No Matter What [4]

Lily and I hopped into my car and drove to my house. I was praying that my mother wouldn’t be home, but I had the car, so I knew she most likely would.

I told Lily to wait in the car, but my mother insisted she come in to meet her.

This is why I wish she had a life.

I packed my bag as quickly as possible and found Lily with my mother in the baby’s room.

“You’re so lucky, Lacie, I’ve never had a sister,” she told me.

“Well, if you did, I’d hope she wasn’t from a jackass like my sister is,” I commented, instantly regretting what I said.

To my fortune, my mother ignored the comment, but Lily looked curious.

“Lacie, I’m going to need you to leave the car here,” my mother said, “I need to go to the store later.”

“Are we supposed to take a bus or something, then?” I asked.

“No,” my mother sighed, “I’ll drive you. Come on.”

The car ride was rather silent, but more awkward than anything else. I know Lily would ask me what I meant by what I had said, though, so I hoped it would be a long ride.

Eventually, though, we ended up at her house.

It was much bigger than mine, but the inside felt very homely and cozy.

“Are your parent’s home?” I asked.

“No,” she laughed, “It’d be a miracle, though.”

“Are they working or something?” I questioned more.

“Kind of. They go on ‘business trips’ together. But one time I found out they went to Vegas. They just didn’t want to bring my brother and I,” she replied, “So it’s hard to say what they’re doing.”

“That sucks,” I said, looking down.

“What about you? Where’s your dad?” she asked me.

“He’s dead,” I replied.

“Then, who’s.. the father of your.. sister?” she hesitated.

“My ex stepfather,” I cringed. I hated getting onto the subject.

She clearly noticed my discomfort, “I won’t pry. We can talk about it when we’re closer.”

That’s what I had already learned and loved about Lily, she can tell when to stop. She knows when she’s going to go too far, and she doesn’t push it.

I smiled. She knew it was okay, now.

“Let’s eat!” she insisted, running to the kitchen.

We spent the next hour making different kinds of foods and trying them out. Some were really good, others we wouldn’t even bother touching.

“I feel so bad! We’re using up all of your food!” I laughed.

She sat down at a chair, “And dirtying my kitchen! It’s fine though, my parents send us money. And the kitchen will eventually get cleaned.”

“You’re the lucky one,” I told her.

She put some food in her mouth and tilted her head, as if to ask why.

“You practically have this place all to yourself, no parents, nothing,” I said.

“Yeah, nothing, I have no one to talk to,” she said, “I’m friends with all guys.”

“What about your brother?” I asked.

“My brother has changed, he’s shut out,” she told me, “We’re close, but I don’t feel like if I told him I was upset, he’d help. He’d probably just make a joke.”

“That’s a guy for you,” I told her.

“No, it’s different. He used to be really sweet, I used to tell him everything,” she sighed.

Now it was my turn to tilt my head.

“We used to have another brother, he was a year older,” she continued, “They were like the best of friends. Perfect brother relationship.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“One day, he got into drugs. My brother pleaded for him to stop. A few months later, we got a phone call saying they found his body in his friend’s house, lifeless. He overdosed,” she replied.

I covered my mouth with my hand. Unlike Lily, I don’t know when to stop.

“It’s okay,” Lily said, “But now Alex just thinks caring for someone hurts you in the end. It killed him, and he’s never been the same. He’s more himself now appearance wise, but his personality just... changed.”

“That’s horrible,” I said, “I can’t even imagine the pain that must have brought him. I can, but to an extent. My father died a few years after my mother divorced him, and she didn’t let me see him much. So I wasn’t as attached.”

She nodded, “Come on, help me pick a movie to watch. Let’s not make this a sad day.”

I followed her to the living room and my eye instantly caught Spiderman.

She smiled, “You’d be like perfect for my brother, it’s slightly creepy.”

“Huh?” I said, grabbing the movie.

“Spiderman is his favourite movie,” she laughed.

“Mine too!” I said, then realizing she already figured that. I blushed a bit.

It’s kind of crazy how much of my old self came out around her, though.

By the time 9PM came around, Lily and I had fallen asleep on the couch in a food coma.

I woke up to knocking on the door, her brother, probably.

Lily jumped up, knocking the popcorn all over the both of us. We died laughing.

“Who is it?” she asked in between fits of laughter.

“It’s your brother, dipshit, I only called five times,” he answered.

His voice sounded familiar.

“Don’t be an asshole, and I’ll let you in,” she teased.

“Come on, Lil, I forgot I gave you my house key earlier,” he pleaded with her.

Oh my god. It can’t be him.

She opened the door. He took one look at me and sighed.

“What the fuck,” we both said.

It was Xander. Alexander.