New Character #5-6: Jenna, Nathan

"Nathan!"

Jenna banged on the door belonging to her half-brother using her fists. It was close to noon already and he had an interview to go to in two hours, but of course he had stayed up last night partying with some friends and was now most likely very hungover.

"Nathan!" she shouted again. "Nathan, get your ass out of bed right now! You have..."

The door opened so suddenly that she nearly hit the Latino-looking guy who had opened it in the face.

"Hi", he said with a lopsided grin. Jenna blinked, then groaned in realization.

"Nathan", she called past the unknown guy, "up, now!"

Her brother showed up behind the Latino guy with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, sis", he said, "meet Tony."

Jenna glared at him.

"Say goodbye and go take a shower", she ordered.

"Can't I do it the other way round?" Nathan asked, still grinning. Jenna just kept glaring at him until he shrugged.

"Fine. Tony, it seems my sister is intent on pulling us apart and parting is such sweet sorrow."

Tony chuckled. He seemed just as carefree as Nathan, one who did not care if a steamy night ended with a simple goodbye with no promises of ever meeting again. Jenna could not understand how anyone could act like that and she was constantly worried that her brother would eventually meet someone he really liked but have his heart broken because of his reckless behaviour.

Tony was whistling while he got dressed. Jenna knew that it was him because Nathan could not whistle. That was one of the few things she felt she had learned about him during the two years they had lived together. Before that she had not even known that he existed.

The two of them shared a father. Jenna had never met him because he had left her mother not long after she had become pregnant with Jenna. Her mother had never liked to talk about him and Jenna had not even bothered to learn his name. Then, about two years ago, right after she had started studying ancient history full-time, she got a message from a woman in England. She revealed that she was the woman whom Jenna's father had met when he left. He had then left her as well shortly after she became pregnant with Nathan. At this point Nathan was an amateur model in Britain, but sought to make a career in the US. His mother had somehow tracked down Jenna and asked her for help, and Jenna had decided to let her newfound brother stay with her in her new apartment in New York until he found his own place.

This arrangement was still there two years later and while Jenna poured herself a cup of coffee she wondered if Nathan was even trying to find somewhere else to live. He did the occasional modelling job and they had apparently started to pay off, since he now paid a bigger part of the rent, which Jenna had not even suggested. Most of the time she did not mind him staying with her, mind, but at times like these, when he acted irresponsibly, she could not wait to have the apartment to herself again.

Tony called a cheerful goodbye to her before he left and she heard how the water in the shower started running, meaning Nathan would soon be out in more clothes than just a pair of boxer shorts. He was never one to linger in the shower, unlike Jenna who could hardly get enough of it.

A few minutes later he came out into the kitchen, combing his still wet, dark-blonde hair back out of his face. The hair-colour was one of the few things they shared.

"Well", he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the sink, "that was an eventful night."

"I don't want details", Jenna sharply pointed out from where she sat by the table, causing Nathan to grin.

"Sis, don't worry about me. I've managed on my own for years; I know how to handle an interview."

Jenna sighed. That was true; Nathan had impressed everyone during his past interviews and the only reason he had not been offered a job was that, prior to this, he had only modelled. At the moment that did not seem to matter much, though, since local modelling agencies had started to notice him.

"So who's Tony?" Jenna asked. Nathan laughed.

"You're asking me about the people I sleep with now?" he asked. "Jealous?"

"You know what I mean."

Nathan shrugged, still grinning, and placed his now empty cup in the sink.

"A guy I met last night on Broadway."

"What were you..."

"I like musicals", Nathan replied before she had finished her question. "Isn't that what gays are supposed to like?"

The bitterness in his voice startled her. Nathan was openly bisexual, but seemed more drawn to men than women, and ever since she met him he had seemed so confident and secure in his sexuality. She was ashamed to admit that she had never even considered how he had been treated by others when growing up.

"I just didn't know you did", she said and looked away. "I love musicals, but I never thought to ask you if you did, or if you might want to go watch one together one day. I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence before Nathan sighed.

"I didn't mean to say..." he begun, then paused and cleared his throat. "Look, Jenna, I know that we haven't had an easy time together these two years and I feel like I hardly know you. My own sister and you're a stranger to me, and, I suspect, vice versa."

Jenna looked up at him and saw the kind, caring smile that he rarely dared to use in public. He often showed it when he was talking to his mother back in Britain and, occasionally, with her. It was one that made it possible to look past the cocky, confident model and see who her real brother was.

"How about", he said, "after my interview today, we spend some time together? I walked past a brand new café yesterday that I think you'll love."

"How do you know that?" Jenna asked with a small smile. Nathan smiled back.

"Because among all your history books you also have a lot of fairytale books in here", he said, "and this place has a fairytale theme. The Enchanted Forest."