His Fake Girlfriend
Chapter 14- Brotherly Love
It was a day after my mom had brought Peter over for dinner. A Wednesday. It’s when I decided that Josh and I needed to have that conversation. Sky stayed home with Julia making bracelets and watching movies. I thought Sky would get irritated after a while hanging out with my fifteen year old little sister, but every time I brought it up she was eager to be with Julia. I don’t know what it was, but they got along.
After Josh’s soccer practice I picked him up like I had usually done this week. But instead of bringing him home to shower that stench off of him, I brought him to the ice cream shop that we always went to when I came home. It was actually the first place I brought Josh and Julia when I got my license. Josh was surprised with the stop. I hadn’t told him I was bringing him to eat ice cream, and I guess I didn’t seem like I was in a generous mood; so he said.
I got a chocolate shake and he got orange sherbet. Something he’s been obsessed with since he was ten years old. We sat on one of the picnic benches across from each other. I didn’t know how I was going to bring the conversation up. I didn’t want to be blunt. But I also didn’t want to seem heartless. I never prepared myself for this conversation. I never thought I’d have to have this conversation with any of my siblings.
Why me exactly? Why do I have to have this conversation with Josh and not my mom? Not because she’s a horrible mother that’s never around. The complete opposite actually. I have to have this conversation with him because I’m the guy. I’m the older brother. I promised my dad before he died that I’d be there for them. I’d be the man of the house. I’d take over his place as best as I could. And that’s what I’m doing. Well, it’s the best that I can do. Like Josh said before, I’ll never be dad. I’ll never be able to really replace dad. I could only try to fill in the gaps.
“So how’s school?” I ask casually sipping at my milkshake.
He shrugged his shoulders, “It’s alright.” He replies more occupied with his ice cream. Maybe I should have brought him somewhere else where he’d pay more attention.
“How’s your grades?” I asked feeling my phone vibrate in my shorts pocket. I chose to ignore it.
“Well you seem to know already. Since I’ve been getting grades worse than your high school years.” He responds remembering our argument.
“Why are your grades slipping then?” I question differently. He ignored me, continuing to stare and eat his ice cream. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
His eyes darted to me, mid-way putting ice cream in his mouth. Caught him. “What do you mean?” He asks quietly.
“Why aren’t you and Derrick friends anymore for starters?” He stared at me shockingly for a moment before answering. I hope he didn’t play that stupid game with me when he pretends to not know what I’m talking about.
“How do you know Derrick and I aren’t friends anymore?” He asks a little shocked but sounding a bit angry as well. It’s not my fault that I could outsmart the kid.
“Well let’s start with Derrick not being over the house every single day this week. That kid practically lived at our house during vacations or vice versa. Your grades are slipping but I don’t know if they have anything to do with Derrick. You have that new quiet, kind of geeky looking friend Noah. Oh, and let’s not forget about the other day when you completely flipped out on me when I teased you. You never flipped out at me when I called you names. That was our long lived joke.” I paused to take a breather. I didn’t want to overwhelm the kid either and have him scream at me like he did the other day.
“I suppose Jill or Julia squealed on me too about my bloody cut lip.” Josh mumbled playing around with his ice cream.
“Excuse me?” I questioned shockingly. Did I just hear that right?
“Nothing.” He said quickly shoving his mouth with ice cream. Did he not know I could still ask and he could still answer? That ice cream will melt fast enough.
“Are you being bullied?” I asked straight forward. I was done beating around the bush and waiting for him to answer. I needed to know.
A small surprised look crossed his face when I asked. Oh no, he’s going to start screaming at me again. “Of course not! Why would you think I was being bullied?” He asked outraged.
Ok I didn’t expect that at all, “Because you’re acting different. Grades are slipping, new friends, and you cried that other day! Don’t lie to me.” I warned shaking my head.
The little turd actually started laughing at me. “Dude I’m not being bullied.” He chuckled eating his ice cream like our conversation was no big deal. “Jill says I’m turning into a punk like you if that helps your mind-”
“Whoa, wait, Jill? What has Jill been telling you?” I am honestly blown away and generally confused.
“Wait, she hasn’t told you.” He questioned raising an eyebrow at me. With every word he said his smile got bigger and bigger. “Well 7th grade is hard you know. Starting Jr. High and all that crap. Plus my math teacher sucks. I have Mr. Sargent by the way and he says hi and he always says I’m just like you when you were in 7th grade.”
“That old fart is still teaching?” I asked surprisingly, steering away from the actual conversation I had in mind.
“Yeah he looks like he’s going to kick the bucket any day now, but Audrey Talenti said that he’s actually fifty something years old and not some pre-historic age.” Josh babbles on, waving his plastic spoon in the air.
“Whoa wait, who’s the chick. Who’s Audrey- whatever her last name is.” I interrogate before he moves on.
“Some girl. Anyways!” Yeah right some girl. That’s not true. He sure can’t lie as well as me that’s for sure. “Yeah, so, 7th grade sucks. Derrick and I just have different teachers so we don’t talk much anymore. Then he started hanging around with these weird guys that will probably do pot when they get into high school-”
“Hold the phone, what do you know about pot?” I grill, probably asking a little too loudly.
“I watched all five seasons of Breaking Bad with Jill all of mid-winter break. I know what meth is and realize that you can make a lot of money. Anyways, stop interrupting me when I talk.” He sasses. Yep this kid is thirteen for sure. He’s got that teenager attitude. “So yeah Derrick and I don’t really hang out anymore. He just tries to be tough with his new friends. His new friends are jerks anyways. Jill also yells at me because I play too many video game and don’t study or do as much homework as I really should. Uh, let’s see what else. Oh yeah I may have scratched your Call of Duty game. Jill ran over your long board because I left it out on the drive way.” He confessed in a rush ramble.
I couldn’t believe all this information that was going through my head at the moment. First off, Jill has been playing Head-Honcho in my absence and not filling me in on important stuff. Second, Josh is so going to get beat up by be for breaking all my things. Third, I’m starting to like Julia as my favorite sibling. Forth, it better not rain because the sky is looking shady.
I stare at my little punk of a brother that looked nothing like me but apparently was acting a whole lot like me at age thirteen. So he’s not being bullied, still doesn’t explain why he called me a jackass for calling him names or why he cried yesterday. Wow, I’ve been missing out on a whole lot since I left for College.
