Chapter 2

I hung out in Sam's room most of the time. Sam's my cooler older brother and I respect him always. Sam was looking around his room for something. I sat on his bed.

"Alright, Chick. I got the car. Now I need the girl," he said.

"So how are you going to do that?" I asked. He threw me his car keys. I caught them and he sat at his computer checking his eBay page.

"I need money to take the girl out is what I need," he said. He clicked something. "Zero bids."

"Does anyone really want to buy those stupid glasses?" I asked.

He ignored me. "Great. Broke."

I chuckled. "Doesn't Mojo need to take hi pain pills again?"

"That's exactly what I was going to say. Mojo!" He called.

The little Chihuahua came limping into the room. He jumped up on my legs, licking my hands. "Hey, there, Mojo. Go to Sammy," I said.

He barked and ran over to Sam, skidding to a stop.

I didn't even know where Sam was, but I could here him talking to himself. "Nothing. You know, just driving my car. Driving my car." He said loudly.

He came out of his bathroom with Mojo's pain meds. The dog was sitting on Sam's desk. "It's like clockwork," he said. He looked at the dog. "Alright, I know you get wasted in these things, but if you piss in my bed again, you're sleeping outside. Okay?" He fed Mojo one pill. "That's it for today. No more. Crackhead."

"Do you always talk to yourself? You could have a normal conversation," I said.

"I am. I'm talking with my dog," he replied.

"No, you're talking. He's ignoring everything you say because he doesn't understand English."

"Do you want to come with me, or are you just staying here?" Sam asked. "Give me my keys."

"Alright, alright," I said. I tossed them up and followed Sam outside. He walked on the grass and I followed him. As soon as we stepped down dad spoke up.

"Oh, kids. I do not like footprints on my grass," Dad said.

"What foot... There's no footprints," Sam argued.

"That's why I built my path. So why don't you go from my grass onto my path, okay?" Dad asked.

"It's family grass, dad," Sam said, moving to the path. I quickly followed.

"Well, when you own your own grass, you'll understand," Dad said.

"I can't do this anymore," I said to mom.

"What?" She asked.

Sam chimed in. "You're putting girl jewelry on a boy dog, mom. He's got enough self-esteem issues as a Chihuahua."

"That's his bling," Mom said.

"No..." I said.

"I want you both home at eleven o'clock!" She yelled.

Sam got in the driver's seat of his faded painted Camaro. I got in the passengers seat in the front.

"Yep!" I yelled. I shut the door and Sam did too.

"Please, for the love of God, drive safely," our mother said.

"Heard it all before, Mom," Sam whispered to me.

I laughed and looked for a seatbelt. "I think we should invest in a seatbelt or two..."

"We? Now you're helping me with my investment problems?" Sam asked.

"I was just..." I cleared my throat. "No..."

"Good," Sam said.

I looked out the window as Sam started the car. A whole bunch of exhaust came out and Sam started driving.

"We have to pick up my friend," Sam said.

"Friend?" I asked. "You actually have friends?"

Sam looked at me in disbelief. "You're joking, right?" He asked. "Tell me you're joking."

"Hey, it seems to me that I'm your little sister and I am doing better in life than you are," I said.

"Haha, very funny, Miss I'm-Always-Alone-At-Lunch-Because-I'm-Too-Smart-For-Everyone," Sam said.

"For real? That's what you say to me?" I asked. "It's not fun being the youngest in the class and being the smartest out of all the dimwits in our class."

"Are you calling me stupid too?" Sam asked.

"You looked stupid up at the front of the class today! You practically embarrassed Archibald Witwicky," I said.

"It didn't go as planned," Sam said.

"Clearly," I said.

Sam just kept driving in silence when we arrived at his friend's house. "Hey, Miles!" Sam yelled.

"Dude!" Miles yelled. "You got the car!"

"I got the car. Get in, we're going to a party," Sam said.

Miles hopped inside, making me slide into the back. Sam drove off towards the lake.

