Mom purses her lips. “Emery, you know that will apply to you.”
She shakes her head. “No, I can live here forever because I’m your favorite.”
“Only because if she says you’re not, you’ll kill her in her sleep,” Stella says, coming into the kitchen. “Can’t we send her to a loony bin?”
Emery glares as my mom rolls her eyes. “Lord, you two. Can’t you just get along?”
“Nope,” they say at the same time, in the same way.
With that defiant little tip of their chins and their arms across their chests. It’s insane to me how they can fight like cats and dogs, but be so fiercely protective of each other. I have seen Stella fight a girl because she called Emery fat. Emery isn’t skinny, but she isn’t fat either. Though, she sure as hell doesn’t skip a meal. Since my mom is trying to make the house go sugar-free, Emery uses her allowance to buy the vending machine out of snacks at school. She’s crazy, but she’s smart. When Stella decided she was going to take something from Em’s stash, Emery bit her. I’m not exactly sure how my mom had complete basket cases after two perfect sons, but I’m pretty sure it’s because they’re the girls, the babies, and rotten to the core. I won’t say that out loud, though. It’d be like throwing a slab of meat to a hungry pack of lionesses.
And I’d be the meat.
“Man, it’s great to be home.”
Stella shoots me a dirty look. “Aren’t you supposed to be finding a closet lesbian to fall in love with?”
I glare. “Stella, dude, you’re like nineteen. Grow up and stop being a dramatic ass.”
Before Stella can even utter a word, Emery yells, “Don’t talk to her like that!” I gawk at her as she continues, “Don’t worry about how old she is. Go convince your best friend to actually like you ’cause she’s probably the only person who can handle your dorky loser self.”
“I can’t win.”
Mom nods. “Nope. They’re like a small gang that hates each other but will kill for each other. It’s really fascinating.”
That’s one word for it.
The girls look at each other and shrug, leaving me flabbergasted. Don’t get me wrong. I love Aiden. Would die for the dude, but we don’t fight like this. We actually get along really well. Maybe it’s the age gap, or maybe it’s because we don’t have ADHD; I don’t know. I’m sure Ally would have some study she’s done that can explain why. I think it may be because my dad spoiled them rotten. He was tough on us boys. Didn’t want us making the same mistakes he did.
“It’s silent. Did Emery finally kill Stella?” I look up to find my dad coming into the kitchen. He sees the girls and grins. “Oh, thank goodness, you two are still breathing.”
He goes over to them, kissing each of their heads before wrapping his arms around my mom and kissing her jaw. The girls both audibly gag before leaving the kitchen, and I go back to eating my eggs, ignoring the acts of love. They’ve been married a long time, and they can’t ever keep their hands off each other. I’ve always heard from other people you’re supposed to get bored with your wife, but they haven’t met my parents. They’re totally in love and don’t care who sees it. I was like that with Jasmine. Always touching her, kissing on her, and she ate it up.
She also enjoyed it from her girlfriend.
When my dad slaps me hard on the back, I jump as I bring my gaze to his. While I look like my mom, I have my dad’s angular features and eyes. All of us but Emery have dad’s eyes. Hers are a lighter green, really pretty, but surely that won’t distract some dude from the crazy.
It will—at first. I can already see this playing out. Dude will be mesmerized, and bam! she’ll slash his tires when he doesn’t get her a latte.
“I’m glad you beefed up. I was worried,” Dad teases, and I snort.
“Thanks.”
He grins, hugging my neck. I lean into him. “It’s good to have you home.”
“With the way the girls are acting, he’ll be out faster than Aiden was,” Mom says, cleaning off the counter. “Maybe Stella should go live in the dorms. Maybe Emery does need a break from her.”
“No, they’re fine. They’re sisters. Sisters fight.”
Mom doesn’t agree. “I never physically fought my sister.”
“Because Audrey wouldn’t hurt a fly. Plus, you’re older. She was terrified of you.”
“Ooh, speaking of Audrey, when is she making my carrot cake cupcakes?”
Mom glances over her shoulder at me. “You’ll have to go by and see her for that to happen.”
