Page 4 of Organized Chaos
What the hell. “Umm... I think you misspoke a few words there. You said, what’s wrong with you, but you meant to say, I’m eternally grateful that you took care of my little sister tonight. But it’s okay. Let’s call it semantics.”
“I caught the tail end of what was supposed to be my sister’s big night. I should have never trusted you with Mia,” he said coolly.
I leaned back, surprised. I truly acted with sensibility tonight, so what the fuck was his problem? “Dude, I gave up my night to hang out with your sister. Do you know how much I detest kids?” Though Mia was alright for a kid, I wouldn’t admit it to Milo. Not while he was acting like an ass. “Is this how you thank me?”
“Thank you for what?” Milo’s mien was incredulous. “I asked you to take my sister to present the short story she wrote. Guess what? She didn’t recite it.”
“Because she got stage fright and didn’t want to do it. I read her essay so at least Mia could see that public speaking was nothing to be afraid of.”
Milo scowled. “If I let Mia give up every time she didn’t want to do something, she’d quit school and live off pop tarts. Kids don’t get to make those decisions. As the adult, you were supposed to make a better decision on her behalf. At the very least, you could have called me first to check.”
Did this guy ever take a day off?
Milo was infamous for lecturing Reid and Mia. He even held monthly lectures to go over the highlights from his past lectures.
He was exhausting!
“If you didn’t like the way I handled things, then you should have been here yourself,” I snapped, irritation nagging at me. “Mia was scared shitless when she realized you weren’t there. What did you expect me to do?”
Milo stilled, his face ridden with guilt. But I didn’t care.
Fuck him.
I was annoyed on Mia’s behalf. The kid only entered this competition to appease Milo, and he was nowhere in sight when she needed him most.
Milo closed his eyes. “Brandon, I appreciate you looking out for Mia, but I enrolled her in toastmasters in preparation for this competition. You let her give up without even trying.”
“Come on, man. How can you possibly be angry after I came through for you tonight?”
“And how many times have I come through for you?”
Touché.
I shouldn’t have played that card. My mom passed away a few years ago. The only reason I got through her death was because Milo and Asher—my two best friends—refused to leave me alone.
I still tried to make him understand my point of view one last time. “Just one competition, man. It’s not a big deal.”
“Maybe for you. For Mia, this was a real opportunity.” He sounded factual, not angry. “She has been dying to go to this summer camp for gifted children. If she had just read the story like we practiced, she would have won, and it would have guaranteed her a spot. But she was disqualified for having someone else read her work, and now I get to be the bearer of bad news.”
“I didn’t know,” I muttered as he laid it on thick. I thought Mia was doing this to impress Milo, not because she wanted more for herself.
“You didn’t care to know because everything is a joke to you. Hardships and struggles in life are of no concern. You’ll always be filthy rich, but the rest of us don’t get a pass.”
Milo was wrong in insinuating that I had a free pass. My father was rich, but since Mom’s death, I refused his financial help and was adamant about paying him back every cent he had ever spent on me.
However, I didn’t contend the accusation. Not after costing Mia something she sought after.
“Brandon, I don’t understand why you constantly contradict me about Mia. But I assumed that when push came to shove, I could count on you.”
“You can.”
“No, I can’t. What you did tonight... you crossed a line, man.” His face dripped with disappointment. “From now on, I don’t want you anywhere near my sister. Mia is brilliant, and she is meant for bigger things. All of her teachers agree. We are supposed to help Mia reach her full potential. I don’t need you filling her head about sailing through life like it’s a breeze.”
That. Poor. Kid.
She was the most brilliant tiny human, but it was clear she’d be forced down a path riddled with unrealistic expectations.
However, I kept my trap shut because I was the one at fault. It was Milo’s call about how she was to be raised.
