It was Sunday afternoon. Now, most Sundays I sleep in till at least one, and when I finally manage to get myself out of bed and in the shower, I meet my friends at the local coffee shop. It was a tradition, a tradition that I hadn’t broken for two years…until today.

On this particular Sunday, I had woken up at eight. Then I’d been forced to pick up groceries, clean the house, and ‘fix up’ the guest room next to mine. And now, at five o’clock, after taking a lightning fast shower that lasted a record breaking ten minutes, I was being hurried out of the house by my mother to pick up my stepbrother at the airport.

“Honey!” My mother yelled up the stairs, “You should have left twenty minutes ago to pick up Jariden!”

Rolling my eyes I finished my makeup and slowly trudged down the stairs, just for her annoyance. “How am I even suppose to know what he looks like?” I asked her. He may be my stepbrother, but I’d never met him, and I hadn’t seen a picture of him since he was thirteen. Even then his face hadn’t exactly been visible under his long bangs.

“He’ll be wearing a black shirt.” Her voice held the ‘this response should solve everything!’ tone.

“Oh great mom, because nobody wears black shirts!” I was getting annoyed, but the look on her face showed that she truly thought this was reasonable.

Exasperated, she threw my car keys at me and pushed me towards the door. I sighed, opened it, and started to leave, but she gave me one more description, “He has those facial piercing’s! Just look for those!” And then she shut the door behind me, a clear sign that there was to be no more arguments on my end.

Walking down the porch steps I saw three cars in the driveway, and after common sense hit, I realized that I should have expected the new car to be there. It was nice…nicer than mine at least.

After getting in my car, and fiddling with the music, I decided not to turn it up full blast. I needed time to think. It was only a ten minute drive to the airport. Convenient for the situation, but a pain in my ass at home, what with hearing airplanes flying over the house at all hours.

Driving down the road, I let my thoughts take over. I’d always known I had a stepbrother. Jariden James Ramsey my mother had told me when my stepfather refused to talk about the subject. I also knew that Jariden had never wanted to meet me. I didn’t blame him, I never had a particular interest in getting to know him either. We were the same age from what I’d heard, and the first few years after my mother got married my stepfather talked to him on the phone every few months. I’d always found it strange that he never once referred to Jariden as his son, seeing as how he always introduced me and my siblings as his children, but while my sister called him Dad, I called him Craig. Then again, maybe Craig was pissed off that his only biological child hadn’t even attended the wedding. On Jariden’s thirteenth birthday, he and his father got in a huge fight, I heard it all the way in my room, two stories up from the ‘scene of the crime‘. After that, they didn’t speak a word to each other, in fact they still haven’t spoken to each other.

Late Friday night my parents told my sister and I that Jariden’s mother had committed suicide a few hours before. Since my step dad was his only immediate family, he was being placed under his discipline until his eighteenth birthday. My parents didn’t seem to care, they never seemed to care about anything actually. They left us to our lives and we left them to theirs.

Too soon I arrived at the airport, my mother had said that Jariden would meet me at baggage claim so I parked on the curb outside. With my luck security would give me a ticket. Bad luck seemed to follow me everywhere. People sometimes say I should have a big sign over my head reading ‘Crap Magnet’.

After walking inside I checked the arrivals, his flight from Charlotte was picking up their luggage by belt B. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started walking. I didn’t have to walk very far. He was sitting, resting against a pillar by the doors, and he definitely was not wearing a black shirt, in fact it was blue. If he wasn’t legally my stepbrother, I might have described him as attractive. His hair was still black, something he’d inherited from his father, his bangs cascaded across his left eye, I snorted to myself, they were obviously straightened. The rest wasn’t so deliberate, it wasn’t long, but it was by no means short, and had the ‘I’m looking like I didn’t touch my hair today but I really did’ style. Even in his relaxed position, head leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, his arms were resting on his pulled up knees, I could still see faint evidence of muscles. As I walked closer I saw two small studs on either side of his lips, ‘snakebites’ I think they call them, yep, this was definitely him.

“Jariden?” I asked nervously when I was standing a foot or so away.