I nod. “I will as long as she doesn’t pinch my cheek and call me Slim Jim.”
Dad and Mom laugh quietly, but I’m not amused. I love Aunt Audrey, she’s cool, but she loves embarrassing the shit out of me. When I brought Jasmine home to meet everyone, Audrey deliberately told her I pissed the bed until I was twelve. It isn’t my fault I had a bladder issue and Emery loved to pick on me, so she’d put my hand in water! Come to think of it, Emery’s been an asshole since birth. Jasmine didn’t seem to find my pissing misfortune funny, and I was mortified. I still haven’t forgiven Aunt Audrey—or Emery, for that matter—but for carrot cake cupcakes from Audrey’s cupcakery, I just might.
“She will,” Dad and Mom say together, and then they share a look. A look that would make anyone want to gouge their eyes out.
I need out of this house.
Dad leans on the counter, snacking on the strawberries Mom cut up. I grab one for myself as he asks, “You ready for the interview?”
I nod and, around my chewing, say, “Yeah.”
“Good, don’t be nervous. You’ll get it.”
“I want to get it because I’m awesome.”
“You will. I don’t know any kids who graduated early and interned for three arenas at the same time.”
Mom beamed. “We have the gas statements as proof.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, thanks for that.”
“Anytime. We believe in you, bud,” Dad says with a wink, and I smile. My dad wasn’t really into school. He is dyslexic, so he focused all his energy on hockey since he hid his issues. He always thought he wasn’t good enough, and because of that, he really pumps us up. There isn’t a moment from my childhood that I don’t remember my dad telling us we could do and be whatever we wanted. Nothing could hold us back. When Emery was diagnosed with dyslexia, he made sure to get her the best therapist money could buy. She still struggles, but she’s so confident, no one knows.
“Thanks, Dad.”
He pops another strawberry into his mouth. “You go see Aiden yet?”
“Not yet.”
“You going to try to get his condo?”
I grin. “How’d you know?”
He winks. “You haven’t unpacked.”
I laugh along with him as my mom glares at me. “You could stay here for free.”
“And get killed in the cross fire between those two? Nope, I’m good. I think we should all move out and let them burn the house down.”
They both laugh along with me as the girls reenter the kitchen. Emery grabs her lunch as Stella gets her book bag. “I only have morning classes, so I’ll be at Brooks House by two.”
Mom nods. “Okay, have a wonderful day.” She then grabs Emery, kissing her hard on the head. “I love you. Be nice.”
Emery shrugs. “We’ll see how the day goes and how people act.”
Dad shakes his head as the girls say bye and leave. I look at my mom. “Aren’t you worried they’ll fight in the car and crash?”
Mom grins at me. “Stella drives like an old lady. Emery still sits in the back since she’s terrified Stella will kill them, and if she’s in the back, she thinks she’s less likely to die. Believe me, they’re fine.”
“I think they do it for entertainment,” Dad laughs, and I gawk at him.
“Stella has a scar from where Emery bit her.”
He shrugs. “A love bite?”
Maybe my parents are as crazy as the girls.
I need out of this damn house.
* * *
My first memory of Bellevue is from going to a party with Ally when I turned eighteen.
I had a tour scheduled that next Monday, but after one party, I knew I didn’t want to go here. I needed something more. I needed to be in a place where no one knew me. At Bellevue, everyone knew me. Because of Aiden. He graduated from high school early and started college right away so he could train with the Bullies’ hockey team. He didn’t even make it a full season before he was promised and drafted to the Rangers. No one has ever done that coming out of Bellevue, so it was a huge deal.
I’m actually surprised they don’t have a statue dedicated to him.
Because of him, everyone knew my name, and I hated it.
Dude, aren’t you Brooks’s brother?
Oh my God, I love your brother. You’re hot. Wanna fuck?
I love your glasses. How much did your brother sign for?
A lesser man would have a complex, but I know I am different from my brother, and I’m awesome in my own way. It’s not a competition. Aiden is the hockey player, and I’m the guy who likes the game but only for the jumbotron. I’m not called a dork for nothing, but I’m good with it. I know who I am. Here I couldn’t shine. I needed my own identity.