Stepsister
Title: Stepsister
Rating: PG-13/R-ish for heavy drug use and kissing between step-siblings if that squicks you.
Genre: Romance/General.
Summary: Aric's almost nonexistent relationship with his stepsister takes a sharp turn when she stumbles in way too drunk and high one night.
"Good morning," Aric yawned as he stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Good afternoon, Aric," his stepmother replied, not looking up from the vegetables she was cutting up. Aric glared narrow-eyed at her back and his father shot him an apologetic look. "Do you know where Kari is?" she continued.
Aric shrugged and sat at the table. "I don't know. She's probably still sleeping."
"Do you think you could go wake her up?" she asked, turning around with a bowl full of salad. She looked at his unenthusiastic expression and sighed. "Never mind. It's okay, I'll go wake her." She set the bowl down and left the room.
Aric's dad set a cup of coffee in front of him. "Thanks, kid," he said. "I know how weird this has been for you, coming home earlier and dealing with having an apple pie family all of a sudden."
"Minus the tweaker," Aric mumbled as he took a sip from the steaming mug.
"Hey," his dad said firmly. He turned back to the tea he was making. "Anyway... I was going to ask you if you would be on time this evening for dinner."
"What time?" Aric asked, leaning back and running a hand through his disheveled mohawk.
"About 7 or so?" his dad responded.
"You're not serious," Aric snorted, taking another sip.
"Aric, please."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there."
The conversation was cut short as they heard a shriek from upstairs. Aric and his dad groaned as they heard mother and daughter yelling at each other. Aric's stepmother stomped down the stairs and walked back into the kitchen, sighing and rubbing her temples.
"Well... I'm probably going to get dressed and go then," Aric said, sliding the chair back and standing up. He sipped the last of his coffee and looked up to see his stepmother staring at him. He looked back at her oddly. "What?"
"We're having a family meeting today, Aric," his father said. "With both you and Kari."
Aric looked at him in disbelief, then saw the firm expression on his parent's face and sat back down, becoming increasingly angry at his father's sudden need for his dog-and-yard all-American family lifestyle that both of them know would never happen.
Aric was halfway done with his third cup of coffee when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Kari entering the room hesitantly. She was fully dressed and dolled up with eyeliner and makeup that hid the darkness under her eyelids and enhanced the shape of her large eyes and made Aric glance up at her mother's dull brown eyes curiously. She walked over to the table and sat down a few chairs away from Aric, smoothing her long blonde hair that she had obviously combed thoroughly to relieve it of the state it had been in the previous night. She looked up at everyone expectantly.
"'Morning, Kari," Aric's dad said warmly.
"Good morning," Kari responded quietly. Aric couldn't help but notice her drastic change in personality from the night before; What had once been out of control and unashamed was now sitting straight-backed with her legs crossed, polite and formal and icy.
Aric was amused at the way her eyes yet again rested at a spot above everyone around her.
Kari's eyebrows arched when she saw Aric looking at her. Aric, for the first time since he had moved into her home, met her eyes in a way that only two people who knew something everyone else didn't would; they were in on a secret. Kari's eyes didn't acknowledge the secret and returned to its spot above everyone else. Aric knew that if she remembered the events of the previous night, she was doing it so with her head held high.
"Kari, we really need to talk to you," her mom began. Kari looked at her calmly. Her mom sighed. "I admit that even though I am your mother, I do not know the details of your...," she paused, "...habit. However, what I am aware of is how it is negatively affecting this family."
Kari looked defensive. "I go to school every day and I get all A's. What am I doing that's so terrible?"
Aric's dad cleared his throat and attempted to speak slowly and soothingly. "Kari, honey," he started. "I understand how hard things must have been with your father."
Aric saw Kari stiffen and move in her seat slightly, looking uncomfortable. He wished his father hadn't brought up the irrelevant topic.
"But your mother and I are very hopeful about the future of our new family. Now, I understand that teenagers aren't always in the house, but we feel like we hardly get to see you and when we do, it ends in fighting."
"That's not my fault," Kari said. "You guys always start fighting with me. Last night I was happy to just go upstairs and go to sleep."
