Page 110 of More Than Pen Pals

“If I recall correctly, you and I have spent a good chunk of the past couple weeks talking about women.”

“Touché.”

Pounding sounds on my door.

“Speaking of women,” Randall says.

“It’s open,” I holler.

Our sisters rush in, again holding a movie case. Sonya plops down next to me on the love seat and loops her arm through mine. Tonya sits on Randall’s feet on the couch. He yanks them out from under her and sits up.

“What cringeworthy movie have you picked out to torture your brothers with, girls?” he asks.

“Some Kind of Wonderful,”Tonya replies.

Randall gags. “We’re not watching that.”

“Maybe you’re not,” Tonya pokes him in the chest, “but we are.” She circles her finger around to encompass the rest of us.

“Nope,” I say. “Not me, either.”

Both girls gape at me and Randall laughs. “You can’t wear him down tonight, ladies. It’s two against two, and we’re bigger and stronger.”

He grabs the video from where Sonya set it on the coffee table and shoves it underneath him. I wince on his behalf. The situation can’t be comfortable. Those cases have sharp edges.

Tonya reaches toward him, but Randall sticks his finger in her face. “If you touch my butt, I’m telling Mom.”

How he thinks that conversation would go any worse for Tonya than for him, I don’t know.

“Ew, gross,” Tonya says with a shiver. “Like I have any intention of touching your butt.”

A smug smile spreads across my brother’s face as he links his fingers behind his head. “Now, let’s all settle in and watch the Cubbies.”

I can see what’s coming next from a mile away, but I say absolutely nothing. Tonya’s hand shoots out and tickles Randall’s exposed armpit. When he jumps, her other hand snatches the video out from under him.

Randall curses, and Tonya points at him. “Ha! I’m definitely telling Mom about that.” Our mother has zero tolerance for cursing, especially in the girls’ presence.

“Ton-Ton,” he uses the name Sonya called her when they were toddlers, “you wouldn’t dare.”

“I would … unless you watch this with us.” She wiggles the video in the air far enough away that he can’t grab it again.

He lets out a long-suffering sigh and then looks at me. “You’re not going to help me out here?”

I shrug. “You’re the one who got us into this mess with your potty mouth. Figure it out.” Plus, I’ve found myself halfway enjoying the girls’ movies lately, but I’m not about to admit that to any of them.

“Fine,” he says, “but it better be a daaaaa…ng amazing kind of wonderful.”

“Hold up,” Sonya says. “There’s one more thing you have to do to keep us from telling Mom about that word you said.”

Randall closes his eyes and in a defeated tone, asks, “What?”

“Tell us who Ash has been kissing.”

Sonya stretches up to peck my cheek, Tonya giggles, and Randall’s eyes pop open. His gaze snaps to mine and I shoot eye daggers at him. He’d better have my back on this, even if I just failed to have his.

“Can’t do it,” he says to our sisters. “Brother code and all that.”

“Fine,” Tonya taunts. “I’m telling Mom.”

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