Fair Warning

"Hello? Is anybody home inside Gloria's head?", my brother Mike asks when I don't answer his question.
"What?" I have no clue what my brother had been talking about. I look at Mike and he shakes his head.
"You really should pay attention instead of wandering into that imagination of yours."
"I don't wander into my imagination and what in the world were you telling me before I zoned out?"
"I was saying that I have a few friends from college coming over to our house. I don't want you staring after my friends and I don't want you to act any differently than you normally do." He smiles and pats my shoulder.
"You, my brother, want me to act like I always do. Play video games, walk around in clothes that stick to me like glue, and get competitive in sports." I look over at Mike who is still smiling.
"Besides the glue thing, yes." We pulled into our driveway and Mike turned the car off and got out of the car. I followed suit except I opened the back door and grabbed my backpack. I ran to catch up to Mike. "You are one slow chick."
"Am not. I had to get my bag and for your information it is full of books."
"I swear, you have more homework than I do"
"That's because I take difficult classes and I actually study."
"I don't doubt that." Mike opens the door and I walk in past after him.
"We're home Mom!" I run up the stairs to my bedroom after I drop my backpack onto the couch. I strip down to my underwear and bra then grab a pair of short pajama bottoms with a tank top. Like I told my brother, my clothes stick to me like glue. I run down the stairs and walk into the kitchen. I grab a bag of cheetos and sit on the couch. I pull my Calculus book and notebook out of my bag then I open my book to the right page number and get my calculator and pencil from my bag. I start on my Calculus homework.

The Boys are Here (First Day of Spring Break.)