"Are you sure we're invited to this party?" Miles asked.

"Of course, Miles. It's a lake. Public property," Sam said, driving to the parking lot near the lake.

He parked. "Oh, my god, dude. Mikaela's here. Just don't do anything weird, alright?" He jumped out of the car and looked at Miles. "I'm good, right?"

"Yeah, you're good," Miles said.

I followed Sam and sat on the hood of his car. "Good for a garbage bin," I said.

"Okay," Sam said. He walked over to a tree.

I looked over and saw Mikaela and the biggest idiot in town.

"Hey, bro. That car. It's nice. Hey," he said, trying to get Sam's attention. Sam looked back at me then to the tree.

Miles was trying to climb the tree.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" He asked. He was so cool his hat was turned backwards. I'm not sure if he knows which way is forward.

Sam being Sam replied, "We're here to climb this tree."

"I see that. It looks... It looks fun."

"Yeah," Sam said.

"You know, I thought I recognized you. You tried out for the football team last year right?" He asked Sam.

I looked at the ground. 'This is not how it's supposed to go...'

"Oh, no, no, that... No. That wasn't like a real tryout," Sam said. Sam being Sam. "I was researching a book I was writing."

"Oh, yeah?" The pigheaded blond asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied again.

"Yeah? What's it about? Sucking at sports?" He asked.

Sam chuckled. "No, it's about the link between brain damage and football. No, it's a great book. Your friends'll love it too."

This was when I knew Sam was in trouble. I walked over and stood right beside Sam and elbowed him in the ribs.

Sam continued though. "It's got mazes in it and, you know, little colouring areas, sections, pop-up pictures. It's a lot of fun."

"That's funny," the big blond said.

"He's off his meds," I said. "He has no idea what he's saying. We're sorry to bother you." I tugged Sam by his shirt.

The jock started coming towards Sam. I stood in front of him. "You're not gonna hit a girl, are you?" I challenged.

Then I saw Mikaela's curled black hair in front of my face. "Okay, okay. You know what? Stop." She said. She pulled her boyfriend away from Sam and I.

Sam turned to Miles. "You got to get out of the tree right now. Get..." Sam said. "Just get out of the tree right now, please."

Miles flipped himself out of the tree and landed on his feet. He looked at Sam, then to me. "That was fun."

"What are you doing?" Sam asked him.

"Did you see that dismount? All the chicks were watching."

"You're making me look like and idiot. We both looked like idiots just now," Sam said.

"That's because you are," I said to them.

"Ha. Funny," Sam said. "Get in the car."

I climbed through the front seats and sat in the backseat.

Sam was standing outside. He was watching Mikaela walk along the road.

Miles climbed in the window head first. That's when the radio turned on.

'Who's gonna drive you home, tonight?'

"Hey, man. What's wrong with your radio?" Miles asked.

Sam was leaning against the hood of the car. "I'm gonna drive her home tonight," Sam said.

"What?" Miles and I both asked. Miles continued. "She's an evil jock concubine, man. Let her hitchhike."

"She lives ten miles from here, okay? It's my only chance," Sam said. "You got to be understanding here, all right?"

"All right. We'll put her in the back seat with Chick. We'll be quiet."

"Did you say, 'Put her in the back'?" Sam asked.

"I called shotgun," he said.

"I'm not putting her in the back. You both gotta get out of my car," Sam said. "Right now. Both of you."

"What?" I asked.

"That's a party foul! You can't leave us!" Miles said.

"What rules?" Sam asked.

"Bros before hos," Miles said.

"Sisters before misters, Miles," I said.

"Miles, Chick. I'm begging you to get out of my car, okay?"

"You can't do this to us," Miles said.

"You got to get out of my car right now," Sam said. He got in his drivers seat and turned on the car. Miles helped me out of the Camaro and we stood there like hobos for a good five minutes while Sam picked up Mikaela. It was a looong walk, let me tell ya that.

***