Not A Finch

Chapter 5: Squishing

Squishing.

We always made it our mission to fit all seven of us on this small couch. We were all squished together like we were still kids, like we did before hormones and sitting on each other's lap could be taken as anything different than just sitting on each other's lap. Before they had grown over six feet and before we had left our grandpa's house.

The couch was worn, with faded brown leather that always smelled of the mixes of my brothers' cologne.

Every night or just about every night after dinner we would cuddle up and watch something. Of course I was excluded from that cuddling, and if I was lucky the movie would end before they decided to start doing a little more than cuddling. Because, honestly there is nothing more awkward than being squished between two of my older brothers when they're hard.

I run a hand through my hair, my hand bumping into Hunter's chin. I sat sprawled across his lap, my head resting on his left shoulder. Adair was next to Hunter on the left, ending off that side of the couch. A bowl of popcorn sat on the armrest, and he would occasionally pop some in my mouth, since reaching that far of a distance would cause a stir throughout the whole couch. We were so close that when someone moved it caused a ripple effect throughout us all, causing someone to have to move slightly to allow them to complete their action therefore forcing the person next to them to do the same and so on.

Yeah, we did have another couch and even a recliner. Yet, we still all tried to sit here together. And, despite me trying to stay away from them and their little love trap, I took part in the jigsaw puzzle as we tried to map out how to fit us all together on the worn beauty.

Adair's finger skims over my bottom lip. It's there and gone so fast that it takes him doing it a second time for me to open my mouth. He slides a few pieces of popcorn in and I munch on them, not bothering to take my eyes from the screen.

"Why are the protagonists in scary movies either idiots or dumb?" Rue sighs. His finger twitches on my ankle. He looks a little too comfortable with his legs gapped open, the pants that he's wearing showing enough of him that I feel awkward staring at him for too long. His arms lay across my ankles and Oscar's shins, his shoulder leaning more against Augustus than it did Calloway.

Adair snorts at that, his fingers skimming my lips and lingering longer this time. I open my mouth.

"Yeah, and you're the protagonist of this household." Adair says easily. The nonchalant way he always says things makes his comment even funnier and earns a snicker from us.

"There would be no movie without them...idiot." Augustus says his deep voice cutting off Rue before he could make the comment into an argument.

Adair tugs lightly at my lip before he's pressing popcorn in my mouth. I watch as the familiar chase scene plays out and I blink boredly at it. The movie could be scary if we hadn't watched this twelve times already.

"How many times are we going to watch this movie anyway?" I groan, watching as a creepy looking little boy pops out from around a corner.

"It's not about the movie Ash, it's about the family time." Calloway hums drumming his fingers across the tops of my thighs.

"We could just go have family time upstairs." Rue grumbles shifting, causing everyone to move in turn. I shoot him a glare. Hoping he hadn't set off a spark of sexual innuendos. No one says anything though, probably caught up in the stupid movie.

I watch as Rue mumbles something under his breath before closing his eyes and dropping his head to rest it against Augustus' shoulder. I don't know how Rue could actually possibly enjoy Augustus' company, or even want to touch him, but they still both seem to get along alright.