Song~ Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes

***

I wake up feeling emotionally drained. I'm lightheaded from crying last night and my nose is runny. I slip out of bed with as much enthusiasm as a lazy person doing a triathlon.

Dragging out the process at a painstakingly slow pace, I get dressed and go through my morning routine. I practice a smile in the mirror a few times before joining the world for a new day.

I glance down the hall to see Ainsley's bedroom door is open. Hesitantly, I make my way over.I have to fix what happened between us. After all, we are sisters. We're stuck with each other.

"Ainsley?" I call out sheepishly while knocking on the wooden frame. "Can we talk? Please?"

"Get out," she growls from her desk. Her back is to me.

"Please? I don't like how we ended things last night." I was on the verge of dropping to my knees and begging. I hate when people are mad at me, especially my sisters.

"I said get out!" She yells louder this time. In a flash, she's out of her chair and stomping to the door. She quickly slams it in my face leaving me with my mouth open.

I blink a few times before going downstairs and out the front door for fresh air.

If that's the way she wants to be, then fine. I've tried making my peace. I'll leave her alone for now.

I walk speedily to Mason's house. Once he opens the door, I invite myself in and tell him briefly about Ainsley's and I' exchange last night.

"What would you like me to do about it?" He asks after I finish."How can I help?"

"I don't know, there isn't exactly a lot you can do. Take my mind off it."

"Is that all I am to you? A distraction?" He asks teasingly, although I can detect slight pain in his voice.

"No, you're my go-to. You always know how to cheer me up," I explain.

Satisfied, he says, "Alright, we'll play a good ol' fashioned game of Truth or Dare. Brooklyn get your butt down here!"

"I'm coming!" She hollers.

She makes our way over to us. "What do you want? Oh, hey, Viv."

I smile faintly at her. "Want to play truth or dare?"

She looks deep in thought. I was about to tell her it was a simple yes or no question when she says, "Sure why not. It's been a while."

Brook sits on the ground with her legs tucked under her. Mason and I follow so we are sitting in a triangle of sorts.

"We don't play the typical way. If you want to refuse to answer a question or do a dare, you have to do a shot of Tabasco sauce. Savvy?" Brook explains.

I blink a few times and pull my lips into a tight line. "Did I suddenly go back in time and land on a ship in the Caribbean? What are you? A pirate?"I snicker.

"Just do it." She huffs.

"Alright," Mason claps his hands together. "Who goes first?"

"Vivian, since she's our honored and esteemed guest," Brooklyn answers.

"Mason! " I narrow my eyes mischievously at him. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he scoffs like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I pause for a minute to think about what I want him to do.

"Don't let the power get to your head, Viv," Brooklyn jokes, poking me in the arm.

"Got it!" I cheer with a devious smile. "I dare you to go to your neighbor's house WITH no pants, ring their doorbell, and have a casual conversation with them."

"Isn't exactly how I imagined you asking me to take my pants off, but I'll take what I can get." Mason smirks.

I shoot him a glare. "Just do it without the innuendos."

He undoes his belt and slips off his pants, tossing them onto the chair, before confidently striding out the door.

"Yes, blackmail opportunity!" Brook chuckles. She grabs her phone and follows him out the door. I join her to see Mason next door, leaning on the door post, talking to an elderly lady. She keeps eyeing him up and down with an appalled expression. Meanwhile, Mason is chatting away as if everything is normal.

"That must be so awkward!" I grimace. I would never do that. I'd take my chances with the hot sauce.

Finally, the woman hits him upside the head and turns around to go inside. Mason returns with a smug smirk on his face.

"Next!"He yells, slipping on his pants again.

"Brooklyn, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she answers immediately.

"What was that goat thing Vivian told me you were mumbling about at the wedding?"

My interest peaks. "Oo, do tell."

"Alright, story time with Brooklyn." She cracks her knuckles. "So this one time my friends and I were kind of out of it and by hammered I mean totally out of it. We were at a party a few hours earlier and we were hammered. So my friend, the designated driver, because safety first children, was taking us both home. We were going through the country side when I felt the urge to vomit. She pulled over right next to this goat farm. I ralphed next to the car then got distracted by the goats. They looked so...lonely. Like they wanted me to go to them and play. I thought 'if there's bull riders why can't there be goat riders? I could be the first female goat rider. I bet no one in history has done that!' So I decided to test it out myself. I climbed on one and rode it around, though it didn't go very well. My friends were trying to get me back to the car while I was trying to control the goat. It was trying to get me off and it ran right into their living room by crashing through the screen door. The owner of the house wasn't very happy that there was a goat in her house and started to yell at me, so I took the opportunity to run out the same screen door and back to the car. That is a true story and I feel like Steven Spielberg should direct it if it becomes a movie."

I was rolling on the floor while clutching my stomach. "That's amazing! I can't."

