My Brother's Best Friend
Read My Brother's Best Friend Online
Authors: Becky Andrews
by
BECKY ANDREWS
Chapter One
“G
od, I hate you!” I screamed at my laptop. “When do you ever work? I could throw you across the room, you piece of junk!”
A soft chuckle sounded from the doorway of my room, and I looked up. “Oh, it’s you,” I said contemptuously.
“Don’t sound so annoyed,” Devin Malone chided. “You know you love me.”
“You’re talking to the wrong sister,” I told him, referring to my younger sister, Emily, who had a huge crush on him. “I don’t worship the ground you walk on, nor do I idolize you.” I smirked.
Devin Malone was like a family of fruit flies. I could never get rid of him, no matter how hard I tried. He was my brother’s best friend, so he was always hanging out around our house. I’d long ago decided I hated the arrogant bastard. He could be the sweetest, most caring guy one moment and a self-important asshole, full of himself and proud of it, the next.
“Shouldn’t you be bothering my brother?” I asked.
“He’s not here yet,” Devin said, walking into my room and taking a seat at my desk. “Is there a reason you don’t sit at your desk?”
I sighed. “You know I don’t like it when you’re in here.”
“I like to think that’s because you can’t control yourself when we’re alone.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
I stared at him for a moment, trying not to notice how handsome he was. His light brown hair was charmingly mussed, and his hazel eyes twinkled as he teased me.
“Can you try not being an ass for once?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“All right, you got me.” He shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Why do you always pretend to be something you’re not anyway?” I asked. I never understood why Devin went out of his way to treat girls rudely.
“If I didn’t, the girls would be all over me.” He smiled when I shook my head. “Okay fine, the real reason?”
“Yes.”
He paused as if he were trying to think of something plausible. Something that I would believe. Instead he said, “Because if I wasn’t always such an ass, you might actually like me.”
I crumpled up the piece of paper I had torn from my notebook and threw it at him. He only chuckled and threw it back at me.
“Your reputation is that important, huh?”
“No.”
I gave him a quizzical look. “I’m confused.”
“The right girl just hasn’t realized how great a catch I am.”
“You are full of yourself, Dev.”
He smirked. “That’s just what you choose to see. You just haven’t seen the true meaning behind my words. Think that one over, Sherlock.”
I narrowed my eyes but shook my head. He was impossible sometimes. He was always so cryptic.
“Christy, have you seen my hairbrush?” My baby sister stumbled into my room. I was sure she was just looking for an excuse to see Devin.
“It was in the bathroom the last time I saw it, Em,” I said, slightly perturbed at her obvious ploy.
She was a senior in high school, four years younger than me. She had almost every guy at school fighting for her attention, yet she still only had eyes for Devin. It made me sick, not because I liked him, of course not, but because Emily was not suited to Devin. Or maybe she was. She seemed like just his type. Blonde, heavy makeup, perfect tan skin, designer clothing—paid for by her brother and sister, I might add—and the shallowest personality imaginable. I’m not saying I don’t love my sister—don’t get me wrong. I would die if something happened to her. I’m just saying she could have done with a few more years of maturing. Maybe if she had concentrated more on school and actually learned something, rather than focusing so much on fashion magazines and cheerleading, I wouldn’t have been so annoyed with her.
She was my complete opposite. It would be safe to say we were like day and night. I had straight, long dark hair and brown eyes, not the Barbie type at all. I was more concerned with my grades and how we would pay the bills on time, while she was more worried about her nails and what to wear to school.
“Oh, hi, Devin. I didn’t realize you were here,” she said innocently.
I almost burst out in peals of laughter. I mean, really? Could she hear herself?
“Hey, Emily,” he said nonchalantly. He had learned over the years not to give her too much attention and that included calling her Em, as my brother and I so often did.
“What are you guys doing?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I replied. “Devin was just leaving. Maybe you two could go downstairs and watch some television or something? I’m working on an essay.”
Devin glared daggers at me, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, ‘if looks could kill’.
“Really?” Em sounded bubbly.
