Chapter 3

I was siting in my home room while my best friend Claudia was going on and on about my older brother Max and how he was coming up this weekend with other girls in our class. My brother Max was at Boston University studying Biology and environmental science like my dad. Last summer before he left Blue Rivers, Max, Claudia and I were inseparable. We spent the summer running through the woods, playing in the quieter parts of the river and drinking around a campfire with other kids in our class. One night, we played spin the bottle with and old bottle that had wash up on the banks where we often hung out. A girl in a tight black tank top and barely there jean shorts from our grade, Ruby Thomson, spun first and it landed on him. She eyed him greedily and sat on his lap kissing him for far to long causing some of the other girls in our group to glare. Max is objectively handsome and he knows it. He's 6"2, with golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes just like our mother. I was always a little jealous that he inherited her beautiful golden hair and blue eyes to match. I Inherited my Auburn hair from my father, with light brown freckles that stood out on my too pale skin, and eyes that nobody could decide whether they were blue, green or grey. Compared to Max, I was the ugly duckling and it drove me crazy when we were growing up. As ruby kissed my brother with her too pink glossy lips, Claudia who was normally a sweet and bubbly person, yanked me up by my arm and told me she wanted to go, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. I knew she had liked him from our countless hours talking about the boys we liked on the floor of my bedroom, but I had never thought that she would be so hurt by seeing Max sucking face with Ruby. I grabbed her arm to help steady her and we stumbled back to Claudia's red pickup, leaving my brother to find his own ride home. I had known Claudia and her mother my whole live as our mothers were best friends, but I had never seen her cry like she did on our drive back from the campfire. I gritted my teeth and held tight to the steering wheel, thinking of all the ways I was going to pummel my stupid older brother for being such an insensitive idiot. The next morning, I burst into his bedroom in pure rage. He was still in bed with a major hangover, so I turned on the lights and pulled his covers of him to show just how monumentally pissed off I was at him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, still looking like a male model despite having just woke up which pissed me off even more. I picked up his pillow and threw it back in his face. Someones temper is especially bad this morning he muttered. I looked him in his eyes which were filled with confusion and said, you are the biggest idiot on the face of the earth. He looked at me as if I had slapped him. What the Fuck did I do wrong? He said defensively. You idiot, Claudia, our Claudia, has been in love with you since we were practically in diapers, and you just brush her off like her feelings don't matter and hook up with Ruby Thompson of all people right in front of her. If you weren't 6"2 and 200 Ib I would kick your ass right now! He looked at me, finally understanding why I burst in his room like an angry bull leaving chaos in its wake, and buried his head in his hands. I am the biggest idiot he muttered, head still lowered in defeat. Suddenly he punched his bed in frustration, causing me to jump back startled. My brother may be big but like my dad, he's never been the type to raise his voice or get frustrated even when most people would, which is why seeing him so worked up left me wide eyed in shock. He ran a hand through his short golden hair and sped out of the room like the house was on fire. I don't know where he went or what exactly he had told her, but the next day Claudia arrived at my house with a smile so bright that the summer sun seemed to pale in comparison. He likes me back! She squealed as she threw herself at me for a hug. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god I squealed in response as we danced in circles on the front porch, so excited that everything had worked out between them. Suddenly, mom open the front door to watch the spectacle of me and Claudia dancing around like little girls in pure joy. So I take it my idiot son finally got a clue and asked you out? Mom said with a mischievous smile plastered on her face. Claudia froze, heat rushing to her face making her ears turn pink, her long dark brown hair whirling around her. She smiled awkwardly and said yes! And I must be the happiest girl in the world! Silently, I agreed, although in that moment I was a close second.