Cool With A "K". PART 6 - CHAPTER 3

It was a peaceful, normal Saturday morning and I was sitting in my room, reading my new book when I heard a horror-movie type scream. Oh god, what was wrong? I ran to the bathroom, where the scream had come from. I knocked on the door. "Chris?" I asked, my voice quivered, my hands were shaking. Oh no! Did the crazy neighbor's cat jump through the window again? Yikes! That wasn't fun. "Go away!" I heard Chris's shaky, frightened sounding voice. "Chris?" I said again, "What happened? Are you okay Honey? Please open the door." Oh geez. I totally sounded like Mom right now. There was a pause and slowly, I heard Chris getting up and the doorknob very slowly turned.... Oh my gosh, it could be ANYTHING! I was starting to get really freaked out now. Chris opened the door. I screamed. "Wow, Chris. Did Mrs. Johnson's cat attack your head?" I asked unenthusiastically. Chris looked horrible, he was pale, his eyes were red, and the worst part was his hair. It stuck up in every direction and pretty much looked like a rat's nest. Is this what all teenage boys' hair looks like in the morning? I thought. Chris always rushes to the bathroom in the morning to fix his hair before anyone can see his bed head. But it wasn't enough for him to give me that scare. "Oh no! Chris!" I said, pretending to sound scared. "Did you run out of hairspray again?"

"YES!" Chris wailed, "I can't believe I was so careless!" He collapsed on the closed toilet lid, practically sobbing. He had his head propped up on one hand. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Chris. You're a real disgrace." He opened his eyes and looked at me. 

"I'm kidding, Chris." I said. He went back to moaning. Gee whiz Chris! I thought. Dramatic much? "Hey, Chris. Why don't you just get some more?" I asked. Sometimes my brother's sensitivity was so annoying. Chris looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you an idiot?" Well that's a little harsh. "I can't go out in public looking like this!" The way he said it he made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "Excuse me." I mumbled. Chris's lower lip quivered and started wailing again. "Okay! Okay! Chris," I tried to keep the steel edge out of my voice, but it was hard. I laughed nervously, "Chris. This is the only time I'm going to do this for you. I will go to the store and get you another can." What the hell was I saying? Why was I volunteering to do this for him? He was so pathetic. I mean, I guess a lot of the people in our neighborhood know him, but still! It wouldn't kill him to go out in public with hair like Leo's. Well, maybe that would kill him.... and Leo. But besides that he was just being a wimp. "Thank you Angie!" Chris tackled me in a hug and I instantly regretted what I had just agreed to. 

So I ended up going to the store. I picked out two cans of hairspray. One of our neighbors saw me and she grinned. "Did your brother run out again?" I nodded. "Yeah, apparently he is too ashamed to go out and get it for himself." The lady cackled and it kind of creeped me out. "I'll see you later, Mrs. Henson." I said and walked away kind of quickly. Then, I saw Jamie. "Hi!" she said.

"Hi." I said back. Jamie noticed the cans I was holding and said, "Hairspray?" I nodded. "Chris ran out again. He wouldn't come out into the world and get it himself, he didn't want people to see him in such a tragic state." Jamie nodded, clearly confused. "I'll see you at school, Angie." she said. We said goodbye and I paid for the hairspray and left. I got home, gave Chris the hairspray and went back to reading. Brothers, you love 'em but they can be such a pain in the- "ANGIE!!!" 

"What Chris?"

"Mrs. Johnson's cat just jumped through the window and is eating EVERYTHING!!!" 

"Oh my god!" I screeched and I ran to help Chris get rid of the crazy bathroom-eating cat.