Her Best Friend's Brother

by T. J. Dell

  “No. I just haven’t been out. What’s the big deal”? I have been way busy with training and the bakery.” Libby kept her eyes down and tried to keep her voice even and normal. A distraction. She needed a distraction to keep Mel’s mind away from Libby’s nonrelationship with Tony.

  “So Cory huh? Are you sure you want to go there again?” Cory and Mel had the whole school talking at least once every six weeks. Were they together? Were they broken up? Did you hear about their fight in homeroom? Libby was more than a little convinced that the notoriety was a part of or even al of the attraction for her friend. And, much to Libby’s displeasure, Mel rarely missed out on an opportunity to dissect their dysfunctional relationship.

  Mel flicked her wrist dismissively. “He’s a bit of a bad habit with me, but he is a great dancer, and he makes me laugh. Besides he is going to look great in pictures…” Her eyes widened. “You are changing the subject!”

  “I am not.”

  “I am not.”

  “Last month you told me you had had it with al things Cory and you were boycotting al future references to him and our relationship. Am I supposed to believe you have suddenly regained interest? “

  “Last month I had to drive across town to pick you up from that party at like midnight because you refused to let him take you home.”

  “Helo! He was practicaly drooling on Sherri Munski. I was so humiliated and…STOP! This is not going to work. We have got to talk.” Mel wiggled a little on the stool at the counter as if to settle in. “I know I kind of encouraged you at Christmas, but that was when I thought Tony was going to come to his senses.” She took a deep breath. “And I don’t think he is.” She waited for that to sink in.

  “He kissed me.” Libby hoped her words came out as nonchalant as possible.

  “I saw. At the wedding and that looked like some kiss.” Mel’s face twitched thoughtfuly. “I think he’s too old for you.”

  ???? “When did you decide this? He is only three and a half years older. What happened to make him see you as a grown up?”

  “Wel… That is hardly going to happen if you sit around at home every weekend!” Mel shifted uncomfortably. “Effie has been hanging around a lot lately.

  I think she is spending the summer in New Jersey with him when he goes back to The Herald.”

  “Examiner.” Libby corrected absently. “Who’s Effie?”

  “You remember I told you about her before the wedding. Cat’s eye glasses, always cold?”

  “You said her name was Stephanie. What kind of a name is Effie?” Geez—how many girls was she competing with. Not that she was actualy in the competition, because she was in North Carolina and he—

  wel he wasn’t.

  “Did I?” Mel didn’t seem overly concerned about that detail. Mel wasn’t realy a detail kind of person.

  I must have been mixed up. “It is Effie. I think she’s I must have been mixed up. “It is Effie. I think she’s Greek, or Italian, or something.”

  This just got better and better. Exotic, probably had an accent, and she was obviously smart. They would hardly let dummies in at Columbia.

  “He didn’t mention it to you? In any of his emails?”

  Libby froze. “What do you mean?” Mel didn’t know about the emails. Unless Tony told her. Was Tony talking to Mel about her? Did she want him to?

  “Don’t play dumb Lib. He emails you al the time right? And you were texting him al through the movie last weekend. I think we might have to watch something else tonight. It’s possible I am actualy outgrowing The Little Mermaid. Wel maybe we can just fast forward to the songs.”

  She had been texting him during the movie.

  Maybe she could have been a bit sneakier about it, but who has time for sneaky when Tony Marchetti needed her help in a crisis? Libby smiled at the memory.

  Tony: whats the difference in salted or unsalted butter?

  Libby: one has salt

  Libby: why

  Tony: I am baking cookies.

  Libby: ???????

  Tony: Ive seen you do it 1000 times! I am sure I can handle it. Salted or unsalted?

  Libby: unsalted… you know you can buy cookies right? Premade and everything

  Tony: I want to smel them baking!

  ***

  Tony: It burned and the inside is stil raw Libby: I am almost afraid to ask … it?

  Tony: The cookie

  Tony: I made one big cookie

  Tony: Are you stil there?

