TILL IT HURTS by Brent Cora

Author:Brent , Cora
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

15

Tori

Then

For the last fifteen minutes I’ve been pretending to clean the kitchen while keeping an eye on my brother through the window. He’s out by the curb with Rico Aguilar. The two of them are inspecting Rico’s truck.

I really need to talk to Colt. However, talking to Colt these days is a frustrating walk on eggshells. I sponge down the laminate countertops again and wait for him to return indoors so I can try a casual conversation.

Finally, the two of them grow bored with kicking tires and they head for the house. Rico is talking when they enter through the side door.

“Took me a year of working in my dad’s garage to get her in shape. She’s road ready now but the next step is a paint job.” Rico notices me and breaks into a wide grin. “Oh hey, Tori.”

“Hi, Rico.” I don’t feel like smiling back but Rico is a nice guy and it’s not his fault I’m ready to throttle my brother. Rico lives around the block and he’s on the Bredon High offensive line so he and Colt became buddies when we moved in last month.

Colt doesn’t acknowledge me. We did have an argument earlier today but even if we hadn’t he probably would still be pretending I’m invisible. That’s the way things are with us ever since the terrible night when he fought with Jace and then crashed our mother’s car into a streetlamp. No one was hurt but his alcohol level was over the legal limit. While it’s a relief that he won’t need to serve time in jail, Colt lost his driver’s license and had to enroll in a substance abuse program. Plus the Bredon High football coaches are skeptical of counting on a player who is a discipline problem. Colt didn’t even get to start in the first two games of the season.

And now, as if he’s not in enough trouble as it is, he’s decided to take advantage of the fact that Rusty brought our mom along on a business trip to Denver. Colt’s throwing a party here tonight and half of Bredon High is planning to show up. This is what we were arguing about. The argument ended when he flipped me off and slammed his bedroom door in my face.

I chew on my thumbnail and watch my brother remove orange juice from the fridge. He drinks straight from the bottle.

“You gonna be around tonight?” Rico asks, somewhat hopefully. I’m aware that Rico has a crush on me.

“Probably not,” I tell him.

Colt quits drinking orange juice and snorts. “Thank god.”

I choose to ignore the remark. “Jace is on his way over.”

Colt shoves the bottle back into the fridge without replacing the cap. “So what?”

Watching my brother fuck up his life in slow motion has been painful. Watching the utter disintegration of his close friendship with Jace has been torture.

“Just thought you’d want to know. He says you never return his calls.”

“Why does Zielinksi go tattling to you when I don’t have time for him?”

“He’s your best friend.

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