Maxine.
The father- son relationship between my father and Logan hasn't gone smoothly for a long time. I mean, the two have always had a rocky relationship, but things became worse two years ago. The two have just never gotten along. You think I have an awful relationship with my father, you should see Logan! He rebelled ever since he turned sixteen. He had this sudden career change and saw it was his 'calling' to be a musician instead. And of course that decision worsened his relationship with dad, considering he was the one who was supposed to take over the company.
Ever since Logan recorded his very first song, which I've never really bothered listening to, dad has never talked to him again. No phone call, no email, not even a text! So it's something pretty worrying when dad calls Logan, of all people, for advice.
Arriving at the office, I got the usual welcoming. Everyone basically downcast their eyes and walked as far away from me as they could... well, everyone except Jackson, who walked behind me.
Okay fine, maybe my mean nature isn't just in school. I brought it to my dad's place of work as well. I may, or may not have scolded an employee once for spilling coffee. I also may or may not have threatened a couple of employees because of mistakes that I thought could have destroyed my father's company. Not that I cared really, I was just extremely bored. But I guess that, and a bunch of other stuff, were enough to make the employees here not want to be associated with me in any way... or even maintain eye contact. Not that I blame them really. If I were not me, I'd avoid me too.
"The very minute we got to the elevator, everyone got out. I appreciated the space, but of course Jack had to comment.
"You know the employees here don't scatter that way when your father pops up,"
"Well that's a bummer," total sarcasm.
"One day, you might be the one heading this company___"
"Never happening! I have plans for the future, and they don't, in any way, revolve around me staying cooped up in the office all day with a bunch of assignments to finish! I don't have the patience dad has. If given a chance, I'd probably fire half of the company in a day just for looking at me,"
Again, Jackson laughed. I guess he found it funny. He probably thought I was kidding... which I wasn't. I was f*cking serious!
The elevator opened, and the people waiting to get in moved a step back as I walked out towards dad's office.
Maria, dad's secretary, was basically the only person in the entire building, who's said 'hi'. And of course I responded back, and went ahead to going inside while Jackson went towards his office. I was not at all happy when I went in and found...
"Logan," my voice was filled with as much disinterest as I could master... which wasn't exactly hard considering my voice always sounded that way.
"Well that's no way to greet your elder brother," he stood from the couch as he walked towards me, wrapping his arms around me in a rather tight hug, "It's been so long baby siz,"
"Not long enough apparently," I said, slightly managing to break the hug.
"Do you know how many people would kill to be in your shoes right now? Getting the opportunity to receive a hug from me?"
"Well I'd kill not to have to do that again! I'm not one of you lost brainwashed fans," and I straightened my clothes and hair.
He gave me a scrutinizing gaze, and his expression hardened a bit. The paranoid side of my brother that always wants me to do everything perfectly was now here.
"You dyed your hair again," he commented.
"Well that's a rather keen observation," I dumped my bag on the couch as I settled myself on dad's swivel chair.
"You know I'm starting to hate your sarcasm,"
"You wouldn't exactly be the first," I span around in dad's chair, and I heard Logan let out a sigh.
I connected my headphones and looked for a phone befitting my mood... confused! Unfortunately, it was difficult to find. I've never exactly had songs that I listen to when I'm confused... just mad, or pissed, happy I guess... but the latter is extremely rare. If I'm ever genuinely happy.
My idiotic brother, on the other hand, saw it was best to indulge me in pointless small talk that I saw was a total buzz- kill.
"So you punched a girl at school unconscious?" it was more or less a statement, and I was tired of explaining to everyone that Melanie staged the entire thing just so she could make me look bad... or worse than I already do.
"Yeah, fun times," I said, scrolling aimlessly through my phone's playlist in an attempt to show him that this entire conversation, wasn't really going anywhere.
"You got yourself suspended," he continued his mumbling, clearly not getting the memo.
"No, I got myself an early Summer break,"
"You got arrested for the third time___"
"Fourth time!" I corrected him, and he scoffed. I could detect how annoyed he was even without looking at him. I didn't have to look at him to know that he was rolling his eyes.
"You're saying that like it's a good thing,"
"You're saying it like it's a bad thing," I told him, and for the brief moment that I was spinning on dad's chair, I didn't miss the annoyed expression that was on his face... and I honestly wasn't surprised. I seem to have that effect on people.
"Max___"
"Don't you have like, I don't know, songs to write or something?"
"It's what I was doing before dad called,"
"Well you should have simply ignored his phone call and focused more on your song,"
"Max___"
"Your songs clearly need more attention than I do," I said, a smirk on my face. And I showed him a video of his performance where he ruined everything when he mixed up the lyrics to his song, "It's a bummer there was such a huge crowd there... But look at the bright side, you trended like crazy. I mean, the comments here are just___"
"I told dad to take you to summer camp," I seriously thought I heard him wrong... and something in my head needed verification... just in case my headphones made me mishear things.