  Libby: Sorry I was laughing so hard Mel kicked me out of the room you probably needed a lower temp did you at least enjoy the smel?

  Tony: No it was different but I am eating the middle with a spoon now… not bad

  Libby: you could get sick eating raw cookies!

  Tony: after al that trouble I went to? I am wiling to risk it

  The next day Libby had packed up a dozen of his favorite chocolate chip cookies and shipped them off to Tony.

  Okay so Mel might have figured out the texts were from her brother. “He told you he emails me?”

  “Duh—Lib. I figured it out. He knows more about what’s going on in your life than I do these days. But that isn’t my point. If you, for some reason I wil never comprehend, want to be buddies with Tony then fine. But please stop moping around the house waiting for him! I have al this teen angst and you are making me deal with it alone.” Mel smiled to show she was, mostly, joking.

  “So tel me about Effie.” Libby sighed resignedly.

  “Not much to tel, but they are moving in together.” There was a long pause while seemed to be waiting for a reaction. She was so not going to get one.

  “You understand what I am saying right?”

  “Duh, Mel.” Libby smiled halfheartedly.

  Maybe she should go to prom. “I think I am going to cal Sam.”

  Mel grinned, and turned to saunter out the door.

  Happy end of school. I bet you are really looking forward to having the summer off. How does it feel to be a senior?

  -t-

  Thanks. You too. Except I guess you won’t be having the whole summer off since you are working again. Are you looking forward to New Jersey?

  -L-

  Libby knew she shouldn’t be fishing. But if Tony was her friend why wouldn’t he want to tel her about his living arrangements.

  Yeah I guess I am probably done with summer vacations. Just wait though, when you get a little older you kinda would rather work than lay on the beach.

  -T-

  A little older my ass! Libby didn’t write him back for three days.

  Chapter four

  “We missed you at the beach this year big brother.” Mel had a phone wedged between her shoulder and ear as she chose her first day of school outfit. “You would have liked John and Parker. They were staying in the Johnson’s house next door. They are at NYU.”

  “You know interns don’t get vacation time Mel.

  I am sure you enjoyed having a chance to win at scrabble with me gone. Are John and Parker the Johnson’s kids?”

  “No, they were just renters. They were there al week. John is so into me.”

  “What happened to Cory?” Tony could realy care less about Cory, but he did like to check in with Mel every now and then. Whether or not his baby sister had a boyfriend and that boyfriend’s name was probably something he should know.

  “Pish. Cory is old news. He hardly caled me at al over the summer you know. John cals me al the time. Him and Parker even came out to spend the fourth of July with me and Libby.” That got his attention.

  “Parker is visiting Libby?” Did that sound casual and offhand? Maybe he should have asked about John first. “Umm so you like John …hmm?”

  “Yes to both. Libby was seeing Sam Tucker, but I think she likes Parker better. We went to the park and had a picnic for fireworks.”

  “Sam Tucker!” Okay that was not offhand.

  But he had been taken by surprise.

  “Yes. Sam Tucker, the guy who actu
aly asks her out on dates. You know what they are right. Or don’t you and Effie go out on dates?”

  “It isn’t like that with Effie. We were working in the same town, and it saved on rent.”

  “In a one bedroom apartment?”

  “There is a pul out couch. Tel me about Parker… and John.” He did not have to explain himself to Mel. Effie was just his friend. Wel maybe more than a friend. But Effie wasn’t looking to get serious anymore than he was, and how could he justify casual sex to his baby sister!

  “Parker and John spent the weekend at the hotel in town and went back to New York the next week.

  Parker is pre-law, but John is going to be a doctor. I think that is so noble don’t you?”

  Tony tuned her out. It was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to get any more information about this Parker character, or about Sam Tucker. Not that it realy mattered. Libby could date who ever she wanted. After al he had spent most of the summer with Effie. And she should be dating. Isn’t that part of the reason he hadn’t put any pressure on her? He wanted her to have al the experiences of being a teenager, and that included dating. If he remembered correctly (and it wasn’t that long ago) it included a lot of dating.

