Life in the Shadows

2.

"Jack!" I jump into my dearly missed brother's arms.

"I missed you so much, Maggie," he returns the embrace.

"Am I the forgotten Jack?" Gilinsky pouts with open arms.

"I missed you too, I guess," I giggle and hug him.

"Jack and Jack!" Someone shouts.

"Oh shit," I mutter.

They become surrounded by crazed, screaming, obsessive teenage girls.

"Well fucking, bloody hell," I roll my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose as I take a seat.

This is going to be a long trip.

After fifteen minutes, I give up on being patient and scroll through my Twitter.

After another forty five minutes, they're finally done.

"Ready to go?" Jack asks, as if nothing happened.

"Yeah, let's go," I say through my gritted teeth.

"Are you alright?" He looks down at me.

"I'm fine," I snap.

He puts his hands up defensively and backs off.

If he didn't, I probably would have to smack him in the face.

With my fist.

We reach my car, and I open the trunk for their suitcases.

"Give me your keys," Jack holds his hand out.

"What? No!"

Who the hell does he think he is? 

If he thinks that he can just leave me high and dry for months, then come back and do what he just did, then expect me to listen to him, he's fucking crazy.

"Jack, I'm not giving you the keys," I growl.

"You can't drive when you're mad. I'm not letting you." He crosses his arms.

"You can't tell me what to do. I'm not giving you the keys." I cross my arms arms and mock his tone.

"Just give him the keys, Mags," Gilinsky tries to reason.

"No."

"God dammit, Maggie! Give me the fucking keys and stop being such a stubborn little brat! I can't let you risk everyone's lives because you're pissed off for some unknown reason!" Jack snaps at me.

My jaw drops to the floor, and Gilinsky's does too.

He's never flipped out on me like that before, ever.

I grab my keys and throw them at him with full force, open my door, and get in the backseat.

He's not even home for two hours and I'm already regretting that I volunteered to come and pick him up.

"Maggie-" Jack starts but I cut him off.

"Leave me alone." I wipe a tear out of my eye.

"Just-"

"No. Just, don't bother. If I'm that stubborn and such a fucking bitch, don't even waste your breath." I look out the window and cry silently.

Gilinsky gives me a sympathetic smile, but I completely ignore it. I don't want his sympathy.

We pull into the driveway, and I manage to slam the door of the car as hard as I can before storming into the house.

Don't worry, I slam that one without saying a word, too.