About twenty minutes and five problems into my Calculus homework a group of boys pushes the front door open. They didn't stop when they tried so the three of them flew over the couch. My book flew out of my hands and I ended up under one of the guys. The guys are laughing and the one on top of me pushes himself up and pulls me up. I bend down and pick up my homework and my pencil. My calculator stayed on the couch. Mike stopped laughing when he noticed me. "Well shit."
One of the guys with blonde, shaggy hair and a well defined face looked at me than at Mike. "What? Is she your crazy ex who likes to sneak into your house?" My brother didn't have time to reply. The ex the blonde dude referred to is a girl who my brother dated for two weeks and became obsessed with him.
"Now that is appalling. I'm nothing like that obsessive bitch."
The one who landed on top of me spoke next. He has black hair that was cut to make is angular face and high cheek bones show. His bright blue eyes showed brightly against the color of his hair and looking at him closely proves that he is has muscles. "Then who are you?"
"I'm Mike's little sister Gloria." I sit back down on the couch and grab my book again. "Now I have homework to do. Mike how about taking your two friends to the pool. I'm sure they would like to see it."
This time my brother spoke. "So young and so wise." Mike smiles.
"Seventeen is not that young thank you very much and you are only four years older." I give him my "I won" smile.
"Okay fine but first you really need to do something about your hair." He pulls his friends outside to the pool. After the are outside my mom runs into the living room dressed for work.
"Are you okay here alone with these three?" My mom may trust Mike but not the guys he brought home with him.
"Yes mother. It's spring break and I have homework and studying so I'll be ignoring them."
"Okay." She looks at her watch and grabs her purse."Well I have to go. My plane leaves in thirty minutes. I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Love you."
"Love you too Mom."
"Bye Mike!" My mom yells but both of us can tell the boys are too busy doing cannonballs into the pool. I give my mom a small wave as she walks out the door. I get to work on my Calculus but soon find out I can't concentrate. I put my homework back into my backpack as Mike comes in.
"What? Finished already?"
"Nowhere near it. I can't concentrate in the slightest."
"Finally."
"What?" Mike has a way of not completing thoughts.
"Finally my smart sister has to stop working on homework because she, of all people, can't concentrate." Mike smiles. "So come join me, Mathias, and Mark out in the pool. You seem bored."
"That's a lot of M names and let me put on my bathing suit first." Mike nods and I walk up the stairs to my bedroom. The only bathing suit I have is a bikini that's black with a gold heart in the middle of the top and on the sides of the bottom. I put it on and look in the mirror. My thick, black hair reaches my hips and my hazel eyes don't pop with my hair color. In my brother's ex best friends words, "Body like a supermodel." He liked me a bit too much for my brother's taste. I shove my hair into a ponytail and run down the stairs. I grab my free-read book and walk out to the pool. "So who's who?"
Mike turns around at the same time the other two do. The black headed one introduces himself as Mathias and and the blonde as Mark. The three boys all have bodies that make girls drool and all have different hair and eye colors. Mike, brown hair and green eyes. Mathias, black hair and blue eyes. Mark, blonde hair and brown eyes. I sit down in a lawn chair near the pool. "Okay. Just don't get my book wet. I'd have to kill you."
"So we can get you wet?" Mike has a mischievous grin on his face which means I'm about to be thrown into the pool. I set my book aside.
"Don't even think about it Mike."
"Oh what am I thin kin about?" Mike walks closer and I stand up. "Is my little sis scared of the water?"
"No. I'd rather not have the top of my bikini fly off." Mike turned to see the expressions on Mathias's and Mark's faces. They had blank faces which meant that they were smart.
"It won't and I know that because I've thrown you into the pool."
"Jack ass."
Mike put his hand to his heart. "So hurtful. Why must you hurt me so?" He runs up and puts me over his shoulder. He then throws me into the pool. "Now I've had my revenge." Mike's still smiling so I climb out of the pool.
"Would you like to see my revenge?" My brother walks over to his friends.
"Try me." This is normal for us. We nearly kill each other when it comes to the pool. I walk over to him but stop as all three boys cross their arms over their chest.
"What are you guys; guards?" I walk away and get on the diving board. I dive straight into the pull then the boys all do cannonballs, splashing water into my face, "That was so not fair. " I swim over to my brother and dunk him. Mark and Mathias wrestle us apart even though we are messing around. Mathias has hold of me and Mark has a hold of Mike. My arms are pinned to my side and I'm in water which means I'm stuck. I look up at Mathias, who in turn looks down at me. "Are you always so serious?"
He seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "Yep, well, unless I'm drunk off my ass." Mark and Mike get out of the pool and Mathias lets me go.
"Well Mark and I are going to the bar to get some hot ladies. You coming Mathias?" Mathias shakes his head.
"Nah. I have to get some reading finished."
"Are you sure it isn't because of the hot younger sister," asks Mark.
"Totally sure. I have to get to work on it or I won't finish it and really Mark. I'd watch what you say around the older brother."
"She's right. So serious and fair warning Gloria, Mathias is an ass and has never stayed with a girl longer than two nights." Mike and Mark walk away and in the next couple of minutes the car is started and driven out of the driveway. I pull myself out of the pool followed by Mathias who walks in the house without a word. I walk in after him and walk into the bathroom. I turn on the shower and get in.
