“Where’s Mason?” my little brother, Jake, asked once I walked through the front door. I had to stay after school to help with the extracurricular activities clean up; it’s as boring as it sounds, trust me. Mason decided to bail, and leave me with all the work because his mom wanted him to come home earlier today. This, I personally thought, was a bunch of bull mess.
“He’s with his family; he’s not always going to come home with me Jake.” I muttered, dragging my feet as I walked up the stairs exaggeratingly slow.
“Why not?” Jake followed me, pushing me faster up the stairs.
“You know what happens in two months Jake. Then Mason can’t be around me as much as he is now. Kyle won’t allow it.” I grumbled as I dropped to my bed.
“Get off me,” Mason’s voice laughed.
“Ahhh!” I screamed, jumping up against the wall opposite of my bed. “Holy fu—” I started.
“I thought you said Mason was with his family,” Jake interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest.
“He was! And he should still be!” I hissed, glaring at Mason.
“My mom said I could come over here for dinner, which your mom, thought would be a ‘splendid idea’ because she loves me.” Mason sneered.
“Stop being over confident.” I threw my shoe at him.
He put up his arm, blocking the blow, “and if I don’t want to?” he continued to smile.
“Then I’ll make you,” I put my hands on my hips.
“I’d love to see you try,” Mason continued to smile like a Chester cat. He never smiled, but when he was at my house he seemed to do it a lot.
“Mom made snacks!” Jake yelled from down stairs; he was 15 but he still loved eating mom’s snacks.
“Race ya downstairs,” Mason smirked. He was 17 and he loved my mother’s snacks, it didn’t matter what kind of snack it was.
“I’m gonna win!” I declared and shot for my door. I sailed down the banister with my eyes closed.
Arms encircled my waist, “I win.” Mason laughed; putting me on the ground.
“Cheater!” I hit his chest. “No super powers allowed!” I laughed.
“You didn’t say that before, too bad.” He took my wrist and ran into the kitchen pulling me with him.
“What’s up, Mrs. Chancey?” Mason took his usual seat at the table, pulling the chair next to him closer as I sat down.
“Hello Mason. It’s nice to see you.” she smiled widely. My mom adored Mason, in fact she wished I was destined to be with Mason instead of Kyle.
“I already knew that,” Mason smiled at me, reaching to grab one of my mom’s small cupcakes.
“Stop that!” I hit his chest. Him and his, stupid, mind-reading.
“It’s not stupid,” he continued to smile.
“It is too,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. He knew everything, all the time. Wouldn’t that bother you? It bothered me.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, putting his arm on the back of my chair. “I don’t know everything.” he shrugged, his under arm brushing my shoulder.
“You do too,” I protested. You’ll have to leave when Kyle shows up. You know he hates you, right?
“That, I already knew. But, I don’t have to leave. I can hang with Jake, right man?” he looked at my little brother, who had just stuffed a cupcake into his mouth.
“Yeah, we can play the new Call Of Duty!” my brother smiled, pink icing coloring his teeth.
“See? At least your brother wouldn’t send me away.” Mason just kept smiling.
“I’m not sending you away on purpose Mason.” I protested.
“Then why do you want me to leave?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Why won’t you let this go?” I looked into his eyes.
“I don’t want to leave. I can stay, right Mrs. Chancey?” Mason smiled at my mother.
“Of course, sweetheart, stay as long as you like.” she picked up the plates sprawled across the table.
You’re making this way harder than it needs to be! I shouted mentally, moving to get up from my seat.
“You’re making it too easy,” Mason pulled on my wrist, making me fall back into my chair.
“Making what too easy?” Jake looked across the table at us.
“It’s nothing Jake.” I smiled at him.
“Okay, hey Mason, do you wanna start COD now?” Jake rose from the table.
“Sure,” Mason got up with him, but grabbed my wrist as he did, pulling me with them into the living room.
“You suck at this game.” Jake laughed as I tried playing their stupid video game.
“I’ve never played this game before! Cut me some slack!” I smiled.
“Here,” Mason picked me up, and put me in his lap. He wrapped his arms around mine, his hands moving over to cover mine so he was pushing the buttons for me. “There ya go.” he laughed.
“I did it!” I shouted, when Mason helped me kill one of our enemies.
“I think you mean I did it,” Mason’s hands took the controller from mine, and he started playing.
“I was playing that!” I laughed.
“Well, I’m playing it now.” Mason leaned back against the couch, his arms wrapped around mine; holding the controller above my lap.
“What if Kyle walks in and sees this? He’s gonna hate you even more than he already does, you know that, right?” I leaned back against him.
“Well, first of all, you didn’t say I couldn’t do this. And, secondly, he can hate me all he wants. He won’t do anything about it because he knows how much I mean to you.” he shrugged.
“Mason, Kyle could beat you to a pulp before you even had time to blink,” Jake laughed.
“I bet he couldn’t,” Mason challenged.
“Bet who couldn’t what,” Kyle growled. He was standing at the entrance to the living room with his arm crossed, tightly, over his chest. His jaw was set and he was glaring at Mason.
