Being the Little Sister

24 - Broken arm

The piercing sound of a phones ringing played out in the early morning waking me from another nightmare, the same scene playing on repeat and haunting my dreams. Simon had been there the whole night, waking up by my sudden intakes of breaths or jerks or a sudden sniffle in the dark and keeping me company. His reassuring words and his embrace was the only thing keeping me sane and feeling safe.

The ringing continued and I groaned into my pillow as a prayer for the person to stop calling. Simons snores rung in my other ear as he was knocked out beside me, his arm secured around my waist. Pushing his hand off of me I grabbed the phone laying embedded in my plush carpet. Flipping my phone over the light from the screen lit up in the darkness and I saw the caller "Mom" displayed on the phone. I stared at it for a second, a sudden sadness washing over me as now I wanted my mom the most after yesterdays events.

Realizing its Simons phone in my hand I look over to Simon. His chestnut hair was a mess and the bags under his eyes as a result of staying up half the night with me. I probably looked worse. His shirt was raised revealing his toned stomach and I couldn't help but stare for a moment as I thought back to a couple of years ago when he looked like a total nerd. To me, he was still that little nerd with a big heart even if other girls looked at him differently.

"I don't have my glasses on but are you checking me out?" Mason rasped out as he opened his eyes and my eyes snapped away from his stomach as I was ripped out of my thoughts. A tired grin was on his face as he used his elbows to position himself into a sitting position.

I rolled my eyes at him even if it held some truth in his question and handed him his phone "Your mom is calling" I told him and he grabbed it with furrowed brows, his eyes turning wide when he saw the caller.

"Oh crap," He muttered as he answered the call and put the phone against his ear.

"Hello?" He quietly asked as if he was afraid of what was to come.

"Simon? Is that you?" Maria asked on the other side of the phone so loud I could hear it.

Letting out a tired sigh, Simon ran his hand through his hair "Yes mom"

"Simon! Where have you been!? Isaac was going to wake you up but then he came running downstairs saying you were nowhere to be seen! What's your excuse?" She now screamed making Simon put the phone away from his ear slightly and giving me a worried look saying "I'm so dead". She did indeed sound a little mad but it only brought me amusement.

"Sorry, mom! I slept over at Lara's. She- um I needed to see her" Simon was quick to reply as he did not want to get on her bad side. I did understand why he was quick to respond when I've experienced that side of Maria more than once when we've made a mess around her house. Like when we tried baking a cake that turned into a flour war or when we had a nerf war and we accidentally broke her vase.

I could hear her sigh into the phone "It's okay. Just tell me before going somewhere. Don't scare mama like that"

"Sorry"

"It's okay. Go get ready for school and say hi to Lara for me will you" She said and I smiled.

"Hi, Maria," I said into the phone getting close to Simon.

"Hey Honey," She said back making me smile. We continued into a conversation until she told us to go to school. Getting off the bed I walked across my room to my full body mirror as tilted my head to the side at the sight. My eyes were slightly puffy and there was still a slight redness on my check. Reaching up I flinched at the touch of my fingertips of my tender skin and jerk away. I could see Simon walking over in the reflection of the mirror as he stood behind me with a frown. Locking his eyes with mine he wrapped his arm around me.