Ashley Ch. 01

"As much sense as that makes, you know mom won't fall for it."

"Do I? Mom is so carefree and oblivious to the world sometimes. If she's in the middle of her soaps while our house got ransacked, she'd tell the robbers to quiet down until it was over."

I chuckled at the scenario. There was some truth attached to it. Our mom was like a walking encyclopedia, but when it came to reality and people, she could be totally clueless. "Well, what about Nikky?"

"What about her? She's our little sister, not mom and dad. She's won't get in our way."

"But she's young and impressionable. I don't want her catching us doing something we shouldn't be and giving her wrong ideas."

Crap, that didn't come out right.

"Wrong ideas? Are you saying what we're doing is wrong?"

"No, Ashley, that's not what I meant. What's wrong is us taking so long to tell each other how we feel." Whew, I hoped that recovery works. "With Nicole, if we manage to explain to her why it's ok for us to be together like this, she might think it's a normal thing and start blabbing it to everyone. She isn't the type of kid who can hold secrets."

"I know what you mean. She's told me so many things about you like--oops, never mind."

"Oh ho, what was that? What exactly did she tell you about me?"

"Hmm, I shouldn't say. I think it's a good idea for me to practice keeping secrets, too."

"Really? Now you listen to me? Guess I have no other choice." I sat up and turned my back to Ashley, pretending I was getting off her bed.

"Brian? What are you plan-"

With a twist to my left, I lunged backwards onto Ashley. I quickly grabbed her right leg and held it in the air with my left arm wrapped around her thigh, mimicking the way wrestlers pin their opponent to the mat. She started to giggle, sensing what I was going to do next. I tried to grab her foot with my right hand, but she didn't make it easy for me. Her ankle twisted and her leg swung wildly. It was only a matter of time before I predicted her movement and caught a hold of her foot. My fingers flittered across the sole, causing her to writhe even more in laughter.

"Ha! Ready to tell me what Nikky told you?"

Ashley could barely contain herself. She kept laughing as she spoke. "No way. The things Nicole can do to me are way worse than this." I imagined Ashley strapped down in a Frankenstein-ish castle with a demented Nikky ready to flip a giant switch behind her.

"That's it, time to get down to business. I'm sorry it's come to this, dear sister." I ceased my tickling and held her right ankle in my right hand. Easing my stranglehold around her thigh, I grappled her other leg with my left arm. This time she didn't put up any resistance. Holding both of her legs together in the air, I commenced my attack.

"Let me go," she shrieked. She was trying hard to sound serious, but history had taught me otherwise. I shrugged off her request and tickled with renewed intensity. Contrary to her loud screaming, this was one of those things I knew how far I was able to go before she got irritated. Besides, her arms were free to whack me across the head if she really wanted me to stop. "Ahhh, I can't take it anymore. Please stop?" I nodded my head sideways. I wanted to keep this up for as long as possible. "Brian, will you just, just... Brian, will you... fuck me!"

I froze. That's the natural thing to do when your sister screamed something like that, wasn't it? I wasn't sure what to think. Did she really mean it? Or was this some sort of trick? I mean, it had to be a trick. As I assessed the situation, Ashley took the opportunity to bend her right knee and pull free from my grip. Unfortunately for me, she didn't realize just how loose my grip had gotten from her words. She pulled with so much extra strength she couldn't stop herself from kneeing me right in the nose.

"Oh shit," Ashley yelped, realizing what she had accidentally hit. "Bry, are you ok? Oh I'm so sorry, your nose is bleeding. Let me get some napkins. I'll be back in two seconds." She eased me upright and lifted my hand to pinch my nose before speeding out of the room.

Dad shouted from his sanctuary, "Is everything ok, kids? I heard a yell."

"Yeah, dad, we're fine. Brian hit his nose and he's bleeding now."

I almost fell over when I heard that. It had always amused me how Ashley would flip a story upside down to other people. "Don't listen to her, dad. She brutally attacked me."

"He's lying."

"As long as you two are still alive, I don't care whose fault it is."

My sister returned with two big handfuls of crumpled napkins and a paper towel roll under her arm. She sat beside me and said sympathetically, "Here, take some. I'm so sorry. Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

I rolled up some napkins and plugged them into my nose. "Don't sweat it, I'm not bleeding too much. It's already slowing down."

"That's good. You didn't get any blood on my bed, did you?" I stuck out my tongue and Ashley retaliated by slapping me on the shoulder.