When I step out of the shower I realize I forgot to grab my clothes. I wrap a towel around me and walk out the bathroom door. After I close the door and turn around I run right smack into Mathias who jumps backwards clearly startled. He looks at me but turns his head away as quick as he had to find out what hit him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I forgot my clothes in my bedroom." I look down and notice that he must have had a stack of papers with him when I hit him because there is a bunch on the ground. I lean down on my knees and start to pick it up. Mathias does the same but has a cautious look on his face.
"Sorry for running into you. I mean I didn't mean to do it or anything like that."
"No problem." I laugh and he looks at me then realizes what he said.
"I didn't mean that I didn't mind running into you when you forgot your clothes in your bedroom, well I'm guessing that's where you left them. That also came out wrong."
"You could try that again but I think you'll dig yourself into a deeper hole. I believe that you meant that you weren't worried about me running into you and by your expression when you saw I did..." That's as far as I got. Mark was behind me laughing.
"Wow. That was the worst thing I have seen. Mathias, the man who has no problem talking to girls has problems talking to a teen."
Mathias stands up and I grab the rest of his papers off the ground and then I stand up. I hand him the papers and he takes them. "What are you even doing here. I thought that you were out getting women." Mathias acts like Mark isn't a friend.
"I forgot my wallet and what does it matter to you?"
"Alright you two. Mark, why don't you go back to whatever it was that you were doing." I don't feel like separating a fighting pair while wearing a towel. I grab Mathias's forearm and pull him into the hallway leading to my room. He follows reluctantly but he still follows. I open my door and push him inside. I close the door. "Stay on the bed. I'll be back." I grab my pajamas that I was wearing earlier and walk back down the hall. I find Mark waiting by the bathroom door. "What do you want?"
"To know what you two are planning on doing that we can't do."
"Exactly nothing. Now move so that I can get dressed?"
"Why?"
"Um...Move Mark." He didn't. Instead he moves to block the door even more. I backed up. I turn towards my bedroom and close the door behind me once I get inside. Mathias looks up from his papers and frowns. "Uh could you close your eyes?" Mathias does and I get dressed. "You can open your eyes now."
"Why couldn't you get dressed in the bathroom?"
"Mark is a freak.
"O-kay? What does that mean exactly?"
"Nothing. So what are you working on?"
"Signing up for the special forces in the army."
"Isn't that really hard to get into."
"Not when you have previous training. I don't go to college with your brother. We know each other from high school."
"Wow. Mike was talking about joining but he hasn't followed through."
"He wouldn't. He has you and your mom to look after. I mean I know about your dad and all so I think that he feels responsible."
"Probably but I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that. So what did Mark do to you?"
"I'm not telling and it doesn't matter. I think he was drunk."
"They were gone for five minutes."
"Yeah but when you guys came in he was pretty drunk and then he drank some more. He's pretty stupid."
"I don't disagree with that."
"Wanna watch a movie?" Mathias nods and puts his papers on the bed side table.
"So what do you have in your movie collection?"
"Uh...all sorts of movies. What kind of movies do you prefer?"
"Action packed."
"Well that is the same with most guys and I have the perfect movie."
"Which is?"
"It's not the most action packed movie I have but it's a good movie." He gave me the look that said tell me already. "G.I. Joe- rise of the cobra."
"Cool." I pop the movie and go into the living room where I grab my back pack. I walk back into the room where Mathias had already pushed play on the movie. I pull out my Calculus and I get to work. About thirty or forty minutes into the movie I hear a crash outside. Mathias looks at me and I grab my knife which I had taped on the bottom of my desk. "Where did that come from?"
'Mike bought it for me so I put it in it's sheath and taped it to the bottom of my desk. " I walk out the door with the knife held behind my back. I come to a stop in the hall way because Mark is passed out on the floor. "Well I don't need the knife." I walk into the kitchen to find Mike laughing hysterically like he does when he is drunk. I make him some coffee then make him drink it. Mathias was behind me the entire time and now he is getting Mike to bed.
I head back to my bedroom and start to work on my Calculus again. I've got most of it finished and three more subjects to go plus study for five out of my seven classes. I finish my Calculus then I get to work on my Anatomy homework. Mathias walks into my room then back tracks. I hear a knock and laugh. "Come in."
"I just wanted to tell you that your brother is in bed snoring." He was about to walk away when he noticed all the books on my desk. "What classes are you taking? There's loads of homework there."
''Let's see; Third year of French, American Literature- duel credit, Advanced Accounting, Mythology and Astronomy, Creative Writing 2, Anatomy, and Calculus."
"Well that's not a hard schedule or anything." He was being sarcastic but he was right.
"It isn't for me. I study throughout the summer that way I can keep up on all the classes I take."
"Okay then you are an overachiever."
"And proud to be one."
''So are you a Junior or Senior?"
"Senior like my brother is in College."
"Well I am going to go to bed. Night." I waved and started my homework again.

