Looking After You

(17) Ages: 16 & 13

Ages: 16 & 13

Hangover: a severe headache or other after effects caused by drinking an excess of alcohol. James groaned loudly and rolled onto his back, wrapping the ends of his pillow up over his ears. If there was one single thing on earth that did not help that travesty, it was music. Loud, obnoxious music. “Turn it down!”

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” Jenny yelled sarcastically over the music blasting throughout her bedroom while she continued to accessorize in front of her vanity mirror.

If a glare could kill, Jenny would have been a slump on the floor. James stood up from his bed made on the floor and stomped over to the stereo perched on her dresser, immediately turning it to mute.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized with an exaggerated frown and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Was the music too loud?” She snickered at his expression and returned to her collection of earrings. “There’s breakfast and Excedrin on the nightstand.”

He glanced back at the nightstand to find a stack of pancakes and some eggs along with two tablets. “Thanks,” he mumbled with a now confused expression before sitting down on her bed. Distant shouts from downstairs now replaced the music. His eyes flew open and an uneasy feeling washed over him. “What’s going on downstairs? Your parents don’t know I slept up here, do they?”

Shaking her head, she took a few steps toward the bed. She didn’t look concerned in the slightest. “No.”

His worry heightened as the sound of something falling to the ground and shattering traveled upstairs. “I think someone just broke something.”

“It’s nothing, I promise. You just have to let them fight. Give them a couple hours and it will be as if nothing happened.”

He couldn’t help but notice how calm she was. It was as if his concern was inappropriate and fighting was a common occurrence. Was this what she was used to? Sure, James’ parents fought but it wasn’t considered normal when they did because it was so rare. He always knew Jenny’s parents were more vocal about certain things. They were passionate and loud, just like their daughter. But the shouts he heard coming from downstairs were not something any kid should ever have to consider normal.

She sat down beside him and smiled back at him a moment. Disheveled hair standing up in every direction just added to the comical look of confusion he was adorning. “Oh,” she exclaimed in realization and picked up his plate from the nightstand, handing it to him. Thanking her once more, he quickly took the pills before picking at some of the food. “Did you have fun last night?”

He shrugged but his eye contact remained glued to his plate as if it may run away. “Rex had this crazy plan for my birthday but it turned out to be more of a party for himself than anything else.”

“I didn’t have a chance to give you your present yesterday.”

He shrugged it off before taking a bite of his eggs. “My birthday isn't until tomorrow. Just give it to me tomorrow night at dinner.”

“I think you should open it now.” She insisted before reaching over to her nightstand and pulling out a small, wrapped package from the first drawer. “Here,” she pressed while holding it above his plate of food.

Even though it felt as if he had a dozen monkeys playing ping pong inside his head, he still managed a small smile for Jenny’s sake. “Jenny, you didn’t have to get me anything.”

She snickered and shoved the present into his chest. “Don’t give me that crap. You love presents and you know it.”

He couldn't argue with that. Taking the present from her hands, he began pulling back the navy blue paper with large white stars. “You know me so well, Jennifer Loran.” And the present would have been proof enough. It was the deluxe version of his favorite bands latest CD.