Chapter 4:

Beckinsile's Point of View

"So where is he?" Nate asks as he hands me some dishes.

I rinse them and put them into the dishwasher.

"The usual; a party most likely." I say nonchalantly and grab another plate from him.

"Someday I'm going to party like him." Nate says as he sets some glasses on the counter. I look over and see an innocent gleam in his eyes.

"The kid doesn't know what Gabe actually does at those parties. I bet if he did he'd never want to be like Gabe."

I set the glasses in the dishwasher. For a split second I selfishly think about telling Nate what happens at those parties and what Gabe actually does at them. Then I think better of it because what if the truth makes him want to party more?

"I swear if you party like Gabe I will personally lock you in your room for the rest of your life like Harry Potter." I smirk and wash my hands.

"Oh so then I get to escape with my friends in a flying car?" Nate has a playful gleam in his eyes.

"If I see any flying cars, I will call in a SWAT team to make sure you stay in that room for the rest of your life."

"Oh Becks, you're no fun." Nate fake pouts as he walks out of the kitchen.

"I'm loads of fun. Gabe is the one that's no fun. At least I'm going somewhere in life." I chuckle as Nate and I walk up the stairs.

"You're just jealous that Gabe is more fun than you." Nate walks off towards his room.

"Nate, I know I've told you this before and I know you won't listen, but Gabe's lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be. I know you think it's cool that he's so popular and goes to all the parties but someday he'll wake up and have no job and no future."

"Isn't that a little harsh to say about your own brother?" Nate gives me a pointed look.

"I hate to sugarcoat stuff, Nate. I just don't want you to screw up your own future because you think Gabe's lifestyle is the only one out there."

"Why do you care so much if I turn out like Gabe? It's my future, not yours, Beckinsile." Nate crosses his arms and stands in his doorway.

"I care because you're my brother and I want the best for you. I know Gabe's lifestyle isn't worth it and I don't want you to screw up your future because of Gabe."

"I can do what I want, Beckinsile." Nate is red with anger.

"I know you can but I want you to know it's not worth it and if the only reason you're doing this is to gain the approval of Gabe than stop. Gabe would think you're awesome even if you spent all day with your nose in a book."

"You and I both know that isn't true." Nate shouts at me.

"Who needs Gabe's approval anyways?" I shout back. "Who needs the approval of some guy who has a D+ average and spends every weekend with the dumbest girls on the planet? Who needs the approval of some guy who spends more time in the principal's office than he does in the classroom? Who needs that?"

"I need that! Gabe's my older brother and I want to be like him. I admire him and I don't care if his lifestyle isn't worth it. I don't do this only for his approval; I do it because I want to be like him and it gives us something to bond over." Nate has tears in his eyes.

I then realize that maybe I've gone a little far but Gabe just makes me so angry. He's an awesome brother, he really is. He's also extremely popular and has guts to do things I'd never do, except that's the reason why I dislike him so much. I'm always known as Gabe's sister. I have to live in his shadow except with teachers and adults. He gets rewarded among our peers for doing things that could get him arrested in the real world. It's just unfair and what's worse is that he's corrupting my baby brother now.

"Fine, be like him but when you wake up in a trailer park and are forced to work at McDonald's for minimum wage to support your three kids; don't say I didn't warn you and don't you dare come and ask me for money because I'll be too busy bailing your hero out of jail." I narrow my eyes at Nate and stalk back to my bedroom. I slam the door and collapse onto my bed.

I lie on my back and feel my tears seeping through my comforter. I do love Gabe and it scares me to think that someday he won't be Mr. Popular. That he'll be just another minimum wage worker getting government help. What's worse is that my little brother could be headed down the same road and there's nothing I can say or do that will convince him out of it. I know I'm probably being a little over dramatic; I know my parents would never let my brother become a minimum wage worker. I know they'd do everything to give him a better future but that's the other unfair thing. They shouldn't be bending over backwards to help someone who won't take advantage of the opportunity. I know what I said tonight was a little harsh but Nate needed to hear that before he got out of control.

