I guess even though I’m in high school now, I’m still their baby sister.
The one who followed them around while growing up. The one whose ballet recitals they all went to. The one who couldn’t fall asleep by herself for the longest time when our mom died, so all my brothers would take turns during the night and stay with me in my room.
I don’t really remember that part, about not falling asleep by myself, probably because I was only four when Mom died, but every time I think of it, I can’t stop crying and smiling.
I can’t stop the rush of love I feel for my big brothers.
So over time I decided not to go to parties at all.
I don’t want to worry them for something I don’t really have the time for and don’t like to begin with anyway.
But I’m going to this one.
And I’m going without telling my brothers.
That’s theironerule – to keep them updated about my whereabouts.
They’ll let me go to parties, or to the movies with my friends, but they need to know where I am at all times.
They don’t know where I am right now.
Theythinkthey know; I texted them saying I’m studying with one of my friends and that I’ll be back by my curfew.
They don’t know that I’m here.
That I’m going to a party thrown by Reed Roman Jackson.
My brother’s rival.
The guy I’m supposed to stay away from.
And I have.
Ihavestayed away from him.
I have been extremely careful never to be in the same place as him.
If he’s in the courtyard with his friends, I’m in the library. If he’s in the cafeteria, sitting in his usual spot, I know to stay on the opposite side of the room.
If I see him sitting inside his Mustang in the parking lot after practice, listening to music with his eyes closed, I turn around and walk through the soccer field to get to the bus stop.
Basically, I have done everything in my power to stay away from him.
So I don’t really know what I’m doing here.
I don’t even know how it happened. How I got pulled into going. By his sister, no less. Who I met only a little while ago.
But one minute we were watching the game and I was explaining to her about the rivalry, which I’m so glad to say that she doesn’t really understand either. And the next, the game is over and Tempest is pulling me away from the field, telling me that we shouldn’t be controlled by our brothers’ stupidity.
That I should ignore all the rivalry stuff and go to a party with a friend —her— if I want to. And besides, if I don’t like it, I’m free to leave.
So here I am.
Going to a party with a friend who has promised me that I can leave if I want to.
And I want to, I think.
Because as soon as I see the crowd, I realize that this is even stupider and more dangerous than I originally thought.
