27

Cameron

"Are you serious, my dear?" I burst into the backyard like a madman and ran toward my brother, who was jumping rope at a brisk pace. His sweat-soaked body was bombarded by the sun, while Future's "Mask Off" barely escaped from a portable speaker, preventing my voice from traveling too far. Maybe if I hit him, it would go unnoticed amidst the ambient noise. Surprised, he stops abruptly and lifts his face to mine, using his shirt to dab at his forehead.

"Yes," he replies uncertainly. He frowns and drops the rope to the floor, slightly lowering the volume of the music. I watch him with folded arms, waiting for his full attention. Ever since Adeline told me yesterday that he slept with her friend, all I could think of was to make him eat dust. Not that he can't get girls on his own, he doesn't need my permission for that. But I thought he was smart enough to stay away from our sister's best friend, aka the girl he was supposed to be attracted to. If there's one thing I don't understand about my brother, it's his attitude towards the female gender.

"Esther?" I say, gritting my teeth, trying to get him to talk.

"How do you know?" he asks coldly. No, buddy, it's not your place to be upset.

" Adeline," I answer briefly. "Are you crazy or what?"

"Does she know?" he asks, almost destabilized.

"Of course she knows, you idiot," I answer, unintentionally raising my voice. "She had a fight with her friend because of you."

"Her best friend, man. Why were you sleeping with her best friend?" I raise my arms in a sign of inquiry, searching his eyes for a trace of remorse, an explanation, something that would make me not want to hit him.

"I was drunk," he admits, fidgeting with the white T-shirt he's holding. "It was a mistake, and I made sure she understood that."

"Honestly, man, if this is your way of trying to fix things between you and Adeline, you're going about it like an amateur," I say, shaking my head.

"I'm not trying to do anything," he replies in a harsh tone. "I don't care what she thinks or if I hurt her by sleeping with her boyfriend."

Suddenly he turns to the radio and turns up the volume so that the music fills the garden again. With tense shoulders, he grabs the rope from the ground and resumes his energetic jumping. I stand in front of him, watching him act like an idiot. I love my brother, but to be honest, if he wasn't my brother, he wouldn't be a guy I'd appreciate. What a jerk he can be. Irritated by his childish behavior, I go to turn down the music myself to get his attention back.

"I'm not done talking to you," I say firmly.

"What now?" he asks, stopping his jumping and fixing me with a cold stare. How can I say what I need to say without him punching me in the face?

"To make things simple, the girls and I have to go to Seattle at the beginning of the week because they have to view some apartments."

"And how is that my problem?"

"Holly's car has a problem and she was supposed to drive us," I say, putting a hand on my neck.

"You have a car, right?" he adds as if he has all the answers and picks up his sports gear.

I let out a loud sigh and roll my eyes. One of these days I'm going to smash that stubborn head.

"Mom doesn't want me to drive this long. I've never driven this far before."

"That's not my problem."

"Mom told me you were supposed to take us," I hurried to contradict him.

"What, that I'm supposed to take you?" he spits out, glaring at me. I'm really going to get hit.

"You know the route, you know the city, you have an apartment."

"Is she serious?" he explodes. "I have to be the babysitter, drive fourteen hours, and on top of that I have to put you up?"

He's clearly beyond angry now. He just threw his bag over his shoulder and crossed his big muscular arms over his chest. It's clear that if we really fight, I'll never stand a chance. But I don't let that discourage me and pull out my secret weapon.

"No, just to get us there. We'll stay at Tyler's," I say nonchalantly.

At my comment, a strange glint crosses his eyes and his lips purse subtly. He unfolds his arms from his chest and relaxes his shoulders.

"How long are we supposed to stay there?" he asks.

"Five days at the most. The girls have already scheduled their tours," I reply.

"Alright. But under two conditions," he continues.

"Anything," I answer, overjoyed to see him give in so easily.

"We go straight through and everyone drives. I won't shoulder the trip alone," he clarifies.

"I promise."

"And you stay with me."

He fell for it like a beginner. What was he trying to convince me before? That he didn't care? My brother is weak. I refrain from mocking him and nod silently in agreement before hugging him in gratitude. I had forgotten the sweat on his body, which immediately soaked my polo. I pull away, repulsed by so much testosterone, and see him gently teasing me.

"When are we leaving?" he asks with a mischievous grin.

"After tomorrow, and don't worry about work, Henri will give you your days off."

I immediately scurry off to the kitchen, leaving him alone in the garden. He must realize that he's been tricked. I had it all planned out and all I had to do was mention the name "Tyler" for him to give in. Before, I couldn't understand why he didn't like him, but now that I'm able to understand him, I should take advantage of this weakness more often...

