"Evie, know why I called you down?"

 

When my mother said those words, a vague smile and suspicious twinkle in her eyes, I knew something was up.

 

It put me on guard big time. I scanned the room warily, not knowing what to expect. But there was nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. Of course, it was a large room. A large house. So I suppose I could have missed something, but I doubted it. 

 

Failing to see anything out of place, I turned back to my mother.  The woman was poised neatly on the love seat she'd bought last week, one of her legs placed atop the other with hands folded over her lap.

 

She was as pretty as a picture, just sitting there comfortably. Her hair falling down past her shoulders in stylish curls, a youthful face not showing any sign of sleepiness in spite of her having to have risen from sleep far earlier than this

 

Meanwhile I, in comparison to her ladylike aura of calm maturity, was decidedly less than appealing. I'd come down wearing baggy PJs boasting faded polka-dots, the clothes have been with me more than two years now and in dire need of a replacement. 

 

Not only that but I was also dragging my blanket along with me in an absolute refusal to walk the cold tiled floor of our home without at least SOME way to protect myself against the freezing early-morning air that always seemed to penetrate the house with the greatest of ease.

 

In addition, my eye-boogers and severe bed-head meant I probably looked closer to Samara rather than the healthy teenage girl I actually was when not woken up at ungodly hours like these. 

 

What really ticked me off right now was that I knew my mother would still look perfectly fine even if she'd just woken up. Unlike me, she could drink and party and be an absolute mess before passing out on her bed and yet somehow always wake up looking like some kind of Victoria's Secret model. 

 

I, on the other hand, would look like death. It wasn't fair and it further increased my irritation. Just watching her irked me. 

 

So in response to my mother's question, I just gave her my most annoying glare and snappily replied, "If I knew why you called then I wouldn't have bothered coming down. I'd have texted you 'i know' and then proceeded to hibernate for the next five hours so that I WOULDN'T wake up wanting to tear a certain someone's head off and fashion their skull into a mug saying, 'this is the last person who pissed me off.'" 

 

My mother snorted, rolling her eyes. "You've certainly got a colorful way of expressing yourself, don't you? I don't remember raising such a vicious child."

 

"Yeah, well, I'd be a lot more cheerful If I got my full eight hours of sleep." And she wasn't the one who really raised me. The woman was a loving mother but not exactly a responsible one. 

 

Suffice it to say my upbringing was taken care of by another member of my family. And that person did a fine job of it if I do say so myself. It's just that my mother's own parenting skills, or lack thereof, sort of ruined it. I was sure I was a lot kinder and more easy-going back then.

 

But now? My previous words should be all you needed to figure out what I wasn't exactly a morning person. It's just that I wasn't much of a noon or night person either.

 

"So what's up?" I asked through a yawn. "Got cold feet?"

 

And I didn't mean from the tiles. 

 

I referred, of course, to my mother's Big Day. Which was tomorrow? Yes, all you hopefuls. Your dreams are dashed. Because after several years of a widowed life she was finally getting married again. 

 

I wondered if that's what this was about, her having second thoughts. It's not unusual, I hear. But Rob's a decent guy so I didn't think that was the case. They'd been crazy about each other up to now, after all. He wasn't the most handsome or intelligent guy I'd ever met but he wasn't ugly or stupid either.

 

Okay, no. I wasn't doing him justice. He was the exact opposite of both. Which my mother obviously liked. 

 

I suppose most women would like him since he sort of had that salt-and-pepper, aged-but-still-youthful-and-spry kind of thing going on. At forty years of age, he was still as healthy as a horse. 

 

He fit well with my mother who was herself still as beautiful and vibrant as she'd been back when my father was alive. 

 

The guy had some pretty good specs. I understood that, objectively. But I wasn't much impressed by him myself. 

 

Probably because I'd been spoiled from an early age by someone who's own specs were in an entirely different league when compared Robert's.  

 

...That aside, I was happy for this mom of mine. Rob's pretty good. He's nice, reliable, and wasn't some pompous ass like the other men who wagged their tails at her before him. 

 

I waited for my mother to say what was on her mind but after a few moments, she still said nothing. She took a sip of coffee just then too, obviously dragging things on.

 

Holy crap. Don't tell me I'm right? Was she really having second thoughts? 

