Walking down the familiar beach brought back a few memories from high school. My eyes focused in on Mina dancing in front of two other girls. As soon as she spotted me, she darted toward me. I opened my arms and pulled her into a large hug and she squealed. I missed her little ass.
"You cut your hair?"
"Yep. You like?" She spun around for me.
"I do." Then I saw her eyes land on Oliver. "This is my friend Oliver. Oliver, this is my baby sister, Mina."
"Nice to meet you, Oliver." She batted her eye lashes and gave a wickedly sly smile. Oh Jesus, why did I bring friends home from college?
"Hey! What about me?" Max grabbed Mina and threw her over his shoulder, then headed for the fire.
"Put me down, Max," Mina screamed at him. Once we got near the fire he placed her down.
I looked down at Mina’s friends. A blonde was staring at Max while a brunette with a blue hat on whispered into her ear. I couldn’t see the brunette’s face, but neither felt familiar.
"Damn it, Max, don’t do that!" Mina was still yelling at him while I headed over to where the beer was being passed out. Max caught up with us quickly.
"Hey Leo, what brings you back here?" It was Jay Bennet.
"Just visiting family for a while, ya know? We will be heading back in a few days for finals." I grabbed a beer and Max snatched it right out of my hand. "Sure, Max, you can have it." I grabbed another one and this time Oliver took it laughing, "What the hell, you two?" I laughed, grabbing my third beer.
I turned back toward the crowd. Mina was dancing with her friends, pulling out some moves that were not big brother approved. Every guy here was gawking and staring at my little sister, Oliver included. I slapped his arm, pulling his attention from her ass.
"What?" he yelled at me.
"That’s my little sister! Quit having those thoughts!" I joked with him.
"It’s hard not to have those thoughts, especially when they dance like that." Jay chimed in.
I gave him a dirty look.
"Don’t even think about it, Bennet."
"Don’t worry, Mackey, I won’t go near your sister. Besides, my bad thoughts are solely focused on Chloe." He smirked.
"Huh? Where’s Chloe?" I glanced around the crowd but didn’t see her. "And you know what? You shouldn’t have those thoughts about her either. She’s like a sister too, plus she's Mayor Fisher’s daughter." He looked at me like I was an idiot. "What?"
"You’re looking right at Chloe." I must have still looked as confused as I felt. "She’s dancing between your sister and Roni – the blonde."
I snapped my head back. Mina was being spun around by the brunette.
"That’s Chloe?"
"It’s definitely her. She sure grew up, didn’t she?" I could hear the implication in his voice.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She then looked right at me, catching me ogling her. Her hair wasn’t as long as it used be and she had on a hat that made her look adorable. On top of the adorableness, she was wearing low-riding khakis and a tiny, tight dark blue tank top while she danced around bare foot.
Jesus fucking Christ, since when did little Chloe look like that? So much for my speech to Jay. My thoughts were anything but wholesome right now.
"Now if I could just get her to dump that boyfriend of hers," Jay spit out as he walked away.
As soon as he said it, I saw a guy come up to Chloe. His hands went around her waist as he started swaying his hips against hers, I felt a knot in my stomach.
Looks like I am going to have to go big brother on both of them. When did they get old enough to dance like that?
I turned my attention to Mina and the punk that had approached her, watching as his hands wandered down to her ass. I reacted immediately.
"Excuse me?"
Mina snapped her head around as I grabbed her arm and walked her away from the ass grabber.
"Leo! What are you doing?" She yelled at me.
"I’m not going to stand there and let some guy grab your ass while I watch," I lectured.
"Then don’t look, Leo!" she poked me in the chest. "You have some nerve. You were doing a lot worse than me when you were my age."
"Exactly, which means I know what he," I pointed in the ass grabber’s direction, "is thinking!"
"Maybe it’s the same thing I am thinking! Ever think of that?" She scowled. I choked on my own saliva.
"W-what?" I could feel my anger boiling up.
"Oh, calm down. I’m still a virgin for Christ’s sake." I almost instantly dropped to my knees to thank God. She sighed. "But I won’t be forever, Leo, so trust me to make my own decisions." She gave me the damn puppy dog eyes. Shit.