His eyelids lifted and he stared at me with piercing gray eyes. Okay, he may legally be my stepbrother but he is definitely attractive.

He stood up slowly, and I shifted my weight from one foot to the other while I waited for him to turn back to me.

He simply stared at me. “Hey um…I’m Bailey…er…your stepsister.”

“Where’s Craig?” He referred to his fathers name, it hadn’t occurred to me that Jariden would have been expecting his dad after years of not even talking.

His direct gaze was beginning to make me feel self conscious. “He was still at work when I left…but uh…he should be home by the time we get there.” I hoped he would take this as a good explanation, it was after all the truth although I knew he wouldn’t have come to get his son even if he did have the time. Luckily for me, Jariden ignored my answer all together.

“So I’m guessing we should get going.” He said as he picked up his bags, there were five so I picked up the two that were the smallest.

I really was late. “Sorry I took so long…I got stuck in traffic.” A complete lie, and god, the politeness between us was killing me.

I walked out the doors with him following closely behind me. I hadn’t been inside long and I was glad to see that my car had remained unnoticed by airport security. “Nice ride.” Jariden said as I popped the trunk and started to load his bags.

“Er thanks.” Wow, lame answer there Bailey. I mentally grimaced. My car was nice. A silver 05’ Toyota Celica. My mother had bought it for me on my 16th birthday.

“So is this the car I’ll be riding to school in everyday?” He asked as he opened the passenger side door and got in. Hey, at least he wasn’t bothering with the small talk. Then again, I hadn’t exactly expected him to say ‘So, how’s the weather?’

I thought back to the third car in my driveway. “No, your dad bought you a new car I guess. I saw it on my way here.”

“What kind?” I could tell he wasn’t really interested, his voice was distant despite our close proximity.

“350Z.”

“Nissan?” He didn’t sound at all excited.

“Yep.”

“Color?”

I thought back, “Blue.”

“Why?”

His question caught me off guard. “Why what?” I looked at him but he was looking away, staring out the window.

“Why did he buy me a car.” He didn’t even say it like a question.

“Oh uh…” I didn’t know what to say, how the hell should I know anyways? “Maybe he thought you’d like it? He probably knew you wouldn’t want to ride around with me all the time.”

He laughed, a cold, hard laugh, and leaned his head back against the seat. “More like he probably wants me to be gone a lot. What better way than to give me a car?” There was no resentment in his voice, as far as I could tell there was no emotion period.

I wracked my mind for something to say. “I’m sorry about your mother.” Shit, that was definitely not a thought I should have voiced out loud.

Jariden remained silent, I was about to apologize when he finally spoke. “Thanks.” He sounded sincere. I took a chance at glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, his head was turned toward me and he was staring intently. As if he caught me staring, he looked away again and his voice hardened. “I don’t need your pity.”

This kid was already a mystery. One second he’s polite, even nice, the next I feel like he wants to shoot me. The rational part of my mind told me to leave the subject, but as usual, I just didn’t have the willpower to turn away from an argument. “I don’t give people pity.” My voice too hardened, “I’m not exactly ecstatic about having someone I’ve never met move in my house, but at least I’m trying to be nice.” A blush rose to my cheeks, I had totally just contradicted myself.

Jariden sighed, but he didn’t seem to notice my embarrassment, “Look, I’ll never think of you as family, I don’t even think of Craig as family.” I heard him fidget with the glove compartment handle, “I…appreciate…you trying to be nice. But um, lets face it, we aren’t gonna be friends.” I’d already known that, life just didn’t work like that, Jariden was so obviously different from me. He must have felt bad because he started to justify what he’d said “Its nothing personal I just-”

“Don’t worry, I agree.” And I did. “I already figured, but I’m at least gonna be civil.” As an afterthought I added, “You’re new here…you had to pack up and move in one weekend, and you may not like me or want anything to do with me, but you can at least help yourself and let me be nice…and I’m rambling.” I tend to do that when I’m nervous, my mouth runs faster than my mind.

“Fine.” I think he’d meant to sound mean, but he’d put a certain amusement in the word, “We can be nice…consider it a rare favor.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, “Gee thanks.” By this time we’d made it to driveway, I turned in and parked the car. “Welcome home.”

