I stood over the stove making Naruto and I some breakfast. It was Saturday and I was thrilled because my older brother was supposed to visit us this weekend. He was supposed to be here last night, but he got delayed and I stayed up most of the night texting Naruto about how excited I was. I loved Tyler so much and I hadn't spoken to him face to face in a few years. I used to send him a lot of e-mails, but he never really got the chance to respond to them, so I guess I just gave up. I invited Naruto over, and he was sitting in a kitchen chair half asleep.
I loudly set the plate of eggs in front of him and he snaps awake and happily looks down to the plate. The two of us eat, but I'm so excited about getting to see Tyler again, I only eat half of it.
He was running late again, and I had been informed that he would have to be here before seven because the whole family was going to meet with the family of a co-worker of my fathers. I had seen and met him before, and he was fairly nice. I didn't know much about him though, but apparently Tyler had gone to school with him back when I was either not born, or too young to remember when we lived here before.
Naruto had decided to try and keep my mind off my brother's absence by going to the mall and getting a soda-pop or something. I fall into the bench just outside, drink in hand and Naruto sits next to me. I close my eyes and lean back. It was hot out, so I pressed the cool plastic cup to my forehead. It had been a few moments and Naruto hadn't said anything. I open one eye to glance over to him. He was looking the other direction. I pull the cup off my forehead and take a sip.
"Good drink."
"Hm, I agree." It wasn't Naruto's voice, so I carefully turned around, expecting some Hobo or something. Instead I meet the deep cinnamon eyes and black hair of my older brother.
"OH MY GOD!" I jump onto the bench and wrap myself around him. He chuckles, but hugs me super tight. Pulling me over the back of the bench, he sets me on the ground and ruffles my hair.
"Tyler, how long did you plan to keep me waiting!" I punch his stomach, which was still firm as ever, and smile at him.
"Not forever, Blue Jay." I blush at the old nick-name. I used to be obsessed with the color blue, and so he combined it with my name. "Whose your friend?" Hiss glance flicks over to Naruto, who was watching the whole thing but, surprisingly, said nothing.
"Oh, Naruto, this is Tyler; Tyler Naruto." They shake hands and Tyler watches Naruto.
"I'd be careful, we might be family one day." I, of course, knew that Tyler still thought Naruto was my best friend and was simply picking fun at the fact that everyone thought we were together. But Naruto, being the loveable idiot he is, didn't pick up on that.
"Well, we might be together, but there's a lot of life left."
"Together?"
"Yeah, your sister is my number one girl!" Naruto smiles, and Tyler just turns to me.
"Oh really?" I could die.
"I said I was sorry!"
"How is that not something that would come up? Suddenly you don't think it's important to mention that your former best friend is your boyfriend!" I cringe at the word. 'Boyfriend', it made me shudder, I didn't like it, for some reason.
"You never respond to my E-mails!" I knew, he was really busy with his extra education in the armed forces, but I never got to hear from him.
"It doesn't mean I don't read them!"
"Can we just get ready for this dinner! Mom and Dad are already there probably, along with everyone else." I walk out of the kitchen to my room to slip into my white dress that Dad had politely asked me to wear. Politely meaning almost demanding. After I finish, I brush out my hair and throw my jeans and tee into the hamper. I walk outside, not wanting to wear the strappy heels until I had to, and get in Tyler's car. It was a sleek black one, and I felt important just for sitting in it. Later he walks out wearing black pants, a white shirt and a tie. He hops in and starts the car. Halfway through the ride, he says something.
"I still look out for you, so anything important, I'd like to know, okay?" He glances over to me, and I just smile.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I guarantee, it won't happen again."
"I would hug you, but I'm driving…"
"The feeling is there." We pull into a parking space for the restaurant, and I bend down to put on my heels. I hated the things, but they went well with the outfit. Tyler opens the car door, waiting.
"For crissakes! Give me the damn things!" He slips them onto my feet and straps them up and reaches out a hand for me to take.
"What am I, five?"
"You might as well be." Both of us shut up, as we approach our parents and company. Itachi looked formal as always, and his parents didn't look old, but had a certain presence. I smile and try to seem as proper as I can, but it was difficult because I was, well, me.
"How nice of you to finally join us." Itachi looks to greet us and I just smile apologetically.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Itachi, you look well." Tyler reaches out a hand and Itachi firmly grips it.
"As do you. My parents." Itachi gestures to the man and woman behind him and they softly smile to acknowledge our presence. "You'll have to excuse my brother, he had some, business of his own to tend to."