Her mother's eyes hardened. "Young lady, what you are doing is not only damaging to your health, but is illegal and criminal behavior, and there is no excuse to let it go on any longer. You have hardly talked to your new father and brother since they moved in and we are all demanding that you stop now so that we can be a family."
Aric frowned; when had he said anything about wanting to be a part of the lecture?
The anger looked out of place on Kari's delicate face. "You demand?" she repeated.
Her mother nodded. "That's right."
Kari snorted. "Okay. That's funny," she said, standing up to leave.
Aric cringed when her mother ran after her, grabbing her roughly by her wrists and hearing her cry out in surprise.
"Kari, you are not leaving this room until you promise to stop!" the older woman said firmly.
Kari struggled in her grip. "You're hurting me!" she exclaimed.
"Promise us, Kari!" her mom continued.
"Or what?" Kari demanded. "There's nothing you can do to control me. I'll do whatever I want."
"Young lady, you realize you can go to prison for what you are doing, right?" her mom shrieked.
"I'm not going to go to jail, mom! Do you think I'm stupid?"
Aric looked over to his father and wondered if his stepmother knew about her new husband's brief stay in prison. He had the tattoos to prove it.
Kari broke free of her mother's grasp and tried again to leave the room, but her mom grabbed her hair at the last moment. "Promise us, Kari!" she exclaimed.
"Or what?" Kari repeated, eyes aflame with anger.
"If you don't stop," her mother began, eyes boring into her daughter, "I swear to God I'll send you to jail myself!"
Kari struggled out of her mom's hold and backed away against the wall. She looked at her mom in confusion and disbelief, and Aric instantly felt bad for her and looked away. "You're going to send me to jail?" she repeated. Her mother's gaze lost its intensity as she watched her daughter's lips turn up in a crooked smirk. "That's interesting."
The room was deathly silent for a moment, and then Kari barked a laugh. "That's very interesting." She gazed over at Aric and his father, frowning at their involvement, and slowly and calmly escaped the room.
Aric looked at the awkward silence between his parents and watched his dad cough. "What happened to not leaving the room until she promised?" he said to his wife.
Aric rolled his eyes and walked away.
Rating: PG-13/R-ish for heavy drug use and kissing between step-siblings if that squicks you.
Genre: Romance/General.
Summary: Aric's almost nonexistent relationship with his stepsister takes a sharp turn when she stumbles in way too drunk and high one night.
"Good morning," Aric yawned as he stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Good afternoon, Aric," his stepmother replied, not looking up from the vegetables she was cutting up. Aric glared narrow-eyed at her back and his father shot him an apologetic look. "Do you know where Kari is?" she continued.
Aric shrugged and sat at the table. "I don't know. She's probably still sleeping."
"Do you think you could go wake her up?" she asked, turning around with a bowl full of salad. She looked at his unenthusiastic expression and sighed. "Never mind. It's okay, I'll go wake her." She set the bowl down and left the room.
Aric's dad set a cup of coffee in front of him. "Thanks, kid," he said. "I know how weird this has been for you, coming home earlier and dealing with having an apple pie family all of a sudden."
"Minus the tweaker," Aric mumbled as he took a sip from the steaming mug.
"Hey," his dad said firmly. He turned back to the tea he was making. "Anyway... I was going to ask you if you would be on time this evening for dinner."
"What time?" Aric asked, leaning back and running a hand through his disheveled mohawk.
"About 7 or so?" his dad responded.
"You're not serious," Aric snorted, taking another sip.
"Aric, please."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there."
The conversation was cut short as they heard a shriek from upstairs. Aric and his dad groaned as they heard mother and daughter yelling at each other. Aric's stepmother stomped down the stairs and walked back into the kitchen, sighing and rubbing her temples.
"Well... I'm probably going to get dressed and go then," Aric said, sliding the chair back and standing up. He sipped the last of his coffee and looked up to see his stepmother staring at him. He looked back at her oddly. "What?"
"We're having a family meeting today, Aric," his father said. "With both you and Kari."
Aric looked at him in disbelief, then saw the firm expression on his parent's face and sat back down, becoming increasingly angry at his father's sudden need for his dog-and-yard all-American family lifestyle that both of them know would never happen.
