The Man of the House

Chapter 2

After getting the greatest ego-boost of my life, I walked back into the house. I barely made it a foot when I suddenly heard mother gasp.

“Noah! Did something happen to you?” She demanded, walking over to me. “You’re head is bleeding?”

I blinked, lifting my hand and touching my forehead, immediately feel some sticky substance from where I had hit my head outside. I didn’t even realize I was bleeding.

“Oh, there was just a car… outside…” I said, still feeling a bit dizzy.

Something didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. For a moment, I was convinced I wasn’t even in my own house. It was the right people and the right place, but something about it felt off. The smell was different, for one. It also looked a bit dirtier than I swore it was before I walked out.

“A car?” Mom frowned and then walked up to me. “You were hit by a car?”

“Noah was hit by a car?” London also walked over to me, putting her hand on my arm. “Are you really okay?”

“I should be fine…” I responded, wondering why they sudden cared so much.

They were barely giving me any attention when they entered the house. I felt like even had I been bleeding from the head, mom would have just told me to make sure I didn’t bleed on her carpet or something, and London wouldn’t have looked at me twice. However, the sudden concern on their faces was something that couldn’t be faked. A sudden wave of dizziness struck me and my knees buckled. I was expecting to hit the ground, but mom and London both grabbed me and nearly carried me over to a chair before sitting me down.

Mom immediately went and got a glass of water. Meanwhile, London checked my eyes. She actually had a pen flashlight and she flashed them at my eyes.

“Well, they still respond, so he probably doesn’t have a concussion,” London said. “I probably should bring him in and have him checked out.”

I swatted her hand away as she tried to touch my neck. “What do you think you are, a doctor?”

London blinked, and then she and mom glanced at each other. “I’m not a doctor, but I’m in medical school. You should know that, right?”

“Huh? Medical school? Wha- how can you afford that? What about your fiancé?”

London suddenly blushed. “Ah… he’s great, isn’t he? He’s so supportive at home.”

Mom nodded, smiling. “He seems like such a nice boy. He’s really cute.”

My mouth fell open slightly. When had they suddenly agreed on liking that douchebag?

“He’s just using you!” I said, trying to remind mom of the things she had been complaining about for weeks.

The two girls looked at me with shock, but then mom suddenly chuckled. “Oh, I think someone’s a little jealous that his big sister is being taken away!”

London’s face turned red. “B-brother… I can’t say I’m not flattered that you think of your big sister like that…”

“What are you two on about?” I shook my head, but suddenly I felt some nausea.

London grabbed a trashcan just before I threw up in it. “Yeah, he’s definitely confused. His memory seemed to affected. I’ll take him into my hospital. I know several good doctors.”

“Where is the person that hit him? I want to kick their ass!” Mom frowned looking out the window.

“It was a girl, mom…” I said after recovering, my head still over the trashcan in my lap.

“Hmph… a girl should be gentle. Doesn’t she know you’re a boy! If I get my hands on her, I’d definitely kick her in the pussy!”

“Mom!” London put her hands over my ears.

I would have shaken them off, but I was afraid of getting sick again. London and mom were both acting weird. I was wondering if it wasn’t me who hit my head, but everyone else.

“I should take him. He’s my only son.” Mom announced proudly.

“No… you should stay here.” London shot back. “Make sure your daughters get something to eat.”

“Ack… with Noah sick, we will all starve!” Mom gave a panicked expression. “Meh… the girls are nearly adults. It’s time they fend for themselves! How could I not look after my precious little boy!”

London suddenly smacked mom in the back of the head. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. There was no hitting in my family. That was a steadfast rule. Breaking it would cause my mother to fly into a rage. However, rather than getting upset, she suddenly put up her hands and punched London in the boob.

“You think your ol’ mom can’t take you?” She said, suddenly dancing back and forth like a boxer.

London side, rubbing her boob right in front of me like I wasn’t even there. “Mom, you’re such a dork. I’m leaving with Noah now. Don’t follow us!”

“B-but… my son needs me!” She gave me a strange puppy-dog look.

I really felt like this was bizarro land. I stood up and nodded to London.

