Hate and Other Crappy Things by Living·my·life Forever (good book club books .TXT) 📖

1 WEEK LATER

Laina and I were sitting on my bed playing crazy eights with my poker chips. That feeling of having my best friend back was overwhelming. I couldn't keep my cheesy grin from spreading across my face. 

"Let's go eat dinner. I'll make spaghetti." I said putting my cards down. 

"Good, I'm starved." 

"Don't over exaggerate, hun. It's not cute." she rolled her eyes. But she loves me anyway, even with the insults. 

We got downstairs and Gabe and Asher were playing some racing game on Xbox. Guys. I prefer Call of Duty. 

"I'm taking over when we finish eating, boys." 

"Think again, Bree." Gabe said while staring down the tv as though it would unplug itself and run the hell away.

"Oh, I've thought about it and now I'm done thinking. I'm. Taking. Over. Baby." I grinned as he sucked his teeth when Asher beat him.

"Thanks, Gabrielle. You're lots of help."

"Yeah, I know."

Asher watched after me with pleading eyes. It seemed like he didn't even care about how Laina might have felt. You could still feel the tension between us. Even though he may be in love with me, it doesn't give him the opportunity to stare at me like that. If he really loved Laina like he said he did, he wouldn't be doing this to her. I would say something but it might only make matters worse. My big mouth gets me in too much trouble.

Laina followed me in the kitchen probably trying to snoop on my secret ingredient to my made-from-scratch tomato sauce. I got out the tomatoes to make the sauce, the ground beef, the spaghetti noodles, and all the seasonings I'd need. Then I boiled the water and began making my special tomato sauce. It's the bomb. To die for. Impeccably delicious. No lie.

My bestie sat at the bar watching me blend the ingredients. I kept glancing at her because I knew she had something on her mind. Her whole face looked like she was having an extremely good day dream. I couldn't really analyze it.

"Spill." she wouldn't say anything. I looked up at her and stared. " Earth to Lay Lay!"

"What?" she said casually. 

"You've got your serious thinking face on." I used my fingers to quote the “serious thinking” part and then turned off the blender when the sauce was how I wanted it. Thick and smooth.

"Oh." 

"Well?" she paused again. "Laina, come on. Tell-"

"I don't mind if you go out with Asher." this time I had nothing to say.

"The way he looks at you. I know you think I'm crazy right now but I honestly don't mind. You'd know if I did and I'm okay with it. He's just so sad." I turned around and put the noodles in the enraged water but was unable to turn back to face her. I have thought about it but never had the courage to ask her what she thought. It surprises me that she doesn't mind. She has a certain face when she minds about something and I couldn't find any part of that in her pretty features. What she said was true and I just could not believe it.

"I know you want to. And...I don't want to be the one to hold you back." 

"But Laina-" I turned back around but she cut me off.

"No, 'but Laina'. You want to be with him. It is okay." 

"It's not. I won't hurt you like that." She gave me a look that I know very well. It's the "Stop talking shit and go for it" look. I couldn't say anything else so I just finished cooking and she left that subject for another time.

Her and Asher were cool now but it was still very complicated between him and I. They could joke around with each other like old times but there was only awkward silence for us. It made me feel, quite frankly, sad I'd say. I missed how he used to joke on me and tackle me and just completely annoy the hell out of me. I just missed whatever we had together.

"The food is ready, people."

"Took long enough." Gabe said coming into the kitchen with Asher following behind. 

"Looks like someone isn't eating tonight." I announced, while shaking my head.

Gabe chuckled sarcastically. "Hey, don't be like that. Nobody likes ugly."

"That's why your only friend is Asher. He's the only one who feels sorry for you. You poor thing.". Asher laughed and I winked at him. Laina nudged me with her elbow. She must really want to set us up. She is such a weirdo. No lie. 

"You are just... just unbelievable." I smirked at my brother who was faking melancholy. 

"That's why I have friends. People like all this." I gestured to my body which is just... just unbelievable in the words of Mister Gabriel Tanner. I was only wearing tight short shorts and a tank top. Have I mentioned the heat is ungodly? I forgot to turn on the air conditioning upstairs. Silly me. Asher licked his plumper boys- his lips- and went to get his food when my brother was done filling up his plate. I didn't know if it was because of the gesture towards myself or the food. The food.

No, I'm sure it was me. 