 

But just as I felt my patience wearing thin and my anxiousness build, she responded, "Evie, how would you like spending some time with your brother this year?"

 

My mind momentarily blanked. "Wait, Day's coming back? When? For how long? Is he going to be staying with us? No, is he already here? Day? Day! Come on, get out here you big nerd!"

 

At this point, I knew I had to have this goofy grin on my face but didn't care at all. In fact, this was probably the most excited I'd gotten in years.

 

I looked around expectantly, smiling from ear to ear, thinking he'd magically pop out from around a corner. The happiness was real, folks.

 

Mother laughed, waving a hand. "No, he's not here, foolish girl. If he were you'd be the first one to know!"

 

...Aaaand it was gone. The cheer died. 

 

Disappointment hit me hard like a punch the gut. But I swallowed it back down and forced myself to appear unruffled. 

 

Which mother wasn't fooled by at all.

 

"Oh don't look so crestfallen." She comforted. " He's not here but there's something even better."

 

"Better?" I asked with zero enthusiasm.

 

"Way better. Tell me, how would you like living with him for a while?"

 

I tilted my head, wondering if I'd heard that wrong. "What?"

 

"You and Damien. Living together. Yes or no?"

 

"What?" I repeated dumbly.

 

Mother sighed, exasperated. She slowly explained. "Listen, honey, I'm leaving with Robert soon. We just got off the phone and talked about it. We're going to tour the world as soon as the marriage ceremony ends and it's going to be at least a year before we get back, maybe more. So we want to send you to Damien. That's the plan, anyway, but you can stay here and Jess can take care of you in the meantime. Do you want to go or not? Damien hasn't been told yet but I'm sure he'd love to have you over. I can give him a call and you'd be on your way to him by the end of the day tomorrow. You'll have to switch schools, of course. No getting around that. But as I said, you don't have to go. So what do you want? "

 

World tour. A year. Damien.  

 

These were the only words I really heard. 

 

I knew what this meant. It'd mean having to get used to an entirely different environment. Having to leave behind all my friends. 

 

But I didn't even have to consider it. The choice was easy. 

 

I was already walking upstairs

 

"I'll go pack my bags."

 

**********

"So you're going to be leaving us, E?" 

 

On my computer screen were several familiar faces. 

 

The one who spoke just now was Vera, my best friend since forever and the only one out of our little group who I knew before middle school.

 

"Yeah. I know it's sudden, but..."

 

I stopped, not sure how to explain it. Luckily none of them provided me to continue.

 

"So." Another girl, the ever-mischievous Kim, spoke up. " Who's this Damien guy? I mean I know who you said he is, but I didn't know you actually had a brother! Is he cute?" She grinned.

 

Just then Gemma--the final member of our sisterhood and a girl just as bubbly and boy-crazed as Kim--also decided to have her say. 

 

 "Come on, E, you can't leave us hanging without offering up some deets. Send us a pic, girl!" Her eyes lit up excitedly.

 

I floundered, unable to respond to their enthusiasm. Rather, I didn't even know-how.

 

"No need." Vera took out her phone with a flourish. "I got one right here."

 

"What, seriously?"

 

"Let's see it then!"

 

The girls ignored me for a few moments. Then came the gasp that usually accompanied girls when they first saw him. 

 

Now, I wouldn't blame them for that if it were a normal picture. But the one showing up on the screen was downright scandalous. It was an image of Damien by our pool, bare-chested and dripping with water, nothing but a towel covering his waist. Literally nothing but. 

 

He, like a mother, had a habit of swimming naked. 

 

Not that you could see his junk in the image because of the towel, mind you. But Damien was tall, broad-shouldered and had muscles everywhere. He made the otherwise innocent picture look like a page off of some sleazy magazine targeted towards lonely young women.

 

"Oh my god!" Kim's mouth fell open. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was on the verge of salivating. "That body..."

 

"It's amazing." Gemma readily agreed with her. "E, you're brother's, like, so hot. I mean I know it's kinda wrong but damn." She shook her head in wonder. "Now that's the kinda guy I'd happily lock myself in a room with." She paused. "And I can't believe I just said that to you." She smiled sheepishly, knowing she'd nearly broken a major rule in the Girl Code.

