Peyton's Point of View
When I finally get out of bed and go downstairs to look for food, my parents are already up. My dad's dressed in one of those weird patterned shirts that he's owned since the early eighties.
I frown, "Where are you going?"
"We're going to the music festival! We were just about to wake you. You can ask Bri if she wants to tag along," she says, buzzing around the kitchen. She slides her wallet into a small purse.
"I actually don't feel good," I lie. "I'm just going to stay here." And wallow in self pity over the fact that Bri still won't talk to me, let alone go to a music festival with me.
"Okay, there's a couple tens in that drawer if you want to order some food. We'll probably run a little late."
Then they're dashing out the door without a second glance.
I gather up the essentials for a pity party: a large mug of warm tea, a bowl of strawberry ice cream, my television remote, and a huge quilt. I settle down into my bed and tug the blanket over me. I reach over towards the night stand for my book, The Lord of the Flies.
I've read precisely one sentence when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID and slide to answer the call.
"Seth?"
"You're probably going to hate me, but I need a favor."
I sigh, "The last time you called me for a favor you made buy you four boxes of tampons from Walmart."
"God, will you ever let that go? I was fifteen years old, and they were for Kelly. I was embarrassed."
"Why did you even need four boxes?"
"I never wanted to have to suffer that again," he says, and I hear him shudder.
"And you thought four boxes was going to last a thirteen year old until age fifty?"
"A boy can pray. Okay, listen. I need you to watch Kelly for me."
"Watch Kelly? As in baby sit? She's fifteen years old, Seth."
"She has a boyfriend now. I just found out about this, and I'm never leaving her home alone ever again. I will not allow my little sister to osculate with some sleazy guy in my house."
"Come on, don't you think you're overreacting? I don't think Kelly would 'osculate' with this boy in your house if you just told her how you feel."
"Please, Pey? It's either you watch her or I have to take her on my date with Liz." Date with Liz? I wonder if he's going to bring her to the bar we went to last night. The thought of that makes me feel kind of gross.
"I mean of course I'll watch her, I don't mind. I just don't see the point," I protest.
"I'll be over in fifteen minutes. Make sure there is no canoodling going on," he instructs. I roll my eyes and hang up.
* * * * *
Sure enough, fifteen minutes later the doorbell rings. I had to turn off my TV and get out of bed, but I refuse to take off my sweatpants and t-shirt. The t-shirt is from when I went to Busch Gardens when I was five, and due its size it's a little short.
A very annoyed looking Kelly steps through the threshold of my house, with Seth on her heels.
"Make sure she doesn't eat anything with peanuts, she's allergic. And don't let her watch too much TV. She stayed up all night watching reruns of Law & Order, so her eyes might start bleeding. Don't let her see the boy, either," he frowns.
"His name is Greg and he's really nice," Kelly frowns, obviously frustrated. "Just leave and go make out with your girlfriend, which is extremely hypocritical."
"I'm an adult, Kelly. You're way too young to be home alone with people of the opposite gender!"
"You and Peyton were alone all the time when you were my age," she says.
I clear my throat, "That is definitely not the same thing."
She rolls her eyes, "Like you guys never-"
"Oh my god," I shriek. "Oh my god, no."
"Be good, Kelly," Seth says, storming back out the door. He slams it shut, and it seems to echo around the kitchen.
"Listen, I'm sorry Kelly. You can do whatever you want. I'll order Chinese food later."
She sighs, "It's just not fair. He acts like I'm doing drugs or piercing my dimples. Greg and I have been dating for almost a month, and we've only held hands. He took an abstinence pledge."
"He'll calm down. He's probably just used to thinking of you as a little kid," I try to explain as she follows me up the stairs to my room.
"You used to sneak in and sleep in his room all the time when you guys were my age," she argues.
"Well, that was different, because we were not-" I shoot her a look. "Wait, how did you know about that?"
She frowns at me, "I was young, not stupid. Why did you two stop hanging out?"
"We both grew apart and decided-"
"That's not a real answer," she objects.
"Fine, he ditched me. He went out to parties and one day he realized that Peyton isn't the only girl in the universe. He realized that there were other prettier girls out there, and then he never looked back. That's what most guys do. They make you think they care about you, but when someone better comes along they walk away. I'm sorry, I know he's your brother, but that's what really happened."
I figured I might as well be the one to shatter her little fantasies about love. That a boy would come along and make her life complete, or save her from her fucking sadness. Someone has to.
"That's not true."
"I know that you don't want to believe it, because he's your brother, but that's honestly what went down."
"No, he kept that weird picture of you guys at the Arctic Monkeys concert on his dresser for a year after you stopped talking. Sometimes when our parents were fighting he'd pull up your contact on his phone, and I could tell he was thinking about calling you. And he still has that toothbrush you used to use in his bathroom. Whatever happened, he didn't just ditch you."
I sigh, realizing there's no way to talk her out of this dumb idea she has that we were in love or something. "What kind of Chinese do you like?"
