"Kaleb."
"Essie."
"Could you turn that down? I'm trying to read."
"It's a big house. Lots of places to read."
"I was here first."
"I was born first."
"Mom!"
Kaleb tears his bloodshot eyes away from the television set long enough to inform me that mom picked up another shift at the hospital.
Figures, I guess.
I close my laptop and sigh. Clearly I'm not going to get any peace and quiet here.
"I'm going to the library."
Kaleb scoffs. "Not in my baby you're not."
I cross my arms over my chest. I just about had it. "It's not your car Kaleb. Dad bought it for both us, not just your crusty ass."
"He also said that we were both responsible for putting gas in it." He snickers, knowing good and well that I don't have a job. Neither does he, but he makes his money gambling off robots in the underground robotic fight club he and Joquin run in our school's basement.
"Fuck you." I mumble underneath my breath, intentionally stepping on the wired controller Kaleb was white knuckling as made my way to the front door. I knock over the coat rack behind me so that I had more time to run as I shuffle out the front door and into an unusually broad chest.
"Shit, Sorry Essie." Ashton murmurs as he grabs me by the shoulders, stablizing me before I can bust my head open on my front steps.
"Ashton?" I ask rhetorically, as I back out of his grasp. "What are you doing here?"
Before he can answer, both our necks crane towards the door as Kaleb whips it open, his large brown eyes fueled with scorn before our neighbor waves awkwardly, causing his jaw to go slightly agape. He looks down at his, scrawny, lanky body, wearing nothing but the tight white undies Aunt Barb bought for him last Christmas and a stolen pair of my purple ankle socks.
However, say what you want about my brother, but he is one bold SOB.
"Ashton." He nods, clearing his throat. He straightens his hunched spine, emphasizing his ribs even more.
"Kaleb." He replies, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nice socks."
"Thank you. They were a gift." He lies not missing a beat. He turns to me. "If you would excuse us, I need to have a word with my sister here."
"No can do." Ashton sighs, pulling me behind his back. "I'm afraid we're on a mission today." He glances down at his watch while biting his lip. "And we're already late."
Kaleb snickers. "Misson? Does dad know about your little mission?" He asks, knowing good and well Dad's been at the groomers all day with Mcbarkney.
"No Kaleb, and I plan on keeping it that way, ok?" I sigh. Truth be told I had no idea what the hell Ashton was actually doing, but anything was better than putting up with more of Kaleb's bull. "Can you do that? Can you keep a secret?"
"I'll do whatever the hell I feel like, thank you." He scoffs. "Lucky for you, I'm in a secretive mood. Maybe now I can play my games as loud as I want without you complaining."
I nod, trying to surpress my cringe since we both know that as soon as I leave he's going to go and jerk off until the cows come home, or in this case, Dad.
"Thanks Kaleb." I call, starting towards Ashton's beat up Dodge neon parked on our side of the street. "Don't hurt yourself now."
⏲️
