Tyler Gray
It was already dark by the time we got back home. Alice fell asleep right after she got cleaned and changed into some pink pjs. She really likes that color.
I didn't complain when she just dumped herself on MY bed. I'm quite used to it by now. Besides getting worked up over it would just be a total waste of time.
Evan, surprisingly, was awake. He and I were randomly flipping channels when West came in the living room so suddenly.
"'Sup brats?" he said as he plopped down in between us.
"Why are you here?" I asked curiously. "Where's Naomi?"
His only answer was a mischievous grin. Somehow that was enough for me to know they probably went at it like bunnies. Evan and I shuddered.
West hit both of us in the head, "What the fuck were you two thinking?" he said. "She just kicked me out because she wanted quality time with Nash. She said I kept hogging him all the time so now it's her turn."
I grinned, "You can't blame us for thinking that you... you know."
"Huh?" Evan said. "Weren't we thinking that Naomi's taking a dump?"
"No you butthead," I said, face-palming at his stupidity. "Wouldn't you normally think Naomi's asleep after they had se---"
West slapped his hand over my mouth rather painfully and smiled at Evan while patting his head. "What a good innocent child you are."
"Um...thank you?" Evan said confused.
I wanted to do another face-palm.
"Shouldn't we be quiet?" asked Evan as he glanced at my room where Alice was sleeping. "We might wake her."
West and I said the same thing at the same time, "Nah."
"She's quite like you Evan, a heavy sleeper. Tyler here is the light sleeper," West grinned.
I decided to check on her. I walked over to my bed where Alice was and poked her cheek. She frowned a bit at that but didn't stir. I poked her harder. She just rolled over and snored away.
I covered her with a blanket and fixed her position on the bed while Evan and West, for some reason, followed me and talked about Evan's phobia. I tucked the girl in nice and cozily, earning a sigh of contentment that made me smile as she snuggled in her more comfortable position. Her hair was getting in her face and I gently fixed it for her. She's had a very long day. And I'm still wondering why she cried. She hasn't cried in front of me since that day when we were little. Does she always cry in secret? She even denied it when I asked her, even though the evidence is in her eyes and nose. They always get red and puffy, and her nose turns pink.
I frowned. She looked awfully sad when I found her, not like the usual Alice I've been living with. She almost seemed like a different person. Gone was the happy child ruining my life and constantly teasing me everyday, replaced by a gloomy girl who seemed to have shut herself away from everyone else...
I didn't know I was running my fingers through her hair until she was leaning in to my touch, purring like a loving cat.
And then I noticed that the room was quiet.
When I looked behind me, Evan and West were watching me knowingly. I blushed and glared at them, moving away from Alice, "What?" I demanded.
"Oh nothing bro," West said with a smile. I turned to Evan. He shrugged.
I didn't want them to say anything, but I did want to know something..."Hey West," I said slowly.
"Hmm?"
"What happened to Alice?"
"What do you mean?"
"Her parents got divorced right? What happened to her?" I asked.
West took on a serious expression, then his gaze moved to where Alice slept peacefully. A look of concern crossed his features. "Remember when Uncle Charles and Aunt Kristin came to visit when you were five?"
I tried searching through my memory but I couldn't remember shit.
"I suppose you wouldn't. But they were already on bad terms. Alice was so quiet and timid that you would hardly believe it's the same girl who plots twisted things and bugs you nonstop with her cheery mask," he smiled wryly. "Aunt Kristin says things bluntly and she can go on a rampage of complaints about Uncle's drinking, his laziness and yada yada yada..."
"But I don't even remember Alice saying anything about---"
"Ah, so you at least remember something right?" West said as he laid back, linking his hands behind his head. "It surprised me when Alice cried so much... I think that was when you were both seven years old. She really threw a fit back there. But even I could see it was no ordinary fit. She looked so desperate and I wondered what could have made her make such a face..."
I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. "I didn't..."
West sat up only to plop himself onto my back. "I know. You didn't know. You wouldn't have understood her back then anyway. You grew up loved," he said pecking my cheek and making me yelp in disgust while he laughed and caught my fist. "Now now little Tyler, that's no way to treat your older brother," he chuckled.
"Have you forgotten the horrible things you did to my childhood?" I asked him.
"What? You had an awesome childhood because of me!" he said.
I frowned. Damn he's right. Despite the teasing and some bullying, it was AWESOME. I grudgingly agreed.