"Oww, since when did you become so violent? First the nose and now this."

"You deserve it, you big dope. Teasing and torturing your sister, you're lucky I didn't break something." Ashley scooted closer, but only to snatch the TV remote on the other side of me.

While she searched for something worthwhile to watch, I decided to fish for more info on what had caused my accident. "Did you mean it?"

"What? That you deserved a bloody nose? Of course I didn't mean it."

"No, not that. Before you kneed me."

Ashley placed a finger on her chin. "Hmm, I don't remember. Refresh my memory."

"Right before you kicked me, you told me to, you know, do something."

"I still don't understand. You'll have to be more specific."

"Ugh, never mind. Forget about it."

"All right, if you say so." I could see a smug smile from the side of her face.

For the next few hours, we hung out doing the same things we had always done. We watched the boob tube, chit-chatted about whatever, and played some card games with a jar of pennies on the line. It was innocent and simple fun. Summer had started only a few weeks ago, and there was plenty of time to see where our newly discovered relationship would lead us.

Shortly past five, the clunky front door opened again.

"Hi everyone, I'm home," mom called. "Come help me carry all this food." Ashley and I, and even our dad, came to her aid. We promptly carried the food to the table and seated for dinner.

* * *

"Where's Nikky?" questioned Ashley.

"She decided to sleep over at her friend's house. I'm going to have to drop her pajamas off after dinner. Brian, what happened to your nose? It's so pink. Did you hurt yourself?"

"It's nothing, mom. I got a little clumsy. It doesn't hurt anymore." I turned to dad. "Can you hand over the kung pao chicken?"

With a mouthful of Peking duck, he slid me the carton. "Here ya go."

"Eww, you're spitting your food everywhere," Ashley fussed.

Dad gulped down on his glass of iced tea. "This is so good, I can't help myself. Oh, Helen, I have great news, dear."

"Yes? What would that be?".

"Mr. Fitzpatrick said our team is doing a great job at the office--way ahead of schedule. He rewarded all of us with a weekend at that new casino and resort you've been dying to go to."

Mom's jaw dropped to the ground. "No, get out of here. You really mean it?"

"Yep, I mean it." Dad pulled two passes from his back pocket and held them up to show her. "The two of us, for four days and three nights, anytime we want. Temple Palace awaits."

"Oh my, this is so exciting. When can we go?"

"Like I said, anytime we want. These are good for three months. But I don't think we're going to wait that long, are we?"

"Unh-uh, we're going right after my brother's wedding. Weddings are always stressful in this family. A few nights alone for the two of us would be divine." I'd never seen mom act so giddy before.

Ashley gleefully gasped to attract their attention. "And what about us? We'll be stuck at home with nothing to do, no one to take care of us."

"Tough luck, kiddos, you'll both have to find a way to live without us. Your mother and I need this. It's been so long since we've had a small vacation. I'm too busy spending my money on your clothes and Internet."

Dinner continued and our parents went back to their discussion on spas and slot machines. I was about to stuff a spoonful into my mouth when I saw Ashley winking at me. I had a pretty good idea what that was for. As much as I praised my sister for her sincerity and veracity, she did a damn good job at being naughty. Or it could've just been hyperactive imagination. Either way... wow, half a week of no parents. They're both workaholics and for them to take even one day off seemed unreal, let alone four.

Our dad stretched his arms up and tilted his chair back. "Mmm, this Chinese restaurant keeps getting better and better. Don't you think so, kids?"

"Yeah, I'm stuffed," I replied.

"Mom, did you remember the fortune cookies?" Ashley asked, wiping her lips clean with a neatly folded napkin.

Mom responded in a singsong, "Yes I did. They're right there in that bag by your father."

Dad spotted it and reached in. "Catch, guys," he said as he tossed us each a cookie.

Our mother was the first to crack hers open. She read, "'Abandon the search for truth; settle for a good fantasy.' Not sure what that means but it sounds like a keeper."

"Oh ho, that's nothing compared to mine, Helen. 'You will soon be richer day by day.' It's the perfect fortune for the roulette wheel and blackjack tables."

Ashley was next. "Listen to this one. 'Don't despair; your ideal lover is waiting for you around the corner.'"

"Aww, that is so sweet," mom swooned. "Not all fortunes are always that good. Make sure you don't lose it."

Ashley placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hands, staring straight at me. "Yeah, but I wonder who he'll be. It could be anyone."

