The taxi pulled up outside the apartment building, I pulled my bags from out of the trunk. I stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the building. I pulled my bags along behind me over to the front door. I pressed the buzzer on number seven and waited for the response.
"Who is it?" His familiar voice spoke through the speaker
"Let me in grumpy" I replied, the buzzer sounded opening the second door. I pushed it open and grabbed my bags, pulling them through the door with me.
I walked through the hall until I reached number seven, the door was open and he stood there with his arms crossed. I dropped my bags on the floor beside me.
"Is that the way you greet your little sister?" I asked imitating him by folding my arms across my chest.
He looked at me for a brief moment then stepped to the side.
"Come in" He said, I reached down to pick up my bags.
"Leave the bags, I'll get them" He said then walked past me as I walked inside, He grabbed the bags and dropped them beside the door as he closed it behind him with his foot. I turned round to look at him.
He looked at me and then down at my bags.
He stared at them for a few minutes then looked back at me.
"How long you back for?" He asked
"Back for good" I said smiling slightly.
"But, I promise in a couple of weeks I'll be out of your hair" I said stepping forward and reaching up on my tiptoes I ruffled his hair. I dropped back onto the balls of my feet and looked at him. He straightened his hair.
I smiled gently
He looked at me a smile playing on the corners of his mouth.
"You can stay as long as you need" He said breathing out
"You can use my room, and I'll sleep in here" He said pointing to the sofa
"Thanks Becker" I smiled
He pulled me forwards and wrapped his arms around me.
"It's good to see you again Jo jo" He said then held me at arms length.
"It's Jo, just Jo" I said still smiling
"You'll always be Jo Jo to me" He said then turned round to grab my bags.
He carried them over to his room, disappearing for a few minutes.
He came back holding his phone to his ear.
"You hungry?" He asked
I nodded.
"I'm ordering Chinese" He said then walked over to the fridge as he began speaking down the phone.
"Want one?" He said as he hung up the phone, and holding out a beer.
"You got any coke?" I asked as I stood by the breakfast bar.
He went back into the fridge, turned back to me and handed me a can.
"Last one, I'll get some more after work" He told me closing the fridge and opening his bottle of beer.
"You're still working for..." I started
"The government" He finished
"Yes I am" He said walking round to the sofa.
I walked over to the sofa and sat down beside him.
"So... How was Uni?" He asked, resting back into the sofa
"Finished with a 2.1 in Medical history and a 2.1 in mythology and folk law." I said
"That all" He laughed
"And a 2.2 in History through the ages" I said nudging him lightly.
"Well...I'm proud to have such a brainy sister" He said with a smile playing on his lips. He reached over and ruffled my hair. I hit his arm away and sorted my hair out just as the door buzzed.
Becker got up to answer it, a minute later he opened the door and paid for the Chinese take away, he closed the door then walked over to the sofa, putting the bag down on the coffee table before walking over to the kitchen, grabbing two plates and two sets of cutlery before joining me back at the sofa.
"Hey Hilary?" I asked using his first name
"Jo jo" he said looking at me, his eyebrows pulled down.
"Sorry I've been out of touch for so long" I said smiling gently
"Don't worry, and Jo call me Becker ok" He said a smile lifting at the corners of his mouth.
"Why?" I asked
"Everyone calls me Becker" He said
"I'm not everyone, I'm your sister" I said
"Jo" He said
"Fine" I said giving in, but I planned to call him Hilary again.
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"I gotta go to work, I'll see you when I get back ok" He said pushing himself up from the sofa, he leant over and kissed the top of my head then headed for the door.
I grabbed the plates and rubbish from the table as the door closed and headed over to the kitchen. I threw the rubbish away and then began to wash up the dishes. I dried them and put them away before heading back to the sofa. I grabbed my can of coke and finished off the last of it.
I walked over to the bedroom and grabbed my bag pulling out a set of clean clothes, I had the smell of being stuck in a taxi for a long time, not to mention the smell of chinese too. I headed into the bathroom, leaving the clothes on the bed. I turned the shower on and slipped out of my clothes and stepped into the warm soapy shower, letting the water run down my body.
Once I felt clean, I climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself, and walked back into the bed and began to dry off. I pulled on my clean underwear and tank top with the words 'I get what I want' printed across it, I then pulled on a pair of jeans. I zipped up my bag and dropped it back on the floor again. I ran a towel through my hair trying to dry it. My phone buzzed on the table next to me.
"Hey Becker" I said