The Cousin I Love

***1 Chelsea is back? Kill me

Thanksgiving Sunday night, 2018

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"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to burn the house down. I'll come visit you in the hospital but Dad says he's taking me back first thing tomorrow morning. Sorry, Logan, get well soon..."

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Present day

Ding dong

"They are here! Becky please go get the door my hands are busy over here," mom shouted from the kitchen.

"Who's here, mom?" Becky asked before deciding whether to open the door or not.

"Your cousin, Chelsea and uncle Max."

"Chelsea???!" Becky screamed in extreme horror and met mom in the kitchen. "Why is she coming to our house, mom? Do you want her to burn down this one too?"

Mom gave her a dirty look and scolded her, "I guess somebody wants to skip their dinner tonight." Becky groans. "Now go do what I said. Open the damn door and embrace your cousin!"

Becky paused for a second then scowled and walked into the living room. As she grabbed the knob, she shuddered.

"And the destroyer returns," she murmured and finally opened the door, leaving it ajar.

"If it isn't my favorite cuz!" she leaned away from the wall, pushed the door wide open and pulled Becky into a squishing hug. "It's Britney, right?"

Becky squeezed her forehead and frowned. "It's Becky. You forgot to take your memory gain pills before coming?" she sarcastically said, pulling herself away from her cousin.

"I'll let that one slide, coconut ears." She kissed her forehead.

"Eww! Don't ever do that again," Becky took her face towel from her pants pocket and wiped her forehead.

She winked. "Sue me."

"Chelsea!" Mom hollered as she made her way to greet her niece.

"Aunty!"

"Oh dear, we missed you. Did you add an inch or two? You look taller."

"You must be joking right, I was a dwarf the last time you saw me?"

Mom grinned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come here."

They hugged. Becky shrugged and was heading upstairs.

Immediately, Chelsea stopped her by saying, "Yikes, it's a new house, a big one which I may get lost. Er, could Becca be so kind to show me to my own room and help carry my few bags for me? It was a very long journey and I'm so freaking tired i could pass out on the floorboard." She grinned evilly at Becky.

Becky rolled her eyes. "Come on Becky, don't be so rude, you're better than that." Mom scolded her once again.

Chelsea concealed her laughter.

Grudgingly, Becky walked down the stairs to the front door. "She keeps giving me different names. Is it so hard to pronounce Becky for God's sake?"

"Give her a break! She's only stressed out and for the record, she's your cousin!"

***

"Sup dude."

"Hey bro, what's up?"

"Yo guys, have you seen the latest vid on the website? You know, the one where Jonathan di- The one that got Prudence in a really messed up situa-"

Blake and I stared at him blank.

"What video, Jude?" Blake asked him.

I kept staring blankly, completely absent minded.

Jude sighed in frustration. "Na forget it. You'd probably just watch it later on your laptop."

"Hey, is that not your sister? I think she's coming over here." Blake nudged at me.

I was startled. "Hmm, what?"

"He did it again. Zoned out!" Jude alarmed.

"Dude, I did not zone out! Keep your voice down."

He sing-songed rather. "Zoned out, zoned out"

"Logan thank God I found you on time. There's something I need to tell you." Becky held my hand strongly.

"What? What is it?" I asked her getting more curious now.

"Actually, scratch that. There's trouble."

Blake gasped. "Are you pregnant?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "How funny, Blake."

"What? I had to guess." He laughed with Jude.

Becky was frowning at them.

I clearly know how much my little sister disliked my friends.

"Come on, let's go to a coTrner and talk." I held her overly soft hand and we walked to a corner away from the hallways.

"So what's up?" she hesitated to talk. I went straight to think otherwise. "Shit, no wait. Are you really pregnant?"

The next thing I heard was a slap on my shoulder. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Seriously of all things to ask, it is that?! Why are you even my brother?"

I massaged my hurting shoulder. Don't blame me. I had to guess."

"Ew, gross! But if it is the case where my crush finally notices me enough to say hi or wave, I'm getting pregnant for him and our baby is going to be junior." She squealed like one of the bitchy ass cheerleaders."

I rolled my eyes. "First, disgusting. And second, I'm not going to let that happen, well at least not until you're 21 and old enough to afford your college fees."

She scoffed. "Like I care. I'll be 14 by December. I'm not aging backwards and you need to know that in most cases I'm 99.99½% smarter than you."

I smirked. "How cute." I watched her feeling herself.
I sighed getting bored already. "What is the unbelievable thing that you want me to know. Look, I got gym in the next 15 minutes. Don't waste my time."

She sucked in a breath. "Okay. Don't freak out, but um..." She delayed a little by putting her hands over her chest and heave a sigh. "It's Chelsea. Our cousin. At our house."

I gasped in sheer horror. I threw my palms over my mouth immediately.

"Uncle Max dropped her off this morning after you left for school and now she's back into our lives." She forced a smile which turned weak the next second.

I was still in shock.

I let out, "Fuck!" and shut my mouth back.

Becky looked at me displeased. "Word!"

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't. How come mom never told us? The least she could've done was to give us a headstart."

She shrugged. "Guess we have to relive the beast adventures once again."

"Um, hey, sis. You would go home after school. And me? Don't worry about me. You see, as a guy, I can crash at my friends house. I'll be at Blake's for the whole week and Jude's next week and it keeps changing like that."

"Oh no no no no, we are in this together. You either face the beast with me or it'd be really nice to join you at your friend's, you know. Er..." She tilted towards my friends who are chit-chatting from their lockers and made flirty eyes at Blake. "The brunette with the bod," she looked at me. "He's the Blake, right?"

I quickly caught where she was going. "Hey hey hell no. That is not happening. Never in the lifetime of never. Not under my watch, not out of my watch. You're way out of their leag- Wait, thought you hate them."

She crossed her arms, scowling badly at me. "Wow, isn't it surprising huh?"

"Okay I'll come home tonight."

"You better."

~~~