Five days until Christmas.
On the way home from ice skating we all had a grand time recounting lots of our endeavors on this ice skating trip. And my brothers told me a little bit about their mini ice hockey career - Ace agrees that it's mini, Caleb thinks he was and still is a pro.
Caleb and Ace apparently played ice hockey for a couple years in middle school. Caleb wanted to play it since he thought it was super cool and then roped Ace into playing. But overtime the two decided that they'd rather play football which is what they ended up playing in highschool.
"You're so full of crap, Ace." Caleb shot at his best friend, slamming the door of the car and shooting a less than amused look at his friends.
Things were all fun and games until Ace brought up the topic that Cal wasn't as good as he says he was when they were playing hockey.
My brother even went as far as to say that one time Caleb was so distraught Ace was getting so much more playing than him that Ace had to go up to the coach and said he wouldn't play if Cal didn't. I thought it was a very touching story, showing him much Ace cares about Cal even through his tough exterior he puts on. But my brother's best friend thought it was embarrassing and got quiet there for a while.
Ace shrugged, also stepping out of the car, not willing to give Caleb the time of day.
Caleb threw his in the air, practically throwing his keys into his pocket and walking away from us.
I sighed and also got out of the car, shaking my head at their brotherly bickering before following after my brother.
His shoulders were slightly hunched over, his brown jacket hung loose on his body as a splash of white hit him on the back. My eyes went wide and I covered my mouth with my hand, stifling a mixture between a gasp and a giggle.
Ace turned around slowly, his bright blue eyes going wild as he zeroed in on his best friend, immediately skipping over me. "The fuck?" He barked, taking a couple harmless steps towards Caleb.
Caleb was fighting to hide his smile as he quirked an eye at Ace, throwing his hands in the air. "What's the matter, Acey?" He asked, ever so calmly.
My brother licked his lips, turning to the side for a second with a look of sheer disbelief on his face, as if he was trying to compose himself.
Before I knew it Ace's body was flying through the air as he tackled Caleb right off his feet and into a pile of snow. Both of the boys landed into a huge pile, Caleb on the bottom and Ace on the top. The thing was, Caleb was solid, he had a great build and more than enough muscle so you would think it would take a lot for someone to take him down. But my big brother made it look like he was simply a leaf that was blown - or mauled should I say - right to the ground.
My jaw hit the floor. I was completely floored at that second. I have never witnessed my brother act so childish in practically his entire life. Ace would never! And yet he just did.
It gets even better as Ace stands up almost immediately - showing Caleb that he didn't have to go down with him and Caleb was the real loser here. Ace grabbed some snow and shoved it right in Caleb's face, shoving the slightly younger boy further into the pile of snow. I saw Ace practically blinding Cal with the sheer amount of snow and how Ace was also pulling Caleb's beanie further and further over his eyes.
I hear Ace's deep rumble of laughter as he takes a couple steps away from Caleb, clearly very happy and finished with his work - now admiring it.
Caleb spazzes around in the snow for a second before he jumps up, finally getting his bearings. He furiously wipes the snow from his face and upper chest, his breathing hard and taught. When we are finally about to see Cal's face I notice the harsh look he is sending my brother.
Good luck Ace. I can't see my brother's face but he doesn't make any movement to run or get out of the way or apologize so I assume Ace knows what he's doing, or is at least not intimidated by his best friend.
"Oh! You're so fucking on, asshole!" Caleb screams, lunging towards Ace.
Ace and Caleb get into a sort of wrestle, each one of them trying to get the other one back into the ice pile but none of them successful so far.
Although Ace does have a couple inches on Caleb they seem to be pretty equal in strength and muscle so I don't know how much that advantage is really helping Ace. They also both seem damned determined to be the winner so it can't be about who wants it more.
I think Caleb wants to get Ace down since Ace already has one up on him and Caleb obviously can't be the loser. Ace wants to get Caleb down to remain the victor and keep his title and the spot of strongest in the house.
Obviously, I am not even close to winning that title as I live with two brutes of brothers.
The two men finally fall into the snow, both still equal as they lay side by side, continuing to fight each other. One tries to get up and shove the other one down but can't before the second guy pulls him right back down. It's like a continuous cycle.
Finally, Caleb gets the upper hand, standing up and attempting to move out of Ace's grasp before his friend can pull him back down into the brawl. But Caleb doesn't go back into the fight .... No, his eyes zero in on me.
"Caleb..." I said slowly as the guy who now looks like an ice monster started to walk over to me, his arms out as a lesson to me that I am not getting away from this. "Don't you dare!" Then I squeal as the much-bigger-than-me-man comes for me.
I run for a second before his very cold arms circle around my waist and lift me up into the air. I squeal again, screaming at Cal to put me down and begging him to as well. Caleb just laughs, hosting me over his shoulder and taking off into a run, right towards Ace.
