DALLAS

For those who live with their mothers, do you ever get that crippling fear when they scream your siblings name? Like it isn’t your name, but your life still flashes before your eyes just in case you’re next?

Well, this morning, that’s how I was awoken from my slumber. My mother was yelling for my sister, and let’s just say I got my butt up as well. Turns out, mom found that my sister Adidale snuck out last night. Such a shocker or whatever. I had already known she had snuck out that night. She woke me up to crawl out of my window since hers was bolted shut thanks to her frequent sneaking out. She then got drunk and managed to crash her car into a tree. She didn’t even bother to hide it though. 

Typical Adidale stuff, except for the fact that she didn’t manage to hide it and my mom found out. Ms. Atkins, my mom, is one of those typical white moms who try to be nice to their kids and believe in privacy and gentle parenting. And she wonders why Adi keeps acting up. She also works 85% of the time as the CEO of a tech company. Boss babe vibes, if you know what I mean.

Right on cue, my fuming mother barges in as I’m getting dressed like I’m heading out to fight a war and I’m late. She looks me up and down and then after assuring herself that everything was okay, shut the door and left me to my own devices.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m completely ready to go and waiting for my sisters who take forever to do absolutely everything. Adidale and Isabelle were identical twins who, up until some time this summer, did everything under the sun together. I’m nearly positive they went to the bathroom together as well. Nowadays though, the great Atkins twins, Adi and Isa, are kind of separate. Something about a boy Adi liked liking Isa who wasn’t even into him. I guess the boy said something about Isa being hotter than Adi, which is confusing as hell because they’re identical twins to the point of how they walked. But whatever, it isn’t my business. I’ve tried to make them communicate about it. They just yelled at each other.

Finally, after 15 minutes of me walking around without a destination in sight like an idiot, the twins walk down the stairs one by one, per the new norm, with our little sister Mia trailing behind. Not that I’m complaining or anything. Less talking about stuff I don’t understand, like maxi dresses and whatever the hell bronzer is. Now, I know more girly stuff than your average 17-year-old boy thanks to the fact I’ve been surrounded by girls for the majority of my life, but sometimes these girls can throw me for a loop. I’ve been on more feminine product trips than I would like to admit.

On the way to school, it’s quieter than usual even after the fallout. I can only chalk it up to the new school year. The twins are now seniors, and my younger sister is beginning her freshman year. Which is bound to be hard for anyone, let alone for someone as quiet and reserved as Mia.

Don’t tell the twins I said this, but Mia’s always been my favorite. She’s quiet and kind up front, but she’s never been the one to sit back and take disrespect from anyone. She’s a little gothic Barbie who loves photography and drawing. Now, she doesn’t have many friends except for this one loud guy who tends to drag her into stuff like the extrovert he is. 

The twins and my mother believe they’re dating, but I already know that Mia only sees him as a friend. In fact, I have a feeling Mia doesn’t like guys at all, if her reaction to my best friend Chloe is any indication. Which it is, considering the fact she turns beet red and basically runs every time Chloe tries to come anywhere near her. That or Mia just really admires her, which in my opinion is probably even worse.

“Dallas! Are you ignoring me? I’ve called your name at least eight times already,” Adidale yells from the backseat.

“Then yell it nine. What do you want?” I ask her.

“How come Chloe gets to sit in the front but your darling sisters have to sit in the back? We’re literally your flesh and blood while she’s just your best friend who’s loud and obnoxious,”

“And hot. Like, unfairly so. God obviously has its favorites,” Isa adds on.

And right on cue, a red blush takes a hold on Mia’s face. Poor Mia. She can’t be anymore obvious. It’s definitely a crush. I can’t figure out if that is a good thing or not. Chloe’s got a history that isn’t too great, but I’d also like it if Mia dated someone I knew than someone I’d have to figure out.

“That’s so not the point. She’s not even that hot anyway,” Adi replies.

“Yes the hell she is. Even guys think she’s hot and Chloe clearly isn’t even into boys. Ask anyone if she’s hot or not and they’ll tell you yes. Mia, do you think Dallas’ best friend’s hot?” Isa askes, dragging the currently beet red Mia into the conversation.

She fumbles for an answer while we pull up Chloe’s million dollar home. Her parents were both surgeons and really good ones at that. Her dad doesn’t live with them thanks to strangely really easy divorce and still lives with his new wife in Britain, but always sends money. They don’t need it, but he wanted it to be an allowance for Chloe. At least that’s what he says, but personally I think it’s just money to apologize for leaving. Even though they still have a great relationship.