  It snowed today. October is early for snow even in New York, but I was glad. Snow always makes me think of home. How many snowball fights have we had over the years? Mel would always chicken out and go inside for hot cocoa, but you were more of a trooper.

  I wish I could show you New York. Especially in the snow.

  -T-

  I do love the snow. Maybe we’ll get lucky and have a white Christmas. It has been years since I can remember snow at Christmas.

  Mel is throwing a Halloween party this weekend. I am going as Velma… like from Scooby Doo. It isn’t my first choice, but there are four of us. It was John’s idea. So naturally he is Freddie, and Mel gets to be Daphne. But I don’t mind being Velma too much since she is so excited.

  -L-

  I always liked Velma. I have kind of a thing for brainy chicks.

  -t-

  Of course he didn’t have to ask who the fourth was. Mel had already told him that John and Parker were going to be in town for the party. Maybe he would try and make it too. Haloween would probably be the last time he had to spare before he needed to buckle down for finals.

  And he had something he wanted to show Libby anyway.

  Tony couldn’t help grinning to himself. Now that the decision was made he couldn’t wait to get home. He hadn’t been home in almost a year, and his whole body hummed with excitement at the idea of the trip. A last minute flight would not be cheap, but he had some money saved and he had the code to his parents frequent flyer miles account.

  Wouldn’t Libby be surprised to see him? Not that he was just going to see Libby. He missed his mom and dad, and of course Mel too. And Libby. He missed Libby. He wanted to see her in that Velma costume and he most certainly didn’t want Parker to see her in it.

  Libby woke up, and her bed was spinning in circles. No, that couldn’t be possible. On second thought it must be her head that was spinning. She tried to cal out for her mom, but it would seem that some time during the night she had swalowed a basket bal. Her throat felt tight and scratchy. Crap. She was sick. She would have to miss Mel’s party tonight, and Parker’s visit. Although she wasn’t so much worried about missing him, as she felt bad for leaving him alone at a party where he wouldn’t know anyone. Hopefuly Mel would take the time to introduce him around before she crawled into a dark corner with John. The two of them weren’t exactly discreet.

  By the afternoon, and after some hefty doses of Dayquil, Libby was feeling marginaly better. Not realy wel enough to go to the party, but the room was staying stil, and she had found the energy to finish her English paper. When she had warmed her voice up a bit she was able to cal Mel and rasp out an explanation. Mel was disappointed, but John had already arrived so Libby was confident that she would cheer up soon enough.

  After a shower that, she imagined, washed away al her germs, Libby changed into fresh clean pajamas and climbed back into bed determined to sleep off the rest of this awful day. And then the door bel rang. Libby had not hung the trick-or-treaters welcome sign provided by their building manager, but not al kids paid attention to that sort of thing when free candy was at stake. The door bel rang again. Libby contemplated dragging herself to the door, and wondered if there were any candy decorations left from the cupcakes she had made for Mel’s party.

  Maybe she could just hand out the cupcakes? They were just going to waste now anyway.

  “Are you crazy?!” Tony’s head popped around the corner into her bedroom. Had she progressed to ful-on halucinations? Tony. Here. In her bedroom? Yep definitely halucinating. “Under the mat? Who keeps a key under the mat? That is the first place anyone would look.

  Robbers, axe murders, escaped convicts… I can’t believe you would be so careless.”

  Okay this was not how her Tony-in-my-bedroom-halucinations usualy went. Libby decided he must realy be real. “I guess it isn’t that unbelievable—you obviously looked there.” Tony shot her a less than forgiving look. “It’s fine Tony. You have been living in New York too long. No one is going to bother us. Besides we have a doorman. Any axe-murdering, ex-convicts, looking to rip off my mom’s new Cuisinart mixer would have to get by the doorman.”

  That earned her a smile. “Yeah Arthur would be a big deterrent. He was half asleep in front of a portable television when I walked in.” Arthur was probably 200

  years old and didn’t actualy open the door anymore so much as he waved absently as people let themselves in and out. That was probably why he had transferred to the night shift when Libby was a little girl. “Where’s your mom?

