She continues jogging, breathing hard, and I notice the bags under her eyes and the sunken look of her cheeks. An urge to scold her nips at me, but I hold it back. She works too hard, and she’s barely sleeping.
“Come on,” I tell her, growing impatient. “Seriously, I don’t have time for this.”
“Then what are you doing out here?”
I look out to the empty road to make sure I’m not swerving. “It’s that scavenger hunt thing tonight. I’m putting in an appearance. Why aren’t you on the well-lit track at the park with the safety of the two dozen other joggers around? Huh?”
“Stop babysitting me.”
“Stop doing stupid shit,” I retort.
I mean, what the hell is she thinking? It’s bad enough being out here alone during the day, but at night?
I’m a year older, graduating this May, but normally she’s the responsible one.
And that reminds me. “Hey,” I grumble. “Did you take sixty dollars out of my wallet this morning?”
I noticed it missing, and I’d just taken out money yesterday. I didn’t spend it, and this is the third time my cash has gone missing.
She puts on the ten-year-old sad face she knows works on me. “I was going shopping for some science project supplies, and you never spend your money. It shouldn’t go to waste.”
I roll my eyes.
She knows she can just ask our dad for more cash. Annie’s his angel, so he’ll give her anything she wants.
But how can I be mad at her? She’s going places, and she’s a happy kid. Anything I can do to make her happier, I guess.
She grins, probably seeing me relent, and lurches over, grabbing onto the window frame and hopping up onto the cab step under the door. “Hey, can you pick me up a root beer?” she asks. “An ice cold root beer on your way home from the warehouse? Because we both know you’re only going to stay there for five minutes unless you find a hot girl who entices you to be sociable, right?”
I laugh to myself. Twerp.
“Fine.” I nod. “Get in the truck, and you can go to the gas station with me. How about that?”
“And some caramels,” she adds, ignoring my request. “Or anything chewy.” She then hops off the step, taking off at a faster pace down the street away from me.
“Annie!” I lay on the gas, catching up to her. “Now.”
She looks over at me, and snickers. “Misha, my car is right there!” She points ahead. “Look.”
I shoot my glare farther up the road and see that she’s right. Her blue MINI Cooper sits on the right shoulder, waiting for her.
“I’ll meet you at the house,” she tells me.
“You’re done running then?”
“Yessssss.” She bows her head in dramatic nods. “I’ll see you when you get home, okay? Go get my root beer and candy.”
I give her a joking smile. “I wish I could, but I don’t have any money.”
“You have money in your center console,” she throws back. “Don’t act like you don’t stuff change everywhere and anywhere instead of putting things in their proper place. I bet you have a hundred bucks all over that truck.”
I snort. Yeah, that’s me. The bad, older brother who doesn’t pick up after himself and eats mozzarella sticks for breakfast.
I step on the gas and head down the road, but I hear a yell behind me.
“And some dill potato chips!”
I see her in my rearview mirror, her hands framing her mouth as she shouts. I honk the horn twice, letting her know I heard her, and speed ahead, pulling over in front of her car.