Second Day of Spring Break

I wake up with my head on top of my American Lit. book. I had fallen asleep while writing my essay. I stand up after I ruffle my hair like I do after I get out of the shower, then I yawn, and stretch. The process took me about forty-five seconds. By time I get close to the kitchen there is laughing and it wasn't a girl's laugh. I walk into the kitchen and grab a bowl and the cereal. The guys were still laughing. I had to ask. "What are you all laughing about?"
Mike answered me. "Mark and me can't remember a thing about last night."
"Um...funny?"
"Yes it is because we had a group of girls call us and wanted to know why we didn't call them back after..."
"Okay so your version of funny, not so funny."
"So you are one of those?" That was Mark.
"One of what?"
"Someone who has a hard time laughing."
"No. I only laugh when something is funny. What is funny is that you two will both have migraines and will end up sleeping the day away while I sit by the pool."
"So you aren't going to get in?" That was Mathias.
"I never said that." I walk away eating my cereal and I go into my room. I finish my essay while I eat. When I'm done with the essay I put it into a paper cover thing and I take by bowl to the kitchen. Mark and Mike are in a heated conversation while Mathias looks bored. He interrupted them.
"Tinkerbell is a cartoon character. It does not matter if she'd be hot or not in real life." At that I decided to take my shower. I get in the shower when Mike and Mark bust into the bathroom still arguing.
"You do realize that I am in the shower right?" I stick my head out to see Mike and Mark in front of the mirror. Mark faces me.
"And?" I roll my eyes and stick my head back in the shower. Guys are stupid. They leave after about twenty minutes of fixing their appearances. I get out and wrap at towel around myself. I walk to my bedroom without any mishaps. I get dressed in a pair of mini shorts and a ct off shirt over my bikini. I didn't plan on sun bathing outside so I grabbed my last homework assignment. Advanced Accounting book and my computer for the homework. I walk out by the pool where the tree boys are.
"Seriously? More homework?" It was Mark and from what little time I've spent with him I've learned he isn't a serious person.
"Uh yeah. It's the last of it too so if you'd shush I could do my work." I glared at him and Mike and Mathias laughed.
"Oh shut up." Mark directed this towards the guys so I got to work on my Accounting. it took me about an hour and by then the guys were strewn about the pool patio. I close my lap top and get up. I stretch and walk to my bedroom where I'm at most of the time. I put my computer away and shove my book into my back pack.
I walk back out onto the patio where Mark and Mike were asleep. Mathias was feeling out his army papers. "Hey." He said without me looking up.
"Hey. Those two are major party poopers. They party all night and sleep during the day."
"Well good thing it's spring break, otherwise they wouldn't be keeping up on classes."
"You sound like you are thirty or something.'
"I happen to be twenty-two for your information and why do you say that?"
"Just the way you talk I guess. Not anything specific."
"Well that's vague."
"Well so are you."
"No I'm not."
"Well for me to believe you you have to prove it."
He looked confused. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"You aren't just vague when you answer questions. You don't show your personality much."
"I don't think I like where this is going."
"You have to show me what you do for fun."
"Fine. Get dressed in a formal dress and then I'll show you."
"A formal dress?" I asked doubtfully.
"You want to see what I do? Then wear it."
I run up to my room and have to dig to the back of the closet for the only dress I own. It's a red dress that fits my body. It has a slit up to my thigh on the right side so that I could move. Unfortunately it was strapless so I had to put on a strapless bra to wear it. I put on a pair of stilettos that are black and then I brush out my hair. I pull some hair in to strands then pull them to the front of my face. I pull straight up and make a bump that way I have some sort of hairstyle. I put on dark eyeliner, mascara, black eyeshadow, and red lipstick. There now I was ready for what ever it is. It took me about twenty minutes to do all this. I walk down the stairs and not like you see in the movies.
"Where are we going that you have to be in that tux and me in this damned thing?"
“You’ll see. Come on.”
I follow him out to his car which is a pure black mustang. I open my door and get in without waiting for him to help me.
“Well you don’t follow usual customs do you?”
“Nope.” After about thirty minutes in the car I shove off my heels. Mathias doesn’t say a thing. We sat in the car with utter silence for two hours when we finally made it to where we were going. “Uh it’s a-a...”
“A ball room where you salsa and tango.’
“As in the dances?”
“What else would you do in ball room.”
“I’m just glad my mom made me learn those two dances.” He laughed.
“Yeah that’ll come in handy once you get in there.”
We walk in and the place is packed. The tables were pretty much full and so was the bar. The dance floor looked like a mob of amazing dancers doing The Flamingo. I wasn’t dressed any differently then most of the people but I got a few stares as Mathias and I walked to a table. The table has a white table cloth, a candle in the middle and menus in front of the chairs.
"So not the bar type." I was completely surprised.
"Well I am the bar type but I figured I'd pick out something that you could join in on too."
"How thoughtful." He smiled and I looked away. I had the feeling I would blush. I started to notice that a lot of the people there that weren't dancing were looking our way and giving odd looks. "Okay is there something I should know?"
"Why?" He seemed genuinely clueless.
"People are staring and they look shocked and kind of appalled.'
"Oh yeah. They do that to new people. And I don't usually bring people along and I know a lot of these people."
"That explanation was terrible English." He laughed.
"Well I don't know how to explain it."
"I'm guessing from what you said; you have been coming here for awhile so you know most of the normals. New people are watched to see if they should be spoken to and you never bring anyone here because you have a reputation to up hold." I smiled.
"That is pretty much right. Don't get any teeny bopper ideas."
"First of all, I wouldn't dream of it and second of all you have to be over twenty-one to get in here so guess what?"
"What?"
'I'm not a teeny bopper. Teeny boppers are thirteen, fourteen who develop the wrong ideas out of simple actions. Oh, and there's drinks being served.'
"Fine you aren't a teeny bopper and if you drink your brother will kill me."
"What my brother doesn't know won't hurt him." He rose his hands up in defeat.
"Fine you win but I am so not taking the fall."
"One more thing..."
"Does my brother know you live close by as in like two blocks away?" I knew this because I had seen his car before in a driveway close by.
"How did you know that?" He didn't seem mad or upset but he did seem interested.
"Your car is a few blocks away and I run so I've seen it before."
"Hmm...no your brother does not know and before you ask it's because he'll feel the need to alcohalize my house."
"Probably." I say as I stand up. I walk up to the bartender. "Can I get a beer and four shots of Vodka?"
"ID?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's not for me. It's for Mathias." The bartender gave me what I asked for and I walked back to the table with them in hand.
"So how did you get these without showing your ID?No one else has gotten away with it." He asked me curisouly.
"I told him they were for you." I drank two of the Vodka shots before Mathais knew what was happening.
"Um, I don't think you should do that."
"Nope but I'm going to anyway. Everyone said this stuff burned."
He looked surprised. "Then why try it?"
"I felt like it." I took the third shot and the fourth while Mathias shook his head.
"You are going to be so drunk." I stuck my tounge out at him and pulled him up.
We walked out on the dance floor just in time to do the Tango. The dance was hard to learn at first but once you've learned it it's pretty hard to forget. He just shook his head when I said that too. We danced three dances then sat down. He drank his beer as I watched the other people dance. I liked it here. It wasn't like those night clubs where everything was louder than hell and you couldn't hear anyone. Here you cold talk and dance. As I thought about this an announcment that karaoke would begin soon was made.
"Do you sing?" Mathias directed this question at me.
"Not even if I was drunk." He walked up and ordered more drinks and I drank twelve shots of Vodka. By the eighth I was pretty well drunk which is not a good thing. "Now I'm drunk." I didn't slur the words or anything but I know I am because of how giddy I feel.
"No kidding. You are definitly not a light-weight and now you are going to sing." And I do. I end up singing "In Love With the Boy" by Trisha Yearwood. It ended up being fun but my singing wasn't great but then it wasn't terrible. This place was so cool, which was pretty much the only thing I was thinking about.
Mathias walked up to the stage when I walked down. "You know you are going to have one hell of a hangover. Maybe it will teach you that drinking, not good." He put his arm around my waist for support and I was glad about it. I was starting to feel like I was going to fall over.
"Well let's just say that drinking is so not my thing." He laughed and we walked out to the car. I end up crashing on the way back home. When we pull into my drive way I am jolted awake. "Oh goody. Bed time for me."
"So that was a nap?" He asked me messing around.
"Pre-bedtime nap." I walk into the house and into my bedroom. I kick off my shoes and fall flat onto the bed. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed.