"Anyway," he said realising my hand, "the next time little Alice made her yearly visits, she never cried anymore. She wasn't as quiet as she was at the start, in fact that was the time she had started that defense mechanism of hers."
"Huh?" Evan said.
"I read some psychology books ok? The twins are into that shit and I was a bit curious." He gave us a sly grin, "I also thought it would help me tease Naomi more if I knew exactly what was in her head."
"You evil husband."
He shrugged, "I know."
"Did it work?" Evan asked.
West grinned.
"West, enough of your fucked up obsession over your wife and how to tease her shitless," I said. "Weren't we talking about Alice?"
He scoffed, "You're such a hypocrite Tyler Gray. You call on me about Naomi and yet you don't even know that you're in that stupid lame state of stubborn denial that causes nothing but trouble and pain for everyone around you who actually sees the fucking picture because they are not blinded by some sort of delusional prejudice you hold against yourself to refuse to accept what's been smacking you right in the face. You yourself have the same kind of emotional attachment I have with my wife but the difference is that I am aware of my own obsession when you still fail to notice yours. True, I may have been a little slow at first when I was your age but we were in very different circumstances. Your situation can be easily solved and all would be happy if only you'd just destroy whatever it is that is blocking your fucking ability to use you goddamn instincts and stop using that bitch called logic when you can't even listen to that beating motherfucker called your heart."
"Wait what?" I said rather sounding stupid.
"I bet Evan understood it."
"I did."
"What? How? I don't get it."
"Haha, sorry. I just had to get that all out. So I had to say it in a manner which would definitely confuse you."
"Uh...?"
He waved a hand to dismiss it, "Nevermind. So about Alice's defense mechanism...every time she's around you her positive feelings overflow and bubble up causing her to irritate you because she knows she can't get your fucking attention any other way. She bugs you and sticks to you as much as possible but the only attention she'll ever get is that which is laced with irritation, anger, and just mostly negative. She has no choice but to take the only thing you'll offer. But what you don't know is that the more she annoys you, the more she's hurting inside."
I frowned. "What do you mean hurting? She's a silly little pest who smiles at whatever I throw at her."
"Oh we both know that's bullshit," he said. "Her smile is her defense. A shield from having you penetrate through her mask and see what she's been hiding inside her fragile little heart," he finished off dramatically. "Sometimes I wanna hit you when I see her mask slip for a few seconds before it's back again and she's annoying you even more."
I stayed quiet. "So what you're trying to say is that I'm...hurting her?"
West went around and casually leaned down to rest his chin on my head. "Everyone, including Alice, knows that that is not your intention. But dude seriously, be a little nicer. When you show her a little bit of kindness and care, how does she react?"
I furrowed my brows and answered slowly. "She looks disbelieving and questions my reasons."
I felt West nod. "She's not used to it," Evan said quietly.
I looked at him and he shrugged. "I'm always here watching your nonstop bickering. It can be cute and just plain ridiculous at times by the way. But I've noticed that she always expects you to react negatively to her advances and teasing. She doesn't seem to know what to do when you're being nice."
"Which is rare," West added.
I pushed him off of me half-heartedly. My mind was busy thinking about the things I just learned about Alice.
"So now that I've answered your question, Tyler," West drawled as he sat next to us, "why don't you answer some of mine."
I sighed. Well, it was a fair request. "Shoot."
"What brought on the sudden interest in our little Alice?" he asked.
I glared at him for asking something that was close to the boundaries of my personal thoughts.
"Oh come on. What I told you was something very personal to Alice. If she heard me talking so freely about her emotional scars and personal issues, she'd most likely have my head and fled somewhere far from us."
"Why is that? And if you knew the answer would be such a delicate topic for her, then why did you tell me?"
"Well for one, she would feel very threatened here. It's like she would feel as though her emotions and thoughts were out in the open. Nothing more hidden, and no where to hide," he said. "I told you because I'm a bit sick and tired of your unprogressive state," he told me. "And because Alice will probably never tell you any of this herself. Now, enough of your questions. You haven't answered mine."
I sighed. "It was because she cried. As you've already said, I've never seen her cry since that day."
"Ty..."
We all, I mean me and West since Evan had already fallen asleep, turned around in surprise when Alice said my name. Thankfully, she was still asleep, snuggling further in the soft pillow she was hugging as a substitute for me.
West chuckled. "I have another question."
"Can you be more subtle about it? I mean I can already tell this one's gonna burn."
