My Brother's Band

chapter 9: everybody hates paul

I don't know why they always do this. The boys seem to have a nasty habit of giving themselves just enough rope for me to hang them with.

This hasn't happened once. It hasn't even happened twice.

In fact, I think it has happened almost five times since I have arrived on their godforsaken island.

It would be impressive if it wasn't so concerning. How these boys managed to keep their anonymity from their fans, I have no idea. They share everything, and I mean everything, so long as you ask the right questions. I know far more about these boys than I'm comfortable with in any way. How the hell do they keep anything a secret?

How do they give each other gifts for Christmas?

"Guys," I begin, munching on my bowl of popcorn with one hand. "Christmas."

Ben looks up at me with one raised brow -which by he way is frustrating when you can't do such- and when I make no move to the elaborate turns to Paul, who sits on the floor cross legged with his own bowl of popcorn.

"I can't help but feel there's a question embedded somewhere in that statement," Ben asks, when Paul just shrugs and continues staring at the wide screen in front of him. Grey is lazing back on the love seat, across the room, and Robert is nestled at the other end of the couch I am cuddled into, with my stinky feet on his lap. He had put up a fuss originally, but my puppy dog pout knows no bounds. Now we was ignoring me and trying desperately to breathe through his mouth instead of his nose.

I went for a walk in sneakers without socks. Sue me.

"She's wondering how we hide what we give each other when we tell each other everything," Grey muttered, without turning his head into the conversation. As odd as it was that he caught on without explanation, it wasn't all that surprising. Grey was weird like that.

"How the fuck-"

"She's not really that hard to figure out Ben. Simple math," Robert added, sending a hard flick at my very ticklish feet. I flinched away, slamming my foot down into his lap, and suddenly I was rolling off of the black leather with a scream.

"The hell Hayley! You spilt my popcorn!" Paul cried, shoving me off of where I had landed, strewn across his lap. It was true though, popcorn was embedded in the soft black of the living room rug, nestled in the cracks of the hardwood, and if I tilted my neck just right I could see some under the couch as well.

To be fair, there was no saying that popcorn was from this incident. Or even this week.

"Rob pushed me off the couch!" I accused, flinging a finger in my older brothers direction with a pizazz even I was proud of.

"She practically sacked me!"

"You flicked my foot!"

"You have stinky ass feet!"

"Children!" Grey calked, swinging his long, sweatpants clad legs over the side of the couch and sitting up. Robert and I snapped our mouths shut, and turned our glares in his direction. "I want to watch the movie in peace, don't make me put you in time out or spank you!"

I'm pretty sure more popcorn could go flying and no one would flinch; we were all staring at Grey in confused amazement. Or, well, I was at least.

"Did you just threaten to put me in time out?" Robert asked, too shocked to be even close to angry. Even Ben appeared to be stunned, watching Grey with narrowed eyes.

"Did she who shall not be named take your cookies again Grey?" He asked, folding his hands together and leaning forward.

"I'm right here, buttface," I grumbled. Ben's eyes flitted briefly to mine before they snapped back to watch Grey.