Charlie was nervous while waiting for Alice to arrive. He'd met his new "step-sister-who-wasn't-really-a-sister" several times, and they got along really well so far. But now she'd be living with them. Alice had graduated from college and was moving home for a year or two until she applied to grad school. Charlie's mom was divorced and he lived with her, because he got along with her better than his dad. And anyway, his dad was off in another city where he worked, and Charlie hadn't wanted to leave his high school and what friends that he had. Alice's mom had tragically died in a car crash several years ago, and already for a year Alice's dad, his new step-dad, lived in his and his mom's house. Not his and his mom's house! He had to remind himself. Their house now. The new family's house.
Charlie had never had a brother or sister, but now he would have a sort-of sister in the guest room next to his, which seemed weird and exciting at the same time. He admitted it a little to himself—he had a crush on Alice. She wasn't like the often shallow and stuck up girls in his high school—teenagers who wore make-up and, like the teen boys, endlessly gossiped and texted on their phones. Alice seemed like a more real person.
Reality itself seemed more real when she was around because she seemed so genuine. She wore no make-up, at least not that he'd ever seen. And as he waited in the driveway and saw her struggling with her big suitcase he saw that—as usual—she didn't wear a bra either. As she struggled and lurched her clearly very heavy red monster of a suitcase he could see her small breasts giggle a bit up and down in her dark t-shirt, and he could even see her small nipples a little.
"Here, let me help with that!" Charlie said with a grin.
"Sure, but first give me a hug," Alice said, and squeezed herself unselfconsciously against him. "Are you even taller than you were last time?"
"I don't think so," he said with a self conscious grin. "I'm still just 5' 11"."
"Well, that's still tall to me. It's going to be hard being your big sister when you're that much taller than me."
It pained him that she called herself sister, and Charlie's smile faded.
"I think of you more as just a friend."
Alice broke the hug and looked closely at him, suddenly serous. Her freckled olive colored skin was lovely under the shade of the carport. She didn't look troubled, but was just thinking about him. Her eyes were a lovely light brown flecked with an almost tigery yellow color. He wondered if she saw anything in his green eyes.
"Yeah, I am your friend Charlie. But more than that too."
Charlie realized that the "more" that she was talking about was probably something sistery, while he guiltily hoped it might be something else. He realized on his side that it was something else already, but he had to hide it.
They were alone at this moment, because Alice's dad Ted had rushed into the house to go to the bathroom after the airport ride, and Charlie's mom Sylvia was making dinner.
It was an awkward moment, at least for Charlie, but even awkward moments didn't seem very difficult with Alice.
"Anyway, thanks Charlie. You don't know how good it is to be here. I'm so tired after all of the work and drama of college. I really need a rest. And a new best friend."
And now that she had said she was tired, he saw that it was true. There was something exhausted about her expression and even body language, and there were even little dark but almost ominous circles under her eyes. In fact, it looked like she'd been crying.
"Best friends! I like that!" Charlie said a little too eagerly. He did have a best friend at school, Jeff. But he was already happy to throw Jeff over for his new best friend. Or just different best friend.
Alice suddenly said, "I *really* need to pee!" with enthusiasm and then laughed.
His smile instantly faded and he blushed.
"Oh, well, yeah," Charlie said, "You know where the bathroom is. Go ahead—I'll get the suitcase."
Laughing, Alice said, "Charlie, you really need to look less shocked that I pee. Everybody pees!" And she laughed again her natural musical laugh. "Now that we're sharing a bathroom," she said as she walked away with a backwards grin, "you'll find that I pee a lot."
As she disappeared, he felt very embarrassed. He had to get over that, and try to be natural and cool, like Alice. As he dragged the suitcase in he saw that Sylvia and Ted were kissing passionately in the kitchen, to the pleasant sounds and smells of garlic and onions simmering in olive oil. He looked away and headed to the guest bedroom—Alice's room now, he thought with a thrill. As he dragged the suitcase there he passed by the bathroom door that was right in between their bedrooms—and he could hear the stream of water that he knew must be Alice's pee. That was weird. Again he reminded himself to be natural as he dragged the suitcase into her small and rather empty and undecorated bedroom.
He wasn't sure what to do with himself. Should he wait in her bedroom till she came out? Yes, he thought, as he sat on her double bed that seemed like it took up half of the room. Soon he could hear Alice washing her hands quickly, and then she was out and came and sat right next to him on the bed.
"Well, what do you want to do?" She asked.
"I dunno. The table is all set. And I've been helping mom with dinner and it's pretty much done. Plus they were kissing in there last I checked."
"You're embarrassed again," She said with a smile. "We'll have to work on that."
