“It’s not a frat party this time,” Ronnie reminds me. “So it shouldn’t be as crazy.”
“I’m going outside.” I walk out to Madi’s practice and she doesn’t stop. How someone can shut out the world around them, I’ll never know. But that’s what she always does.
Madi stops after a minute and puts her bow and instrument down so she can stretch. Just as she’s twisting her back, she spots me watching. Her amber eyes go wide since she’s not used to people watching her. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Just got here,” I assure her. “Ronnie and Lucia wanted to let you know about a party they got invited to.”
Madi starts cracking her knuckles, a nervous tick of hers. “Is it another Greek row party?”
I shake my head.
“Are you going?”
I shake it again. “You know how I feel about parties.” Madi doesn’t frequent nearly as many parties as the rest of our roommates because she’s more focused on practicing. She still shows up here and there but doesn’t succumb to any personal trauma she might have.
Good for her.
“Yeah, but I don’t know why,” she points out. “Anytime drinking is mentioned you get tense.” Madi then points to my wrists. “Like you are now. Reminds me of how I act before a recital.”
Looking down, I notice how my nails dig into the palms of my hands. My right wrist doesn’t hurt as much as it did back at myfirst session with Carson, luckily. I hate when my old injuries flare up but I’ve managed.
Releasing my fingers, I shrug. “So? It’s no big deal.”
Madi gives me a look as if she’s saying,really, girl?“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you don’t need to drink to have fun. I don't.”
My eyebrows fly up to my hairline. “Really?”
“I hate the taste of alcohol,” she explains, wrinkling her nose. “And Adrian doesn’t drink much, either, so I always hang out with him when the others are drunk off their asses.” At the mention of Adrian, her face turns slightly red.
“How about this,” she suggests. “You can hang out with me when the others start going crazy, and I’ll keep an eye on you.”
The fact that I am considering this is crazy to me. I don’t know what that says about me; the fact that I’m thinking about going to a party when I haven’t even attended one nor hosted one of any kind since I was thirteen.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask wearily.
Madi nods and I find myself giving in. “I’ll go.”
8
My Spontaneous Sister
Carson
My sister is nothing but spontaneous.
It’s something that sets us apart from being twins. I’m the more organized one, while she’s a bit on the wild side, and a lot more unhinged. Here’s an example.
About five minutes after I arrive back from the village, Carly makes her way through the front gate and to the yard, where she and Adrian are seated on the lawn chairs, probably talking about movies or something.
They look a little too friendly, in my opinion.
I open the front door of my house, holding my hands up to my mouth like a megaphone. “Yo, Miller! Stop flirting with my sister!”
My buddy’s head turns in my direction and groans. “For the last time, I am not interested in your sister like that.”
I know that, but it’s so easy to tease Adrian.
“Your loss, A,” Carly sighs. She’s joking. Carly doesn’t date—she has guys, but never boyfriends—and it’s always been that way. Some say she’s flighty, while I believe that nobody is entertaining enough for her. “I’m a real catch.”
