so I came home early." Xavier's eyes lifted toward Avery for a split second before returning to mine.
I glanced at Avery. She had her bottom lip rolled between her teeth.
"I called you while I was on the road a million times to tell you I was coming home early, but you never answered. What are you doing here? Where've you been?"
Avery let out a loud and annoying huff. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She held it up to my face. My brows shot up.
"This is why I didn't get your calls. My phone won't turn on. My dumb, fucking brothers thought it would be hilarious to paint my iPhone ‘Bama colors while I was sleeping last night. My brand new iPhone, Aid. Not only that, with the help of your brother"—she shot him a murderous glare—"they doused my car in cake flour and eggs. I swear to God, I'm gonna murder them."
She handed me her phone and I looked down. I tried to scratch and flick at the streaks of white and gray paint, but it wouldn't scrape off. There was an ‘A’ painted in crimson on one side, and ‘Roll Tide’ written on the other in what looked like black permanent marker. At seventeen, Avery was a massive Gators fan. She wasn't a huge Bulldogs fan, but she detested Alabama. Georgia and Alabama were rivals of Florida. At least it wasn't Miami colors. No one liked Miami.
I glanced up at my brother, puzzled why he and her brothers would do this. "Really, Xavier? What are you? Ten?" A vein throbbed in the center of his forehead. He tried to stifle his laughter, but he was bursting at the seams like a one-year-old smashing blueberries in his hand as if it was the funniest thing in the world.
"It rained early this morning, Aid," she stated, her feet shifting from one to the other. "Flour was stuck to my car."
When she said stuck, it hit. My jaw dropped, and my eyes popped wide. I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help it. I swung back and slapped my brother in his midsection with the back of my hand. This was a typical senior prank at our high school. Only she wasn't a senior yet and they were just assholes.
"I spent all morning having my baby detailed, inside and out. I got enough off the windows so I could see where I was going, but when I got inside my car and turned the air on, I was shot with a massive puff of flour. There was flour everywhere, Aid, everywhere. I tried hosing off the flour on the outside, and it only made it worse. There's still flour and eggshells all over my driveway."
I couldn't contain myself and busted out laughing as I pictured Avery sprayed with flour.
"Oh, my God. But why would they do that?" I turned toward my brother and asked him the same question.
"Why not?" Xavier said, shrugging.
"Because they're fucking assholes, that's why. Need any more explanation?"
I chuckled at her annoyed tone, and so did my brother. It was impossible not to.
"So, you came over here to yell at them?" I paused, thinking about what my dad said and the scene I just saw. "My dad said you come here from time to time while I've been gone."
She shot Xavier a fleeting glance before setting her eyes back on me. "I think your dad is drinking too much bourbon. Why would I come here without you? To see who?"
"That's what I said. But then I…I thought maybe… " My heart pounded. I had to get it out. "I thought…I thought maybe you guys might be seeing each other or something."
"What! Are you fucking kidding me?" Xavier exclaimed. His face turned a deep shade of red. He wasn't laughing anymore. "I'm not a fetus humper. Young bitchy Barbies aren't my type."
Avery stared straight into my eyes as if she was calculating his demise in her mind.
"A fetus humper," she stated, putting heavy emphasis into the words. "A fetus humper. Where do you come up with this shit?"
"I don't screw girls, especially ones much younger than me. Not worth the jail time, and I'm not a fucking sex ed teacher. I like them experienced and untamed."
I scoffed, pretending to dry-heave. "You're so gross." The last thing I wanted to picture was my brother having sex.
Avery chimed in. "Tell me, do you happen to have another brother I don't know about that I'd