Third Day of Spring Break

I wake up with my dress from last night still on and my hair in a mess. My head is pounding and my eyes hurt when they look at the light. I have a hang over. I strip out of my dress and undergarments and put my robe on. I walk into the bathroom and start the water for my shower. As the shower water heats up I look over at the bathroom clock. It's 8:00 a.m. I check the water temperature and it's just right.
I'm taking off my robe when the bathroom door opens. I shove the robe back closed. It all happened rather quickly. "Sorry." It was Mathias. He stepped out of the bathroom as quickly as he had stepped in. He had looked as bad as I feel. Too bad we didn't have a lock on the door. I step put of my robe and get into the shower. I wash all the make up off of my face and wash my hair. I use a strong scented body wash to get the smell of alcohol off. When I'm done in the shower I dry off with my towel and I brush my teeth. I put my robe on and walk back to my room. I have a thing about forgetting my clothes.
I get dressed in my summer, yellow sweat pants and a black tank top. I brush out my hair and throw it into a messy bun. I walk down the stairs bare footed and head to the kitchen to get something to eat. All the boys are at the table eating. I pour myself a bowel of Lucky Charms as they talk. Mark speaks up so that everyone can hear him.
"So where were you two last night?" he said this motioning at Mathias and me.
"I went over to a friends house." I don't know why I'm lying but I didn't want my brother or Mark to get the wrong idea even if I wanted it to be the right idea. I nearly drop my bowl when that thought strikes me. I hadn't even thought of him like that before. Man, this is not good.
"And you?" Mark asks Mathias.
"Jut rode around." He sounded just as convincing as I did so I walked out of the kitchen and into my room.
As I eat my cereal and watch Benji I start to think about Mathias. I have no clue who this guy is except I might have met him when I was younger and he's my brother's friend, not to mention he is older than I am. He was probably just trying to be nice the other day since I am Mike's sister. Man this is so not good considering I've never actually had a couch that I liked for personality. I shuddered thinking about it. I hear a knock at my bedroom door and I am jolted back to Earth. "Yeah?"
Mathias walks in. "Can we talk?" He asked me wearily. I was a bit confused but I agreed. "I didn't get to do this last night." I was so confused until he reached over and kissed me. I had never been kissed so I pretty much flew backwards. "Not exactly what I expected." He looked kind of confused.
"Um...me neither." Oh my god. I cannot believe he just did that and I cannot believe I just said Oh my god inside my head, twice now.
"Yeah.." We sat there for a few minutes until I started to get twitchy.
"My brother would murder you you know?"
"I'm pretty sure I can handle myself."
What was he saying? "He's my brother. You're his friend. Not a good idea." I didn't add...even if I wanted it to be a good idea. He stood up and walked closer to me. I backed up with each step he took.
"Yeah probably not the best idea but good ideas are so boring." So that was why Mark said what he said.
"I just said that." He was still walking towards me as I backed up. I came up against the door. He walked up to me until there was barley any space left between us and he put his arms on either side of my head and put his hands on the door. He had stopped talking and so had I. "You are in my bubble." That was all I could get out until he kissed me AGAIN. I was so confused about what I should do but before I could stop myself I was kissing him too.
He moved his hands to my face extinguishing the space that was separating us. My hair fell out of it's bun. He moves his hands down to the hem of my shirt and pulls me backwards towards my bed. Before I fall backwards I put my hands on his chest to stop him. There's a knock on the door so I push Mathias backwards and fix my facial features, then I fix my breathing. Mathias hurries over to my book shelf and acts like he's looking for something to read and as he's getting ready to pull out one of the books Mike walks through my door.
I nearly pass out until I put together what he is seeing. Mathias pulling out a the "War of the Worlds" book and me lying down watching Benji. "Hey you two." I wave at him pretending to be absorbed into the movie and Mathias says hey. "We're going to go to the lake. Either of you want to come?"
I jump at the chance for two reasons. One, I love the lake, and Two, I needed fresh air. Mathias agreed too. The boys leave and I change into my bathing suit. By time I get downstairs all the guys are ready to go . "So to the lake we go." I pronounced to them. Mike laughed.
"You and Mark in the back while Mathias and me are in the front. I'm driving." Mike always drove. He doesn't like me to drive because I like to drive fast. I nodded and walked outside to his vehicle and got into the back. Mark opened the door I just got into and I slid over to the next seat. He sat a bit to close to me for comfort. Mike and Mathias both noticed. You could tell by their expressions but Mark doesn't seem to notice.
As we are driving to the lake everyone is quiet. It doesn't bother me much but that is because I like the quiet. Mark not so much. He's frigidity and it's not fun to sit next to him while he is. Mathias is pretty much the same as Mike and me. I stare out the window and when I'm doing so Mark whispers in my ear. I can't figure out why they do that so much. It's like they are getting ready to tell you a secret but instead it's something that they could usually say aloud. "Are you wearing anything under your clothes?" YUCK! My face went into disgusted mode but of course he didn't notice; he just has a gross and pervey smile on.
"No. How bout you?" I asked pretending to play along. When he moves closer to me the boys in the front notice. Perfect. I elbow Mark in the groin and push him aside. He looks like he is about to cry. Mathias starts laughing along with my brother who pretty much told him that he deserved whatever he got. Mark leaves me alone rest of the way to the lake.
When we get to the lake I'm out of the car before it stops and stripping down to my bathing suit. There are other people in the lake but I don't care. I just jump in splashing them. It wasn't until later that I found out the lake was full of guys from my brother's college. No girls were around. Great. After me Mike jumps in then Mathias. They both swim over to me. Mike is the first one to speak. "I probably should have mentioned that it was a guy party."
Mathias chimed in. "And that it was only college guys."
Mike finished up. "Making you the only highschooler and the only girl."
"Are you two finished." I asked moving my feet back and forth under me keeping me afloat. When they both nod I jump onto Mike and push him under. He gets the upper hand and throws me at Mathias. "I'm so not a ball." Mathias drops me into the water ad after about an hour of us three going at each other we get out.
We find Mark at a camp fire where beer is given. Mark is pretty much drunk but he's not the designated driver; I am. I watch as the guys get to chugging down their beers. After a couple of hours all three of the guys are drunk and loopy. As I watch the fire a guy whose tan, blonde, blue eyed, and has a surfer's body walks up to me and sits down.
"Hi, I'm Jericho."
"I'm Gloria." I pretend not to notice him but he doesn't back down.
"So what are you doing here."
"I'm the designated driver for my brother and his friends."
"What?"
"Designated driver as in not a single drop of alcohol."
"No I mean, you're Mike's brother aren't you?"
"Yep." His mouth nearly flew open but he caught himself. "SO..."
"Man. Cool. Hey you wanna go out with me?" Settle and to the point. I was about to answer when I noticed Mathias was in hearing distance. Man this was weird. Mathias started to walk over towards me and sat down beside me. Mike didn't seem to care or notice. Jericho on the other hand did notice. "Oh, hey man." Jericho talked kind of like a surfer stereo type. All I could say was Man Oh Man in my head. I sat there between the guy who I just made out with a couple of hours ago and the guy who just asked me out.
"UH no. I don't date guys I don't know." I stole a glance at Mathias's direction, though I don't know why.
"Isn't that the point of dating?" He didn't look too let down.
"How bout this, I leave and you call your girlfriend and tell her you love her that way you'll remember she exists." I was winging it but he walked away and ended up with his cell to his ear. Mike and Mark walk up to Mathias and me. "Ready to leave?" All three nod and they get in the car. Mike and I switched places. Before we were home Mike and mark crashed. They were like teenage girls.
Mathias wasn't asleep but he was bored. It's maybe eight so we were down there for about ten, eleven hours which is a while. They drank a lot but I made them drink water and I made them swim since we were there for so long. They were all going to have killer headaches tomorrow.
When I pulled into the driveway I honked the horn and when the two boys in the back didn't wake up I just shrugged and walked in. Mathias was after me. We sat down on the couch without a word and I turned the TV on to a dull channel. We sit like that for a couple of minutes then Mathias speaks up.
"This is so weird." TV maybe?
"It's a channel about something boring. How is it weird." He gives me a weird look.
"Not that. This." He said motioning to the two of us. I didn't know there was a this. We barely knew each other. It was something that would come out of a movie I wanted to be in.
"Which is?"
"Exactly. I always know what the this is. Is it playful, heated, sort-of relationship, or relationship?" I shrugged. All I could think about was that I'm a teen and I fall in love easily which is exactly what I'm doing but I wasn't about to say it aloud. We go back to the silence. After a couple more hours of dull TV I fall asleep.