"Brother?" I must have sounded dumb asking the question, but I didn't know much about Itachi, and the fact that he had a brother was a surprise to me.
"Yes, I'm sorry I never mentioned it to you. You two are about the same age, and you go to school with him. He never talks about me much, but I've some, interesting, things about you." Itachi smiles, almost slyly and I can help but feel nervous.
How could I have not known he had a brother! And his bro goes to SCHOOL with me! I feel like the biggest idiot in the world, but soon enough people's attention is diverted away from me, and to someone else.
"Ah, I see you've finally come back." Itachi steps a little to the left and gives me full view of his 'brother', I could die right there.
"Sasuke, you've kept us waiting for a bit now." His mother addresses him and Sasuke takes a look up from his feet. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, a red tie and black dress pants. He looked nice but his expression changed as soon as he saw me.
"You…" We both said at the same time causing both groups of parents to look confused while our 'brothers' just smiled slyly, because each knew something no one else did.
It was set that Sasuke and I sat next to each other and while we both looked fine on the outside, we were going crazy on the inside. I occasionally kicked his shins under the table, and he would throw a quick glare my way to say, "knock it off!" and I would counter with a, 'who me?' face to which he would give up on and act as if nothing had happened. The dinner was mostly quiet involving Sasuke and I, and no one paid us much attention so our, exchanges, went mostly un-noticed. Mostly, Itachi and Tyler looked to us occasionally and saw our silent conversation, but left it alone. I got sick of just sitting at the table next to the Bain of my existence, so I stood up.
"I'll be right back, I need to use the powder room." I smile politely at everyone and am fully contented, until I hear the chair next to me squeak out and Sasuke stand up.
"I'll escort her." I didn't think it possible, but he actually, smiled. Not a little smirk, or an awkward curve, but a completely natural looking smile that was spread throughout his face. It showed respect to everyone else at the table and for a second I forgot what was going on. I blinked and smiled back to Sasuke. Setting a hand on his shoulder he looks to me, the smile slightly lost.
"I, don't think that will be necessary, But thank you, for the concern." And just like that, our pointless competition was resumed.
"Oh," He picks up my hand and cradles it between his own. "But I insist."
"That's very nice of you," I pull my hand away." But I'm quite capable of navigating myself."
"But this place can be confusing occasionally, and I'm more familiar with it."
"Oh, believe me, I can take care, of myself."
"But, a lady such as yourself should go nowhere without fine accompaniment, for fear someone may think she was incapable of acquiring such." Okay, I had to admit, he was pretty good. Although, I wouldn't give up so easily, so I would play his game right back.
"But Sasuke, I shouldn't deserve such accompaniment as you, for fear that others may get the wrong impression. What with your, what's the proper word here," Sasuke looks at me, almost pleading me. Saying 'Don't do it, please, don't say it.' I almost fell for it. "Hoard, of girls who would simply die if they thought you were taken." Sasuke's expression changed to one of shock and I caught his parents looks, as if this was the first time they had heard about it. After a few moments of dead silence for our group, Sasuke glares softly once again and closes his eyes to calm down. I didn't quite understand what I had done. He opened his eyes again and stood firm and tall, like a dignitary.
"But I insist." He wouldn't give up! After a face like THAT!
"And I decline." Sasuke must have snapped because without further warning he grabbed my hand and began to lead me away from the table. I would have shouted obscenities at him, but I was simply to shocked to say or do much of anything. He pulled me into the hall that led to the restrooms and looked as if he were about to rip my head off.
"What, the, hell?"
"Did I say something wrong?" I glared back.
"You, knew. That was the one thing, I kept from them. The one thing, that they didn't know, and I had planned to keep it that way, but now…" He looked really mad and inside, I was pretty scared, but I wouldn't show it, I wouldn't let him win. "now it's ruined. That wasn't something I was proud of and I didn't want it affecting my parents viewpoint of me!"
"Their viewpoint?" I knew nothing about Sasuke's home life, and I suppose I had always assumed he was privileged and allowed to go where he wanted, and do what he pleased without worry that his parents may not approve. I didn't know, it was the opposite.
"Because I'm the second child, I have to be better than the first; I have to learn from the mistakes; I have to make my parents more proud than he had: I have, a responsibility. But little-miss-doesn't-get-it, had to shatter a part of the miniscule amount of respect they actually had for me!" I, actually feel kind of bad now. If only I had known maybe I wouldn't seem like such an ass.
"I-I, didn't know."