"Fine, but I don’t have to like it!" I huffed as she wrapped her arm in mine and walked me back to the group that included the ass grabber.
"Everything okay?" I heard a magical voice. It was Chloe talking to Mina, but shifting her gaze to me as well.
"Yeah, just Leo and his over protective brother act," Mina responded to her.
"Okay. Will thought he was going to get murdered." She laughed a perfect laugh.
Fuck, she grew into such a hot…..like a little sister, Leo. Like a little sister.
Mina was still laughing as she went to find the ass grabber, I presume.
"Welcome back," Chloe was talking to me now.
"Thanks." Why was it so awkward to talk to her? She smiled and headed back over to the guy I guessed was her boyfriend.
I took a seat on one of the logs around the fire and started a conversation with Randy and a pretty pregnant Christy.
"So how are things, Randy?"
"Pretty good. Pretty busy." He smiled and gestured to Christy. I smiled and took a drink of my beer.
Oliver joined us after a few minutes. I introduced Randy and Christy to him. We sat back and struck up a comfortable conversation. After a couple of hours, I realized that the party had died down and people had taken off. Those left had congregated around the fire. I looked around and my eyes fell on Mina lying in Chloe’s lap asleep. Max was sitting between Chloe and Roni- I think that’s her name. Both girls had their head on his shoulder, his arms around them. He caught me looking at him.
"Jealous, Mackey?" He laughed loudly.
"Definitely, Gallagher." I laughed back, shaking my head. I looked down at my watch; it was passed two in the morning.
"Hey Max, you ready to get going?" He looked down at Roni then nodded.
"Ready, Oliver?"
He nodded.
I walked over to Max to help with the girls. Chloe stood up slowly and wobbly.
"Can you walk?"
She nodded, but took one step and started to fall. I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up bridal style. From the moment I held her, there was instant warmth that seemed to radiate from her through my arms and throughout my body. I had never felt anything like it before.
"Ready?" Max broke me out of my trance. I noticed that he was holding Roni.
"What about Mina?" I looked back.
"I got her," Oliver stood with my sister in his arms. The look on his face made me cringe. I’m gonna have to have a little heart to heart with him. We started heading toward my car, but Christy stopped us.
"Hey, I’m supposed to drive them home." She held Mina’s keys in her hands.
"Okay, how about you follow us?"
"Okay." She ran ahead and opened the doors to Mina’s car.
I placed Chloe in the back seat and Oliver put Mina in the passenger seat. I looked at Max who was taking Roni to my car with him. I smirked and headed to my car.
When we arrived at my house, Christy handed me Mina’s keys and headed next door. Max was carrying Roni into the house when I met Oliver at the car. He was about to open the door for the back seat.
"I’ve got her," I said a little too quickly, he shrugged and walked around to get Mina.
I had to see if the electricity happened again, if the current that seemed to be flowing between us was a one-time thin
g. I could feel the tension, the pull, from just being close to her. Just as my hand grazed her arm, the heat seemed to intensify. Maybe I was just expecting it, hell, maybe I was hallucinating it. But, there was something about her, something between us, that I couldn’t quite figure it out.
We took the girls up to Mina’s room, placing them on her bed. I took Chloe’s hat off and tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear.
She really has grown up.
"I don’t want to shop…Mina…." She mumbled.
So, Chloe still talks in her sleep. I smiled and left Mina’s room, my mind still reeling over how I felt when I touched her.
Chapter Four
High School the End Part II
Chloe
I woke up between Mina and Roni. I couldn’t remember how we got there exactly but prayed that Christy had driven us home like we planned. I tried to move, but Mina had her arm around my waist, spooning me. It wasn’t the first time we had woken up this way and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last. I patted my pockets and found my phone to check the time. It was almost one in the afternoon. I moved Mina’s arm and climbed over Roni.
"Just five more minutes…" Roni mumbled and covered her head with a pillow. I stifled a giggle and headed into Mina’s bathroom.