"Don't worry about it, honey. Fortunes won't always reveal themselves right away. It could be months, maybe years, before they come true. And when it comes to love... love can be totally unpredictable. You'll never know when you'll find it. Your mother and I had known each other for eight years before we learned that. If only I had that fortune when we were in high school. It would've saved us a lot of time and humiliation in college."

Ashley asked curiously, "Humiliation? What do you mean by-"

"Your father doesn't mean anything by it," mom interrupted. "Am I right?"

Dad almost choked on his cookie. "Erm, yes, nothing. It was nothing." His face turned bright red as the two women started laughing. "So Brian, what does yours say? Best for last?"

I wasn't sure if "best" was the right word to describe my fortune, but I found it amusing nevertheless. "Not quite. It's broken."

"Broken? What do you mean by that?".

"Well, I rather not read it."

Ashley stood up and reached across the table. "It can't be that bad, brother. I'll read it for you."

I leaned forward and placed the paper slip in her hand, feeling her thumb gently squeeze down on my fingers. She pulled away, never fully letting go, until I felt myself slowly slipping from her grasp. I tried to follow her hand but stopped when I realized I had gotten out of my chair.

Still standing, Ashley read it aloud. "'The greatest danger could be your stupidity.'"

Our parents both looked at Ashley to confirm if she was really serious. My sister failed to keep her lips from cracking, and they turned to each other, they exploded in sidesplitting laughter. Ashley fell in her seat, joining them in their amusement. Watching the family like this was very refreshing and I began to laugh, too. We were one big happy family, minus one little sibling, but a happy family nevertheless. Times like those really made me appreciate what I had.

The cookies were a nice way to end the meal, and it didn't take long for the four of us to clean up. The only dinnerware we used were cups. The restaurant was courteous enough to supply the rest of the utensils. Dad disposed of the cartons and chopsticks, mom dried the glasses, and Ashley and I headed to the fridge to get some ice cream. Upon opening the freezer, we observed the shelves empty of any frozen treats.

My sister spoke first. "I could've sworn we had half a box of cookies and cream left."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure of that, too." We searched high and low but to no avail.

We heard dad's voice behind us as he entered the kitchen from the backyard. "My bad, kids. While you two were playing, I ate the rest of the ice cream in the study room. Hope you don't mind."

"Uhh, yes we do mind," Ashley and I barked in unison.

"Ohh, err, all right. How 'bout this." Dad hurriedly pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his pockets. "Here, take this and go to that dairy place near the market. Buy yourselves a big sundae. My treat."

Ashley skipped over to him and snatched the money. "Sounds good to me." She handed me the bill. "Let me change my clothes, Big Bro."

I watched my sister disappear around the corner. "Thanks, dad. Do you want us to get you something?"

He patted his belly. "I think I had enough for tonight."

"How about you, mom? Want anything?"

"No thank you, Brian. But since you happen to be going out, would you mind taking Nicole's stuff over to her friend's house? Just give me a minute to pack her stuff."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Great, just give me a minute to get it ready." Mom dried her hands on a cloth towel and rushed out of the kitchen.

I headed toward the living room where I spotted dad already dead on the couch with ESPN on his fifty-six inch plasma TV. The one thing my dad enjoyed more than work was sports. He was a basketball player when he attended high school, but his real passion had always been business. After graduating from college and getting married, the toll of raising a family and juggling paperwork restricted him to recreational sports. That didn't mean, however, he wouldn't be up on the couch shouting at every basket, touchdown, and goal when there's a big game going on.

I sat on the armrest of the sofa chair next to him as I waited for the women to return. Mom appeared first. She handed me a small pink backpack plastered with glittery flower stickers and puppy key-chains. She slapped dad's leg and he sat up to make room for her on the couch.

"Ok, I'm ready," Ashley called from the hallway behind me.

"Oh my, Ashley, you look very pretty," mom complimented.

I turned around to see what the hubbub was about, and I nearly toppled over at the sight of my sister. "Pretty" didn't do her justice. Ashley wore a long-sleeved pink shirt with an outer white tank top that had a big red silhouette of a heart in the middle. Her tight jeans were faded at the knees and flared at the bottom. Surrounding her neck was a thin gold necklace. Hanging from her ears were matching gold hoops. The most unique part of her ensemble was the red-flowered scarf tied around her beautiful hair. The long ends of the cotton fabric hung over her left shoulder. A curtain of yellow bangs cascaded across her forehead beneath the accessory. "Smoking hot" was a much more accurate phrase to describe her look. Ashley wasn't the type of girl to wear anything too revealing, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to dress alluringly. Besides, with a face as gorgeous as hers, that's the only part of her body she needed to show off.

