Forgotten Rules (Rules 4)

“It’s not my first day in school, Aunt Maria. I’m a senior, remember?” Winter picks an apple from the fruit bowl and pours herself a glass of juice.

“I know. But it’s your first day in school here. You need lighter clothes. Come on, let me treat you.”

A forced smile stretches Winter’s lips. My mom’s phone rings, and she exits the room to take the call.

Winter sits around the table. “Is your day going better than mine?”

“Not exactly. I’m going job hunting today.”

“Fun.” She grimaces. “Got anything in mind?”

“There’s a convenience store five minutes from here. Last I heard they were looking.” I fill the seat next to her, setting my coffee down.

She nods. “I’m sure you’ll get it.”

“I hope so. I don’t know how much longer I

can ignore the lights on my dashboard.”

Before my cousin can reply, a shirtless Kendrick breezes into the room, backpack dangling off his shoulder.

“What’s up, ladies?” He tosses his backpack on the table, making a beeline for the fridge. His half-opened bag catches my eye. I sneak a hand inside and pull out the assignment on top.

An English paper.

C-

“Not your grades, that’s for sure,” I point out, and Winter stifles a laugh. Kendrick seriously needs to get his shit together. Between the fights and school, he doesn’t study nearly as much as he should. Having a mean right hook won’t get him into college. Irritated, he speed walks to me, snatching the paper out of my hands.

“Mom should’ve swallowed you.” He shoves the essay back inside his bag.

“Aw, love you, too, bro.” I lift a palm to my chest.

“So, sis, how much time did you spend making your mental to-do list last night? Like six hours out of eight?” he taunts.

I want to oppose but press my lips together in defeat. He’s right. I did do a mental list last night. Fell asleep way too late because of it.

I don’t miss a beat. “I’d rather count the things I have to do than the girls I did.”

Winter chokes on her apple.

If she thinks my brother not saving himself for marriage is choke-worthy news, she’s in for the months of her life. Last time she was here, Kendrick had just started dating his first girlfriend, Nicole. Don’t think they’d even made it past first base yet. Then shit hit the fan, leading to a nasty breakup, a parade of rebound girls, and, ultimately, my brother’s transformation into a world-class fuck boy.

“Is it always like this with you two?” Winter asks.

“Yep. Should’ve thought twice before leaving the beavers, cous.” Kendrick pours cereal into a bowl, bracing himself against the kitchen island as he eats.

Winter raises an eyebrow, shooting him a look that says “Sure, it’s not like my parents enrolled me into a new school in the middle of my senior year against my will or anything.”

She settles for, “Whatever you say, Kendick.”

His head snaps up.

“What’d you just call me?”

I smile at their bickering. Kendick is a nickname we came up with when we were kids. Winter mispronounced his name once, and it just stuck.

Does Kendrick hate it? Oh yeah.