The Other Brother (SLOW UPDATES)

47

The most exaggerated, dramatic gasp interrupts our conversation as we walk into the kitchen together, our arms brushing against each other.

Our heads snap up to Elena, who is smiling cheekily at us. I roll my eyes in amusement. The sight of her making pancakes and Alec stealing one as she's distracted feels familiar.

But the butterflies I've had all through yesterday and this morning aren't. My hands still tremble slightly when I remember everything that happened. When i look up at Justin he's smiling at his sister.

"So this is why you weren't in my room last night," she points an accusatory finger at me and my head snaps back to her. "Oh my God you totally did the nasty under my roof." She fake gags.

Justin laughs loudly while i rush to smack the back of her head.

In the corner of my eyes i can see Alec glaring at me but ignore the burn of his stare.

"Oh my God, shut up! We didn't, and with my luck your mom could walk in right now and hear that." I chastise her but the smile doesn't leave my face.

Elena cackles at me when Alec gets up from his seat, swings his backpack on his shoulder and leaves the room.

"Jeez, i wonder what got his panties in a twist." My friend muses as she turns back around to her pancakes. "He's been like that since yesterday."

"I can take a guess." Justin mumbles with a smirk from his seat as he bites in one of the pancakes on the plate in the middle of the table.

I glare at him and his smirk widens so i reach a hand over and lightly slap the back of his head.

"Ow!" He exlaims with a laugh, even though i didn't slap him hard at all. "What? It's not my fault he's jealous over something he never even had." I steal the pancake out of his hand and take a huge bite of it as a reply when Elena mumbles from beside the stove.

"He kind of did, for years before you came here."

The smile that was previously on my lips dissipates at her words. I force the bite of pancake down and place the rest back down.

Justin's stiff now as he glares at Elena. "No, he didn't actually."

Theres an awkward silence circulating the room after that. Elena stares at her brother, clearly annoyed with the hard tone he used on her. She looks almost offended but Justin looks unapologetic as he continues eating the rest of his pancake. She's been annoyed with them since yesterday for being so hostile against eachother when they're meant to be brothers. I felt terrible that i caused a rift in between them like this, and i couldn't help but feel like subconsciously Elena resented me too for it.

"Anyway then-" the girl decides to say, cutting the silence. "There's a fair today. My friend Laura invited all of us. Its a fundraiser for women's breast cancer. Beth and Alec will be there too and so will you," she says as she stares back and forth between us. "I expect you to be on your best behaviours."

Justin rolls her eyes at her, annoyed. "Do i have to go?"

"Yes, you do." Elena says as she turns back around to flip the next pancake. She doesn't face him as she says it but her words are stern. After that, he doesn't say anything else.

___

After the slightly awkward scene in the kitchen, Elena and I fortunately immediately bounced right back into our usual routine at school. Planning outfits for later, hairstyles, what we'd do.

Unfortunately, it felt as though a very obvious presence was missing. Beth usually partook in these types of moments with us. I felt terrible for Elena, i could tell the girl was missing her friend dearly. Though I encouraged her on multiple occasions to go up to the silver headed girl (that was currently sitting just a few meters away from us), she denied everytime.