The light is blinding from my bedroom window. I squint into the brightness, letting out a groan before I turn onto my stomach. Last nights events seep in slowly, and as my brain begins to process them I heave out a frustrated sigh.

My sister was a maniac last night. She and Maya actually left with Mark to go to an after party. Mark of all people, who was literally the worst possible person to choose. He was just talking at practice about how he wanted to find a girl to sleep with this weekend, and I swear if he so much as laid a finger on Maddie or Maya then I'll kill him.

I don't even know if Maddie got home okay, and the thought suddenly bothers me. Our parents are supposed to be coming home soon, so I quickly get out of bed and go down the hallway to her room. Cracking the door open slightly, Maddie is passed out on her bed, textbooks surrounding her.

She actually tried to study while being drunk, and I can't help but laugh. Maybe I got too worked up about her being at the party last night. Maddie isn't like me. She isn't going to change for anyone, and a part of me is jealous of her for that.

I let her sleep and go downstairs to the living room. Cameron is already up playing video games on the couch. He'll probably go home at some point today, but I'd never force him to. After his mom passed a few years back his dad is almost never home. He's always on business trips, and since Cameron is an only child he's by himself a lot. I'd never tell him to leave. Ninety percent of the time he's at my house, and I wouldn't change that for anything. He's my brother.

"Hey!" He grins widely and pats the seat beside him. "We never got the chance to talk last night because of the whole Maddie drama, but how was it? How was Jennifer?"

I shrug and grab the other controller before I plop down beside him. Word will probably get out that I didn't follow through so I say, "I wasn't really feeling it."

"Seriously?" He arches a brow, shaking his head in disbelief. "Jennifer is hot as fuck. How were you not feeling it?"

"I don't know, she was just rushing things I guess. Like she wasn't taking her time with it."

"Ethan, it's called a quickie." He jokes. "What were you expecting? The bedroom to be filled with roses and candles?"

I try to punch him on the shoulder, letting out a laugh when he dodges the hit and throws his hands up in defeat. "I'm just saying!" He exclaims. "But if you really didn't like it then just talk to her about it. Let her know that you want to make sweet, sweet love to her."

He holds his laugh in as long as possible, but he completely loses it when I roll my eyes and sink back into the couch. He doesn't understand. It's not his fault that he doesn't understand since I've been lying to him about being a virgin, but still.

"Shut up." I end up mumbling. "And why are you in such a good fucking mood anyways? You're normally miserable in the morning."

He shrugs and starts a game up, trying to hide the smile on his face, but he's failing to. "I just had a good night is all."

"With Kelsey?" I wrinkle my nose up. "You like her?"

"I don't like anyone." He corrects, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes again. God forbid the man lets himself have feelings for someone. "But... yes." He hesitates. "Kelsey made my night much better."

We're interrupted when Maddie comes into the kitchen. She opens up the fridge to grab the orange juice as Cameron says, "good morning." And then he smiles at her. He actually smiles. I don't think I've seen him smile at her since we were in middle school, and for a second I think I'm in an alternate universe of some sort.

"Good morning." She replies, and then she smiles back!

What the hell?

"Okay, did I miss something?" I ask in confusion. "Don't you guys hate each other?"

Cameron pauses the game and goes into the kitchen to get himself a glass of orange juice too, completely shirtless. He's gotten so muscular since high school it's ridiculous. He used to be scrawny, nothing but a string bean, but now he's got a full on eight-pack. I mean, I'm not fat by any means, but I'm not cut like him. I don't have the passion to workout like he does.

"Maddie and I are friends again." Cameron announces. "We came to an understanding last night. I think the hate streak has been going on long enough. Don't you?"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss us all hanging out together, but I'd love to know what this conversation consisted of.

"I mean... I guess?" I ask, completely and utterly confused still. It does mean a lot though that he made up with Maddie. Despite how much she tried to hide it, losing Cameron as one of her best friends definitely took a toll on her. It's nice to see her happy again.

Maybe, just maybe things can finally get back to how they used to be.

________

The following morning at school there was a rumor going around that Cameron had completely lost his shit on Mark during first period. I didn't believe it myself, but then I saw his black eye during gym, shining and prominent.

So on the way to lunch I quickly found Cameron, pulling him by the sleeve of his sweatshirt into the hallway before we got inside the cafeteria. "You punched Mark?" I ask. "What the hell for? Are you crazy?"

He lets out a deep breath and looks around us, lowering his voice before he says, "he was saying some messed up shit about Maddie. I was sticking up for her."

"Messed up shit like what?" I seethe, and in seconds the blood starts to boil under my skin. "What happened Saturday night? Did he do something to her? I swear to god I'll-"

"It doesn't matter." Cameron mutters. "I handled it. It's fine."

"But you didn't have to handle it." I add. "I'm her brother, Cameron, and the last thing we need is for you to get suspended or something and not be able to play. We might actually make it to states this year because of you."

"Ethan, you act like you're not an incredible ass player. You guys would win with or without me. It's fine though. Mark knows that the entire team would hate him if he snitched."

Yeah right. He knows just as well as I do that we wouldn't have a shot at hell without him. Our school hasn't made it this far in almost twenty years. Cameron is like a mini football prodigy and he knows it. He's just being modest.

He's got a point though about Mark keeping quiet, and honestly I appreciate the fact that he has Maddie's back. Mark is nothing but a tool, and I pray that Maddie can see through his bullshit. Otherwise I'll have to intervene like Cameron did, and I really would prefer not to.

"Well, thanks." I tell him, and from the look on his face it seems like he didn't expect me to react this way.

"Um, you're welcome." He says, and then he lets out another one of his cocky laughs as we head into the cafeteria. "Any excuse to punch Mark and I'll take it."

A/N:

Omg I almost forgot to update (ty to someone posting on my wall to remind me) lmao

Oops

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