 

You are never to show interest in your friend's crush, boyfriend or ex, and especially not their brothers. 

 

Yes. That was how it usually was. But I had to let it slide this time because there was an exception to this rule and that was when they were the kind of guy any girl would be into. 

 

Damien definitely fits the bill. 

 

But Gemma obviously wasn't aware of this exception and I wasn't about to enlighten her to it. As for Kim, she scorned the rules whatever they may be. No point expecting anything from her. 

 

Girls only brought up the Code when it was convenient for them anyway.

 

Still, I glared at them. I had to.  Then once they were cowed I turned my attention to Vera. "Why do have a picture of Day on your phone?" And why did she have to sneak one when he was half-naked? I understand the opportunity would have been tempting, but couldn't she show at least SOME restraint? 

 

Vera's cheeks went a bright shade of pink."Um...That's..."

 

The girl coughed, going completely awkward. It was fine, I already knew the reason.  

 

"He's my brother." I reminded, emphasizing each word.

 

"I know that." She spoke defensively. 

 

...I didn't want to argue with her so I just stayed quiet. 

 

I mean it's not like I could blame her given the story behind it. Even if he wasn't who he was she'd still have to show some kind of interest given the kind of relationship our families had. And the kind of relationship they intended to have. 

 

She was too young to do anything about it when he was here, though, so nothing ever came of it. But now, at 17, Vera was old enough to be a real threat.

 

She had boyfriends in the past, sure, but they never lasted longer than a week before the young woman suddenly decided she wasn't into them at all. 

 

It was always for ridiculous reasons too. Like he had too small of a nose, or he had bad breath, or he was clingy. She pretty much stretched for any reason to dump them. And they were nice guys, all handsome and well-off and usually weren't snotty little shits at all. 

 

But I guess despite her best(?) efforts she just couldn't forget Damien. Of course with Damien, a lot of girls had that issue before he left. Vera just had it a whole lot worse given there was more between those two than some one-sided love. 

 

No, okay, it was still one-sided but that was beside the point. After all, they were fiances once upon a time.  

 

"Forget it. Anyway, I'll let you guys go, I have to finish packing."

 

"K, see you laters~"

 

"Bye~ Don't forget to call us!"

 

Kim and Gemma went dark, but Vera's face still showed on my laptop's screen.

 

"Need something?" I asked curiously. 

 

"No...well...it's just..." The girl squirmed uneasily, something she never did. "E, um, when you see Damien...could you..." She hesitated. 

 

Evie sighed heavily. "Vee..."  I stretched out the name tiredly, almost a moan.

 

She flinched. "I know. I know, alright?"

 

"Vee, It's fine. I just..." Don't like you having wet dreams about my brother, is what I wanted to say. But I didn't. " I don't want you to get your hopes up, you know? Damien's..." Evie struggled for the words. "Well, Damien. I mean he probably doesn't even remember you. Or already has someone else" God forbid.

 

She was silent for a while, then quietly asked, "Why do you always do this to me, E?"

 

I now knew an argument was, though I tried to avoid it, inevitable. And this was an old one.

 

"Do what?" 

 

It was her time to sigh. "Say things like that. I'm just tired of hearing it all the time whenever I ask about him."

 

"Then stop asking about him. " I felt a touch of irritation color my voice.

 

"Why? Why should I?" She asked stubbornly. "One year, E, just one more year! One more year  and if gramps hadn't passed away back then we'd have been--"

 

Sisters, I finished in my mind. And it was true. Vee came from old money, while I was a third-generation child of wealth. Meaning my grandfather was the one to make the family fortune.

 

Vee' grandfather and mine went way back, being old college buddies who served in the military together.  Their friendship survived two bullets in the leg, a knife half an inch from the heart and several cutthroat games of poker. It didn't die down at all in the years after either. In fact, it only grew since it was Jess' grandfather who helped mine with his business in its early stages. 

 

In their later years the two old friends, who were practically like brothers at that point, decided they wanted to be family in truth. So they agreed that their grandchildren would tie the knot, their own children already adults and happily married at the time. 

 

This didn't last though, obviously. My grandfather went first and it was only a few years after that Vee's did too. When they died, so did the engagement. Neither of our parents wanted something as old fashioned as an arranged marriage to stop their children from pursuing their own happiness.  

