Rolling over to face the door, I pinch my brown eyebrows together and let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, nothing,” I moan pitifully, secretly hoping that she’ll probe me for further information. I need to complain to someone about this horrible injustice...
“Yeah, well, whatever,” grunts Ella with a dismissive swish of her hand. “Just remember you gotta feed Rex later on tonight when I’m out.” She spins around and disappears, a blinding flash of golden sunlight reflecting off her long, dirty blonde hair.
“You’re still going to that thing?” I call out, recalling that she’d been planning to attend a rock concert at the city amphitheater later this evening. “They’re calling for rain tonight, and take a look outside, sis... ’cuz it sure looks like they’re gonna be right for once.”
Ella sticks her head back in the doorway. “So? I don’t mind getting a little wet,” she says with a sly grin. “Especially since today’s my one and only eighteenth birthday, and the whole point of me going out is to find someone to get me really wet... if you know what I mean.”
I don’t actually know what she means, and Ella catches that ignorance in my blank expression.
“Fuck, Tommy – are you really that thick? I plan to get fuckin’ laid tonight, big bro!”
My nose immediately wrinkles in disgust. “Geez, Ella! I don’t need to know anything about my own sister’s damned sex life. In fact, I’d rather pretend you didn’t have one... kinda like me. Now.”
Ella’s eyebrows arch and her lips twist into a quirky little grin. “Oh, so is that what’s put you in this funk? Did that bitch Madison finally get around to dumping you?”
“Hey, she’s not a bitch!” I fire back – although I have no idea why I’m bothering to defend the... bitch. “She just... hell, I dunno. Didn’t want to go there, I guess. If you know what I mean.”
Ella snorts and rolls her eyes. “Really? Because word is, she’s gone there with practically every guy in school but you.”
My heart leaps into my throat. “Wait, what?”
“Heh, you really are that thick, aren’t you? Tommy boy, take your head outta the sand... because Madison has fucked probably half the seniors in that place. And I mean just this month!”
Huh? There’s no way something as outrageous as that could be true! “Oh yeah? Well... I don’t believe you!” I reply childishly.
“Well, you should, Tommy. I love you deeply, and have no reason to lie to you about something serious like that.”
“Then why am I only hearing about it now?”
Clenching her jaw, Ella steps into my bedroom and closes the door softly. “Tommy,” she says, sitting gently on the edge of the mattress, “I swear I didn’t know about it at first. But I’m sure you know girls like to talk... and when I found out what was going on, I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I kinda hoped she’d change her ways, but she didn’t, and now that it’s finally over... you should know she was just using you as a trophy boyfriend; someone to make her look halfway respectable to her parents. But when she wasn’t parading around on the end of your arm, she was gettin’ it rough and dirty from as many guys in as many holes as possible. Madison’s a shameless tramp.”
Although bookended by otherwise disturbing information, I can’t help but feel slightly flattered that someone would consider me a “trophy”.
“Then... why the hell did she break up with me?” And an even better question I can’t ask my sister: why wouldn’t she fuck me at least once? I’m still a horribly frustrated virgin over here!
Interlocking her fingers, Ella’s gaze falls to her feet. Her normally pale cheeks seem to be turning a vibrant shade of red. “Um... I might have had something to do with that.”
Shocked, I jerk upright. “Wait, what? Explain.”
“Um, well... a few days ago I might’ve given Madison an ultimatum. Either she breaks up with you, or I’d share some photos I found of her kinda banging the basketball team at regionals.” My sister giggles. “One thing I’ll say: that bitch sure is freaking limber!”
My brain doesn’t even register that last part. “What? You’re saying you’re responsible for our breakup? After I spent eight freaking months working on that relationship?”
Ella looks up, her vibrant emerald green irises locking onto mine. “But Tommy, she wasn’t even—”