The Love Impaired

It was the day after my sister’s eighteenth birthday party and already I was getting a headache from the thoughts running rampant through my head. My relationship with her had always been solid, right from the minute she was born we were best friends. And I guess I now had an understanding of how parents feel watching their children grow up and step away from you, because I knew that at any moment she was going to come waltzing into my room with her big plan of life.

At just twenty years of age I felt old, the bes part of my life had been mostly spent with her. I had friends sure, I even had some that I would call brothers, but in the end it had always been me and her. Angel and me.

My parents were fans of the TV show Buffy, and rather than name my sister after the title character, they went with the male vampire character. Weird I know, but they figured she had the face of an Angel and that was that. I guess it beats being called Spike, which in the end, was reserved for our dog.

It was Sunday, and the sun was glaring its way through my bedroom window. I could hear my parents out the back squabbling about their feeble attempts to light the barbecue and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was called down. I was the only one who could get the old thing working and every time I ask them why they haven’t bought a new one.

”Well, it’s not something we use often enough to remember to upgrade.” Mom would tell me.

I was just about to climb out of bed when Angel came in through my door and collapsed down next to me, she was clearly enjoying the effects of her first ‘official’ hang over. She was wearing my New York Rangers hockey jersey and was bare-legged.

”Why do our parents think that this is an acceptable time to try and start a barbecue?” she moaned.

I checked the clock next to my television and smiled, ”It’s four-fifteen.” I replied.

She quickly sat bolt upright in surprise and then just as quickly flopped back down next to me after forgetting her headache. ”Owww,” she whined.

”Couldn’t find any of your own tops to wear?” I asked.

”I don’t have anything on underneath and mine are not long enough to hide that fact.” she answered.

”Oh, I see.” I said smiling, ”Just stripped and crashed last night then?”

”I don’t even remember stripping, I don’t even remember getting up the stairs.” she told me.

”I helped you up the stairs, but the stripping you did all by yourself. Before I could even get you into your room, by the way.”

She started laughing, ”Good job you’ve seen it all before.” she said.

”That’s not true, I meant to ask you actually, when did you get your nipple pierced?” I asked.

A grin spread across her face, ”Last year. Do you like it?”

”Yeah,actually. It was a nice surprise. But not as surprising as seeing you stand there, completely naked struggling with your dress stuck in your earring. Did anyone else notice that you weren’t wearing underwear last night?” I asked her.

”I don’t know,” she groaned, ”Maybe Uncle Earl.”

We both burst into laughter, it was a family party that Mom and Dad had organised. A couple of her friends were there but it was really just a family thing. A family thing that probably won’t be happening for her twenty first now.

”Did Aunt Sara continue the tradition of trying to grab your cock?” she asked me, it was a true story that whenever there was a family gathering, Aunt Sara would drink a little bit too much wine and get a little ‘handsy’, especially with me.

I started to giggle, ”No, not this time. I stayed hidden.”

She rolled onto her side and brought her leg across mine, she slid her hand over my chest and rested her head against my shoulder. ”Let’s skip the barbecue and sleep.” she said.

”You wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?” I asked, without answering she flipped herself over and dragged my arm over her, my crotch pressed up against her lower back and my chin now nuzzled into the back of her head.

For a few minutes we were silent, I was starting to think that she had actually dropped off to sleep when I heard her take a short but deep breath.

”I don’t want things to change between us just because I’m eighteen now.” she told me. ”I think that you think they might.”

I thought for a moment about how to confirm her suspicions, ”The funny thing about eighteen, is that new life begins. New directions open up.” I told her.

”I think you mean twenty-one.” she replied.

”For me maybe, but you? You were always going to be the one with more options, it’s just how it is.”

She shrugged her shoulders, she knew it was true. And no matter how strong the bond is between brother and sister, you never give up your life just for the sake of not wanting the other to feel left behind. Or at least, you shouldn’t.

”I do have one thing to ask you,” she said. ”And you might not like it.”

”What is it?” I asked her.

”Emma and Jess want to take me on their holiday to London. It’s with their Mom and Dad obviously, but–”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence, ”The laws in England are different,” I said, ”You can get into clubs and bars at eighteen instead of twenty-one.”

”Yeah.” she replied quietly, ”Mom and Dad have spoken to their parents and they’ve allowed me to go.