“We’ll go alone. Mom, just cook dinner.” She looked appalled by my words, but I really didn’t get it.

Mom made dinner all the time, so why was tonight so different? On the other hand, I had no clue how to cook in the slightest. I decided that maybe I really did need to be looked at. As far as London being in med school, maybe that was just a cost of me not knowing her very well. Maybe there were all kinds of things about her I was ignorant on. Thus, I walked out and got into the car, letting London take the driver’s seat.

Once we hit the road, I glanced over at London out of the corner of my eye. In truth, I didn’t know her all that well. She had babysat me when I was younger, but as soon as I grew old enough to care about girls, she had already moved out. She still had her real father around, so she leaned heavily on him. I had suspected that her father didn’t like her fiancé either, which is probably why she had been bugging mom to help finance it.

“What is it?” She asked, noticing me looking at her.

“Nothing…” I said, glancing away.

After another moment of silence, she gave a small sigh. “Noah… I know we never were close growing up. I was only your half-sister, and you were so much closer to your other sisters.”

“Close?” I almost choked on that word.

How in the world had she thought I was close with my sisters? My sisters despised me!

“I just, I want you to know that even though I found someone, I’m still your sister, okay. If you need me, I will come and help you. Alright?”

She would help me? Had I misunderstood my sister this entire time? She was always focused on herself and her own problems that she never once acknowledged me. I had a feeling she only cared about herself. However, now she was talking to me like she wanted to be in my life.

“Besides, you need someone to beat all the girls off of you, right?” She smirked.

I raised an eyebrow. “What girls? I’d kill to have even a girl notice me.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a really cute boy. All the girls should be lining up to date you.”

I thought she was honestly teasing me, but her face was completely serious. “You think I’m cute?”

I spoke the words in disbelief, but her cheeks suddenly blushed. “I mean… well… can you keep a secret?”

“What?” I asked, feeling her expression was odd.

“When I used to babysit you, back when I was 16 and you were just 8, I used to think you were so cute.” Suddenly, she shook her head. “I mean, it’s nothing creepy!”

“Huh? No way…” I said in disbelief.

She had never even paid attention to me when she was babysitting me. How could she have any those kinds of thoughts?

“You really are cute…” She said, and then let out a couch awkwardly.

At that point, we reached the parking lot of the hospital. She stopped the car and put it into park. The atmosphere had suddenly felt a little weird. She shared that with me probably to cheer me up, and my lack of believing it seemed to have caused her to act this way. Well, now that my sister was reaching out to me, I didn’t want to drive an even deeper wedge between us. Thus, I decided to share my own secret.

“To be honest, when you were my babysitter, I also… had a big crush on you.”

Her cheek turned an even brighter red, and she suddenly looked really cute. “How is that possible? I-I’m your sister!”

“Half-sister…” I said back. “So, you know… agh… doesn’t every young boy want to make out with his babysitter?”

I froze, not believing I had just said that! She was probably going to be so grossed out that she’d never talk to me again! This is why I was so bad talking to women. It was easier talking to guys.

“You… want to make out with me?” She asked, suddenly looking at me strangely.

“I mean… when you were my babysitter. I’ve never kissed a girl before, so…”

Stop talking! Why was I still talking! Yet, London’s expression wasn’t grossed out. In fact, she was looking at me very strangely. She was also leaning in. Her lips were slightly parted. Wait… was she coming on to me? No, that was impossible. What am I even doing? However, I was seriously curious, so I leaned in too.

Our bodies moved closer and closer. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. Was I really about to share my first kiss with my 24-year-old half-sister?

Honk!

A car outside had honked suddenly, and the pair of us jumped. I pulled away instantly. She had a fiancé and she was my half-sister. I was truly just imagining things, right? If I had tried to kiss her, she would have totally pulled away, and then called me a freak.

“We should… um… go inside…” She said, her breath somewhat ragged.

“R-right!” I nodded in affirmation.

This was just an accident. A misunderstanding. My damn hormones bubbling at a strange time. I didn’t want to make out with my older sister. That would be crazy. So, why did the expression on her face almost look disappointed?

While having these kinds of thoughts, I was brought into the hospital.