Unleashed

My Brother the Jerk

“Anna!” was the first thing that I heard when I got out the car.

“Charlotte, I told you that you didn’t need to come.” I said as I grabbed my bag and closed the car door.

“You were in an accident, and you expected me not to come?”

Walking past me, my dad laid a hand on my shoulder as he says, “Why don’t you two finish this in the house were its warm.” Looking past Charlotte my dad says, “I take it you’re staying over?”

Following my dad’s gaze I spotted Charlotte overnight duffle.

“Oh course Mr. A. I can’t just leave my best friend after something so traumatic like this happened.”

My dad stared at her for a minute as I said, “Aunt Jamie just showed up didn’t she?”

Turning around grabbing her bag Charlotte sighs with annoyance as she says, “Yes! And she’s planning on staying tonight, so I’ll be out your hair tomorrow.”

Taking her bag Dad says, “Stay as long as you like. You know our doors are always open for you.”

“Don’t play with me Mr. A, you know if I take you seriously I would never leave.”

“As if you leave now, you already have a key.” I smile as I bump her and head into the house.

“Don’t act like you don’t want me. You love me.” She states.

“Kind of hard not to.” I smiled as we walked into the house.

“Oh Annabelle.” Says my mom as soon as I walk into the house.

“I’m fine mom.” I say as she hugs me.

Giving me a squeeze she says, “What happen?”

“Faulty staging.” Says my dad as he pulls off his jacket.

“Faulty staging? Didn’t they inspect it before they opened that part to the public?”

“They did, apparently the inspector missed something.”

Looking at me my mom pushes my hair behind my ear as she says, “I’m just so happy you’re okay.”

I smile, “So am I.” As my mom steps back she says something about ordering takeout since she was to shaken up, about my fall to cook. Daniel came in a little while later insisting that it was Harry’s fault, but finally backed down after dad told him it couldn’t have been him. Upon receiving our Chinese and after sweet talking my dad into making his famous creamy milkshakes for desert, Charlotte and I retreated up to my room, leaving the mess that happened earlier alone.

“So what aren’t you telling me.” Says Charlotte as soon as we were in my room with the door closed.

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I flopped on my bed.

“I’m talking about what aren’t you telling me, about what happened tonight? It’s obvious that you are holding something back.”

“I’m not, I told you and I told them everything. The stands were wobbly and when I went to head down something snapped and it all began collapsing.”

“Mm hmm.” She says as pops a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

Looking down into my container of rice I pushed it side to side as I look up at her staring at me, “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” she says.

“Like I’m,”

“Lying?” she offers.