Tangled Up In You.

            I round the corner and pull open the screen door to find Mr. Addison standing in front of the stove stirring something. “Hey Mr. A., whatever you’re making smells delicious!” I lean against the island; he turns to grin at me.

            “Thanks, Steven, I’ve been on a Greek food kick lately; this is Pastitsio, meat and macaroni pie! Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?”

            “Do you even have to ask?” I laugh, “I’ll take your cooking over takeout any day.” We chat for a couple minutes, catching up since the last time we saw each other the other day. We both hear stomping above us and share a look.

            “Have fun.” Mr. A. grins again as I push myself away from the counter, my sandals smacking against the floor as I cross it. Glo called in a panic about eight minutes ago, and she knows it only takes four to get from my room to hers. I move up the flight of stairs leading to where Glo and her younger brother, Ryland, each have a bedroom and bathroom. Ryland’s room is closest to the stairs so I pop in to say hello before I go find out what the crisis of the moment is.

            “Hey, Steven, wanna see my new model?” The eleven-year-old looks up excitedly. I agree and take a couple steps closer to where he sits at his desk with wooden pieces laid out in front of him. “It’s gonna be an octopus when it’s finished! I’m just starting on sea creatures, dad told me I had to many so now I only get one when I get an A+ on a test, which is going to be tough, but I think I can do it!”

            I glance across the room at the raised bookshelf along the far wall full of small wooden animals. I’m about to say something when Glo beckons.

            “Steven Thompson! What is taking you so long?!” I hear her stalk out of her room. She storms past us headed to the staircase.

            “Glo, calm down I’m right here,” I call out before she makes it down the first step.

            “Steven! I’ve been waiting for like fifteen minutes!”

            “You have not.”

            “Come on! I need your help!” She ignores me as she grabs onto my arm, pulling me with her.

            “Later, Ry!” I chuckle. “I’m coming, you don’t have to scar me,” I tell her, yanking my arm away from her claws.

            “Yeah yeah,” she tosses over her shoulder as she moves quickly into her room. “I need your help.”

            “You said that already,” I say with a smirk as I kick off my shoes and drop down onto her neatly made bed. I cross my bare ankles and squirm around trying to get comfortable but stop when I hear her groan.

            “Steven, you’re getting my bed all wrinkly!” she whines. “Now please help me!”

            “Always so demanding. What is it today?” I ask as she disappears into her closet.

            I hear her stop moving before she slowly peers around the doorway, grinning as she tells me, “I’ve got a date.”

            “Glory Addison, you’re going on a date? Really?” I ask playing up my astonishment.

            “Shut up,” she rolls her eyes before vanishing back into her closet. “I need you to help me figure out what to wear.”

            “You should wear clothes.”

            “Steven,” she groans and I chuckle again. “Please try to be helpful.”