I jumped into the shower to wash the fire smell and sand away. After drying off and combing out my hair, I headed to the dresser drawer that Mina kept some clothes in for Roni and me. I put on a pair of gray cotton shorts that were a little short for my taste and a white tank top. I pulled I pulled my hair up into a bun at the back of my head, threw on some socks and my running shoes, grabbed my IPod and headed out for my run. After a night of drinking, it was hard to do but I knew that it would help get the alcohol out of my system.
As I walked out of Mina’s room, I heard voices but I didn’t stop to see who it was. I turned on my favorite playlist and started my normal trek around the neighborhood, waving to a few neighbors along the way. I was halfway back to Mina’s when my phone vibrated. It was a text from Mina, I figured she’d still be sleeping.
On your way back yet?
Halfway. I replied.
Well hurry your ass up. U want waffles with us?
Sure. I picked up my pace.
When I got back I headed straight to the kitchen where I could smell breakfast. Mina and Roni were sitting at the breakfast bar watching Elaine cook. I walked up and hugged Mina.
"Ewwww….Chloe! You’re all sweaty. Get off of me!" Mina pushed me back and I laughed. I grabbed her back to me and hugged her tighter. "Yuck. Ew! Stop!"
"Jesus, Mina, can you be any louder?" Leo walked in with Max and his friend on either side of him. Max was wearing his trademark dimpled smile and Leo’s college friend was pretty reserved but smiling at Mina’s behavior.
"Shut it, Leo! It’s not my fault. Chloe won’t stop sweating on me." I laughed and stuck my forehead to her arm. "Oh my God, Chloe. If you don’t stop we are going shopping today!"
I immediately backed off with my arms up in surrender. "Okay, you win." The guys laughed. Mina was wiping herself off with a napkin.
"You know the best way to get rid of sweat, Mina?" Max asked, a devious smirk on his face.
"How, oh wise, Maxamillian?" She rolled her eyes at him. With that, he lifted her out of her seat while she kicked and yelled.
"Settle down, you guys!" Elaine shouted as Max carried Mina to the pool and tossed her in. Roni and I were in tears as Mina’s head popped up from under the water.
"You think this is funny?" She pretended to be mad at all of us.
"They won’t much longer," Max boasted as he shoved me into the pool and went for Roni. He caught her and smiled, pleased with himself. But Roni was just as devious, she snaked her legs around him and pulled him in with her.
Max stood up in the pool, completely shocked. Mina and I were laughing so hard as Roni stood up and flexed jokingly, winking at Max who, in turn, smiled widely.
"I think I’m in love," Max stated with his dimples in full presentation.
"Okay, enough you guys. Go get dried off, breakfast is ready," Elaine shouted from the door.
We climbed out, completely soaked and dripping. Leo grabbed towels from the cabinet Elaine kept outside and tossed one to each of us. As we headed back into the house, Mina and I gave Roni a high-five. Elaine giggled.
After we changed and ate breakfast, we decided to hang out in the living room to watch movies. Mina picked out ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ and put it in. Roni grabbed the oversized chair, Mina spread out on the couch and I curled up on the king sized bean bag chair.
Mina has an obsession with previews and made us watch each one, no matter how long ago the movie came out. After the torture was over, we started the movie. I was comfortably wrapped up in a blanket when I heard Roni shriek. I looked up just as Max picked her up and sat down in her spot, placing her on his lap.
"Ever heard of personal space, Max?" She was trying to get up but he was holding her down.
"I know you like it, so let’s watch the movie," he responded. Roni tried to fight with him but he wouldn’t let up. I laughed and she scowled at me which made me laugh harder.
"Mina, you are too small to take up a whole couch," Leo said to her as he picked her head up and sat down.
"What the hell?" Mina sat up, pausing the movie and looked at Leo. "Go to one of the other rooms. Why are you in here?"
"Because I love you so, so much, baby sis!" He smiled. I stifled my laugh.
"Leo, go to the den or the basement. We were in here first," She pouted.
"I want to watch the movie." He kicked his feet up on the table.
"You can have it after we are done with it," she was pleading now.
"Just press play." He looked over Mina’s head. "Grab a seat, Oliver."
