Babysitting the Bad Boy's Brother

i am human. Therefore i ache

"This stuff smells like shit. Literally."

Alec just shrugs in response.

"You still mad at me? I did what you asked."

And by asked, I mean demanded. I decided I'd talk to my dad about us taking a break from the hard work, due to the fact that Alec is actually kind of scary when he's mad.

Scarier than me, even.
I know, right? Weird.

But we went back at it this weekend and I've never hated my life more than in this moment.

"A least it isn't manure." I continue, "I would probably throw up if I were handling manure."

Alec and I are spreading peat moss over the grass seed that we just put down. I look over and see that Alec had stopped and is looking at me with a weird expression, then down to my peat moss covered hands and up to my face once again.

My peaceful expression turns into one of horror as I put two and two together.

"No."  i say in a terrified tone.

I dramatically throw the peat moss out of my hand and onto the ground and wipe my hands together frantically.

Alec is doubled over, laughing so hard that his entire body shakes.

"I did not just willingly handle cow shit. Tell me you're joking. Oh god. My hands are tainted! I've been tainted! I can never touch my violin ever again!" This only causes Alec to laugh harder.

"You... I... your face... It isn't manure." Alec says in between fits of laughter. I can't help but notice the way his face looks when he's laughing. His eyes crinkle at the edges and he looks so peaceful. I snap myself out of my awestruck gaze before he notices.

I breathe in a sigh of relief and throw a clump of peat moss at him. "Child. Control yourself."

"Okay, okay, I'm done." He says, still grinning. "God, I just can't get over your face." He chuckles again and I glare. "It's called peats moss. Its moss, Claire."

"Well, I didn't know if it was just a nickname or something!"

He simply shakes his head and continues spreading the moss, and I continue, "If that doesn't prove how little I know about yard things, I don't know what does."

"Touché." He says, patting down some more dirt.

We've spent the entire weekend out here, and it's pretty much done. A tiny shadow of the old tree sits in the same spot as the one Alec hit with his car, and the ruts are smoothed over, grass seeds in its place. All in all, I'd say we did a pretty good job.

"I'm sorry for calling you a fuck up last time we spoke. I really don't fucking know what was going through my mind."

"You're just honest. Don't apologize if it's true."

I just shrug in response. "How's your mom and brother?"

Alec raises an eyebrow. "You really want to talk about my family?"

"I don't know. its just been a month since I heard from either of them. You were MIA for a while too. Is everything okay?"

His face hardens in annoyance. "We aren't friends, Claire. Stay out of my business."

"I wasn't..."

"You're just so fucking nosy."

"I am not nosy!" I exclaim, "I literally never ask you about your family." I aggressively jam my shovel into the dirt.

"Yeah, okay. Just because you have babysat my brother a total of two times doesn't mean you can interject yourself into my family, okay?"

"two times! Try six, asshole. What the fuck! Dude, I asked a single question! You're so sensitive."