"You did what?"
"I told him that it was a good idea for you to go to that Summer camp,"
"And who told you that I need Summer camp?"
"It's for your own good Max,"
"For my own good? It's for my own good? You've been gone for two f*cking years on your so- called quest to find yourself and 'discover your talent'. And now, all of a sudden, you came out of nowhere, f*cking waltz back into my life and f*cking claim to know what's for my own good? Are you sh*tting me?" I was beyond pissed.
No way in hell was Logan going to do that. Abandon me when I needed him the most and come back when his presence is extremely annoying.
"Don't you dare use that tone with me," everyone hates it when I curse. Jackson may not have commented on it earlier, but I saw how he looked at me. My dad can't stand me cursing, and Logan, the guy simply despises it! It enrages him!
"The truth f*cking hurts___"
"I won't sit here and let you___"
"What?" I said as we both stood up at the same time, walking towards each other and not exactly breaking eye contact, "What are you going to do?"
We stood in front of each other. Our typical brother- sister fights. My brother and I have always been close. He's been my confidant for the longest time... my pillar of support. His jokes always made me laugh and his presence always made me calm. But that was before he left me alone. When I needed him the most. He disappeared for two f*cking long years to 'make his music' and only bothered to call when he's heard that I've done something sh*tty!
So basically, I can't stand his presence. It's highly irritating. It pisses me off that he pretends to know me so well, that he pretends to care about me... But it's all a lie.
"Ask me that again and I might as well consider demonstrating it," he threatened looking down at me... A posture, I have to admit, would have easily intimidated anyone... but not me!
"What are you going to do about it?" I gladly reciprocated his likewise cold stare.
"I want no blood shed in my office," a familiar voice cut through the tension, and we could tell it was dad even before we bothered turning around to face him.
"We weren't planning to shed any blood," Logan said.
"Yeah, it was going to be a clean job," I said.
"I can't stand your bickering," he said, slamming a rather large file on the table... and I guess that was enough to snap Logan an I out of whatever trance we were in.
He sat on his swivel chair, leaning back, no jacket, and his usually perfectly gelled hair was slightly a mess. That is something highly unusual when we're talking about my dad... the guy is a total perfectionist.
"Both of you, sit!" his voice was authoritative. And normally, I wouldn't have obliged, but even I know when to not act like a total b*tch... and this was definitely one of those times.
Logan and I gave each other a final glare, and then proceeded to sitting down on the chairs opposite him.
"Why is Logan here?" I asked, and dad stopped leaning back on his chair.
"I'm the one asking the questions here Maxine!" dad's voice didn't exactly leave room for debating, " You getting suspension wasn't a free pass to breaking more rules! Why are you not at the house like you're supposed to be?"
"You're the one who sent Jackson to bring me here!"
"From where?" he asked, and I wasn't going to answer that question. He already had the answer, he just wanted to hear it from me, "I'm getting tired of your rebellious attitude Maxine,"
"You were never like this," Logan commented, and to be honest, I didn't really give a f*ck about him or his memory of what I was like.
"Don't sit here and start telling me what I was like... You don't know sh*t about me... you never have!"
"I know what you're not___"
"Stop bullsh*tting me Logan! I'm getting sick of it"
"What, truth hurts?"
"No, but your jaw will!"
"Enough!" dad slammed his fist on the table, and the attention went back to him, "The Summer camp your principal suggested... you're going!"
"But dad___"
"I can't keep on telling you to do stuff and simply have you blowing me off. It's a sh*tty habit that I won't stand for anymore!"
Under normal circumstances, I would have commented on the fact that he's actually used a cursing word. But this isn't exactly 'normal circumstances', so I kept it to myself.
"Ever since that incident with your mother___"
"Don't go there dad!" nobody ever mentions that woman. For the longest time, we've totally ignored her existence. Dad knows it's a topic I never want to open... and here he is, pissing me off by bringing it up.
"I let you go scot- free... I let you do whatever the f*ck you wanted, thinking that it will give you closure! Instead, you turned out to be this self- absorbed spoilt little___"
"Dad!" Logan called, and that must have snapped dad out of whatever abusive trance he was in... which is a bummer, because it would have been a memory I'd like to keep, not to mention that I'd use that to get my way. My father actually cursing... that would have been my escape card every time he prohibits me from cursing. But oh well, of course Logan had to ruin that as well, just like he does every other time.
"I wasn't asking you," dad's voice was now a bit calm... strict, but calm all the same, "I definitely wasn't giving you an option... you're going to that Summer camp! This might actually be the first good thing I've done for you... and you may hate me now, but it's for your own good!"
