Chapter 5

I stood silently outside for a long time while the party guests began to leave. The party was cut very short thanks to Gary. Ethan stood by me with his arm around my shoulders.

"Em?" He asked.

"Yeah," I choked on my tears.

"How did Gary know?"

I explained to him how Gary found out.

"Why didn't you tell me that happened?" He asked sounding hurt.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't want this to ruin your graduation but I did. I'm so sorry Ethan." I began to cry more.

Ethan put his arms around me and held me tight. "It's ok Em. I'm not mad at you. I just hope in the future you don't keep things like this from me no matter what."

"Ahem!" We heard our mother behind us.

Ethan and I broke our embrace.

"Let's go inside ok?" My mom looked pissed off.

Once inside, a lot of the food remained as well as the beverages and a table was piled up high with gifts for Ethan. I felt really guilty.

We went to the living room where mom and dad told us to take a seat on the couch in front of them. I kept my eyes down. I felt embarrassed and even though I loved my brother I felt shame for loving him.

"So Emma..." my mother began. I looked up at her and she sat back and crossed her legs. "What's going on? Care to explain?"

"I can explain," Ethan said.

"No! Emma, I'm asking YOU." My mother's voice boomed.

I looked at my father who saw me and then looked away. "Um ... well ... Ethan and I ... were ... are in a relationship..." I held my breath to see what she would say.

My mother eyed me angrily. "In a relationship? What do you mean?"

She knew what I meant. She just wanted me to say it. "I-In l-love," I stammered.

My mother sighed. "So you initiated this?"

I was taken back. "What?"

"You heard me Emma. Did you initiate this?"

Ethan jumped to my defense. "No mom I did!"

My mom looked at Ethan and then at me. Ethan held my hand in his. I felt tears welling up in my eyes again. "Ethan," she began still keeping her eyes on me, "Emma is your big sister. She's supposed to know right from wrong. She shouldn't have led you to all of this."

I couldn't believe my own mother was accusing me of taking advantage of my little brother! I was feeling really hurt. I felt tears spill down my face.

"She didn't mom, I-"

"Ethan! That's enough! I don't want to hear it. Your sister has a lot of explaining to do."

"Michelle, please calm down," my father pled to my mother.

"What do you mean calm down? You're ok with your children having an incestuous relationship?"

My father sunk down on his chair. "I'm just saying-"

"Emma, I can't believe you. I thought you had morals. Did I not teach you morals?" My mom scolded me.

"Mom! That's enough!" Ethan stood up and yelled.

"Ethan, I've already told you that I'm talking to Emma," my mom said in a calm angry voice.

"And mom, I've already told YOU that it was me who initiated all of this. Not Emma. Don't blame her. If you're going to blame anyone it should be me!" Ethan raised his voice again.

"Ethan, come with me please, let's let your mother and Emma talk," my father suggested as he stood up.

"No dad I-"

"Ethan, please go with dad," I choked.

Ethan looked down and put his hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure?"

I nodded and looked down.

Ethan squeezed my shoulder. "Ok," He bent down to kiss the top of my head. I closed my eyes trying to control anymore tears from falling.

I waited until my father and Ethan left to continue this chat with my mother who obviously hated me at that moment. She figured as the older sibling I should have stopped any kisses from my brother or any advances.

"So ... you can't go on like this you know that right?" My mom asked tersely.

I looked at her from across the room. Her eyes were dark and looking at me with so much anger. "I'm sorry mom ... I can't just stop this with Ethan. I-I love him."

My mom narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you love him as your brother and nothing else. Get those sick feelings out of your system Emma. Ethan is only 18 and maybe he was curious to see what all this incest bullshit was about, but you should have known better."

I sighed. "I-I'm sorry I let you down mom, but I still love Ethan and more than just a brother. I love him like I would love another man."

My mom crossed her arms and glared at me. "Have you had sex with him?"

I felt so embarrassed by this question. "N-No," I replied nervously.

"Do you plan on doing that? Because that is illegal you know that right?"

I glared at my mom. "Are you going to turn me in mom?" I asked angrily.

My mother stood up fast. I kept my cool or at least tried to. "Emma! Stop it already! If you're trying to get back at me for something, you have succeeded!"

I blinked and stood up slowly. I faced my mother. "I would never do that to you, mom. The truth of the matter is that I love Ethan. I love him so much and I will not give him up."

"Emma, I will not and cannot allow that! Don't you see how much you are hurting me?" My mother yelped as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry mom. I really am. Even if I could stop loving Ethan, I don't think I'd want to stop loving him."

My mother looked down for a moment and then back at me. Tears spilled down her face. "Get out Emma. Just leave!"

I felt anger rise. I felt guilty before but now my mother had completely turned against me. She put all the blame on me. "Fine! I'm out of here!" I shouted and headed towards the hallway, grabbed my purse that I had left on the hallway table and ran out the door. I ran towards my car and took off. I didn't know where I was heading to or what I was going to do. I just needed to get the hell out of my house before I got angrier.

~Gary~

I drove through the city streets with no care in the world. If I wrecked, fuck it, I wouldn't care. It seemed I didn't care about anything anymore. I couldn't believe I had gone and fucked up prince charming's graduation party. That would teach Emma for having hurt me like that. Yes! I was hurt. What guy wouldn't be hurt and embarrassed that his girlfriend left him for her own brother? That was pretty fucked up. More fucked up than a girl leaving a guy for another girl.

I needed to talk to someone. I needed to vent. I turned my car wheel fast making my car screech. I decided to head over to Ben's house. I was really embarrassed to have to tell him the real reason why Emma left me, but shit I was really buzzing and I had to tell someone. My nose was still throbbing and dripping with blood from that asshole Ethan's fist. I would get him back for sure, but right now I needed someone that would be there for me. Ben was the only one I could think of since my cousin had his girlfriend over.

I reached Ben's house and parked on the sidewalk. I got out of my car with a bleeding nose and anger still raging inside of me. I rang the doorbell holding my finger down on the doorbell.

The door opened up and Lila, Ben's little sister opened it. She looked like she'd been crying but her eyes widened when she saw my bleeding nose.

"Gary! Oh my god! Come in," she gasped and led me in the house.

"Is Ben here?" I slurred.

"No, he's out ... my parents wanted to take me to dinner for my stupid graduation but I didn't want to go so they went without me."

I looked at her and for the first time in my life I thought she looked pretty hot. She no longer had braces, acne was gone and she had really nice silky long black hair. "Oh ... I can go-"

"No! Let me get you something for your nose," she said and sat me down on the couch in the living room. "Just lay your head back here and keep it elevated," she ordered.

I did as she had told me and the pain from my nosebleed began to worsen. I groaned.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said in a sweet hushed voice. She brought me some tissue to wipe my nose down and then put an icepack on it. The cold felt so good on my throbbing nose.

"Who in the world did you get in a fight with, Gary?" She asked as she held down the icepack on my nose.

"I don't want to talk about it," I moped.

I opened my eyes and saw her staring at me. Gosh she looked so pretty. "Why didn't you want to go out tonight? Are you still upset about not making it for valedictorian?" I asked her sincerely.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah I guess you can say that."

She began to stroke my hair which felt good. "Yeah that prick Ethan beat you to it huh?" I asked angrily.