growth

9

H O U S E   G U E S T
• AMALIA •

I'm in the living room when a knock sounds on the front door. I wait for someone else to get it, but when they knock again and nobody in the house gets the door, I stand and walk out.

     I unlock the door, pulling it open to reveal a short, brunette girl. She's twirling a piece of hair around her pointer finger, and she smiles when she sees me.

     "Hey, there!" She exclaims. I furrow my eyebrows. "Is Mason in?"

     I cross my arms over my chest and lean on the doorway, eyes narrowing into a glare. "What's it to you?"

     She frowns, and she's about to open her mouth again when she glances behind me and sighs in relief. "Hey, Mason." She says, smiling.

     I turn around, looking at my older brother as he walks over. He sets a hand on my shoulder, pulling me to him slightly.

     "What're you doing here?" He asks her.

     "You told me you'd see me later."

     "Not literally."

     "Is she your girlfriend?" I ask him, wide eyed.

"Yes." She replies at the same time Mason says: "no!"

They look at each other. "Emma, this really isn't a good time."

"You said you'd see me later. It's later." She sighs. "Can I come in, at least? It's freezing out here."

"What's the password?" I ask, stepping in the doorway.

I hear Mason huff out an amused breath behind me. He pulls me back again, and the girl walks inside.

I follow them into the living room.

"Amalia." Mason says. "Can you go to your room, please?" His tone his sweet, but the way he's looking at me makes it seem like he's prefer to twist his words so they say: get the fuck out.

"This is a communal area. Anybody is allowed."

He sighs and sits down next to me.

"You're Amalia?" She questions. She looks up at Mason. "From the way you talked about her, I thought she was a baby."

Mason ruffles my hair. "She is."

I scowl and push him away. Then I turn to the girl, "is your name Emma?"

She nods.

"I remember you. You called him once, and you told him to leave me so you could be with him." I say.

She looks at Mason, like he's going to help her. He doesn't, instead wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"I just needed to talk to him."

"Mhm." I mumble, looking away from her. "You should probably call a taxi, or something."