Strawberry Banana #26 with some Whipped Cream
Family dinners were bad, but family dinners out were absolute hell. Sixteen year old Kimberly Hoshimoto was quietly getting ready for her grandparent’s anniversary dinner when a sudden thought crossed her mind. She set down her curling iron and cautiously walked to her door, peeking out and with a small smile, she tip toed to her little brother’s room, twisting the door knob and shoving the door open.
When Aaron saw it was her, he looked about as excited as a wet cat. “What do you want?” he asked, crossing his arms and frowning. “And why can you come into my room when I’m not allowed in yours?” Kim grinned, making her way to his bed, shoving dirty socks aside and opening her arms wide.
“I’ll tell you if you give me a hug.”
“Kim!”
“C’mon, Air-bear, please? You’re getting to be such a jerk! Learn how to show your favorite older sister affection, would you?” Aaron sighed, padding over to give his sister a hug, regretting it almost immediately when she wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing his cheek against her chest and forcing him to inhale the perfume she always wore. Things got worse when he felt her sticky, glossed lips press against his forehead and he began to squirm, trying to get away. “Aaron…”
“Lemmo go, Kim!” She did and twelve year old groaned. “Now I stink like a girl!”
“Oh that’s not a big deal, Air-bear. Quit being stupid.” Kim snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “I need to talk to you.”
“About what?” Kim leaned forward, settling her forearms on her thighs and Aaron leaned in closer as well.
“About dinner.” She had a mischievous look on her face. “About what you should do.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to go!” Aaron stated. “I have a soccer game today.” Kim rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Mom said we’re leaving early so we can visit with the family before dinner which means, bud, no soccer game.”
“But, Kim-!”
“No buts, squirt. Anyway. Let me give you some advice about the family now that you’re twelve. First off, Papa is going to say how much you’ve grown, even if you just saw him last week.”
“That’s stupid.” Aaron stated, crossly. “He’s stupid.” Kim shook her head, patting the place on his bed beside her. “What?”
“Sit, Aaron. And no, grandpa isn’t stupid. He’s actually quite smart. He taught at that UC down the road and you have to be smart to do that. Anyway, grandma is practically blind and Auntie Janet is kind of weird. She has this thing where she’s always trying to clean your face off. And she’s like a skeleton.” Aaron’s mouth made a small “o” and he looked up at his sister, suddenly very interested in his older sibling’s warnings.
“What else, Kim?”
“Well…Uncle Frank will try to amuse you with magic tricks like making a coin appear. Just deal with it and whatever you do, don’t tell him you figured it out. He’ll have a fit. Oh! And Tara, Jessica and Lita. Tara’s my age, Jessica is fourteen and Lita is eleven. They’re all really mean; at least, to me. I mean, you’re a big kid now, it’s time for you to face these things!”
“They’re never like that to me though, Kim. They’re all pretty nice, I think.” Aaron stated, lifting an eyebrow. “I think you’re a liar.”
“I am not a liar!” Kim stated, haughtily. “I’m just warning you, squirt, that our family-mom’s side, especially-are a bunch of freaks. Take it from me since I’ve been through these dinners while having to deal with the adults treating me like adults. You’re twelve now; I swear that’s when they start treating you like a big kid.” With that, she stood up, using her hand to muss her brother’s hair. “Go get in the shower and get yourself clean. Mom’s going to come up and nag you.”
“You’re nagging me.” Her brother replied, pouting.
“Love you too, pumpkin!” She took her leave and went back to her room, looking forward to the night’s celebration where she would see if her advice had actually been retained. It was Aaron though; knowing him, she mused, it had gone in one ear and out the other.
When Aaron saw it was her, he looked about as excited as a wet cat. “What do you want?” he asked, crossing his arms and frowning. “And why can you come into my room when I’m not allowed in yours?” Kim grinned, making her way to his bed, shoving dirty socks aside and opening her arms wide.
“I’ll tell you if you give me a hug.”
“Kim!”
“C’mon, Air-bear, please? You’re getting to be such a jerk! Learn how to show your favorite older sister affection, would you?” Aaron sighed, padding over to give his sister a hug, regretting it almost immediately when she wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing his cheek against her chest and forcing him to inhale the perfume she always wore. Things got worse when he felt her sticky, glossed lips press against his forehead and he began to squirm, trying to get away. “Aaron…”
“Lemmo go, Kim!” She did and twelve year old groaned. “Now I stink like a girl!”
“Oh that’s not a big deal, Air-bear. Quit being stupid.” Kim snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “I need to talk to you.”
“About what?” Kim leaned forward, settling her forearms on her thighs and Aaron leaned in closer as well.
“About dinner.” She had a mischievous look on her face. “About what you should do.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to go!” Aaron stated. “I have a soccer game today.” Kim rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Mom said we’re leaving early so we can visit with the family before dinner which means, bud, no soccer game.”
“But, Kim-!”
“No buts, squirt. Anyway. Let me give you some advice about the family now that you’re twelve. First off, Papa is going to say how much you’ve grown, even if you just saw him last week.”
“That’s stupid.” Aaron stated, crossly. “He’s stupid.” Kim shook her head, patting the place on his bed beside her. “What?”
“Sit, Aaron. And no, grandpa isn’t stupid. He’s actually quite smart. He taught at that UC down the road and you have to be smart to do that. Anyway, grandma is practically blind and Auntie Janet is kind of weird. She has this thing where she’s always trying to clean your face off. And she’s like a skeleton.” Aaron’s mouth made a small “o” and he looked up at his sister, suddenly very interested in his older sibling’s warnings.
“What else, Kim?”
“Well…Uncle Frank will try to amuse you with magic tricks like making a coin appear. Just deal with it and whatever you do, don’t tell him you figured it out. He’ll have a fit. Oh! And Tara, Jessica and Lita. Tara’s my age, Jessica is fourteen and Lita is eleven. They’re all really mean; at least, to me. I mean, you’re a big kid now, it’s time for you to face these things!”
“They’re never like that to me though, Kim. They’re all pretty nice, I think.” Aaron stated, lifting an eyebrow. “I think you’re a liar.”
“I am not a liar!” Kim stated, haughtily. “I’m just warning you, squirt, that our family-mom’s side, especially-are a bunch of freaks. Take it from me since I’ve been through these dinners while having to deal with the adults treating me like adults. You’re twelve now; I swear that’s when they start treating you like a big kid.” With that, she stood up, using her hand to muss her brother’s hair. “Go get in the shower and get yourself clean. Mom’s going to come up and nag you.”
“You’re nagging me.” Her brother replied, pouting.
“Love you too, pumpkin!” She took her leave and went back to her room, looking forward to the night’s celebration where she would see if her advice had actually been retained. It was Aaron though; knowing him, she mused, it had gone in one ear and out the other.