 

Little did they know that while this was a good thing for one of the kids it left the other a hot, heart-broken mess.

 

Vee always knew Damien was her prospective husband so even before she was old enough to have a crush she still wanted to know more about him. After the crush, it just became worse. She had it for him bad. 

 

As for Damien, he left when she and I were still only 14. Vee's pillow was soaked for weeks after he left. Three years later and Vee was still pining after him. Damien? He was nice enough to her, but never anything more. His own feelings of her were luke-warm from my reckoning.

 

And I was stuck in the middle of it. On one side I disliked how clingy women were around him, yet on the other, I had Vera--who'd cling if she could--here who showed feelings for him I just couldn't find it in me to support. 

 

The two simply didn't mix well and seriously tested my patience. 

 

 "Well they're gone, Vee. And whatever agreement they had left with them. But don't even bother bringing them into this, it doesn't change anything. It's old news and it doesn't have anything to do with us."

 

"But if it did--"

 

"It doesn't," I replied flatly, not letting her speak. " Look, if you like Damien that's fine. I don't care. But if you want to actually get anywhere then woman up and go speak to him yourself. Because me? I don't want to be caught in between my best friend and my own brother when the relationship fails."

 

I was being kind. Any other girl I'd not be as nice with. But this was Vee. The girl I still sometimes had slumber parties with. 

 

The girl who came crying to me after her cat got left outside too long and nearly died of overheat, only trusting me to help take care of it. 

 

That cute, adorable little girl took pity on an awkward and distressed younger me and offered a fast, easy and lasting friendship that of course persisted to this day.

 

So I told her this, knowing full well that she wouldn't do it. She lacked that kind of courage. 

 

She was like a small animal when it came to that brother of mine, had been that way before she liked him and still grew shy just talking about the guy years after he'd left

 

I didn't have the heart to be overly cruel with her. This much, however, was acceptable. It may have been manipulative to some degree but it was still sound advice despite that. 

 

Was it my fault if I knew she wouldn't be able to go through with it, though? No, obviously not.

 

"It wouldn't fail!" She protested forcefully. "If we just had the chance..." She stopped, taking a moment to calm herself. 

 

You change boyfriends every two weeks and still think you'd work out? Please. 

 

I almost said that, but didn't. It was a sharp, hateful little sentence that was on the tip of my tongue. Of course, I held it in. Had to. I couldn't go that far, not with Vee. She didn't deserve that. 

 

But it was still true, even if I knew why. 

 

"Then tell him how you feel if you're so confident you'd hit it off." 

 

Vee flinched. "...I can't. You know I can't."

 

Yup, I did. She talked big, nothing more. Not that I'd really say that. 

 

"I know you're scared of rejection, at least. But what's the worst that can happen?" I asked.

 

 She looked at me bitterly." You said it yourself. Hearing him say, "who are you?" and making a complete fool of myself for expecting someone like him to remember me in the first place. That's the worst that can happen." Her voice went soft, full of woe. She looked physically pained just thinking about it.

 

Again, Vera acted tough but her heart was jelly. 

 

I felt uncomfortable because of how pitiful she looked. So in spite of my previous words I raised a brow and said, "He used to have to spank you on the butt to get you to stop being such a handful when you were high on chocolate cake. I'm sure he remembers you as a troublemaker if nothing else." 

 

She blushed fiercely. "You promised never to talk about that. And I was a kid back then." The girl rose to her own defense.

 

"You were thirteen. Actually, I half believe you acted that way deliberately. Little masochist."

 

Her already red cheeks went a few shades darker, mortified. "That's ridiculous, I won't even dignify that with a response." 

 

"Mhmm." I cast a doubtful glance her way as I continued to pack. 

 

"I didn't!" 

 

"Yeah, I know. I believe you."

 

"Really!" 

 

"Don't have to convince me."

 

"I'm not a masochist..."

 

"I'm sure you aren't."

 

"I'm really not!"

 

"If you say so." I shrugged. 

 

"...You're horrible, E."

 

A grin. "Thank you for the compliment."

 

"I really don't know why I'm still friends with you." She muttered. I was just about to open my mouth to reply when she shouted. "I'm not a masochist!"

 

Laughing, I closed the laptop and left her to stew.