He smiled back at Mina as Oliver sat on the other side of her. Mina huffed and crossed her arms.
"You are such a baby," Leo chuckled.
"I was comfortable until you ruined it," she complained.
"Come down here with me," I shouted.
I turned my head to Mina and noticed Leo looking at me funny. It looked like he was going to say something, but Mina cut him off.
"You’re an ass," she yelled at him and then joined me on the bean bag chair.
We were watching the movie and laughing loudly. Mina and I kept quoting the movie to each other, laughing even harder. Once the movie was finished, Mina and I looked around to see that only Oliver was awake.
I got up and headed to the kitchen for something to drink while Mina headed to the bathroom. I was on my way back to the living room when I saw Mina and Oliver talking in the hallway. I stopped for a moment, not wanting to disturb them. I could only see Oliver’s face, his expression looked like he was completely taken by Mina. Feeling slightly guilty for spying on them, only slightly since I would drill Mina for details later, I went back into the kitchen and grabbed some chips.
I was sitting at the breakfast bar eating chips while I looked through one of Mina’s magazine, when I heard someone enter the kitchen. I assumed it was Mina.
"So, what was that…?" Before I could finish my question, I realized that it was Leo. "Oh. Sorry, I thought you were Mina." I smiled and hopped up to put the chips away and head back to the living room.
"So, Chloe, how’s school?" I turned and Leo was leaning against the counter right behind me.
"Um…good, I guess. How about you?" I shoved the chips onto the shelf and shut the cabinet.
"Good." He was smiling a delicious smile.
"That’s good." It was slightly awkward.
I mean, I obviously knew Leo, but we weren’t really close. I was Mina’s best friend and he was older, so we didn’t travel in the same circles when he lived at home. I smiled and started toward the door, but felt him grip my arm. The moment he touched me it felt like molten lava ran through my body. Caught off guard, I jerked away and looked at him.
"Sorry. I was just going to
…." Before he could finish, Mina came in the room. We both looked at her.
"What?" She looked between the two of us.
"Nothing," I said with a shrug and walked to the living room.
Leo, Max and Oliver all headed back to college on Sunday afternoon. Mina and I were hanging out in my room while she decided what I would wear to school. Every day this week. Since she was determined to dress me for the rest of my life, I decided to work on my laptop, designing a new program for the drafting department at school.
"Chloe, we seriously need to get you better glasses than those." I looked up over the rims of my glasses. "I think that you could look really hot in glasses if you had the right ones."
"The last time I checked, my glasses were for vision improvement not fashion."
"Yeah, but you've grown out of the geeky glasses look, don’t you think?" She winked.
"Are you saying I’m a geek, shrimp?" I chuckled, knowing she hated when I picked on her size.
"You’re just jealous because great things come in the smallest of packages." She smiled widely.
"That’s old. Get a new saying." I pushed my laptop shut and leaned back in my chair.
She looked deep in thought for a moment.
"Okay. I’m not short, I’m space efficient," she smiled again. After that one, I laughed. My laughter cut off when Mina’s phone rang.
She looked at her phone and smiled one of the biggest smiles I have seen on her. I mouthed to her "who is that" but she just continued talking. It only took a couple of words on her part for me to figure out that it was none other than Oliver. I mouthed to her again, "you slut". She silently laughed and covered the phone, turning away from me to continue talking. Her brother is going to kill her, and Oliver for that matter.
~ ~ ~
The final month of school passed and we were all excited for Christy and Roni’s graduation party. They were having a joint party here at our house and we were helping Judith set up everything.
"Can you girls make sure to set out enough ice in the coolers, please? I don’t want to run out. Oh, and make sure the coolers stay out of the sun." Judith had been buzzing around since five o’clock this morning.
Most of the family, along with some friends, had arrived this afternoon. The rest of our school friends would show up later in the evening. K.C. had come home for the summer to work here. Max and Leo had shown up last night to spend a few months of summer here before heading back to school for the next year. Christy was preparing to move in with Randy and start community college. Roni was preparing to leave for college in Seattle, which was going to suck. I knew I was going to miss her.
All Grown Up Page 3