"Aren't you two only going out for a bit to get ice cream?" mom asked.

"Yeah, but I want to look good for Brian." She sarcastically added, "It's very hard to keep us with his fashion sense."

I took a quick gander at my attire and noticed I was wearing the same clothes since I had gotten out of bed. "All right, all right, I get the picture. Let me put on some new duds."

Ashley waved me off as I sprinted toward my room. I grabbed the first pair of jeans and clean shirt I could find scattered in my closet. Checking myself in the mirror to ensure I didn't have any leftovers on my face, I sprayed myself with some deodorant. Satisfied I was acceptable for a public appearance, I headed back to the living room.

As I neared the family, I heard my dad finally commenting on Ashley's outfit. "Whoa Ashley, you look exceptional. If you weren't my daughter, meow." He must've been too busy watching the sports news to have noticed earlier.

"Richard, don't say things like that." My mom slapped him hard on the arm. Repeatedly.

"Ow ow ow, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm just trying to give her a compliment." Dad flinched from the assault and raised his arms to shield himself.

I tiptoed to Ashley who was now sitting in my chair. I tapped her shoulder and whispered, "Let's get going. This might get ugly."

Ashley giggled in agreement and slung Nicole's backpack over her right shoulder. As we made our way out the front door, I grabbed the car keys from the key rack and stole one more glance at out parents. Dad had mom on top of him and they were sharing a playful kiss. I shut the door quietly and hoped Ashley and I would be doing that again very soon.

"Hurry up," Ashley shouted.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses."

Ashley was leaning on the front of my dark blue car with her right hand on the hood and the other on her hip. She looked like a model out of an auto magazine, but with more clothing and a less than stellar car. I jogged down to the sidewalk and unlocked the passenger door. As I held it open, she quipped, "Such a gentleman."

"Anything for you, ma'am." I ran around to the driver seat and off we went.

* * *

Brenda's house was a short three-minute drive from ours.

"I'll be right back," I told Ashley as I parked the car along the side.

"It's okay, I'll do it."

"Let me handle it, Sis, I-" Ashley ignored me and turned around to crawl between the seats, displaying her marvelous ass inches from my face. I stared in awe, praying I'd be able to see it in the flesh in my immediate future. My hands were itching to grope the soft curves, ready to pounce on the pink butterflies stitched on each of her back pockets. All I needed was my sis to give me the command and I'd be on her in a heartbeat. "Touch me, feel me, I'm all yours," she would cry.

It should've taken her only two seconds to grab the backpack, but she wiggled her butt to-and-fro for at least twenty.

"Got it," Ashley said. She sat down and held up the bag to show she actually had a motive for tormenting me. "You should close your mouth. It's going to get dry."

I snapped out of my reverie and watched Ashley approach the house. She knocked on the door and a tall woman, maybe Brenda's mom or older sister, greeted her. Nikky poked her head out and waved at me. The three of them shared a short exchange of words, and in less than a minute, Ashley was back in the passenger seat.

"Step on it, I'm hungry for dessert."

"I'm going, I'm going. Let me put on some tunes first."

My parents bought me the car when I graduated from high school. It wasn't anything flashy, but it was clean and it worked, which was almost all that mattered. The biggest requirement for me was a good stereo system, which it didn't have. I was pretty bummed at first, but the car was free and I learned to never look a gift horse in the mouth. I made some special contacts with my piggy bank and Nicole--who knew a twelve-year old could have so much Birthday money--and obtained the funds to upgrade the system. Now, despite its plain exterior, it had a slick interior with lots of useless lights, a satellite radio, and a nifty navigation system that I hardly ever used.

"Ooh, I love this song. I was listening to it earlier before you came in." Ashley turned up the loud volume even higher. The song was Andre Tanneberger's "Summer Rain."

My sister used to favor the mainstream MTV music, but after forcing her to listen to my vocal trance DJs when I picked her up from school, she started to really get into it and asked if I would lend her my CDs. I was more than happy to contribute; I wanted to share as many interests with her as I could. Anything that would let me spend more time with her was a good thing in my book. She hadn't given up on the other music genres, but her tastes had vastly expanded.