Page 15 of After Midnight

I’d just flipped the last of the pancakes when Olivia and Alli wandered in and sat at the kitchen island, staring at me quizzically.

“You two look like you slept hard last night,” I told them, chuckling at the nest of tangles in their hair.

Olivia gazed hungrily at the pan, and Alli laid her head on the island.

I stacked a couple of pancakes onto a plate and handed it to Olivia, then did the same thing for Alli. I pushed the syrup over to them, then made myself a plate as well.

After they finished eating, I sent them upstairs to get ready for the day and was unloading the dishwasher from last night when Miss Rita arrived.

“You’re up and at ’em early this morning. What, the date didn’t go so well?”

Oh hell, I’d forgotten I’d have to update Miss Rita on my date. I glanced around to make sure my hungover stepmother wasn’t lurking. Thankfully, Margarette was nowhere to be seen.

“It went okay. Made a newPrincess Bridefan out of him, but the girls got all nosy when they should’ve been in bed so he went home early.”

Miss Rita smiled and, much to my relief, dropped the subject. We didn’t usually talk about guys, not when Margarette was home. If my stepmother knew I’d brought a guy over, she’d throw a fit. I’d brought guys over before when she’d been here, and Margarette had never made a scene in front of them, but she’d still been collecting on my trust back then. With things so uncertain now, I didn’t want to give her any extra motivation for throwing me out.

I finished cleaning up, then kissed Miss Rita on the cheek. “I’ll go check on the girls and send them down, if you don’t mind taking over from there?” I asked, and she nodded. “I’m going to hit the university library for a few hours to study before my Saturday class begins.”

“Sounds smart,” Miss Rita said as she disappeared toward the laundry room.

She was acting funny this morning. Too bad I didn’t have time to chase down why.

I ran up the stairs and found the girls fighting in front of the vanity in their room. Alli was trying to untangle Olivia’s hair, and her big sister was throwing a fit.

“Hey, hey,” I said. “Let me try. Alli, go brush your teeth, and I’ll help fix your hair when I’m done with Olivia’s.”

I’d become pretty deft with a comb and hair ties, and had Olivia’s hair sorted by the time Alli came back for her turn on the stool. “I think I’d like shorter hair,” she said, surprising me.

“Really? When did you decide that?”

“I don’t know, it just seems like a lot of work. It’s not like I’m ever going to be a model or anything.”

I swiveled her stool around and kneeled so we were face to face. “Why do you say that?” I asked. She looked down at her lap, hands fidgeting. “Alli, talk to me, please.”

“Margarette said I had to do well in school because I’m the…” She hesitated for a moment, looking around to make sure Olivia wasn’t in the room, then sniffled. “She said I’m the ugly sister.”

I saw red. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat and forced myself to calm down by taking a couple breaths. “You listen to me. You are a beautiful person, inside and out. If somebody can’t see that, including our stepmother, it’s their loss.”

When she looked skeptical, I added, “Hey, I’m your big brother. Other than trying to convince you that broccoli tastes good, have I ever lied to you?” That earned me a small smile. “Besides, I know all about true beauty and overall fabulousness. I’m a gay guy, remember?”

That made her chuckle. We’d watchedQueer Eyea couple times together, and since then, Alli and Olivia had believed the stereotype that all gay men knew about fashion and style. Except they tended to tease me that I somehow missed out on that innate skill. Considering how much I didn’t give a shit about either of those things, they were probably right.

Our little chat seemed to mollify Alli, who proceeded to fill me in on the latest school-related gossip. After combing her hair out and tying it into her typical ponytail, she and Olivia darted downstairs.

I rushed through my shower and got dressed, hoping not to run into Margarette. Even though I planned on confronting her about what Alli had said, I’d be better off doing it when I wasn’t still angry.

When I came down the stairs, about to head out the door, the dragon called out to me.

“You better think about what I said last night,” she said from around the corner.

I looked into the living room and seeing the girls occupied with Saturday morning cartoons, I spoke low enough that onlyMargarette could hear me. “I will think about what you said, but you need to think about something too. If youevertell one of the girls they are ugly again, or make them feel bad about themselves in any way, I will bring the fight to you.” Heat was radiating off me, and I knew there was no way I’d back down now.

“How dare you—” I put my hand up to stop her.

“No, how dareyou. I’ve ignored the verbal and racial abuse you’ve thrown at me all these years, but I won’t tolerate you tearing down the self-esteem of those girls. If I hear of it again, as God is my witness, Margarette, I will contact an attorney, and you will face the consequences.”

She was staring at me like I’d grown a third head. We’d had a few raging arguments when she’d first got custody of us, but since then, I’d mostly just ignored her. Bitten my tongue and swallowed my blood, as it were, but no longer. Not when my sisters were the focus of her scorn and derision.

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