Running Towards the Light

Chapter 21 - Arguments

"Clean up." Chris ordered West, throwing the roll of paper towels at him.

"What? Why me?"

"Go get changed." Chris told Sam, ignoring West's argument, and Sam left the room without another word.

"So fuckin' unfair." West mumbled under his breath. But one glare from Chris made him reluctantly get down to the floor and started to wipe up the milk.

"What happened?" Cameron whispered in my ear as he came to stand next to me, but also behind me a little.

I could hear the amusement in Cameron's voice. I wasn't sure if that was because of the mess or because his little brother was forced to clean it up by himself. Cam was always finding stuff like this extremely funny.

I just shrugged. "I don't even know what happens here most of the time."

In my opinion, it was both Sam and West's fault. It was Sam's fault because he just kept on egging West on. But it was also West's fault because he didn't have to get that mad about a dumb milk cartoon for his cereal. I guess by now I should be used to the shit that my brothers pull because growing up in a household with seven older brothers stuff like this happens all the time. But it does make me pretty annoyed when it happens and I'm tired, which is today.

"Every time guys! Why can't we just have a normal family breakfast for once. Every time: something breaks, there is a mess, someone is yelling. Every damn time! What gives?" Chris lectured the rest of us. "Huh?" He prodded us again after no one spoke.

Still no answer.

"Whatever. Go get your bags. You're leaving for school right now."

"What? But that means we'll get to school thirty minutes early!" Ben complained.

"I don't care." Chris deadpanned. "You have five minutes to leave before I start dishing out punishment."

Yikes, Chris was not having it today.

Usually my oldest brother tried to stay calm, cool, and collected, which most of the time worked for him. But today he seemed to be at his last straw with all of us. It makes sense though, I could tell that on Saturday and Sunday he was done with the twins fight so I'm not surprised this incident between West and Sam sent him through the roof.

"You're not going anywhere, Cam."

I turned around at my oldest brother's words to find Cameron attempting to walk out the back door which is in the complete opposite direction of where the cars are parked for school.

"You're going to school too. And guess what? You get to take Sam and Ben today." Chris told his younger brother, walking over to grab Cameron's upper arm and push him in our direction before closing and locking the back door.

It seems as though my biggest brother also got to choose who went in each car.

Cameron groaned, glaring at his older brother. "Whatever. Let's go, losers." Then he grabbed the keys from the bowl and walked away, expecting Ben to follow him and Sam, once he had come back from upstairs which they did with minimal arguments.

Whenever Cameron was forced to do something he couldn't get out of he would immediately switch to the approach of "I don't give a shit" which is what he was doing now. Cameron may be mean, but he is incredibly predictable. 

I left along with Cam to grab my backpack and then headed out to Chris's car that West, Spencer, and I were going to take because Cameron took the other car.

"Open the door." I yelled to West as he came out of the house, dramatically pulling the handle of the passenger seat door to show him it was locked.

"Get to the back." Spencer told me, shooting me an unamused glare as he came to stand next to me.