You and Me

You and Me: Chapter 7

                I glanced at my phone nervously. It was 8:30 and it’s almost a fifteen minute drive back to my house. If I wasn’t home on time I would be grounded for life!

                “Hey… uh, Britney?” I asked quietly. She hmmed from her spot on the couch; leaving her nose in her book. She’d been reading for a while now, leaving me awkwardly seated on the floor in silence. “I have to be home by nine.” I hinted.

                “Tell Kit to take you home.” She said as if this were the obvious solution.

                “But he’s asleep.”I stated.  She looked up from her book, puzzled. Her eyes flickered to the chair where he slept; folded over in an uncomfortable looking position. Eli snickered from underneath her, seeing what she saw. He was sitting on the couch twisting her hair between his fingers. His other arm was around her side. She laid with her head on his chest, legs sprawled out in front of her, reading a book. It was strange how casual they made being together seem.

                Britney went to stand and Eli released her without needing to be told to. She tiptoed to where Kit was resting and stood behind the high backed chair. She looked at me with a devious smile and placed both her hands on the chair. With a small grunt of effort she started shaking the chair with all her might.  

                “Earth Quake!” she shrieked as she violently rocked the chair back and forth. I watched from a safe distance, keeping out of the way, fighting a smile the entire time. But to both our dismays, Kit didn’t stir a bit. He wobbled with the motion of the chair but never woke. “How can you still be asleep?!” Britney yelled in disbelief as she crossed to the front of the chair.

                He still didn’t move.

                Britney released an agitated sigh. She leaned forward, getting up in his face, and made an entirely repulsive sound. It was the same sound Benjamin made when he was about to hock a loogie. Do all girls spit? I thought Benjamin said that was only for big boys. I wondered as she pulled back her neck; (for better leverage I assume).  But suddenly, right as she was about to spit, his eyelids flipped open, and he spotted her face. He propelled himself out of the chair in a whirl, lunging for her. His hands caught her waist and they both landed with a thud a few feet from me. It took Britney only a moment to realize what was happening, but by the time she had, it was already too late.

                Kit had her pinned to the floor, her arms trapped above her head and his legs on either side of her. He mimicked her hock-a-loogie noise from only moments ago, his lips curling into a devilish smile. She tried to loosen his grip struggling underneath him but it did no good. He slowly let a string of saliva run from his mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and squealed in disdain. My stomach twisted in disgust as I watched the exchange. If that is how all cousins act, then I’m glad I’ve never met mine.  He let it dangle just above her forehead and then with a repulsive slurping sound, sucked it back in.

                He smiled smugly when he noticed the queasy look on Britney’s face. “Get off me!” she hissed menacingly. Kit rose slowly with a chuckled and then offered her his hand. She angrily brushed his hand out of the way, refusing to take it, and pulled herself from the ground.  “You. Are. So. Mean!” she said once she was on her feet again. “Why don’t you just go home already!” she smacked his arm sounding serious but the broad grin on her face said otherwise.

                “Eli, tell your girlfriend to stop beating me.” His voice was still rough, having just woke up, and for a second I nearly forgot he wasn’t Ben.