Between Us

chapter five

Again, I hear his laugh. "Sure."

Five minutes later, we pull into the driveway of his parents house, which is right next to mine. I unbuckle and grab my backpack. "Thanks for the ride," I say, getting out of Liam's Jeep. He does the same.

"Anytime," Liam tells me, smiling. "See you later."

I smile back. "Yeah. Bye."

I turn around and cut across my front yard, holding my backpack on one shoulder because I can't be bothered to put it on the other. I open the front door and look back, on my to see Liam watching me with a weird look on his face. I wave at him, then go inside.

"Oooooh, Taryn has a boyfriend!"

I narrow my eyes as I see Sophie, my little sister, pointing at me with a mischievous grin. She's always been a little shit.

"No I don't, you little shit," I say, walking past her with an eye roll.

"Mommy, she called me a bad word!" Sophie runs past me into the kitchen, where I was originally heading. Now I'm not so sure.

Mom sighs when she sees me. "Taryn, what have I told you about called your sister names?"

"She called me a little-"

"I know what she called you," Mom says, holding her hand up.

I look everywhere but her, trying really hard not to throw Sophie out the window. "You told me that I should love and cherish the fact that I am blessed with a little sister like Sophie. And that I should only call her Sophie or a nickname for Sophie," I recite, having heard this lecture probably a hundred times.

"I'm glad you remember," Mom says dryly. "So are you going to call her names anymore?"

"Probably," I say.

"I'm going to pretend you said 'No, Mom, I'm going to be the best big sister ever!' so we can change topics to the one where you have a boyfriend," she says. Sophie sticks her tongue out at me from behind Mom. I lurch forward and grab it before she can pull it back in her mouth.

She makes a noise that sounds like it's supposed to be my name. "I told you this would happen if you stuck your tongue out at me again," I tell her.

Mom rubs her forehead. "I can't believe I need to say this," she mutters. "Let got of Sophie's tongue."

I release it and wipe the spit on Sophie's shoulder. She glares at me and swats my hand away. "You're the worst sister ever! I hate you!"

"But I love you!" I say loudly.

She stomps out of the kitchen and up the stairs, her small feet making soft thuds as she goes up the stairs, and then her door slams. She a little dramatic.

"Why must you irritate your sister?"

I shrug. "She started it by saying that I have a boyfriend, which I don't."

"So you don't have a boyfriend?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Mom, I just said that."