Fourth Day of Spring Break

I wake up to banging. It sounds like it's coming from the kitchen so I stand up and stretch then walk towards the kitchen. Mike is at the stove with four cracked eggs next to him. I walk up next to him and yawn. He looks over and I look at the eggs. They had egg shells in them and the setting on the stove was too low. I push him aside and pick the shells out of the eggs and I turn the setting up. "Can you do the rest?" I ask Mike with a tired voice.
"I didn't need your help to begin with." He sticks his tongue out at me as if to say "Ha,ha. You got burned" which normally he just says.
"I think that you would have thrown those eggs out as soon as you took a bite." That was Mathias laughing. I couldn't help it when my face turned a bright pink and I don't know why. I just hope that Mike doesn't notice considering the fact that I was just making out with his best friend the other day. I look away from both of them even though I don't know why I'm blushing. It's embarrassing to blush in front of the guy you like and your brother who would probably make fun.
Mark walks into the kitchen and looks at me. "Are you still wearing your bathing suit?" Mark is the biggest perv that I've ever met and that is saying a lot when you are in class full of horny teenagers.
I look down my shirt to see if I was indeed wearing my bathing suit. One of Mike's eyebrow's fly up and I raise my head. "Ye-ah." I prolonged the 'yeah' to be careful since Mike is a perv. Mathias has stopped laughing and Mike was looking back and forth between Mark and me. The kitchen is dead silent. I walk out of the kitchen having to pass Mark but I make sure that I don't touch him. He just gives me the heebie geebies.
I walk into my bedroom and head to my dresser. I grab a pair of stretchy white shorts that reach a little above the middle of my thighs and a cut-off relay for life shirt from 2011. I also grab my black sports bra, underwear, and tweety bird socks. I feel grimy so I need a shower. Swimming tends to do that.
Once I get into the bathroom I put my clothes in the cabinet under the sink so that the steam from the shower wouldn't get to them. I then move the two full laundry baskets in front of the bathroom door along with the bathroom trash can. I didn't normally add something in front of the door even if it doesn't lock but I don't trust Mark. I turn the water on and wait for it to heat up and once it does I turn it up so it'll turn the skin on my legs red. I strip down then get in the shower. While in the shower I flip through the channels in my brain to place where I've seen Mark before but I can't seem to. After about thirty minutes in the shower I step out and wrap a towel around myself.
The bathroom is full of steam so it's a little harder to get fresh air and it's a little warmer than it would have been if the shower was cooler. I walk over to the sink and wipe a circle onto the the water vapor covered mirror with my hand. I brush my teeth still trying to figure out where I've seen Mark. I then blow dry my hair which takes twenty minutes since it's so long then I brush it out and throw it into a ponytail. I dry off then get dressed. Everything took about thirty-five minutes. After I'm done I move the laundry baskets and bathroom trash can back to where they were and I head to the kitchen for a glass of ice water still thinking about where I've seen Mark. I have to figure it out or it's going to drive me up the wall.
I walk into the kitchen and get my water and as I'm heading out I run right smack into Mathias. My water was in front of me so we were both splashed with it but since it tilted his way he got hit with most of the water. He steps back and slaps his left hand over his heart. His mouth is slightly open with that shocked expression except his is fake. I roll my eyes.
"What could have I had done to deserve that?" He used the face a voice a girl might use if she was going to fake cry.
"I don't know. Maybe for being in the same space as me." I said sarcastically. He gasps a fake gasp then keeps taking steps backwards as if I was shoving him. His hand was still over his heart and he still had the fake shock expression on his face. He overstepped and hit the couch and flew over it. I couldn't help it but I started to laugh. Mathias pops up on the front side of the couch. I'm still laughing. He steps forward and I just smile He walks to the part of the couch where he flipped over it and points at the water on his shirt as if to ask if that was what I was laughing about. I shake my head no. He points at the couch and I nod my head yes.
He walks closer to me and I don't step back. He takes his shirt off and I shove my hands over my eyes. "Are you trying to blind me for life." His feet stopped making noise so I knew he stopped for a second to think about it then I hear him moving towards me. Once he's close enough to where I can feel his body heat he answers.
"Maybe but in order for me to do that your eyes can't be covered." When he moves to remove my hands from my eyes I get down to the floor and slide under him. I uncover my eyes and jump up behind him. I don't give him time to react. I jump onto his back and cover his eyes with my hands. He moves his hands to cover mine. "What the hell just happened."
I shrug. "Mike taught me how to do that." I move my hands down to his neck and he puts his hands on my thighs to where he can spin me around. He spins me around so that I'm on his front side. He pushes my back against the fridge. "Now what do you plan on doing?" I don't know why I asked that. For his answer he kisses me.
"That's what I am going to do." I drop my legs and his hands move up to my back. "So what do you plan on doing since I did that?" I kissed him and I could tell he was surprised.
"That's what I'm going to do." I walk away and when I get to the door I give him a little wave. I walk to my bedroom.
I make sure that all my homework is finished and since it is confirmed that I did all my homework I decide that I can read. I pull out the book that I've been dying to read; Strange Angels. I have just opened the book when Mark walks in. He hadn't even knocked. What an ass.
"Turn around, walk out the door, shut it, then knock." He knocked. "Go away." He opens the door anyway.
"You told me to knock, I did.And you told me to go away. What the hell?"
"Not a good first impression." I shrug.
"I have a question for you?" Well that doesn't sound good but I decide to get it over with. I motion for him to ask. "Do you wanna hang out alone sometime?"
"Um...No. I don't like you."
"That's funny because I recall you and Mathias hanging out alone." Crap; how is that funny? I don't get to ask because he walks out. He's plain creepy. He gives you that feeling where you want to hide a butcher's knife under your pillow because you're afraid he's going to try to hurt you.
I open my book and read it from cover to cover in about four hours. It didn't take me long because it wasn't too long and it didn't have to small of print. Then the book wasn't hard to comprehend. I put the book on the bookshelf and headed downstairs. I hear voices in the kitchen so that is where I go. Mathias and Mark are in a heated argument and Mike is on the side lines trying to figure out what they are talking about.
"Mike. Can I talk to you." He glanced back at the guys then walks over to me.
"Yeah, sure. What do you want to talk to me about?" I grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the bathroom. His features went from curious to concerned. "What's going on?"
"Mark gives me the creeps."
"What does he do that gives you the creeps?" His face was still concerned but curiousness has entered it too.
"That's just it. It's not just what he does. It's the way he acts and talks. I get a bad feeling from him and to be honest he ind of scares me. Plus he looks familiar but I don't remember meeting him anywhere."
"You haven't that I know of." Mike looked like he was ready for a fight. "Okay. Here is what I'll do." I nod and he goes on. "I just met the guy a couple of months ago so I don't see a reason not to trust your instincts. I'll tell Mark that I'll rent him a hotel room that way he can have girls over. But I'll be keeping a watch on him since I'm the one paying for the room. Sound good?"
"Yeah. He gives me the willy nillys." We walk out of the bathroom and the guys are still having thier little discussion. Mike breaks them up.
"Hey Mark I'm going to pay for you a hotel room that way you can have girls over. All free of expense for you." Mark looks over at me.
"It's because of her isn't it?"
"Oh yeah. Because being a creep and perv isn't enough." Mathias says. Anyone could tell that he wants to punch the hell out of Mark.
"Oh you can't say that buddy..." Thank goodness he didn't get to finish that last bit because Mike shut him up.
"Stop it the both of you. No, Mark, it is not because of Gloria. It's just more comfortable if I got you a hotel room. Pack your things and I'll check you in." Mark and Mike go to Mark's room to pack.They are done in less than fifteen minutes and on their way to the hotel. When they left Mathias walked over to me.
"I have a feeling Mark was right. You got it to where he'd leave didn't you?"
"Yep and I'm glad I did. Now I'm going to go fall asleep to movies on the couch." Mathias follows me. We sit on the couch and I put and pillow on Mathias's legs and I lye my head down on it. Before the movie is over I fall asleep and I'm sure that Mathias did to later on.
I get woken up in the middle of the night by the door slamming. Mike walks into the living room. He doesn't even seem to care how or where I was laying down at. I sit up and sit down so that there is enough room for him. "What took so long?"
"OH he had to have the perfect hotel then he had to have to perfect hotel room. Then he had to have a certain number of pillows and blankets. He also had to have a perfect amount of towels and washcloths." He was about to go on but I stopped him.
"Go to be Mike." I pointed at his bedroom. He stands up but as he's walking away he turns back around.
"And before I lose the nerve...keep the whole make out and flirt sessions quieter. " My mouth drops and he laughs then heads for bed. Well apparently that wasn't hidden too well. I fall right back to sleep and dream about family dinners from when my dad was still alive.