By now my brother is standing up, not even paying attention as he rubs the snow from off of him. When he hears my screams he turns around, but it's too late.
Caleb has already gone barreling right into Ace, taking him straight to the pile, me landing a little away from them as Caleb shoved me away at the last second so I wouldn't get hurt.
We all dissolve into a fit of laughter and giggles, rolling around into the snow until we finally stand up, still laughing.
"Now, children..." Ace began sternly.
"Oh such the fuck up, Ace." Caleb shot back almost immediately. "You were the one who started this whole mess so get off your fucking high horse and admit that you at the problem here, not your poor little siblings you like to bully so much." Caleb ends his rant.
By this stage I am freezing as I have made my way over to my brothers as they are very close to each other having this mini dispute. Caleb wraps an arm around me as I come near him, half investing in getting me on his side literally and figuratively and half invested in just warming me up.
Both of my brothers run hot - never once in their lives have they been cold and in the summer it's torture for them. I'm the complete opposite, I am always freezing and chilled to the bone. Luckily both of them are aware of this and are very kind to me about it and are very generous in how they heat the house, even if it means they're walking around shirtless in the dead of winter, something that has happened many times before.
Ace shot Caleb and incredulous look - both for his statement and for how he immediately pulled me into his side. "You threw snow ... at me!"
Caleb looked around, pulling a face of utter shock. "I would never!" He displayed, throwing an arm over his chest to show how bewildered and blown away by this statement he is. "How dare you accuse me of something you have no evidence for!"
"Baby?" My brother's attention turns straight to me, his bright blue eyes piercing right into my soul as they do their job.
I squirm under my brother's gaze but he does not let up. I bit my lip, hard, to try and physically not allow myself to say anything. I just shouldn't get involved. My face turned into a sort of whimper as I tried and failed to not fall victim to my brother's tricks.
"For fucks sake." Caleb muttered under my breath. "You can't do that!" He told Ace, covering both of my eyes with his hands. I turned and buried my face into his chest, yet another measure I was taking to ensure Ace's eyes wouldn't be the death of me.
Ace laughed for a second, clearly thinking he won. "No rules." There are no rules.
I could practically hear Caleb's eye roll at that.
A big hand came and tapped me on the shoulder lightly which I could only assume was Ace's as he pulled me out of Caleb's body.
"Inside." Let's go inside, now, Ace said.
"Good." Caleb laughed as we all fell into step, heading inside to the hopefully warm house. "I'm fucking freezing. I think you got snow all the way into my balls, Ace." Caleb threw out, non discreetly adjusting down there.
"TMI, Caleb James!" I use his government name and shuffle closer to Ace to get away from his disgustingness.
"Nothing you haven't heard before, JD." Caleb threw out, chuckling to himself as he reached out to grab me but I ran straight into my brother. I was trying so hard to get away from him.
"Nothing I want to hear again!" I argued back just as fast.
"Ah, but alas, you will. You were the one who chose to live with two big brothers, now you've got to deal with the consequences, Jo." Caleb snickered to himself.
One of the reasons I know Caleb loves to call me Jo and JD instead of Jodee, my given name is because Jo and JD sound more like guys' names. It's common knowledge I do and I don't want to be 'one of the guys.' I want to be an equal with my brothers, but I also want to be the sweet little sister who gets away with things and gets to be feminine since I am definitely more of a girly-girl than a tomboy. Caleb just thinks it's funny that I can have a boy's name as a nickname and therefore loves to tease me with that.
"I didn't choose that! I was forced into that!" I responded back, just as sharply.
Choosing family is a kinda touchy subject within my family, but when we're joking around like this I do feel confident that my brothers aren't going to take anything to heart and we can just have a good time with no feelings hurt.
"Not forced." Caleb crouched down so he could wave his finger patronizingly in front of my face as Ace left my side to go lock the door behind us. "Gifted. You are one very lucky girl, Jodee, and I have to say - I am the reason you are very lucky." Caleb shrugged.
"What about Ace?" I sassed back, knowing that if I brought my brother into the conversation and gave him a gateway to join he would jump in and have something good to say.
Most of the time, my brother is very docile and nice and respectful. But when he wants to be, he can be very sassy and funny. He always has the best comebacks!
"No that-" Caleb tried to move the conversation along before Ace recognized his name being said.
But Ace was too fast.
"You are the gift." Ace told me affectionately, rubbing his hands over my shoulder and leaning down to drop a kiss on the top of my head. "Upstairs, warm clothes on." Go upstairs and put some warm clothes on, Ace then ordered me.
I smiled at his previous comment, turning around to kiss my brother's ice cold cheek before rushing upstairs to follow his instructions and because I really am cold!
"Fuck sakes, Ace, this favoritism is getting out of hand!" Caleb groaned just before I went out of ear shot.
"You do it too."
"I know."
And I smiled.