Life is one hell of a paradox. These last few weeks have simultaneously been the worst and the best in my life. The worst because I lost my sister, and the best, largely as a result of the bad part, because I finally grew up and found myself.
Em finally stopped punching me out, you know all about that, and, with tears streaming down her face, ran off to the bathroom with her hand between her legs catching whatever was leaking out of her. I waited for her to come back to bed, but then I heard her taking a shower. She was in there for ages. After forty minutes, when Em still hadn't returned, I went looking for her. She was in the lounge with the TV set on, although she wasn't looking at it, sitting all scrunched up on the sofa with her face in her hands. She was still stark naked.
I tried to take her in my arms to comfort her, but she pushed me away. I pleaded with her to come back to bed so that we could talk things through, but she told me to do something physically impossible to myself and leave her alone. And when she started to cry again, I realised that my presence right then was upsetting her even more. So, I told Em that I was there for her if she wanted me, any time, and that I would wait for her in my room. About an hour later, I heard her coming up the stairs, but she went straight to her bedroom without coming anywhere near me. I don't think I slept at all that night. And I have a suspicion that Em didn't either.
The next few days were very difficult. Em was withdrawn and hardly said a word to anyone - not even Mom, and they were usually very close. Eventually, Mom asked me what was going on because Em refused to tell her the reason for her depression. All I could say was that I thought it was boy trouble. I could hardly tell her the real reason could I? Then, after about ten days Em started going out with a new guy, Troy, and seemed to be getting back to normal. But she still wouldn't have anything to do with me. Whenever we were due to be alone in the house, she always made sure that one of her buddies came to stay, usually Debbie, or made plans to stay away for the duration.
As for Troy, I instinctively hated the bastard. He wasn't just a Cool Guy, he was a Super Cool Guy...about twenty-five, tall, blonde, handsome, socially skilled, athletic, blue eyes, all Nautica and Calvin Klein gear, drove a brand new blood red Pontiac Grand Am, wore Serengeti driving glasses. Even Mom wriggled and wet her pants when he called by to pick Em up for a date. Personally, I wished I could take a baseball bat to him! And what kind of a name is fucking Troy anyway?
I tried to spread my wings a bit - actually asked Debbie to go out with me - but that wasn't exactly a roaring success. Dad let me have the car and I took her to a movie and to a restaurant afterwards. We got on quite well and she seemed just as interested as I was when I parked up down by the town lake. But as soon as things started warming up, Debbie grabbed hold of the wandering geek hand and held tight onto it. Shit, I didn't even make first base!
So, while Em's life was coming back to normal, The Geek's was on a fast slide South. I took to taking long walks by myself, especially when Em was at home - especially when Em and her shithead Troy were at home - and spent long hours sitting on a promontory overlooking the lake and staring at the water. Most of the time I thought about Em; about how I felt about her and how I could win her round to being a friend again, if nothing more. I tried to understand how she must have been feeling. Sex for females is so much more deep and meaningful. With us guys, it is often simply 'external' sensation and then moving on. Was that my attitude towards Em?
It must sound kind of stupid mooning over my sister, but she is an important part of my life - always has been, even before we started doing things we probably shouldn't have. Em treating me like a leper this way was tearing me apart! Jeepers I missed her! But, was this just because I could no longer have her? Or was it due to an underlying devotion that went beyond 'only' brotherly love? I wrestled these questions with the most.
Two things helped keep me sane: one, I was getting plenty of CAD/CAM work; and, two, University beckoned - at the end of the summer I would be out of here!
My spirits lifted for a short while when, after a whirlwind three weeks, Em suddenly stopped seeing Troy. I could find out no reason for the break-up, even after grovelling to Mom and promising to do all kinds of extra chores. It was over, because it was over. And that was that. Then the following Saturday it was hero to zero once more when Em started going out with Greg again. But that only lasted a week. And then things went from bad, bad, bad to worse, worse, worse, worse, because who suddenly turned up on our doorstep to take my sister out? One Bradley Walter Simms: 220 muscular pounds of school football hero...and allegedly half of that in his dick!
But if I thought that was bad, things were about to get even worser! Yeah all right, I know there isn't any such word, but it sums up events about right....
It was on a Sunday afternoon after one of my long, long walks. I had really enjoyed tramping through the woods down by the lake and only came home because I had a contract drawing to finish that had to be e-mailed off before the morning. The weather was beautifully warm - one of those magic early-summer days before it gets too hot. I'd been out for several hours and I knew that Mom and Dad would both be at work when I got home. The house was still and quiet and I thought I was the only one there, but I was wrong. As I made my way to my room, I noticed that Em's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Don't ask me what made me glance in as I walked past - maybe there was a movement or a slight noise? Honestly, I have no idea. But I did look and was stopped dead in my tracks by what I saw. There were two figures lying on Em's bed, cuddled in spoons, facing away from me, and clearly asleep in post- coatis abandon. Two naked figures, half-covered by a sheet and in some ways a perfect picture...my sister Em and...oh Sweet Jesus, I couldn't believe what I was seeing...my sister Em and her best friend Debbie!
Em and Brad Simms, or one of her other boyfriends, I could have handled! But Em and Debbie! This was too frigging much! I was just about to push the door wide open and storm in there to call them a couple of filthy perverts when Debbie turned her head and looked at me. The expression in her eyes nailed me to the spot: 'I am with my woman...mind your own effing business!' That unspoken message was full of triumph and, in the state of shock I was in, it seemed to be one full of pure evil as well.
Debbie smiled at me pityingly. Then she turned back to my sister and nuzzled the back of her neck with her lips. At the same time, she began stroking Em's bare shoulder. Her hand moved lower on my sister's body, pushing the sheet down off them both, caressing Em's back and softly lower to her rounded buttocks, down and under, between her legs. 'She is totally mine now, Pete.' She was telling me. 'Stay and watch if you like and I will prove it to you!'