Fifth Day of Spring Break

I wake up to someone shaking me. It's Mike. "Your favorite singer is on T.V." Of course I jump up because my favorite singer is Hunter Hayes. Mathias who had not been awake is jolted awake by me jumping up. Mike laughs. "Hunter Hayes is her number one favorite singer and she watches anything she can about him and she has every song that has been released to the public."
Mathias looks over at me. "Obsessed much?" I glared at him and turned the T.V. up. It was a music video of his; "Wanted". I watch the video all the way though then go into the kitchen. I cook scrambled eggs and we all eat.
"I forgot how well you can cook." Mike loves it when I cook. I picked it up from my dad.
"Well if you'd wait until I cooked then you'd be able to eat it." He sticks his tounge out at me. When he puts on his "I'm going to get you good" smile I jump up and start the dishes.
"Hey Mathias, How good are those eggs?" His grin is still in place. I roll my eyes.
"Good. How's your new brain?"
"Fine except it's a bit smarter than my old one."
"Is that so?" Mike nods, smiles, then puts his plate in the dish water. It's my turn to stick my tongue out at him.
I finish up the dishes in silence because Mathias ran off to take a shower. I go to my bedroom and grab a pair of bright pink sweat pants and a white tank top. I wait for the bathroom door to open and shut and for footsteps to go down the hallway. Once I hear these things I head to the bathroom to take my shower. My shower and afterwards process took about forty minutes and the entire time I still couldn't figure out where I'd seen Mark.
When I walk out of the bathroom and to my bedroom I find Mathias in it looking through my movies and Cd's.
"What are you doing?" I ask him putting my brush on the night stand next to m bed.
"Trying to figure you out." He said it simply but the way he looked at me when he said it told me that it was my turn to show him how my days went. The problem- my days and nights are pretty much the same. School, homework and studying, supper, free read, laptop, and then bed. He's seen most of that.
"Not much goes on during my day. I pretty much do the same thing day in and day out." I tell him the truth.
"Tell me about your parents then. You don't seem to open about that idea."
I am reluctant but I decide that it wouldn't hurt to give him my llife's story but first, "What did my brother tell you about our dad?"
"Uh, that he got into an accident. That's about all."
"That's not the entire story." I sit on my bed and he follows suit. " Well our family was pretty tight knit when my dad was alive. We would have family nights where cells and computers would be shut off. We'd watch family movies or play board games, sometimes card games. He taught me how to cook, fix cars, and play sports. My mom doesn't like doing any of that. Oh, and he taught me how to shoot a gun and throw knives which took a while. One day when he came home he wasn't in his happy mode."
Mathias interrupts. "Happy mode?"
"Even though we were older we'd yell 'daddy's home' and then we'd jump on him."
"OH."
"Anyway. When he came home he wasn't up for the happy go lucky kind of thing. He wanted to talk with mom. I eaves dropped on them and learned that dad had been gambeling and bet too much. There was no way that he could come up with the money. But if he didn't come up with the money they'd send someone to kill him. Mom told him not to worry but they both did. They had reason to be worried."
"What happened?"
"Do you want to hear the sob story or not?"
"Yes. " I give him a look that asked him if he was sure. He holds his hands up in defeat. "No more interruptions." I nod then go on.
"One day while I was home sick my dad heard a knock on the door. He checked the peep hole in the front door and ran to where I was. I was scared because I had heard what him and my mom were talking about. He told me to go hide in the closet under the dry cleaning. The dry cleaning was a huge pile so I would be concealed. Right after I was hidden the door was smashed open and the guy came in. He had a gun in his right hand and a knife in his left. He was left handed. I cold tell by how he held the weapons."
I pause to take a breath and Mathias doesn't interrupt like he promised. "He went at my dad who dodged the first few blows but when the knife sliced him across the chest in a slant wise direction he fell to his knees. The guy just kept slashing. He told my dad that he shouldn't gamble what he didn't have. This guy was about Mike's age except he seemed a little older. When he got tired of slashing and hearing my dad's gurgling noises he got annoyed. He asked my dad wasn't yelling or shrieking in pain. My dad spit blood on his shoes."
I close my eyes for a brief second remembering everything clear as day. "The man kicked him and I heard a crack. It was my dad's nose. I didn't move. I was so scared that I might be killed too. When my dad was on his knees and his back and his head were on the floor the man shot my dad in the head. I finally got up and he heard me. I grabbed a knife that had been in the closet and without thinking I threw it at the guy. It hit square in the stomach. He gave me a look of pure surprise and ran off."
I chance a look at Mathias who is staring at the T.V. I go on. "After that my mom became a workaholic and Mike took over in protecting me."
"Do you remember what he looked like." He looks like he's thinking hard.
"UM yeah. It's kind of hard to forget that kind of thing. UH... shaggy blonde hair with dark brown highlights. He was a little broader than you are in the shoulders and was tan. I don't know his eye color but by the footprints he left he wore a size twelve shoe." Then it hit me. "Oh My Freaking Cow!"
"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing." I jump in Mathias's lap and he falls back onto the pillows. He's lying down and I'm sitting on his stomach. My hands are around his neck and his around my waist. "It wasn't me thinking it. It was you." I kiss him square on the lips and he pulls me under him. I get out from under him and nearly fall off the bed. "You know I shouldn't be excited but I am."
"So I take it you think you know who killed your father?" He asked me seriously. My smile fades as I remember my dad's death when I was fifteen.
"I know who it is. It should have been obvious when he walked through my door. I probably didn't notice because his hair is lighter and so is his skin. And in the pull he has a scar on his stomach and the reason I didn't register all of this is because I didn't want to think about dad's death." Then it hits me. "How am I going to prove it?"
"I don't know Gloria. Did they have any evidence?"
"Yeah but they had no one to compare it to."
"Now they do. You just have to make a reasonable case. " He looked doubtful.
"I'm going to go talk to Mike." I walk downstairs and I hear Mike in the kitchen.
I walk into the kitchen to see Mark with a rope in his hand and Mike being strangled with that rope. I scream and I run towards Mike.
"Stop where you are or I will kill him."
"You already are." I try not to crack the words but he's my brother and I can't help it.
"No. I'm going to knock him out. NOW STAY PUT!" I stop where I am and I hear foot steps in the stairs. "TAKE A STEP BACK AND SIT DOWN ON THE FLOOR! KEEP AWAY FROM THE KNIVES!" I do as I am told and Mike falls to the ground knocked out. I try not to look at him because if I do I might start screaming. I hear the steps stop near the door and I'm glad. If Mathias was caught and hurt I'd lose it. "Now do not scream." I fight the urge to tell him that that is kind of hard because he's in my house and he's the one who killed my father.
He puts the rope around my neck and then everything goes blank. Before I pass out completely I hear footsteps and a grunt of pain.