  You shouldn’t be alone when you’re sick.”

  “Midnight Madness.” Libby shifted into a sitting position. Tony nodded. He remembered now that the week of Haloween was also the Fal Midnight Madness.

  Twice a year the shops on Main Street al stayed open until 1:00 am and hosted a kind of a block party—only with shopping. “She stayed home this morning, but she didn’t want to ask anyone else to give up their Haloween night.

  Besides I think she has something going with Stuart from the theater next to the bakery. Why are you here?” Tony took a few steps closer. “I had some time before exams, and I thought I would drop in on the party.

  Mel said you were sick. Mom made you soup.” Tony lifted an armful of packages that Libby hadn’t noticed he lifted an armful of packages that Libby hadn’t noticed he was carrying. His eyes seemed to travel from the top of her head to where she sat cross legged under her pink flowered comforter. “Your hair is wet.” He took another step towards her.

  “I just got out of the shower. That is a lot of soup”

  Tony stopped. Libby with wet hair. Libby in the shower. Water rushing down… No. He was not going to think about Libby in the shower. He took a few breaths and forced a friendly smile. “I brought more than soup. I wil be right back.” He turned and jogged out of her room.

  Two minutes later he came back empty handed and swept a quick look around her room. Libby silently thanked the powers that be for Wednesday’s spontaneous cleaning episode. And she prayed that she had remembered to put the lid down on her hamper. Dirty laundry was never a part of her Tony-in-my-bedroom halucinations. “This isn’t going to work” Tony quickly closed the distance to her bedside, and in one motion scooped her (pink comforter and al) into his arms. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as he carried her down the hal into the family room. Somewhere at the edge of her mind she dimly recognized that while this did happen in her halucinations he was usualy carrying her in the other direction. Tony gently put her down on the couch, and left the room again.

  When he came back he was carrying two bowls, and had a couple bottles of water wedged under his arm. “Dinner is served.” He puled their coffee table closer to the sofa and placed a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of each of the
m. “I hope you don’t mind I helped myself. I love my mother’s soup.” He cocked a happy grin at her as she scrambled to edge of the couch to take a taste.

  Libby took two big spoonfuls and sighed happily. “mmm. Me too. What’s in the rest of the bags?” Tony watched her eat… stupid spoon. Maybe he should have brought a thermos. Was chicken noodle the kind of soup you could drink from a thermos? Tony didn’t think so and anyway somehow he doubted that Libby drinking out of a thermos would be any less… effective…

  than watching her lick that damn spoon.

  “Tony?”

  “What? Oh right the bags. Wel we have a selection of DVDs, and— wel I have a surprise for you—for later.” Libby twitched her eyebrows at the mention of a ‘surprise’, but she puled the bag of DVDs towards her and poked through it. He had brought a bunch of slasher films (probably in honor of the holiday), the first Pirates movie (probably in honor of the fact that he thought Keira Knightely was a babe), and… “The Little Mermaid?”

  “I figured if you were sick, and missing a party then I could make a cinematic concession.” And there was that grin again. Libby was having a hard time deciding if it was the flu or Tony’s smiles that kept giving her waves of light headedness. “So? What’s your pleasure?” Pleasure? Oh, the movie. “I wil spare you on The Little Mermaid, but only because my throat hurts too much to sing along. How about Pirates?”

  “You got it.” Tony was relieved; and disappointed. When he had been tossing choices into the bag those slasher films had conjured images of Libby clinging to his hand, burying her head in his shoulder, and leaping into his lap. She had the flu for crying out loud. A gentleman would not be thinking what he was thinking.

  Realy he had just wanted to cheer her up. And to be honest arriving home in time to find a bunch teenagers dancing around his back yard in costumes, his sister plastered al over pre-med John, and no Libby had been more than a little disappointing. So when his mother had asked him to bring the soup over he had ignored her annoying wink and hustled himself over to see Libby.