***

Despite my fears, the atmosphere in the car is not as terrible as I expected. After my brother drove for a few hours, I took the wheel, stopping at a fast-food joint for a break. The first few moments in the car were pretty tense: Adeline and Holly knew about Esther, Jayden knew that Adeline knew, and I knew that everyone knew about the situation. It was frankly awkward, but as the miles passed, the music relaxed our hearts and we began to talk calmly. Although Esther and Adeline made sure never to speak to Jayden, things between them never seemed to change. After driving for two hours, I decided to stop at a rest area, and the girls returned a little later, their arms laden with candy and smiles on their faces.

"Didn't you eat enough?" I joke as I see them putting their haul on the back seat.

"It makes you hungry to do nothing," Holly retorts playfully before opening a package of gummy bears and devouring them two by two.

"I'll do the driving," my brother says, approaching me to get his keys.

"I can drive if you want."

To our surprise, Adeline has her hands buried in the pockets of her sweatshirt.

"You've driven a lot. Let me finish the route," she adds, addressing Jayden for the first time.

His only response is to hand her the keys and let her get behind the wheel. I deliberately sit in the back seat with the girls, leaving my brother standing in front of the car. He remains motionless for a few seconds, then finally decides to sit in the passenger seat.

"Are you okay?" he asks as Adeline pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road.

"I can drive, you know."

In the back seat, I smile and glance at Holly and Esther, who are stuffing their faces with gummy bears. I can't hear Jayden's comment, drowned out by the music, but he doesn't say a word for several miles.

I keep my eyes on the road as it unfolds, admiring the darkening sky as we approach our destination. We have barely two hours left, and the girls next to me have fallen asleep, satiated by what they have devoured and lulled by the purr of the car. In the front, no one speaks, only the music echoes around us. My brother is leaning against the window, and I see him occasionally glance at the driver.

"You drive well," I hear him say.

He finally straightens up and looks at Adeline.

"For a start, we've had worse," I answer in my mind.

"You never drove when we were at home," he retorts.

I remain silent, pretending I'm not witnessing the most natural conversation they've had since I've known them. It won't last.

My brother squirms in his seat, spreading his legs wider to get comfortable. I know my brother like the back of my hand and it doesn't take a psychic to understand that he is not on familiar ground. I can easily imagine what is going on in his mind, and I am almost embarrassed to be a witness to his inner struggle. He says nothing, contemplating the road ahead, before she adds:

"I like your music."

He just turns up the volume a little before looking at her.

My brother and his silence...

"I feel like I'm ten years younger when I listen to it," she continues, her voice slightly muffled by the speakers.

"And is that bad?"

"No."

She laughs, and he seems to relax. As if sitting next to her makes him nervous, on edge. He remains focused on the miles passing by, not once turning to the back seat, not even to see if we are awake or paying attention to their exchange.

The first notes of an old song by the singer Eve begin to play, and I find myself knowing every word as I hear Adeline begin to sing.

"Do you know it?" he asks in surprise.

"By heart."

"By heart? I'm sure you don't."

"Want to bet?" she jokes.

"Yes!"

He doesn't lose his smile, and Adeline resumes her singing, rapping loudly in the car, sometimes ruining a few notes with her shrill voice. She is followed closely by my brother, who begins a rough rap of his own. Then they take turns laughing and throwing the lines back and forth. Amused by this impromptu concert, I remain silent, attentive to this unusual complicity.

***

We are all standing in Jayden's living room, waiting for him to show us where to sleep. It's not the first time I've been to his place, but I'm surprised at how tidy it is. His roommates are the messiest people in the universe, and honestly, they've made an effort to give us some space for a few days.

"Someone can sleep in my room," my brother begins, pointing to the door on the far left of the hallway. "Then there are two more double beds in the middle and right rooms, you can decide. I'll take the couch."

"I'll take the one on the right then, the bed is amazing," I blurt out. " Adeline, you can sleep with me if you want."

"I can sleep with you," my brother replies. "She can sleep in my room."

"No, that's okay," Adeline interjects. "I'll sleep on the couch. It'll be fine for a few days."

"It's an old sofa bed, it's really uncomfortable."

"It's fine, trust me. We're already invading your space, it's not cool to kick you out of your own bedroom."

They stare directly at each other as we all hang on their exchange.

"As you wish," he finally concedes with a shrug.

"Stop screwing around and come with me, sis. My bed is big."

I wink at her playfully, which makes her giggle - but it's not as amusing to my brother, who glares at me coldly. Too bad for you, man, if you can't win her over, I'm not going to hold back from spending time with her to avoid hurting your feelings. You'll only get what you deserve. I grab the bag Adeline left on the couch and she follows me into the back room. Esther and Holly take the room next door, and we all bid each other good night, exhausted from the road and what lies ahead. Welcome to Seattle.