Any normal person would believe that Chloe is some kind of stuck-up trust fund baby, and while she does have a trust fund, she won’t touch it. Something about making her own money and what not. And she’s a complete genius. She’s not top of her class, though. That’s my spot. She runs her own business that’s nearly million dollar though. The one thing that Chloe sucks at is paying too much attention to anything other than her business. It's probably why we managed to be best friends even though we both don’t really like people. She’s just better at hiding it with her extroverted personality. 

“What’s up gang? What are you all up to?” Chloe says, hopping into the car. 

“Your attempt at American slang while being completely British is still hilarious to me. It’s y'all not you all,” I tell her.

“Well the ladies think it’s hot, so your opinion doesn’t really matter. Plus, y’all is more of a Texas thing and your name may be Dallas, but you're not from Texas. You’re from Miami, you wanker,” she replies.

“Answer the question, Mia. I’m trying to prove a point here,” Isa says, interrupting our conversation, and not letting Mia escape questioning.

“What question? What did I miss?” Chloe asks.

“They’re having an argument over whether or not you’re actually hot or not. Adi’s on team no, and Isa’s on team yes. Mia is the tiebreaker. We’re currently awaiting her answer,” 

“Oh really? That’s an honorable debate. So what’s your answer, little raven? Do you think I’m hot?” Chloe probes, totally ignoring the red I can guess Mia has turned once again.

“Ummm… I don’t know?” 

“That’s not an answer! C’mon babe, I wanna know,” Chloe says.

I should want to kick Chloe for putting my baby sister in such an uncomfortable situation, but it’s honestly kind of funny.

“As much as I love chaos, we’re here and nearly late to the assembly. Get out and let’s go.” I said, parking my car in the school’s junior parking lot.

“Okay but I’ll be awaiting your answer, Little Raven, when school ends. Have a good day, ladies. Let’s go, Austin,” Chloe says, calling me by a different Texas city as she usually does.

“Little Raven? What the hell is that about?”

I confront Chloe once we find our spots within the Junior class. Turns out, we weren’t late and they pushed the assembly start time. The only person who was already here was a small brown-skinned girl I’ve never seen before, sitting two rows behind us. She was pretty in a simple way, unlike the majority of the stuck-up snobbish girls who attended school here. 

Our eyes connected when we first walked into the room and she was already sitting down in the chair by herself. I was surprised to see her there because I knew the entire junior class and I’ve never seen her before. She looked at me curiously before shifting her gaze away.

“What? Oh, you mean the nickname? I don’t know actually, it’s just something I’ve started calling her a couple months ago. She kind of reminds me of a raven thanks to her unhealthy obsession with black and midnight blue. They’re gorgeous birds and, not that you wanna hear it, especially from me, but your sister’s absolutely gorgeous as well. And she’s small, hence the ‘little’,” Chloe said, interrupting my train of thought.

“Okay, well cut it out. It’s weird as hell hearing you give little nicknames to my younger sister. Leave her alone,” 

I had nothing really against Chloe and my sister except for the fact that Chloe may very well be totally, completely, cut off and humiliated if she ever decided to get with her to break her heart. Chloe’s my best friend. I don’t want to do that to her, but older brother rules kind of demands it. I didn’t make the rules so don’t come after me.

“Level down on the overprotectiveness. I’m not going to sleep with your sister. Not unless she wanted to,” she added, just because she knew it would piss me off.

“Ugh, what is that? The script to a horror movie?” 

“What? Your sister is, like, extremely hot. Everybody knows it and everybody talks about it. These kids are going to be so happy that she’s a high schooler now, that they won’t be able to keep it in their pants. She may pass the twins in the amount of admirers before the end of the semester.”

“Jesus that sounds like Hell on Earth”

“I don’t really know what you expected. You’ve got the most sought after family in the school. Actually, in the world. Every member of the Atkins family is one of the most wanted people in the world. Even you, even though that’s painfully hard for me to admit and I felt like I just lost years on my life for saying that, even though you literally won the Hottest Man on Earth last year when you’re only 16. Little Raven’s just the icing on the cake,”

“Stop calling her that and stop being right. It’s annoying,” I tell her to no avail.

She just chuckles and faces forward as people begin filling the auditorium.