“Stop being such a drama queen.”
Oh like I am a drama queen. That boy is more of a drama queen than I am, and he is a boy. I happen to know that cause he is my older brother. One of two older and two younger. My eyes roll once and I happen to continue to paint my nails, it’s easier to paint my nails that to answer him.
“Joseph leave your sister alone.”
Yes Joseph listen to your mother when she tells you to leave me alone. Well our mother. Of course knowing my brother that won’t happen. Joseph is the one who you can’t trust to do what you want him to do, unless it’s something silly or for his job. Being in the spot light. I think the only reason he’s mad at me right now is cause I told him he looked girly. But I mean it’s true, he is wearing a purple shirt that was so purple even I wouldn’t wear it.
“Joseph leave your sister alone. Why? It’s not like she admits she’s my sister. How do I know she’s not just some stray that was picked up off the side of the road as a baby.”
That was a low blow. Because I actually was a stray picked up off the side of the road as a baby. My birth mother left me there an infant left me there to die. But then mom and dad adopted me to go along with their two boys, Joseph and Paul. The boys have always treated me like we were blood related. But every single time Joseph gets mad at me or thinks I’m being spoiled or a drama queen he brings that back up.
“Low blow Joe, Low blow.”
Paul sits next to me and wraps his arm around me in a tight hug, he was the brother I could turn to most of the time. Though Nicholas was good to talk to and even more fun to compete with and Franklin is probably the cutest little kid I have ever met. He’s the only one, the only one who doesn’t know that I’m not really related to them. Nicholas only knows because he heard Joseph telling me that I was a stray, and lucky that someone liked me.
“Whatever Kevin, precious Hollywood gets protected from everything.”
One of the many things that Joseph does that none of the other boys do. He calls me Hollywood, despite knowing my real name he calls me Hollywood. Paul, Nicholas and Franklin all call me my real name but Joe points out that my name is Hollywood. It’s like he’s trying to remind me that I’m not one of them, and he does every time he talks.
“Joseph shut up please. I’m sorry I’m such a drama queen cause I want to paint my nails and I said you looked girly, which you do I mean you are wearing a horrible shade of purple that even I wouldn’t wear and lord knows that I wear just about every shade of every color. Now stop being mean to me.”
Tears form in my eyes as I look at look at Joseph, he’s normally really sweet and caring just like my other brothers but right now he is mad at me. Mad because I called him girly, mad because I pointed out his shirt was Barney purple. But then again that boy is the one who used to hide in his closet and look at his Barney glow in the dark t-shirt. And play barbies with me when I got bored of playing GI Joe with him. But that’s a different story.
“Yea whatever Hollywood.”
Joseph walks off leaving me alone with Paul and I sigh my icy blue eyes looking straight into his hazel eyes. He kisses my forehead and then stands up. I know why they are almost at the concert hall, which means he’ll have to get off of the bus and practice and get ready and perform. And that if I get off the bus someone will see me. I hate it when people see me. Actually if I got off of the bus after the concert started, I bet no one would see me. Sounds like a plan to me.
“You know he doesn’t mean it.”
Dad’s voice always makes me think, and while he says that Joseph doesn’t mean it he actually probably does. I mean I love my brother with all my heart but most of the time he is so mean to me. Some days I think he wishes I wasn’t in their family. Which some days he likes to point out I shouldn’t be. Maybe life would be easier if I wasn’t there, if I wasn’t there family. Which leads me to my next idea.