I regretted the words as I looked from my sister’s hopeful expression to Devin. I sighed.
“Sorry Em, I was only kidding. Devin was actually helping me with my essay. I need someone to proofread it.”
“Just get Mitchell to look at it later. I’m sure it’s not something Devin has to do,” she argued.
“No, CJ’s right, I’m helping her with the last couple of paragraphs. I took the same class,” Devin said, rolling my desk chair towards the bed.
Em glared at me. She hated it when Devin called me CJ. No one called me CJ except him. For that reason, it was an effective form of getting Emily off his tail when she was on the prowl.
She gave a short, aggravated huff then marched out of my room. Her door slammed seconds later.
I rolled my eyes. “Dev, you know she doesn't like it when you call me that. She hates me enough already. You’re just throwing fuel on the fire.”
“Oh, she doesn’t hate you, CJ. She just hates that I call you, not her, by a nickname. Besides, it’s an effective form of inoculation. It’s a needed punch in the gut.”
I shook my head. “You would think seeing you with a new girl every other week would deter her enough. God knows it deters me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I blushed then quickly looked down at my computer, which had frozen again. “God damn it. I hate this freaking computer!” I pushed it forcefully away from me.
He chuckled “Why don’t you just get another one, if it’s giving you this much trouble?”
“A little something that we don’t have just lying around for the taking. Money.”
“Borrow Mitchell’s computer then. I’m sure he doesn’t use it while he’s at work.”
I nodded and restarted my computer.
“So did you lose what you wrote on your paper?”
I looked up from the login screen. “Huh? Oh, no. I made the whole paper thing up. But I did lose the game I was playing. Man, I was up to five million points too.”
“Pinball?” He laughed, wheeling the chair around to face my computer screen.
“Yeah, I almost beat your score too. This sucks,” I added, annoyed.
“You’ll never beat my top score.” He smiled.
I couldn’t help but smile back. “If I do get a new computer, you are not allowed to play pinball on it, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, trying to hold in his laughter.
“Good.”
“Christy?” I looked up and saw Emily standing in the doorway.
“Hey, Em, what do you need?” I decided to play it cool. For all she knew, Devin and I were just messing around while my computer loaded again.
“Mitch just called and said we shouldn’t wait up for him. He said you should just order pizza for dinner.”
“Really? I wonder why he didn’t just call me?” I wasn’t sure if it was another ploy by my sister—this time to get rid of Devin—or if she was being serious. It was hard to tell with her.
“I don’t know. He just told me to tell you.”
“All right, what do you want?”
Em hated anything greasy. “Whatever. Just get me a salad,” she said, walking off. Her door slammed shut again, and I turned to Devin.
“Well, I guess you don’t have to wait here for Mitch anymore,” I tried to hint.
“What and miss the pizza? Forget it, I’m staying. Besides we have a cover to maintain.”
I just rolled my eyes. This was going to be a long night. I had my phone next to me and pulled it out.
“What are you doing?”
“Texting Mitch.”
You really going to be gone for dinner?
Yes, I’m out with Megan.
Dinner & Movie.
Just order something.
I’ll be home late.
———————————
Sent from the iPhone of Mitchell Walsh
Fine.
But Devin’s here and he won’t go away!
Suck it up, Walsh.
You can handle Devin.
Tell him not to try anything.
I’ll kick his butt.
And you better not try anything.
Or I’ll kick your butt
——————————-
Sent from the iPhone of Mitchell Walsh
EWWWWWW!
I can’t believe you just said that.
You are NEVER allowed to say
stuff like that or I’LL kick YOUR butt.
Tell Megan I said hi.
Hahaha. Megan says hi and apologizes.
She thought it was over the line too.
So I’m sorry. You know I’m kidding.
See you later, kid.
——————————
Sent from the iPhone of Mitchell Walsh
While I was texting Mitch, Devin pulled out his own phone. “What do you want to eat?”
I looked up, putting my phone down. “You’re not staying,” I tried once more.
“Why not? I’ll pay.” He smiled, and as much as I hated to admit it, his cheeky smile could get anyone to do anything.