Patrick drove home exhausted from working a 10 hour shift delivering food for his latest part time job. Ending this particular shift he promised himself it would be the last as he had saved enough to split rent in an apartment, his first away from home, with his best friend Brian.
Brian had been bugging Patrick to commit to the move since they graduated high school a few months ago but Patrick had issues going on at home.
His younger step sister, Alice, was having problems with her grades, friends, teachers, and her parents. The only person she seemed close to and comfortable with was Patrick.
As much as he wanted to move out, and could finally afford to, pressure from his parents, and a guilty feeling of abandoning his step-sis had so far kept him from moving out with his best friend.
Alice wasn't always so closed off from everyone. She'd performed dress up fashion shows for her family when she was little and loved the attention. She'd have sleepovers with friends, work lemonade stands, sneak into movies, and was even kind of popular until around the time she became a senior in high school.
Worried about her becoming shy and withdrawn, his parents tasked him with supporting her through whatever was going on.
It was Friday night and with their parents out at the casino for a few hours Patrick took the opportunity and knocked on Alice's door.
"Go away" she responded, but Patrick allowed himself in and walked over to the bed where she was face down with her face in crook of her arm.
"Sis, I don't know what's gotten into you but whatever it is maybe I can help."
"Nothings wrong" Alice said softly, "er well somethings wrong i just can't explain it, and with you about to move out makes it worse somehow; you probably think I'm a freak, and you don't have to pretend to help me, I'm sure you have better things to do."
Patrick looked at his little step-sis and tried to guess what was going on in her head. And he couldn't help but wonder why she hid her slim figure under that black sweatshirt and baggy sweats she seemed to wear all the time.
Genuinely feeling bad for her he offered the first thing that came to his mind.
"I think you should be getting outside more, I know your not the sporty type but let's go for run, get you into some leggings, a cute t-shirt maybe?
Alice let out a sigh of annoyance and Patrick realized he should start with something easy, maybe even fun.
"Ok sis, I'll tell you what I'll give you a massage, I swear you'll feel better, you'll take a shower and change clothes and then we'll take a quick jog, better?"
"Actually ya why not" Alice replied as she was surprised how her bro was able to lighten her mood.
"Ok, you can stay lying on your back," he instructed.
He laid a hand on her lower back as he swung his right leg over her body and sat on his heels. He realized he was straddling his sis at this point but with her thick sweats on it didn't seem too awkward for either of them.