We all ate in the living room and watched Money From Strangers on MTV. (A/N: you have got to watch that show! Omfg! Mind blown. Kay, back to the show. *applause*) Our outrageous laughter was off the top. Asher ended up spewing the soda from his mouth. It was so funny and cute because his face was hysterical with embarrassment.  

"Don't cry, young scrap." I gasped.

"But I want to!" I screamed with laughter. It thrilled me that we finally said actual words to each other.

There was a knock on the door and I got up to answer it. " No one wants to see you cry so suck it up." I threw back at him.

"Just...just unbelievable." 

"Totally!" they all laughed at me and turned back to the show.

I opened the door and backed away slowly with my body trembling. There was a gun invading my face from a hand I thought I would never see again. A hand that used to beat my brother and I. Two mouthes that used to abuse us with their words. Four legs that used to kick my brother and I until we fell into a deep sleep. Two faces that were my only fear. My mother and father.

"Get on the couch with the others." his breath reeked of beer and tobacco. I froze at the force of his voice. 

"Do what he said, bitch!" she yelled which made me run away.

"You gone give us our money."

"What money? We can do this without a gun, father. Please, you don't have to do this." Gabe said as he attempted to calm them down. But I had a strong feeling this wouldn't end well. 

"Shut up, dad! Give us the fuckin money you took!"

"I am not your dad. I'm your son." 

"Don't you play games with me! You on my birthday certificate. I know who you are." I stepped in front of him.

" Daddy, please! We don't have anything! Just go!" 

" You're telling me you don't got nothing?" He waved at all the extravagant vases, pictures, and other decorations on the walls and tables. 

" B-b-but that stuff is cheap. It c-came from a thrift store." 

He chuckled an evil laugh and smiled devilishly at me with his yellowing teeth. " Baby, don't lie to me. Or, I'll have fun with you like old times." He glanced over my shoulder and grinned. " Maybe your little friend over there too." 

" Father, stop it! I won't take shit from you ANY MORE! Get the hell out of my house!" a strange anger fled through my body like a raging fire. I would NOT let him do those disgusting things to me! That was in the past and it would stay there. 

He pulled back the trigger and everything that happened next felt as if we were moving in slow motion. I turned my head slowly to my left to see my brother jumping across my frame. A loud bang rang through my ear drums causing them to quiver. I heard screams in the background when my brother's limp body fell on top of me as we crashed to the floor. I looked up to see a woman I couldn't recognize but someone I knew very well. She was my mother and she looked at me with terrified eyes. I certainly remembered those, but that wasn't how I wanted to.

My father gasped when he realized what he'd done. He grabbed my mother's arm and they ran out, which reminded me of the time when they left me with the feeling of never seeing them again. This time, that feeling was true. I knew my eyes wouldn't lay on them again and I didn't know if I was happy about that or not.

Laina and Asher ran over to me and a bleeding Gabe. His blood was spreading all over my clothes. I tried to let out words but could not get them out as Gabriel's eyes began to close.

I shook him and he blinked rapidly. " Stay with me! You gotta stay awake!" my two friends froze, neither of them doing anything but watching. I looked at them furiously. " Call a fucking ambulance!" Asher sped off to retrieve his phone and I cradled my brother.

" Please, Gabe. Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me." We all sat around him while we waited for those sirens to come down our street. 

They took only five minutes to arrive and Laina ran to open the door as they came in with the gerny.

" Are any of you related to him?"

" I-I am." 

" Well, you can ride in the ambulance to support him." He gave a supporting smile that I couldn't return.

" But I'm his brother." Asher protested. They were just like brothers. 

" Um, okay. Go ahead." the man understood to not go against his wishes. It made me feel better that he would ride with me.

" I'll drive there, Bree." I nodded at Laina's shaky frame and followed the man and Asher into the ambulance. They shut the doors and I immediately began to cry. My sobs were loud and they soaked up my shirt.

Asher scooted closer and held my hand. He couldn't do more than that?! I laid my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his other arm around me and stroked my hair. He put his lips to my hair too, inhaling my strawberry scent. Now that's better. I nestled into him, longing for the feeling of his warmth. 

I looked at my brother who's blood was spreading onto the bandage that was squished tightly onto his wound. I whimpered at the sight that gave me a pain in my stomach. Why did this happen to him and not me? I should have been shot! I cried even harder motivating Asher to hold me tighter. 

" Shhhh. It will be okay." his soothing words and minty breath didn't help the fact my brother was bleeding out and that he could die at any second.

We arrived at the hospital and the doors flew open. Two male nurses came into the truck and one of them scanned my body and winked at me. Did he