Aric was halfway done with his third cup of coffee when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Kari entering the room hesitantly. She was fully dressed and dolled up with eyeliner and makeup that hid the darkness under her eyelids and enhanced the shape of her large eyes and made Aric glance up at her mother's dull brown eyes curiously. She walked over to the table and sat down a few chairs away from Aric, smoothing her long blonde hair that she had obviously combed thoroughly to relieve it of the state it had been in the previous night. She looked up at everyone expectantly.
"'Morning, Kari," Aric's dad said warmly.
"Good morning," Kari responded quietly. Aric couldn't help but notice her drastic change in personality from the night before; What had once been out of control and unashamed was now sitting straight-backed with her legs crossed, polite and formal and icy.
Aric was amused at the way her eyes yet again rested at a spot above everyone around her.
Kari's eyebrows arched when she saw Aric looking at her. Aric, for the first time since he had moved into her home, met her eyes in a way that only two people who knew something everyone else didn't would; they were in on a secret. Kari's eyes didn't acknowledge the secret and returned to its spot above everyone else. Aric knew that if she remembered the events of the previous night, she was doing it so with her head held high.
"Kari, we really need to talk to you," her mom began. Kari looked at her calmly. Her mom sighed. "I admit that even though I am your mother, I do not know the details of your...," she paused, "...habit. However, what I am aware of is how it is negatively affecting this family."
Kari looked defensive. "I go to school every day and I get all A's. What am I doing that's so terrible?"
Aric's dad cleared his throat and attempted to speak slowly and soothingly. "Kari, honey," he started. "I understand how hard things must have been with your father."
Aric saw Kari stiffen and move in her seat slightly, looking uncomfortable. He wished his father hadn't brought up the irrelevant topic.
"But your mother and I are very hopeful about the future of our new family. Now, I understand that teenagers aren't always in the house, but we feel like we hardly get to see you and when we do, it ends in fighting."
"That's not my fault," Kari said. "You guys always start fighting with me. Last night I was happy to just go upstairs and go to sleep."
Her mother's eyes hardened. "Young lady, what you are doing is not only damaging to your health, but is illegal and criminal behavior, and there is no excuse to let it go on any longer. You have hardly talked to your new father and brother since they moved in and we are all demanding that you stop now so that we can be a family."
Aric frowned; when had he said anything about wanting to be a part of the lecture?
The anger looked out of place on Kari's delicate face. "You demand?" she repeated.
Her mother nodded. "That's right."
Kari snorted. "Okay. That's funny," she said, standing up to leave.
Aric cringed when her mother ran after her, grabbing her roughly by her wrists and hearing her cry out in surprise.
"Kari, you are not leaving this room until you promise to stop!" the older woman said firmly.
Kari struggled in her grip. "You're hurting me!" she exclaimed.
"Promise us, Kari!" her mom continued.
"Or what?" Kari demanded. "There's nothing you can do to control me. I'll do whatever I want."
"Young lady, you realize you can go to prison for what you are doing, right?" her mom shrieked.
"I'm not going to go to jail, mom! Do you think I'm stupid?"
Aric looked over to his father and wondered if his stepmother knew about her new husband's brief stay in prison. He had the tattoos to prove it.
Kari broke free of her mother's grasp and tried again to leave the room, but her mom grabbed her hair at the last moment. "Promise us, Kari!" she exclaimed.
"Or what?" Kari repeated, eyes aflame with anger.
"If you don't stop," her mother began, eyes boring into her daughter, "I swear to God I'll send you to jail myself!"
Kari struggled out of her mom's hold and backed away against the wall. She looked at her mom in confusion and disbelief, and Aric instantly felt bad for her and looked away. "You're going to send me to jail?" she repeated. Her mother's gaze lost its intensity as she watched her daughter's lips turn up in a crooked smirk. "That's interesting."
The room was deathly silent for a moment, and then Kari barked a laugh. "That's very interesting." She gazed over at Aric and his father, frowning at their involvement, and slowly and calmly escaped the room.
Aric looked at the awkward silence between his parents and watched his dad cough. "What happened to not leaving the room until she promised?" he said to his wife.
Aric rolled his eyes and walked away.