
"Can we go to a bookstore?" She looks at me and smiles from ear to ear.
YOU ARE READING
Nerd in Leather
RomanceA little rivalry between classmates became something more. A fear became a way to become closer. A secret became a fate. And a love becomes alive.
