Role Models

9// hell on water

Landon

When I wake up the next morning, two of my three aunts are here, and everyone is eating breakfast before we drive down to the Marina. Aunt Veronica, dad's sister, is here with her husband Mike and their daughter, Lila. She's 15. And Uncle Brandon's wife Mary is here now too. That's Blake and Griff's Mom. Aunt Michelle couldn't come because of work or something but she's supposed to be at Grandma and Grandpa's next week.

Lila is cool I guess but she doesn't really talk to any of us.

"Morning, Lan." Uncle Noah flashes me a smile while he packs up some drinks in a small cooler. "Come grab a muffin." I walk over to the chaos at the kitchen counter as everyone is trying to make food or get food or pack food and I can barely see which hand is mine. I grab my muffin and a red solo cup to fill up with water from the fridge and squeeze through everyone to the other end of the room.

The ice dispenser starts to buzz and everyone keeps talking behind me until I fill up my water and move to the table where Parker, Blake, and Andy are sitting down already. I saw Griffin in the kitchen helping with the toaster oven because Aunt Mary cant work it but I haven't seen Grant.

That is until he nut checks me as I walk past the kitchen island.

"Grant!" I yell and shove him into Uncle Noah. "Jesus Landon don't be so uptight!" He screams back and is about to come at me when Noah steps between us and holds him back. "Boys, boys, it's 7:30. I don't wanna be separating you two all day alright?"

"Fine, whatever." Grant rolls his eyes dramatically like I started it.

"Yeah." I say in response.

"Good. Now if you're done with breakfast go put all that shit in the car." He gestures to a huge pile of suitcases, coolers, and backpacks sitting on the couch and tumbling over onto the floor. I sigh deeply and head over to grab my stuff. Grant follows closely behind.

Out in the garage, we start putting stuff in the trunks of everybodies cars when he shoves me so I fall into the grass and drop Lila's bags.

"Dude!" I scream for the thousandth time today and throw my hands in the air with frustration.

"You were in my way," He shrugs.

"I was not! You're just being a dick!"

"And you're being a pussy! What is your deal today? Quit being such a crybaby about every little thing." Now he throws the rest of the stuff in the trunk and slams it shut, staring at me sitting on the ground.

"Maybe I wouldn't be so mad if my entire body didn't feel like it was broken!"

"Shut up you didn't fall that hard." The way he scoffs just makes me want to scream louder. I can't understand why he's being such a jerk.

"Not just now but yesterday when you-"

"Just shut up alright! Sorry I hit you so hard I don't know what happened but you're driving me insane right now and I can't control this urge to just beat you senseless and I just, I don't know ok?" His screaming catches me a little bit off guard but I just can't make myself shut up at this point.

"You can't control it?! Yes you can! Just don't fucking hit me!"

"Shut up, Landon."

"I'm so sick of you giving me crap all the time! Just act like a normal person for once. Just go one day without messing with me I DARE YOU."

"I'm serious,"

"So am I! You-"

Out of nowhere he slaps me so hard in the face that I reach up and immediately hold it in my cupped hands. "See?! You can't do it!"