"No can do bro. There s no such thing as subtlety when it comes to brothers."
"Well, that is annoyingly true, I guess."
"Ok, so..." he said grinning. "Are you sure that was the only reason why you've got your panties in knot and suddenly asking about Alice?"
"What? Yeah, that's probably just about it. What the fuck are you trying to say now?" I growled.
"Nah," he grinned. "So how was the kiss?"
Shit.
Fuck you West.
Fuck you and your stupid ability to read me!
"I don't know, fine I guess."
"Mmmhhhhmmm...." he said. "Can't believe you actually did it though. Hahaha I was only messing with you."
"You made me feel guilty!" I hissed. I was turning more childish by the minute because of his horseshit. It's always like this whenever West and I talk. He teases, and I can't retaliate properly and end up sounding immature and, well, falling on the loser side of the fucked up conversation. I hate it when he does this to me.
"Well you liked it anyway."
"Did not!"
"Of course you did. I bet you frenched her."
"Fuck you!"
"Now now, you wouldn't want to wake her up now, would you?" he said smugly. "And how many times have I told you not to cuss so much? Geez, you cuss way more than me."
I growled and actually pouted. I hated losing to West. But I always do. And I only cuss more when I'm getting stressed out, and West's just the same.
"Are you actually pouting?" he laughed.
"Shut up."
"God you're still adorable Tyler," he laughed and ruffled my hair, earning a murderous glare which didn't do much because of my red face.
"I better go back to my room. I can't have Naomi ruining all the good work I did to make Nash be the awesome little dude in the world. She'd defile him with her ridiculous baby talk and girly clips. But don't tell her I said that," he said as he got up and reached the door.
"Ok, good night West," I grumbled, still not over the annoying fact that I will probably forever be helpless when it comes to West's abuse of his superior disposition as my older brother and as the person who showed the world full of awesomeness. Dammit.
"Oh and Tyler," he said poking his head back inside.
"What?"
"You liked the kiss."
I threw a pillow at his insufferable face, only for it to be caught in one hand and tossed gently onto Evan's sleeping form.
"Night!" he chirped before closing the door.
Damn him!
Fine!
Okay!
I fucking liked it!
Yes the damn kiss!
And I wanted to do it again!
"Ah shit what the hell is wrong with me!?" I thought as I ran a hand through my hair. I was sitting next to Alice and exhaled heavily. This is Alice we're talking about. She's like a sister to me. I love her the same way I love Naomi. So then why would I like the sweet taste of her soft lips emitting small sounds of pleasure. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH. This is so wrong in so many levels. I shouldn't be thinking such indecent things when she...
She's not my sister.
Would I react the same way if I kissed Naomi?
Ugh, NO. That's just...no. And West would murder me without hesitation.
What about Kacey?
Just UGH. Why did I even think of that?
I though about some of the girls I know from school. No one made me feel eager to taste them the way I tasted Alice. I was never against the idea kissing her. It didn't disgust me, didn't make me feel uncomfortable or awkward about it. It just felt...natural. And good.
Dammit I'm doing it again.
I'm getting no where with this.
I glanced down at Alice and noticed her smiling softly. Again she murmured my name. Maybe I should test out my...whatever this is.
I moved over to her until I was hovering on top of her. Leaning down until my hair was brushing against her forehead before I...
"Tyler?"
Bam...
"W-what?" I asked a sleepy Evan who was rubbing his eyes.
"What are you doing way over there?" he asked curiously with a yawn.
I had leapt of the bed and was glued to the wall like some frightened cat. "Uh nothing dude. Go back to sleep."
"Can we turn off the lights?"
"Uh yeah sure," I said, still not moving from my strange position.
He lazily got up and turned it off, bidding me good night before minutes later he was snoring away. I slowly relaxed, my heart not thundering anymore.
That was close.
Crawling back on the bed, I decided to peek at Evan to check, and saw that really, he was out like a light. So I went back to what I was about to do before I was interrupted.
This time I didn't take time to lower my lips and capture hers.
Something electric coursed through me, making my heart pound and something fluttered in my stomach.
I lifted my lips from hers, eyes staring intently at the peaceful face of an angel.
I rolled over to my side of the bed, staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling.
Alice shifted and moved closer to me, hugging me instead of that pillow.
Oh.
God.
I'm... in love with her...
...
I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
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Hehehehehe... I haven't checked what I wrote here so sorry about the mistakes and typos. Will fix it some other day. Hope you guys liked it. ;)