The Career ✓

10

       ALEC

  "So... have you asked anyone yet?" Allie asked me, plopping down on her bed.

 "Hey, I heard Cole rejected you."

"Thanks for reminding me. So, have you? Or have they asked you?" I snorted. She expected a girl to ask me?

    "Nah. I think I'm going stag." 

   "Well, could you at least come with me? Then we could part ways, and..." 

"Sure." I sighed. It was going to be one awkward evening, but it was worth it.

       ***

Cole came over, so Allie was in a grumpy mood. She shut and locked her door, which she never does. I was surprised at her attitude, but maybe her absence relieved Cole. Hmph. All this was way too stressful. Why did I care, anyway?

    Now that Gwen and I's contract was over, we were back to being friends that wanted to be more than friends. The usual irony. 

    "You wanna do something or stare into space?" Cole laughed, but my face remained silent and serious. "Sure." I said. We both waited for the other to make a joke, but we didn't seem in the mood. 

  "Want to spy on Allie?"

"What if she's showering or something?"

"Even better."

I rolled my eyes. "Cole, we can't go in there anyway. She locked her door. That means she really wants privacy." 

Cole raised his eyebrows. "Does she lock her door when she's showering?"

"You're not going to give it up, are you?" I told him. He burst into laughter as I shook my head, but headed for the door anyway. It was our old way of spying on her when I was a kid. I'd listen in to her and Gwen gossip with my old friend, Ty.

     "This way," I directed Cole, and he obediently followed. We stopped at the wall. If we climbed high enough, we should've been able to reach the window and look inside.

    "We're going to climb?"

   "Surprise, surprise. How else would we get up there? I do it all the time."

"What do you see?"

I rolled my eyes and started gripping the stones. Once you got a hold of it, it worked fine. Seriously. The bricks were in place exactly like a climbing wall. There were crevices you could hide in, slots for your feet and hands- it was guaranteed you'd get there without breaking your skull. I hoped Cole could make it. If not...

    Luckily, he made it up there. I didn't see what I expected at all. The curtains weren't closed, but the room seemed to have a dark shade to it. Allie was on her bed, sketching a picture of... Cole, was it? It was actually pretty good. It looked exactly like him.

       She was singing something. "...Your white T-shirt and your classic smirk ain't working like they did before..." She seemed to be watching a movie, too, and her eyes were wet like she'd been crying.

    "Not showering." Cole noted, and I resisted the urge to push him off the side of the wall. "Can't you see? She's grieving you." 

   "Me?" Cole pointed to himself.

 "Yeah, as if it doesn't always end up that way. You jerk, you broke my sister's heart!"

"Whoa, buddy, it's alright." Cole laughed nervously.

"It's not." I shook my head. "Go home already." 

***

"No, way!" Allie laughed as we shared a pudding. We both felt like eating half of that and half of our new Jello. Yeah, sometimes we got these feelings, you know? 

    After we'd finished, we watched a movie. I'd permanently banned Cole from our house by putting a sign in the front room that said "COLE: BANNED" in case he ever tried to come back and sneak in, or something.

    Or something.

 The next morning, Allie and I were sitting at the table, bonding, when the doorbell rang. I shrugged. "I can get it." I wasn't happy that whoever there had interrupted our epic bonding time and breakfast, but I frowned when I saw who it was.

    I opened the door a crack, shouted, "Get away!" And slammed the door right in his face. I could see the regret, but I didn't care. He'd already done it.

     "Ugh." Allie rolled her eyes. "He came back?" 

  "Yeah." We left our meals on the table, half-forgotten, as we prepared.

 "Mom's coming home soon." Allie reminded me, and I nodded, though I'd forgotten. She was due to come back about a week after the dance. It was tradition to have your moms by the side for the first half, before they started the 'slow songs'. Hmm, I wonder why.

     Anyway, it was sad she'd miss it. We'd done one last year, so that was how we'd prepared and gotten used to it for this year. It was part of the 8th grade traditions.

       "Done?" I asked Allie after a while. She yelled yes back.

    The next day was going to be the dance, and Allie didn't have anything to wear. I sighed, then had an idea. "Gotta run to the store!" I called.

   "Same! Call you when I'm done picking out dresses! You know, I still want to go." The last part she didn't yell, but I could hear it clearly. I walked out into the sunlight.

     I laid rose petals in the driveway when I got back, since of course Allie hadn't returned from her spree. I lit little candles to resemble light. Then I scooted and shoveled dirt onto the path to make the stones look extra natural and pretty.

     After that, I put on my best tie and arranged my rose. When she came back, her earplugs were in, and I heard that same song playing in her voice because she was singing it again. She quickly pulled them out and paused her music when she saw me. "What's going on here?" She asked, staring at me. "Waiting for someone?" 

    "Yeah. You."  

 "What do you mean?"

"So, here's the thing. I know things have been really difficult, and you deserve a perfect night with your friends, but it wouldn't do you any good to walk to the dance alone. Siblings have to be there for each other, do you realize that?"  

 Allie nodded, apparently speechless.

"We can part after, but I'd like to walk each other there, at least. Hopefully we don't run into Jerky Face."

   Allie laughed at this, and we both walked inside. It was still sort of light out, so my perfect plan wasn't really at the right setting or time, but it was fine because we were laughing as we created the perfect little meatball balls.