Sixth Day of Spring Break

I still can't see anything but I can hear it. I hear Mathias whispering in my ear. "He doesn't know that I am here but he's looking. I have to get you out of here Gloria." He unties the blind fold that was covering my eyes and he cuts the ropes off of my hands and ankles. I don't talk because my throat hurts more than it ever has and it wouldn't do any goos. My wrists are bloody from the ropes but I don't feel the cuts or rope burns. I lean on Mathias and he leads me into the living room.
"I knew you'd save your little lover." Mark is standing in front of the door with the same knife that he used to kill my dad.
"Of course I would. I'm not a cold blooded murderer." He hadn't bothered to escape. With me leaning on him it wouldn't have done him any good. I stop leaning on him and fall into a heap on the floor. Mark laughs and Mathias tries to help me up. I push him away and I crawl to the kitchen. I lean against the cabinets below the sink and catch my breath. I slowly stand up and dots cover my eyes. I ignore them.
"Why are you doing this? You already killed my dad." Mike is no where to be seen. I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing.
"You saw me and you threw that damned knife at me. Now I have to finish you guys off then go get he fucking evidence; my blood and the knife I pulled out of my damned stomach."
I run to the counter and open the knife drawer. Mark laughs. "I moved the knives. Do you really think that I'd be that stupid?" Yes. I glare at him which makes him laugh even more. While he's laughing I open the secret department in the drawer and pull out my gun. Mathias walks over to me steadily and takes the gun from my death grip. He walks back over to his old spot in front of Mike.
"Drop all your weapons." Mark does it. He doesn't want to have another wound like the one from my knife, or so I think.
"Now raise your hands in the air." Something in my voice makes me imagine a cop and thinking about it...that might be his profession.
Mathias pulls out his phone. "I need back up at Case 72's house. We have out killer and he'll have some other charges brought forward." Yep, he's a cop. What else am I going to find out?

Two Hours Later

This cop guy has been asking me the same questions over and over again about Mark. "Yes I have seen him before. Yes I saw him kill my father and yes he choked me out." Mike was found under his bed knocked out though no one is sure how he got there since he was left in the kitchen by Mark. I think he woke up freaked and went to hide but was so freaked out he passed out. The cop seems satisfied and shakes my hand. I walk over to Mathias who is finishing signing papers. He looks at me and is about to throw up a defense.
"So we really need to get to know each other better. After all we have made out twice." I smile and he pulls me forward.
"I'll have to agree. You don't even know how old I am."
"Twenty-two." He is about to kiss me when the cop who questioned me pops up.
"Sorry sir but you forgot to sign this." I raise one of my eyebrows and Mathias shrugs then signs the paper.
"Now where were we?" Mathias asks me.
"You being all cheesy." He smiles.
Seventh Day of Spring Break

Seventh Day of Spring Break

Mathias had slept over at the house and Mike didn't say a word about it. I wake up before Mathias and do my morning routine. I put on a sundress and change the bandages that are covering the rope burn on my wrists. They sting but that's about all. When I get back to the bedroom Mathias is awake and staring into nothingness.
"Well hello." He says looking over at me.
"Hey." I let out a breath and walk over to him. I sit on him. "I go back to school tomorrow you know and so does my brother. Plus my mom is coming home tonight and you are on duty tomorrow night.'
"And?" I shrug and he smiles. "I'm not going anywhere except home down the street where you can pretty much spy on me." I roll my eyes.
"I'm not going to spy. I do have a life."
"So I've noticed." We both smile and I put in "I know What You Did Last Summer" and I sit between his legs and lean back. We watch the movie all the way through and we keep watching movies until my mom comes home.
When my mom comes home and sees the house her mouth drops. "Did I miss something?" Mike, Mathias, and me are playing Twister.
I answer. "Oh just that Mark killed dad and he tried to kill us. Mathias here is a cop and saved us. Oh and..."
Mike finishes. "These two are going to get married someday." My mom passes out cold on the floor. We all untangle ourselves and lye her on the couch.
Once she wakes up she sighs. "I'm going to kill Mark and I doubt that Mark." Mom had a way of talking. She lays back then waves us all away.

Not Quite the End of the story but It'll Do (What's Happened since then)

I'm twenty-three now and Mike was right. Mathias and I are married and we have a baby girl on the way. Mathias is the chief of police and even though I've graduated from High School and College with perfect grades I'm a house wife. It fits me just fine because I have everything I need. I have a home and a family and the past is finally the past.
Mark was sentenced fifty years so let's hope he dies in prison. He had another thirty-two cases against him but only my father's could be proven. It's too bad because he would of had a longer than life sentence if that is even possible. I hate the guy and so does Mathias. Mike practically laughed at Mark when he was given his sentence. I say he was a poor bastard if I actually cared about Mark but I don't so he's not.
My mom got over the idea of me marrying young and having a kid at twenty-three. And even though Mathias kept Mike and me from being killed she still doesn't trust him. I think it's the whole cop thing. Mom doesn't trust cops at all which is kind of funny considering they are the ones who were able to put away Mark. She moved out of the old house and into an apartment. She handed over the house over to Mathias and me.
Mike kicked his butt into gear after Mark was sentenced and he was nearly killed. He graduated with top honors that year. He can be smart when he puts his mind to it. And you'll never guess what he did after college. He went to culinary school and now he is a chef. He even owns a restaurant int town. Go big brother!
And for more on Mathias and me. We host family dinners every Sunday and I don't even have to cook. Mike comes over early to do it and each time he does he brings a couple of his buds and a new girl each time. We redecorated the house so that it fit our tasted. The only room that stayed the same was my dad's office. I use it for whenever I write or surf the web. Even though it isn't used much it's used. The baby room is covered in hot pink which was not my idea. My mom decorated it.
Well sorry for the abrupt ending but I have a family dinner to host.

Impressum

Texte: Cassie Parker
Bildmaterialien: Google Images
Lektorat: Me and Bookrix(spelling)
Übersetzung: None Required
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.07.2012

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