Brooklyn smiles cheekily at me while Mason just shakes his head.

"Vivian," she asks. "Truth or dare?"

"Mmm truth."

"What has been the worst experience of your life?"

I ponder for a minute before speaking. "I would say getting diagnosed and the two open heart surgery, but those are things I've come to deal with. The worst experience, I'd have to say, was when Kat, my best friend, broke down and told me she was getting bullied by this girl named Zoe. I have never seen Kat so upset about something and the fact that Zoe was ruining Kat's life made me angry. Kat's high school experience was ruined because Zoe couldn't keep her mouth shut. But just the fact of knowing my best friend was miserable and the look on her face hurt," I explain thoughtfully. "I don't go to school anymore or else I would defend her. Although, she took a couple swings at me when I saw her at Starbucks like a week ago."

Mason looks pissed. "Has she ever done anything to you?"

I shrug. "Not really. She's spread rumours about me but I'd always just come up with an insult to put her in her place."

"That isn't right."

"That's high school. The people suck." I shrug, trying to get off the uncomfortable topic.

Mason opens his mouth to continue, so I cut him off. "Brooklyn, truth or dare."

She claps her hands together. "Oh! Oh! I'll take dare for $300, please."

"I dare you to dial a random number and have a conversation with them like a soccer mom," I challenge.

She clears her throat and punches in a number on her phone.

"Put it on speaker!" I urge. Mason, on the other hand, doesn't look too thrilled with the idea.

Someone picks it up. They have a deep scratchy voice, possibly from smoking. It's definitely masculine. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sharon! It's Kelly calling. I just wanted to say I had a great time last night at book club! A tale of two cities is a phenomenal book. I'm glad it gave us an opportunity to share dieting tips over a nice glass of chardonnay. Anyway, I was just calling to say I'll have to cancel Pilates tomorrow because of Tommy's soccer game. Maybe next week I'll see you at the PTA meeting?" She adds hopefully.

"Listen, lady, I ain't no Sharon, but if it's exercise you're looking for I think I can help you," his raspy voice tells us. I silently gag.

"Oh my word!" Brooklyn exclaims, feigning shock. I snort while Mason rolls his eyes. I can tell he isn't amused. Jeez, what's got his panties in a twist? Brook continues, "If by exercise, you mean moving on, then yes, you can help me. You wouldn't happen to know Sharon, would you?"

He lets out a deep laugh. "Unless she's a bartender, stripper, or nurse, I don't know no Sharon."

"My my, what an interesting life you live," she says with a mild snobbish tone. "Well I hope the strip club has a good deal on its buffet and on that night, goodnight. I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for in life."

He doesn't say anything. He just hangs up.

"Well, that was interesting," she says, choking back laughter. "Guess I won't be seeing him at the PTA meeting."

I laugh.

"Okay, Mason," Brooklyn says, facing an unimpressed Mason. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Have you ever been cheated on or cheated on someone?" She asks.

He grits his teeth together. "You know the answer to that, Brooklyn."

She looks sheepish which is something I've never seen on Brook's face before. "I know, sorry. It was the first thing I thought of. I thought you told her."

I look between the two siblings, confused. I don't want to say anything because it will make the situation more awkward than it already is. All I do is play with the hem of my shirt and hope someone tells me what's going on.

"I've been cheated on," he reveals. "By my first and last girlfriend."

"I'm sorry," is all I can think of to say.

"She took advantage of me and because I didn't have much experience with girls, I was numb to the way she treated me. She lied to me and I was too blind to see what was going on behind my back. I caught her, literally, in the act. We broke up a year ago."

An uncomfortable silence falls over all of us. I stare at the ground in front of me, not sure what to say in this situation.

"Well at least you don't have to take a shot of Tabasco sauce!" Brook fake cheers in an attempt to cheer him up. Her face falls when she notices no change in his demeanor.

"I'm bored of this game. Vivian, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow," he says. I know he isn't mad at me, but his sudden coldness still hurts. I've never seen him this way. He stands up and briskly leaves the house.

"Wait!" I call after him. I follow him out the door. Just as he's about to open the door, I insert myself between him and the truck.

"I'm not going to be upset you didn't tell me. Frankly, it's none of my business about your past relationships and I won't pry because, let's face it, it's annoying and none of my concern. What she did was a really shitty thing to do. She took advantage of you and no one deserves that. I just want to say, I'm sorry," I huff. I wrap my arms around his neck in a comforting hug.

After a moment, I feel him wrap his arms around me and return the gesture. Internally, I smile.

"Thank you." He pulls back. I step out of the way and let him get into his truck.

He rolls down the window just as he's about to pull out. "You're the complete opposite of her."

"How so?"

"You can actually make me smile," he says simply before driving away.

And for the rest of the day, a smile was plastered on my face.