I stepped outside into the light drizzle, yanking my hoodie up to avoid any hair mishaps. Adjusting my new school bag onto my back, I got into the car that I share with my older brother, Dylan. As if on cue, the front door swung open and he darted out of the house with a large grin on his face. He walked over towards the driver's side door and opened it, hopping into the truck. He tossed his bag into the backseat carelessly before shoving the key into the ignition. I watched as the book bag flopped from the seat to the floor, wondering if he even bothered to put anything in it.
"What happened to all of the new school supplies that mom bought for you?" I questioned as I turned back to look at him.
His grin didn't falter in the slightest. "I'm a senior now! I don't have to worry about grades!" he announced and my eyebrows rose.
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and I've heard you say a lot of stupid things." I shook my head.
"You wouldn't understand; wait until next year, you'll be a senior then," he explained. "Speaking of next year, how are you getting to school? Because this bad boy is coming with me to college." He patted the dashboard of the truck with a grin. Yeah right it is; I paid for half of it. "So, are you walking to school? Because it doesn't seem like you're saving for a car or anything."
I snorted, shaking my head again. "The drive to school is an hour. I don't even want to imagine walking."
"Well, you need it," the idiot beside me stated. I reached over and punched his arm as he was backing us out of the driveway. "Hey!"
"Oops, my fist slipped," I falsely apologized. My brother glared at me as he drove us in the direction of the school.
"Hey, Lex, do you happen to know the exact date of mom and dad's anniversary?" Dylan blurted, his eyes shifting towards for a second before returning to the road.
I pursed my lips in thought. Do I look like I know, Dylan? "If I'm not mistaken, it's in a few weeks."
"What do you mean by a few? Specifics please," my brother waved a hand around and I sighed, struggling to remember the exact date. I was also struggling to remember how he has more friends than I do.
"I think it is September 19th but I'm not completely sure. I can ask mom if you want me to," I suggested with a shrug. "Why?"
He smirked widely, flicking a strand of damp, brown hair from his green eyes. "I want to have a party before Isaiah and Isaac."
"The twins are throwing a party to start off the school year? Even after what happened last time?" I questioned curiously.
"They plan to. That's if they can get their parents out of the house. And if your information is correct, then I can have my party first. Their parents only leave for extremely urgent occasions ever after last year's events," my brother explained. Last year, the twins had a party and their parents came back in the middle of it, only to find their sixteen year old sons drunk on the floor with hordes of teenagers dancing around them. The twins were grounded for two entire months.
"And where am I going to go?" I questioned. "There's no way I'm sleeping in a house full of loud, drunken idiots." Dealing with sober idiots is hard enough.
"Well, I expected you to help set up the party and then you could go to one of your friend's houses," my brother suggested.
"No, thank you," I concluded.
"I'll tell mom about how you left the house Wednesday night, the first day of school, when you were supposed to be in bed sleeping," my brother blackmailed.
"What are you talking about? I was in my room on Wednesday night," I crossed my arms over my chest, looking at him curiously. How could he possibly know?
He snorted. "Yeah, and I was, too. But wait, my curfew is eleven o'clock and yours is ten. And if I'm correct, you were out of that window at twelve, right? Or was it one?"
I glared at him. It was actually 11:30. I went to go see a midnight movie with my friends. "You wouldn't tell mom. She'd take the car away, which means she'd have to drive us to school."
"No, she'll drive you to school," my brother grinned sneakily.
"That's-," I started to refute but my brother cut in.
"How about you help me set up the party and I won't tell mom if you decide to sneak out again?" Dylan offered.
I weighed my options. "And I get to drive the car for a week."
"Don't push your luck; I have seven other people to help me. The loss of one person won't hurt," my brother warned.
"Then why am I even helping?" I questioned. "When I'm around your friends, my IQ lowers substantially."
"Well, if you decide to tell mom and dad about the party, you'd get in trouble for helping to set it up," Dylan laughed, either at his intricately planned scheme or my comment about his stupid friends.
I shrugged. "I get the car rights for a week or I tell mom and dad not to go out for their anniversary."
My brother glared at me before sighing. "Fine, you get the car rights for a week."
"Now tell me who's going to help set up this party," I inquired.
"Isaac, Isaiah, Miles, Demetri, Holden, Colton, and Axel," my brother listed.
I was perfectly content with the first six. Axel Jacob Bruno has come to be the most annoying guy I've ever met. To think we were once best friends... "Axel? Is he really necessary?"
"Axel is my friend, and not too long ago, he was yours. He's willing to do free labor," my brother explained, "so put aside your petty disagreements because this is going to be the best party ever and if you play your cards right, you just might be a part of it."
I rolled my eyes. "I thought he wasn't even back yet."
My brother grinned. "He just got back yesterday; guess where we're having the welcome back party?"
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, already knowing the answer. "Where are you hosting the welcome back party, Dylan?" I asked just to play along with my brother, hoping that the answer would be different than anticipated.
"At our house," my brother explained. "But don't worry, mom and dad said I could only have my friends over, so it's nothing big."
"Seven extra people in our house totally isn't going to disrupt me from whatever I plan to get done," I sardonically stated.
"You won't even realize they're there," my brother joked.
"Can't you guys have it at Holden's house?" I questioned. "Why does it have to be at our house?"
"Because we have a cool basement, duh. Besides, I figured after nearly two months of being stuck with his aunt and female cousins, Axel could use some guy time," my brother responded.
"I bet," I muttered sarcastically.
My brother rolled his eyes at me. "So, are you excited for his return?"
"I wish he would've stayed longer," I told my brother honestly. I can already tell that once he comes over, things are going to be awkward. If he hadn't left on such bad terms, then perhaps I'd be a little less harsh towards him. He didn't bother texting me to apologize or even attempt to talk to me. He'd just make petty comments whenever he'd be video chatting with the guys or talking with them on XBOX.
"Well, he's back," Dylan grinned.
I nodded. "Can't wait to see him. Not."
