Chapter 19 - The Only Girl in His Life

"Can you pass me the juice, please?"

"Here you go, honey."

It was Sunday morning and so we were having breakfast together because Linda thought it was good for us to catch up with each other's routines or something like that. Matt started telling her and Dad about how fractions is such a stupid subject and I was thinking about how the cereal industry makes so much money simply by adding tons of sugar on pieces of corn and throwing some color in that.

"What about you, son? Anything new to share?" My dad turned to me after biting a piece of his toast and I didn't miss Linda nudging his arm and signaling with her eyes in my direction before he did so. It made me want to huff, but that would imply spitting and wasting delicious cereal.

"No." I answered curtly and stuffed my mouth with another spoon. Maybe I'll create a cereal brand one day.

"Really? Nothing at all? But it's been almost two months since your final year started." Linda pressed, "Any new teacher, friend... girlfriend, maybe?" She asked sheepishly, pulling out the tea bag that floated in her cup repeatedly, drowning the poor thing.

Normally, it took a lot to get me irritated. How easily Linda could do that was impressive to me.

"Yeah, two new teachers." Mr. Cerealson and Ms. Milkins, I thought about adding, but she would probably find out these weren't real people, since she went to every parent-teacher conference they held in school.

"Oh, that's nice. What do they teach?" She asked me, not minding the fact that her eggs and tea were going cold.

"School stuff." I said and Matt snorted across the table.

"Collin."

"Dad?" I looked at him uninterested.

"Watch your attitude." He told me sternly. I'd tell him I didn't know that show, but decided against it last minute. Too many words.

On a note sign, it was funny how just a minute ago he was trying to play the role of doting daddy. I didn't answer him.

Linda tried to lighten up the mood as usual, shaking things off and asking something else. "And, um, what about friends? Have you met anyone new?"

I wanted to tell her to leave me alone and shove the food down her gullet, but the doorbell stopped me.

"I'll get it." I announced, jumping from my seat. I was only in old rocket-printed pajama pants and a freshly milk-stained muscle shirt, but I couldn't care less. It could be the president himself and I'd still dash away from that table to open the door.

I opened it, revealing a black-haired girl wearing a large furry coat and long boots, holding a big, fancy-looking travel bag. She wore sunglasses and showcased a new nose piercing. The girl was also my sister.

"Hi!" Melany chanted, leaving her bag on the ground before opening her arms wide, inviting me in for a hug.

"You're here." I stated the obvious, still holding the door handle. I looked at her confused; she wasn't supposed to come back home until her break, which clearly wasn't in mid-October. Unless the Utah State University has decided to kick her out earlier. Strange, since it's her second year there. They should have realized she's crazy way sooner.

"No, I actually went to Bangladesh on vacation. What you're seeing here is a hologram."

Right, and I'm the one who's supposed to watch his attitude.

"Are you really gonna leave me hanging? My arms are getting tired" She then crooked her head to the side and waggled her fingers to show that she was waiting. Typical of her.

I actually missed her, though. Somehow.

"You came earlier." I pointed the obvious again, this time hugging her and feeling her cold hair against my ear.

"Oh my gosh, you're so waaarm!" She said squeezing me with a strength I don't know where she got from, disregarding my observation. "Hey. Have you grown even taller?" Melany stepped away from me and took in my 6'5 figure.

"Maybe. I think an inch or so." I answered her still wondering why she was back before time. It's not that I didn't want her to be with us, but it wasn't much like her to make surprises. At all. She couldn't really keep her mouth shut for her life, much less keep secrets.

"What's taking you so long, man? Who is it? A girl?" My stupid little brother came to investigate on my unnecessarily long absence with his dumb suppositions. Of course he had to snort after saying "girl".

"It is. But I'll probably be the only girl in his life, though." My stupid big sister answered on my behalf.

And they want me to be nice?

"Mel!" Matthew's eyes grew wider instantly and he hugged her as if they hadn't seen each other in years. I almost felt jealous for a moment, but then I remembered I don't really like any of them that much.

"You know, I was going to help you with your bag if you weren't such a douche. Good luck with that now." I told her playfully, walking in again. Still, that bag remained on the entryway.

She scoffed, "I don't need your help, jellyarms."

"Good for you, pufferfish." I told her upon getting to my seat once again to finally finish my food. I wasn't delighted to be greeted by a soggy mush when I got back, however.

"Hey!"

"What's going on?" Linda asked me and then decided to check for herself after seeing me frown fixedly at my once perfect meal. "Melany, is that you sweety?" She got up and went for the hall.

Dad just craned his neck at the direction where the cheery voices were coming from. When they all came into the kitchen talking loudly, his eyes lit up and he immediately left his chair to hug his little princess. She sat down with us and Linda put an extra plate for her, filling it up with whatever she could see on the table.

The eggs and tea were frozen by now, my cereal was inedible, they spoke loud and fast, juice was spilled on the table. And suddenly, I had lost my appetite.

-

"Where are you going?" Melany asked when I got up from the couch. After eating and hearing all about her super exciting life, we (who consists of my whole family but me) set up to watch a movie in the theater room. Dad passed out midway, Linda said she needed to clean up the kitchen after thirty minutes within that piece of crap, Matt kept complaining about how sappy the movie our sister picked was, and I was bored to death.

"Out." I answered and she looked at me sideways. "I need to get something done," I added in a peaceful tone, standing at the door waiting to get out.

"Really? What's that, your eyebrows? Oh yeah, that bush could really use a trim." She said monotonously, making Matt laugh.

"Just as that growing mustache of yours." I nodded at her face casually, stuffing my hands in my pockets. That wiped the stupid smile off her face and earned even louder laughter from our brother, which made Dad roll over in his sleep, momentarily interrupting a snoring chain.

I winked at her and left to upstairs to get changed.

"See you later, Mel!"