I Hate My Brother (editing!)

32.

"Nope. We're in the car going to a drive-thru. Why? Aren't you with Zacson?"

"Oh. Um, about that..."

"Wait. You need a ride? We can come get you."

"Is-is that really okay? I mean, if you two have plans I wouldn't want to-"

"Shut up. I'm coming to get you. Where are you?"

"Still in the school parking lot. You sure it's fine?"

"Yes, dumbass. We were just planning to netflix and chill, if you know what I mean. But it's okay. Neither of us are in the mood yet. Hey, you want food? We're going through McDonald's."

———

Carson's Mercedes pulls up into the lot next to me, rolling their windows down. It's already been 1.5 hours now and Zac is still nowhere to be seen. Funny. I should've sent him a text to remind him I'm still here but I didn't. I keep telling myself that he wouldn't just ditch me for something unimportant, so he must be busy right now. He'd have a good reason. He always has.

"Need a ride?" Carson smiles at me, eating his french fries with one hand.

"Yeah. So sorry." I get up and walk towards his car. "Mind dropping me home?"

"Of course not. But then, where's my brother? His car is here?"

"Did the two of you had a fight?" Cass speaks up from the passenger seat.

"Nah. He went off with Becca." I say as I get into the back. Cass passes me the burger and fries I asked for.

"Ooooh, Becca."

"What? What are you trying to say?" Cass nudges Carson.

"Nothing." He grins widely, revealing his perfect set of teeth.

"Don't do that. You know I hate it when you say 'nothing' when there's obviously something." Cass reprimands him.

"I mean. It's just... she used to come over, that's all." He looks like he regrets telling me that. But I already knew it when their mother, Dion, told me about her impressive cheesecake.

"So you know her." Cass sits up and turns slightly towards him, ready to grill him on my behalf. I silently thank her inside, grateful that I don't have to be the one probing. "Who is she? Are they close? Have they fucked?"

"Wow wow wow." Carson puts up a single index finger. "Hold up. You're not hearing anything from me."

"Really? I'm not?" Cass taunts him. "Fine. Drop me back at dorm, then. Make an u-turn, right now!" We are already halfway to Wayne's house at this point.

"Babe..." Carson lets out a breath. "Okay, okay. Ask me. Ask me." He relents and Cass turns around to shoot me her signature grin.

"Are they exes?"

"I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?" Cass furrows her brows.

"Um. They were more like, friends with benefits."

"So they fucked."

"Mm hmm." My heart kind of dropped a little, but I block it out in time. Why am I feeling anything at all? That's in the past. Heck, I slept with other people too.

"How long? How did it start? When did it stop? Why did it stop?" Cass machine-guns a whole load of questions at him.

"One at a time." I see him roll his eyes from the rearview mirror. "It was a long time ago. They're in the same band. Zac plays the drums, Becca plays the clarinet. I don't know how it started. I swear I really don't. But he began to bring her home somewhere around end of freshman year."