In fact, I even have a picture of it, my most favorite cupcake from there – Peanut Butter Blossom –-taped up on my wall.
I have pictures of all my favorite things taped up on my wall actually. My ballet recitals, my pointe shoes, Bardstown High.
Excitedly, I look at Ledger and then all my brothers. “You guys bought me cupcakes?”
Ledger shrugs. “Yeah.”
Shep shrugs too. “They’re your favorite.”
“And you don’t get to have them enough, so,” Ledger adds.
That’s true, I don’t.
Mostly because I’m a ballerina and I have to watch my weight. Healthy living and healthy eating and all that but oh my God, I have a giant addiction to these.
It’s toxic but I don’t care.
I hug the box, my heart feeling full. “Is that where you guys went this morning? Because I was looking for all of you.”
Shep is first to reply with his hands in the air. “I will not set foot in that pink shop. Under any circumstances, so no. I went to see a friend.”
Before I can reply, Ledger rolls his eyes. “By that, he means Amy.”
My eyes pop wide. “You guys are back again?”
Amy is Shep’s on-again off-again girlfriend from high school and I really, really like her. She loves dancing and knitting just like me and I would love to see them end up together.
But Shep is an idiot and he broke up with her when he left for college three years ago.
I always feel bad when I see her around town; she’s still so in love with him.
“Fuck no,” Shep says.
“Why not? She’s amazing, Shep. I really like her.”
“Never said I don’t like her.” He smirks then. “I like her. I like her a lot.”
“Yeah, her and that hot tub in her backyard.” Ledger snickers.
Shep’s smirk only grows. “Oh yeah, definitely. It’s got jet sprays, dude. You can’t compete with that. That hot tub can do things you can’t even fathom, little brother.”
“Oh, I can fathom. I can fathom a lot.” Ledger playfully kicks at the legs of the chair Shep is sitting in. “In fact, I fathomed it last week with her little sister, Jessica.”
Shep turns to Ledger then. “For real? You and –”
But before he can go on, I squeal, “Ew, gross. Both of you.”
While at the same time, Stellan speaks up. “Enough. All right? You can exchange your glorious war stories later.”
Ugh.
They’re such players.
Sometimes I think that’s why they hate Reed so much. Because they know he’s exactly like them.
Ledger and Shep shut up and before anyone can say anything else and sidetrack the conversation again, I ask, “Why are you guys bringing me cupcakes?”
Ledger side-eyes Stellan and Con. “Because you’re our sister.”
Getting serious, Shepard nods. “And we love you.”
“We also respect you,” Ledger says.
“And your choices.” Shep goes next.
“Also your independence,” Ledger adds, making me think that they’ve memorized their lines.
Shepard proves me right in the next second. “Yeah, we respect that too.” Then frowning, he tilts his head toward Stellan. “Wait, is that what it is? We respect her independence.” Looking at me, he explains, “Stella here said something this morning that totally went over my hungover head.”
Ledger snickers again at Stella, I’m sure.
It’s my fault really.
When I was a kid, I couldn’t say Stellan so I’d call him Stella and, well, it caught on. And now every time Shep wants to annoy Stellan, he calls him Stella.
I glance at Stellan apologetically, who’s watching Shep with a flat look. “You like your face, don’t you?”
Shepard chuckles because they’re identical twins. “Not on you though.”
“Yeah, keep talking and I’ll rearrange it for you.” He glances at Ledger who’s still snickering. “Yours too.”
When the most mischievous of my brothers, Shep and Ledger, go quiet again – not happily though – Stellan speaks up, looking at me. “Look, what these morons are trying to say is that we acted like giant asses last night. We shouldn’t have barged in, like an army or something. But you scared us, all right? It’s not like you to lie and we thought something happened to you. We thought –”
Ledger bursts out then, as if he’s been holding it all on the inside. “We thought he did something, okay? We thought you needed our help.” He shakes his head angrily. “You needed us to rescue you from him and…” He goes quiet for a second before saying, “You need to careful.”
“I know and I am. And –"
“No, it’s… you need to be really careful. Really.”
“O-kay,” I say, frowning at Ledger’s grave tone. “I am.”
“You don’t get it.” He sighs sharply. “The thing is… fuck it. The thing is that he’s attractive. Good looking, handsome, whatever. Not more than me, but still.”
“What?” I’m so confused.
Shepard snorts.
Stellan’s lips twitch as well.
“Yeah, and also the thing is, Calls, that our little brother wants to say that he’s got a big boy crush on him,” Shep add with raised eyebrows.