Chapter 5

Annoyance.

Three syllables, nine letters, one word, and yet, it held such intense definition.

Such words pertained to different things, yet, I could only pin point to one specific thing or someone who was the exact definition of the word.

Caroline, my little sister.

Yes, she was the epitome of all things holier than thou. The woman knew her craft in the art of annoyance down to a tee, and as for me? I can only say this: can a woman take a break and sleep in complete silence?!

But I guess, it was too much to ask for, since Caroline was doing my bedroom door a number.

"Charlie!" she called out, banging incessantly on my bedroom door.

The sudden banging had me jolt upright, my vision groggy and disoriented. What on Earth was Caroline doing that she has to bang on my door that hard?

"What the hell?..." I murmured as I scratched my head furiously. I took a glance at the clock on my nightstand, and when I did, my eyes went wide as a flipping owl when I saw the time.

It's 8:00 o'clock in the frickin' morning.

"Charlie!" she yelled out again. "Wake up! We have a lot of planning to do for the wedding!"

Okay, let me get this straight: my sister, the very person I gave my happiness so she could be happy had managed to manipulate my parents to miss my graduation, I just came home yesterday from Sunny California because - as mother said - it was imperative for me to come home because Caroline was getting married and right now,  she had the nerve to bang on my door, demanding for me to wake up so we could plan her damn wedding?

Did I get everything right or am I confusing myself?

Oh yeah, I forgot the part that she was going to be married to my ex best friend, Dalton.

Despite all this hurt, repressed feelings that I had felt towards everything, coming home was just giving me emotional roller coaster rides, and it's all thanks to that someone outside that door.

"Charlie!"

That's it! She needs to stop being so demanding and shut the hell up.

All traces of early morning disorientation had vanished and were replaced by pure unbridled anger. Caroline was just too insensitive and inconsiderate that some people needed more sleep, and all she ever thinks about is that stupid wedding of hers. If she wanted me to wake up, then I'd give her one.

Flipping the sheets off my body, I got out of my bed in my pajama clad body and stormed towards my door. As I gripped the doorknob, I took one big breath, heaved it out and braced myself to screech the head off at Caroline.

Here goes nothing...

Turning the knob, I flung the door with great force and glared at the woman who looked like the younger version of our mother, holding her fist up, in an action to bang on my door again.

Blinking, Caroline let out a sigh of relief and dropped her hand to her sides. "Finally, you're--" Oh no, fat chance. I won't let her have the pleasure of talking any further if she thinks she can parade around here and roll us flat with a freaking bulldozer.

"Listen here, Caroline," I seethed, glaring at her blue eyes with so much animosity, and if it was possible, seeping in acid. "It's 8:00 o'clock in the morning, and after this hour, everybody is still asleep. Not everybody sleeps on your watch, so do me a favor, shove that planning up your ass and let me sleep in peace, okay?"

She gasped, flabbergasted with my words. "Charlie, what's gotten into you?"

Oh, the girl can be so dense.

"What's gotten into me?" I asked, and she nodded slowly. "Okay, let me break it down for you. You made mom and dad miss my graduation because you were panicking, and then, when I came home, you didn't have the audacity to apologize, and here, you are banging on my door to wake me up just because for that stupid planning, so I ask you, Caroline, do I have the right to get mad or not, hmm?"

Caroline looked utterly appalled. I was hoping she would at least look apologetic and sheepish, but unfortunately, all I was getting was that look of what I could call 'are you serious' face.

Was it possible to love and hate this woman all at the same time?

"Charlie, how could you say that?" she asked, glowering at me. "This wedding is important to me too and there is no need to get hostile with me."

"I get that it's important, but like I said yesterday, you are not the only daughter here," I said, my glare unwavering. "Every child in this family should have equal treatment, Caroline. Not everything goes your way, nor do you get everything you want. I am family too, and you need to get that through your thick skull."

"I'm telling mom," she threatened, looking defiant as she held her chin up.

Is that the best comeback she could think of?

I snorted. "And that would make me scared?" I asked humorlessly. "Tell mom for all I care, but remember this: I won't be walked on, nor be treated like crap. Not anymore. I'm done understanding people just to make them happy. I've had enough, and if you don't like it, then it's your problem, not mine. Now if you'll excuse me, I got a hot date in my bed."

And with that, I slammed the door shut on her face and headed back to bed.

                                               * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Well, well, well..." my mom said dryly as I walked into the kitchen with Mike in tow. "Look what the cat dragged in."

What now?

I rolled my eyes when I spotted Caroline sitting next to mom on the kitchen island with wedding magazines and planners scattered all over. I wanted to smack that smug look on her face for being such a tattletale. Why? She couldn't handle the pressure and asked mom for help? What-a-baby...

"Why, if it isn't the Brady Bunch," I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm. "Having a family pow wow or something?"

Mom glowered at me. "I don't appreciate the sarcasm, Charlie," she scolded. "Caroline told me what happened. Why did you say such things like that to her?"

"Well, mother," I started, looking straight into her eyes. "It so happens that my beautiful little sister woke me up so early, and she was being insensitive."

Mom sighed. "She's not being insensitive, "she explained. "As her big sister, you should be supportive."

I scoffed. She didn't know a goddamn thing about what I had to let go of just for my sister's happiness, and she pinned me for not being supportive. If anything, I say they were the ones who were not supportive when it came to me as her daughter, but I won't waste anymore breath yapping my woes to mother, who treated me nothing more than a side dish.

