Oh Brother (Completed)

Firestarter

"Nah, man. I heard that Ricky's got a few of the illegals this year."

I didn't have to ask what Nix and Buck were discussing; today was the Fourth of July, and according to Cady, there was always a massive bonfire down on the beach in celebration. Hudson had explained that there was a rotation of rich kids who took the responsibility of buying everything, setting up, and providing the fireworks and alcohol. This year, that fell on the Bennett's. Cady, with this knowledge, had sent me home from work early to try and make sure the boy's didn't destroy the beach too bad. Because she and I would be the ones to clean up the aftermath of it tomorrow.

"Dude, I remember the one you lit last year. That shit almost hit your dumb ass." Nix responded, shaking me from my daze. Buck was shaking his head, but his eyes were bright with amusement over the memory. "We got to go bigger this year."

I looked between Nix and my older brother, ready to interject in the conversation when Aden shoved passed me in the doorway, three cases of beers in between his arms. I shot him a dark look as he set them down, but he only returned it.

"Aden, be nice to your sister." Buck said, but the lightness in his tone was a sure sign he was mocking our parents. "Seriously, bro, she's a chick. Don't keep ramming into her like that."

"Keep doing it," Nix added. "I'll kick your ass, kid."

Aden snorted at the threat. "I'd like to see you try."

"Enough." Phil stepped into the beach house, tracking a flip flop full of sand on to the wooden floor as he dropped a pile of cups on to the chair beside me. "Both of you need to stop this childish shit. You're seventeen, not seven."

Aden had been going out of his way to try and piss me off the last two days. Every morning he'd walk into my room and splash a glass of ice cold water on me, he'd taken all my clothes and my towel from the bathroom last night so I'd have to walk across the hall naked, and was continuously making snide remarks under his breath. Our disagreement the other day over our mother must have only widened the gaping hole of separation that had been between us since I'd come back.

"Ari didn't even do anything." Sam defended as he gently nudged me aside so he could set down an arm full of hamburger buns. "Aden's just had hits panties in a twist since she got here."

If looks could kill, Sam would have dropped dead at my feet with the look my twin shot him. "So much for bros before hoes, Samuel."

"Our sister isn't a hoe, Aden." Sam said through his teeth. "She is our God Damn sister and you better grow up and start acting like it."

"She stopped being my sister when she chose to go with Mom instead of staying with us." Aden retorted, "She can go drown for all I care."

To my surprise it wasn't Sam who slapped Aden hard upside the head, but Buckley. He'd made his way over to us sometime in the midst of the argument erupting between Sam and my twin, and looked ready to throw Aden over his shoulder and go throw him out of the house.

"In case you forgot, we have seniority over your little ass, kid." Buck shoved Aden back. "So unless you want to hole yourself up in your room while all of us go have a blast tonight, close your big mouth and leave Arianna alone."

Aden snickered, muttering incoherently under his breath before he rammed his shoulder into mine on his way back out the door, slamming it so hard behind him it shook on its hinges. I swallowed the dryness in my throat and looked to Buckley staring at the door.