I slip into my pajamas and wash my face free of all makeup. I take a deep breath and pull back my covers. My parents come in and say goodnight before going to bed themselves.

~~~~~

It's past midnight and I still can't sleep. I keep thinking about what I said to Nate a few hours earlier. It was all true but it still haunts me. I rub my eyes and check my phone. The time reads 12:30 A.M. I push back my covers and slip into my fluffy slippers. I cautiously make my way downstairs and walk into the kitchen. I open the fridge and pull out the milk jug. I pour myself a glass and grab the box of Nilla Wafers. I take my midnight snack into the living room and turn on the TV. There's Full House re-runs on Nickelodeon. I pull out some cookies and watch the fictional life of the Tanners until I fall asleep.

I wake up startled by a sudden noise. The front door opens and in walks Gabe. I check the time on the cable box.

"3:20 A.M." I groan as Gabe walks slowly past the living room. He stops before he's fully out of view.

"Becks, what are you doing down here?" He hisses as he walks into the living room.

"I couldn't sleep. Lying gives me insomnia." I give him a sleepy smirk before remembering that I'm mad at him.

"Very funny, is everyone asleep?" He asks as he steals a Nilla Wafer.

"Yes, listen I got mad at Nate earlier."

"I'm guessing it was about him wanting to be me." I nod slowly and bite my lip.

"I said some things about you that I'm not proud of."

"What did you say?" He narrows his eyes slightly at me.

"It's not important."

"Then why did you bring it up?"

"I need you to convince Nate out of wanting to be like you." I gulp and stare into Gabe's eyes.

"I happen to find it extremely flattering that he wants to be like me." Gabe gives me a pompous smirk.

"Come back down from cloud nine, wise guy. You know you're not going anywhere and you know that's exactly where Nate is headed."

"You're being dramatic." Gabe waves me off with a flick of the wrist.

"Gabe no offense but where do you see yourself after high school? What happens after your days of hard partying are over? I don't want Nate to end up like that." I plead with him.

"I know my grades suck and that popularity and good looks are all I have but Nate can make his own choices. I know I'm not going anywhere but Nate may be different."

"Gabe, you're really smart. I know you are. I don't want you to end up working for minimum wage at McDonald's. You can do better."

"You're right; I could work for Burger King." Gabe gives me a smirk and sits down on the couch next to me.

"Not exactly what I had in mind." It's making me sad that Gabe already knows he's going nowhere.

"You have plenty of opportunity. Please use it," I say with a small smile. "I want you to do something with your life Gabe," I pull the box of cookies to my chest and stuff a few in my mouth.

"You just don't want to have to pay my bail money."

"Yes but more than that I want you to do something with your life. Maybe if you do something with your life Nate will too."

"Beckinsile, I want to explain something to you. I do want to do something with my life but there is no way I can pull my grades up enough for any college to except me. I've screwed up my life. There's nothing I can do about it. So, I go out, party, have a good time while I still have something. After high school I'm going to have to get a job. I need to enjoy my time because after high school it's all going to be gone. I'm not going to be Mr. Popular. Everybody will go off to college and forget about me. I'll probably get in trouble and I'll never get out of this town. Beckinsile, you have good grades; you're going somewhere. You shouldn't be wasting your time trying to fix people like me."

"But Gabe, you're my brother. I hate to see you give up like this." I can feel the tears in my eyes.

"There's nothing I can do about it. I've doomed myself. Your right, I'd hate to see Nate turn out like me. I'll talk to him but I can't promise anything." I know I'm crying by now.

"Gabe, please don't give up. I don't want you to do this to yourself and you still have senior year." I can feel Gabe pull me into a hug.

"If it upsets you this much, I'll try to pull my grades up." I bury my face in his shoulder as he pulls me closer.

"Thank you, Gabe."

Gabe stands and picks up my dishes from the floor.

"By the way, I do not have a D+ average. I have a C+ average." Gabe smirks as he walks into the kitchen.

"How did you find out?" I groan, dry my tears, and follow him into the kitchen.

"Nate texted me the minute I'm assuming your fight ended." Gabe puts the glass in the dishwasher and sits down at the breakfast bar.

"I actually had a B- average until this year for your information, my nosy sister." I blush and sit down at the breakfast bar with him.

"I was angry; did he text you anything else?" I cringe at the flashback of what I had said. Gabe nods his head but I can tell he isn't upset.

"It's fine. I know you, Mom and Dad are worried about me but I want you to know that I'm fine. I know I spend too much of my time partying or out with my friends but that's because I don't want to go to some snobby university. I want a good life for myself but I don't want to look back on my high school years and regret them. I want to have fun because high school only comes once in a lifetime. I don't want to spend all my time in my room studying. I want to live a little." I guess I had never thought of things this way, probably because I spend all of my time studying. I now have a new respect for my brother.

"I guess you're better off than I thought." I smirk at him as we both get up.

"I decided a while back, before high school, that I wanted my high school years to be ones that generations to come would remember. I want to look back on them and have no second thoughts. I want to be proud of what I've done and I am, Becks. I love being the bad boy. The guy everyone wants to be. I love having lots of friends and going to parties all the time. I know it won't last forever and that's why I want to take advantage of it. You know my schoolwork has always taken a backseat. I've been a devil child since I started school. Except now my future is becoming a real thing. I want to have a good future so maybe it's time I take a bit of interest in school. I'm not giving up partying but I will study more and possibly try a little bit harder." Gabe gives me the smirk and pulls me into a hug.

I hope that for his sake he will try harder. I don't want him to give up his rebellious ways; I just want to make sure that I'm not the one still bailing him out of trouble when we're older.

I fall asleep after mine and Gabe's conversation the minute I hit the pillow. My body aches all over from lack of sleep but my head feels cleared. I know Gabe will probably stay stuck in his ways but at least there's some hope.

I know this chapter sounds cheesy at some parts lol 😂 Either way I'll try to make the next chapters less cheesy 😁 Please vote and comment...ILY guys ❤️❤️