"Funny, I could have said the same thing to you, mother," I said, giving her my most coldest of expressions.

"Charlie, just... let's stop this, okay?" mom said, looking frustrated. "This arguing needed to stop."

"Fine," I said tersely and turned to face Mike. I wasted enough oxygen as it is to last me a lifetime. "You want coffee?"

Mike smiled and my anger almost simmered out with that adorable smile of his. "Please," he said, looking grateful.

I nodded and walked over to the cupboard to get two mugs. I took out the coffee form the coffee maker, pouring equal contents on each mug. I put back the coffee and walked back to where Mike was sitting across from mom and Caroline on the kitchen counter. I handed him his mug and he took it with a smile and took a sip.

"Thanks," he said after taking a sip.

I smiled. "No problem," I said, sitting beside him and sipping on my mug as well.

"So, where did you meet Charlie, Mike?" Caroline asked out of nowhere.

"At UCLA," he said and put his mug down. "We were in the same department and had some classes together."

"Oh, that's cute," she gushed and I had to hold back from rolling my eyes. "Which reminds me, dad told me that you are a Lombardi, is that true?"

He frowned, not expecting that from her to ask such a thing. "Yeah..." he dragged, not knowing what to say to that.

Caroline turned to me and smirked a little. "You got yourself a hefty catch, Charlie," she said. "You better have a tight grip on your man, or someone might snatch him away from you."

The way Caroline said it made it seem that I didn't deserve Mike to be with me. Sure, we were just faking it, but was I that undeserving for this man's divine godly attention?

She could sometimes make me feel so small, and I hated it.

"Actually, she doesn't need to," Mike said, coming to my rescue. "It should be me who should have a tight grip on her, because she's an amazing woman, and I'm lucky to have her as my girlfriend. She's smart, funny, headstrong and witty. She's the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and it's me who doesn't deserve her."

I would have kissed Mike for saying such sweet things to me right now, but that would be inappropriate, so I'll settle for something less expressive by saying the L word. That would be the biggest kicker ever.

"I love you," I said softly, looking at him tenderly.

Mike smirked. The git. "And I love you too," he said with a cocky air that he was known for. "You just couldn't resist me, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. He just had to ruin the moment. "Oh, yeah. I couldn't resist my hot Italian descent boyfriend."

He chuckled low and deep. "I couldn't resist my sexy ass girlfriend either."

"Okay," mom piped up and I looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Let's get this planning on the road, shall we?"

God, it never ends.

"So," Caroline said, sounding excited. "I was thinking that Brandy should be my maid of honor."

Typical. Brandy was Caroline's best friend since middle school. They were inseparable, and she was my sister's clone. She, too, ordered her around like some slave, but Brandy wasn't complaining. She worships the ground she walked on, and I can't help but feel sorry for that girl.

She continued on, "And the bridesmaids would be Amanda, Mandy and Tracey And you, Charlie. You'll just help get the guest settled in."

The best friend gets to be the maid of honor, my cousins get to be bridesmaids and I'm just helping the guest?

"Brandy's the Maid of Honor?" I asked, just to be sure. "And our cousins get to be bridesmaids while I'll just help out with the guests?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, it is only fitting and right to have Brandy as my maid of honor," she said with a smile. "She is, after all, my best friend. Cousin Amanda, Mandy, Tracey and I are really close."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" I asked in disbelief.

"Charlie," mom chastised me, "let your sister have her way."

I know I may have overreacted with this whole thing, but I had it up in my throat that I was not that important in Caroline's life. Though I loved her more than life itself, it didn't change the fact that she is a selfish, inconsiderate brat. She had no idea what her decisions affected other people.

"How about this," I said as I stood up. "How about you don't include me in it instead, since I'm not that important. As If I'm not even family here. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you're getting married, Caroline, but you're just..." I paused, trying to think of something else to say, but I couldn't. No word could even register next on my head, so I opted for something else - the easier way.

"Never mind. Come on, Mike," I grabbed his hand and tugged it. "Let's get out of here."

Mike frowned. "Where are we going?" he asked, standing up.

"Anywhere but here," I said and dragged him out of the kitchen. "This house is suffocating me."

"Charlie, come back here!" Mom called back for me, but I ignored it as I kept dragging Mike all the way to the front door.

Before my hand reached the doorknob, the door flung open and there, in all his glory, was Dalton standing outside with a bewildered expression on his face, and damn it, it looked cute on him.

Oh, boy...

"Charlie?" he asked in his sweet honey-like voice and I had to suppress a whimper from escaping my lips.

"Um, hi Dalton," I said uncomfortably and moved to go around him, but unfortunately, he grabbed for my arm, the one that wasn't holding Mike, stopping me from leaving.

"Can we talk?" he asked and then added quickly, "Alone?"

I gulped while glancing at him, and I could see that spark of hope swirling in his green orbs. I wanted to say no, not ready for this confrontation yet ,because I was scared of my feelings, and for the life of me, of him.

"Um... I don't know," I said hesitantly. "Mike and I are going out, so..."

"It's okay, Charlie bear," Mike assured me and I angled my body so I could look at him, sending him a pleading look, but of course, he ignored me. Traitor. "I'll wait outside." He pried my hand off his arm, walked outside and closed the door shut.

We were finally alone, and this couldn't be good.

Good going, Mike.