The Art of Faking Straight

Chapter Eight

After picking up Kyle, Kayla, and Lilly, I decide we can get a quick ice-cream before I take them home. Lilly and Kayla love Friday night treats, but Kyle's in that phase where he hates the world so he always fusses about it.

It'll kill at least thirty minutes of my night, which beats going directly home. I don't see the big deal.

"Do we really have to go?" he questions, his mood is already grumpy, but I don't see how anyone can be in a bad mood knowing that they don't have to go back to hell for two full days.

"Yes, we really do," I happily reply, then turn right to head to Frankie's, which is best known for their ice-cream and their burgers. In my opinion, they beat all competition out simply by how fast their workers are. I hate going to restaurants and before I get my food I have to wait an hour for a lousy undercooked burger. That's just pathetic.

Frankie's is different though, they know what they're doing for it's one of the oldest restaurants in the city. It's usually full of teens on the weekends, but this soon after school's out? I doubt anyone will be there, there's no need for Kyle to worry.

"This is bull shit," he says, and I'm honestly a bit shocked. Did he just swear at me? No, I must have imagined that, he doesn't swear. I mean, since when does my brother swear?

My little brother doesn't swear. That was for me to do. He's thirteen, where would he even find the need to swear? If Mom ever heard him cuss, she'd die, honestly, she hates when anyone swears, but Kyle? He's Mom's baby, especially since we all know he's been going through a phase lately, and not one any of us is too proud of.

"Watch your mouth, you know Mom would flip out if she heard you talking like that," I tell him.

He shrugs off my comment, then continues to complain. "What if one of my friends sees me with all of you?"

I know his comment isn't meant to be directly hurtful, but it still irritates the hell out of me. Who does he think he is? God? Big deal if he occasionally ate an ice-cream cone with his family? Would they suddenly begin to hate him for it? No, he needs to get real.

"No one's going to see you," I tell him as we wait at a red light. My voice is strained, but I keep my cool, I can't be a complete prick to him. I'm his older brother, I'm supposed to be the one he looks up to.

I turn around to look at his face directly, rather than using the review mirror, and smile at the sight. Lilly and Kayla are both already asleep in their seats. I remember the days when I could fall asleep so easily, not it seems I never get sleep. "Fine, you and I'll just go through Braum's drive-through, because I do want a cone of vanilla."

Kyle grunts in response, and I turn around to go to Braum's instead. I don't mind, but Frankie's certainly has the better ice-cream.

Kyle and I ride in silence most of the way there, and then once we are there, he doesn't even get anything. He just shrugs his shoulders when I ask what he wants, so I don't get him anything. I start to drive off, and then he yells.

I turn around fully in my seat, ice-cream cone in one hand, the other flying around aimlessly as I try to cover his mouth. He's going to wake up the girls!

"Shh," I tell him, nodding my head at the girls sleeping alongside him. "What?"

My question comes out more like a hiss, but I'm at the point where I don't really care. Kyle always has to be difficult.

"I wanted some ice-cream, obviously," he says narrowing his eyes. Apparently I'm not the only one enraged at the moment.

"You're always a pain in the ass," I mumble, then make a sharp turn to go back through the drive-through.