Chapter Fourteen
Kara woke up with the sun the next morning. It wasn’t something she normally did, or even enjoyed doing, but she didn’t have any curtains yet, and her room faced east. She yawned loudly, stretching her arms out. What a night!
She and Brian had shared a simple pepperoni pizza, which he had insisted upon waving incessantly in AJ’s face. AJ responded with a few choice words, and the mayhem continued. Circus, indeed! Kara spent most of the evening wishing that Kristin were still there to keep them in line. Finally, they tired of baiting one another, and they settled down enough to go to sleep. She stuck to her word- Brian got a sleeping bag on the floor. If he wanted to be stubborn, well, then, she would be, too.
Kara padded into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She didn’t like the stuff, but knew that both her cousin and AJ drank it, and that it would help her wake up. She noisily pulled out bowls and cups for breakfast, and made sure that her silverware clanged loudly as she ate her cereal near Brian’s place on the floor. He stirred slowly, then shot straight up when she pelted him in the head with a grape.
“Ouch! What was that for?” He asked groggily, eyes wide.
She raised an eyebrow. “Good morning to you too, Brian.”
“I don’t appreciate being pummeled with fruit first thing in the morning- what was that for?” He asked angrily.
“Keep it down, would you?” She pointed a thumb in AJ’s direction. “Some people are trying to sleep.”
“I would be, too, if you hadn’t pelted me with that grape!” He grumbled. “I repeat, why-” He stopped when she raised both eyebrows, pointing toward AJ once again. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
She looked at him, eyes narrowed. “You’re in the dog house, Littrell. Big time.”
He grinned innocently at her. The best way out of the wrath was to get her to lay it all out on the line, then joke around about it. “What’d I do?”
Her nostrils flared, and she crossed her arms over her chest. He swore he could almost see steam coming from her ears. “What did you DO? You sermonized AJ, you talk to Kevin about me like I’m a little kid, you INSIST on playing the part of ‘pig-headed cousin who won’t trust his younger cousin and her friend to behave’, and then you try to make the guy YAK in my new apartment!” She threw up her hands in frustration. “What did you do? Could you BE any more EMBARRASSING to me if you tried?”
He gave her a cheeky grin.“I’m sure I could. Was that an invitation for me to try?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her hands flew to her head in frustration as she tried not to scream at him.“HELL, NO! And don’t even TRY to lecture me about the use of that word right now, ‘cause much worse ones are about ready to come flying out, believe me!”
AJ had jolted awake when Kara began her tirade, and was watching the interaction with a smug smile on his face. He was enjoying this immensely.“That’s a girl! You tell him, Kara!” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth, because they brought the attention, and wrath, to him.
“Oh I would just shut my mouth right now if I were you, you Dennis Rodman, tattooed bad-boy wannabe. You’re FAR from innocent in this whole thing, so don’t you DARE give me that smile and think your so-called ‘charm’ is going to get you out of it. Uh-uh.”
AJ’s eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw dropped in shock at the force of her tirade, causing Brian to stifle his laughter as he watched the other man squirm.
“You drink more than a camel in the desert who’s gone without water for two months, get sick, and have to be baby-sat for not one, but TWO nights in a row, not to mention the fact that you had an oh-so-FUN attitude! Then, to top it off, you get Brian here all pissy, and continue to PURPOSEFULLY piss him off further. Don’t EVEN start with me, boy!” She turned back to Brian, who was shaking with laughter at this point. She stomped her foot, eyes blazing as she stood an inch away from him.“IT’S NOT FUNNY, BRIAN! I suggest you back off before I REALLY get angry!”
This only caused him to laugh harder, and AJ lost the battle when she literally became ‘hopping mad’, jumping up and down in front of them like a boxer.“You trying to give Mohammed Ali a run for his money in the fast footwork department? What’re you gonna do, deck me?” Brian asked, jumping up and down in front of her, hands fisted. “Huh? Huh?” He jutted his chin out defiantly, bouncing on the balls of his feet, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “C’mon, girl! Show me what you got!”
That was it. Kara finally grasped the humor in the situation, and she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. “That was SO not fair!” She gasped, trying to catch her breath while she glared at them both. “I’m still pissed at you, Bri. You, too, ‘Jay.”
AJ wiped his eyes, laughing silently. These two were QUITE the pair. He’d pay good money to see another fight between them- this was pure entertainment. When he’d calmed down to speak, he looked at her seriously.“I’m sorry, Kara. I know I’m a pain in the ass most of the time anyway, but I’m sorry you had to baby-sit me for two nights in a row.” A slow grin slid across his face “Though I must say, seeing you fight with Bri-boy here like that was almost worth it!” He ducked as she moved to swat him with a pillow.
“Yes, you are indeed a royal pain in the ass, but I love you anyway.” She grinned, punching him lightly in the arm. “Just don’t do it again.”
He held up two fingers, a solemn expression on his face.“Scout’s honor.”
Brian choked on the spoonful of Cheerios he was eating, and Kara rushed over to pat him on the back until she was sure he was okay.
“What? What’d I say?”
“You…” Brian sputtered “A Boy Scout? I think the founder would roll in his grave if he heard you saying such things!”
“Ha ha.” AJ stated, smiling sarcastically. “Very funny, Frick.” He put on a conceited air. “At least I apologized, unlike SOME people I know.”
“Watch it, buddy.” Brian flicked a spoonful of his now-soggy cereal at the younger man before turning his attention to Kara.“I’m sorry, Ker-bear. I’ve just been worried about you- so has Kevin, and it seems to come out in irrational and ridiculous ways.” He smiled slightly before continuing. “We’re really not bent on pissing you off. I’m sorry I embarrassed you.” He looked over at AJ “And I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. It’s just that-“
“She’s your baby cousin.” AJ finished for him.
“I know.”
And judging from the frustration evident on Kara’s face at his word choice, she knew, too.