who can do it?” She turns toward me, and her hands go to her hips. “I have a whole lot of stuff going on that—”
“Stop!” Lora yells. Both Ziah and I shut up. She’s not looking like the sweet, hot- chocolate-making sister right now, and I start to see where Ziah gets her attitude. “You guys are being ridiculous! Ziah,” she turns to her sister. “It’s not like I ask a lot of you. This is important to me, and I want to share it with you. If that’s too much to ask…”
“And you,” Derrick shoves me. Of course, Ziah only gets a look, and I get shoved. “Stop being an ass. What else would you be doing? Going out with one of the girls you never want to see again? You can do that shit later. I’m your brother. Stop acting like a douche-bag.”
Me? I’m the douchebag? He’s the one who doesn’t want anything to do with me unless it’s to put me to work on the wedding I’m trying to save him from.
I look over at Ziah for support, but her eyes look watery. She turns away from all of us, and I’m not sure anyone notices but me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Can I use the bathroom before we go?” she asks before she sniffs. Something’s definitely up.
“I’ll show you where it is,” I say.
She doesn’t say a word to me as I show her where the bathroom is. I don’t really feel like talking either, but part of me is curious what’s going on. She may be pissy, but she’s the only ally I have in this.
A few minutes later, we’re all piled in Derrick’s car, Ziah and I in the backseat. She’s looking out the window again, and I find myself wondering what’s wrong. Is it just the wedding? I mean, that’s enough because it’s a hell of a big thing, but I’m guessing there’s more.
I watch as her eyes drift forward to look at Lora. A couple times she shakes her head, and others she just looks sad. Looks like I’m not the only one getting ditched by the lovebirds up front.
I’m surprised when he doesn’t slow down as we approach our pizza place. “Um… did you forget where we eat?” I thump Derrick in the back of the head.
“I’m not really in the mood for pizza.”
Lora jumps in. “We can go eat pizza if you guys want. I’m cool with anything.”
Her words are nice and all, but they kind of feel like she’s throwing me a consolation prize. And even though I really want some damn pizza, I’m not taking it. “Nah, it’s cool. We can eat wherever.”
A few minutes later we pull up at a little Mexican restaurant. Derrick and Lora sit on one side of the booth, and Ziah and I on the other. While we’re waiting for our food to arrive, Lora pulls out her trusty pen and paper.
“Okay, so we’re thinking one of the first things we need to do is visit a few venues to decide where the wedding should take place.”
The word venue makes me want to laugh for some reason. “Since you’re the ones taking the plunge, don’t you think you should pick the place?”
“D!” Derrick gives me his pissed-off look.
“I agree with him,” Ziah jumps in.
Ha! “Seriously, though, I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I don’t see how we’re supposed to help with this one.” Or anything, but I don’t say that.
“We have a big list of places we want to visit. It’ll take too much time, so we figure we could split the list, you two go and we can go. You guys can take pictures, write down all the price information and stuff, and it will help give us something to go on.”
Lora looks like she practiced that speech in front of the mirror like a million times.
“Why can’t I go with you?” Ziah asks.
Lora looks stumped by that question. I have the urge to give Ziah a high five.
Lora looks over at Derrick, and I lean closer to Ziah. “The surgery to separate them would take too long. We wouldn’t want the wedding postponed, would we?”
She chuckles.
I lean back in the seat. “I’m cool with going with Ziah.”
Lora smiles. Derrick nods at me, but Ziah’s head whips
“Stop!” Lora yells. Both Ziah and I shut up. She’s not looking like the sweet, hot- chocolate-making sister right now, and I start to see where Ziah gets her attitude. “You guys are being ridiculous! Ziah,” she turns to her sister. “It’s not like I ask a lot of you. This is important to me, and I want to share it with you. If that’s too much to ask…”
“And you,” Derrick shoves me. Of course, Ziah only gets a look, and I get shoved. “Stop being an ass. What else would you be doing? Going out with one of the girls you never want to see again? You can do that shit later. I’m your brother. Stop acting like a douche-bag.”
Me? I’m the douchebag? He’s the one who doesn’t want anything to do with me unless it’s to put me to work on the wedding I’m trying to save him from.
I look over at Ziah for support, but her eyes look watery. She turns away from all of us, and I’m not sure anyone notices but me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Can I use the bathroom before we go?” she asks before she sniffs. Something’s definitely up.
“I’ll show you where it is,” I say.
She doesn’t say a word to me as I show her where the bathroom is. I don’t really feel like talking either, but part of me is curious what’s going on. She may be pissy, but she’s the only ally I have in this.
A few minutes later, we’re all piled in Derrick’s car, Ziah and I in the backseat. She’s looking out the window again, and I find myself wondering what’s wrong. Is it just the wedding? I mean, that’s enough because it’s a hell of a big thing, but I’m guessing there’s more.
I watch as her eyes drift forward to look at Lora. A couple times she shakes her head, and others she just looks sad. Looks like I’m not the only one getting ditched by the lovebirds up front.
I’m surprised when he doesn’t slow down as we approach our pizza place. “Um… did you forget where we eat?” I thump Derrick in the back of the head.
“I’m not really in the mood for pizza.”
Lora jumps in. “We can go eat pizza if you guys want. I’m cool with anything.”
Her words are nice and all, but they kind of feel like she’s throwing me a consolation prize. And even though I really want some damn pizza, I’m not taking it. “Nah, it’s cool. We can eat wherever.”
A few minutes later we pull up at a little Mexican restaurant. Derrick and Lora sit on one side of the booth, and Ziah and I on the other. While we’re waiting for our food to arrive, Lora pulls out her trusty pen and paper.
“Okay, so we’re thinking one of the first things we need to do is visit a few venues to decide where the wedding should take place.”
The word venue makes me want to laugh for some reason. “Since you’re the ones taking the plunge, don’t you think you should pick the place?”
“D!” Derrick gives me his pissed-off look.
“I agree with him,” Ziah jumps in.
Ha! “Seriously, though, I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I don’t see how we’re supposed to help with this one.” Or anything, but I don’t say that.
“We have a big list of places we want to visit. It’ll take too much time, so we figure we could split the list, you two go and we can go. You guys can take pictures, write down all the price information and stuff, and it will help give us something to go on.”
Lora looks like she practiced that speech in front of the mirror like a million times.
“Why can’t I go with you?” Ziah asks.
Lora looks stumped by that question. I have the urge to give Ziah a high five.
Lora looks over at Derrick, and I lean closer to Ziah. “The surgery to separate them would take too long. We wouldn’t want the wedding postponed, would we?”
She chuckles.
I lean back in the seat. “I’m cool with going with Ziah.”
Lora smiles. Derrick nods at me, but Ziah’s head whips
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