He laughed, a genuine laugh I thought. “This isn’t a home. This is a fucking hotel…how many rooms?”

I was used to this question, my house was big, I knew this. My mother had inherited a large fortune when her father died, and my step dad owned a well known music business. They liked to show their money off, but they didn’t like to brag, so they said. To me it was a ridiculous statement. “Too many…first floor doesn’t have bedrooms, second floor is for my…I mean uh…our parents, and the third floor is for the kids…so you’ll have a room up there with me and Kayleigh.”

He didn’t say anything as he got his bags out of my trunk, once again leaving the two smaller ones for me. Then he walked towards the front door, he even completely ignored his new car although I knew he saw it. He walked up the porch steps and through the door like he owned the place. When I made it into the house I saw that he had stopped in the family room and was gazing up at the glass chandelier that hung in the middle of the ceiling.

“Mom, Dad, I’m…er, we’re home!” As soon as the words left my mouth my parents appeared on the stairway, after a second glance I noticed Kayleigh trying to see above my stepfathers shoulders.

My step dad seemed hesitant, he spent some time staring at Jariden, while his son pretended his father wasn’t even in the room. After a few awkward moments of silence, he finally stepped forward.

“Jariden, its nice to see you again.”

“Sure it is Craig.” Jariden’s lack of endearment was obvious, and my stepfather outwardly grimaced.

“You had a good flight I hope.” Craig’s eyes shifted under his glasses.

“If you took the time to pick me up you would know.”

My mother took this as her time to step in, dragging my younger sister with her. “Hello Jariden, it‘s nice to finally meet you.” She said holding her hand out. He didn’t take it, and after a moment of clear disappointment she continued, “You can call me Liz, and this is my daughter Kayleigh.” She shoved my sister forward.

“Hello.” He responded, his posture stiff.

My stepfather spoke again, “Well, you’re probably tired from your trip, Bailey, why don’t you show Jariden to his room?”

There was no reason to argue, his room was after all on the way to mine. After picking up his bags, once again, I trudged up the two flights of stairs and into his room.

I dropped his luggage on the floor. “Want some help?” No response. “You don’t have to be so rude you know.” I headed towards the door.

“You can take the shit out of that bag.” He pointed to his bed.

Slowly, and against my better judgment, I walked towards his bed and started emptying the biggest bag.

A bunch of CD’s, bands I mostly had never heard of. A heap of t-shirts, bands shirts actually, that once again, I had no idea what they sounded like. A few books, a photo album that I didn’t bother opening, but the front had a picture of Jariden with a pretty blonde haired girl standing in front of what looked to be an abandoned building. We worked in silence until I came across four trophies, little golden figurines with a soccer ball. “You play sports?” I asked, turning to look at him.

He stood with his back away from me but I could see his shoulders tense. “Not anymore.”

Silence again. Twelve o’clock finally rolled around as we finished putting his things away. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.

“Wanna go out?” Oh god, that had come out so wrong. “I mean um..to eat…you know, you’re probably hungry or something…”

His expression was unreadable, “It’s midnight.”

“No shit Sherlock, McDonalds is still open, its right down the street.” I didn’t wait for his response, but as I walked through the house and to my car I heard him following me.

The two minute ride was silent, neither of us even bothered to turn the radio on. There was no wait inside, most people opted for the drive-thru at this time of night, Jariden only spoke to order his Big Mac and large coke. We found a table and ate. For what seemed the millionth time that night, there was no talking. It wasn’t uncomfortable though, he had a certain air about him that awkward silences didn’t seem all that awkward.

“Your mother’s nice.” His voice startled me and I almost choked on my cheeseburger.

“You didn’t seem to think so back at the house.” It was the truth, he had treated his own father like an outcast.

“Craig was there.”

“Why do you call him Craig?”

“Why do you?” His answer was quick, and his grey eyes stared at me from under his lashes.

“He’s my stepfather.”

“He’s a stranger.” His answer didn’t surprise me any. In a way, I could consider my own father a stranger.

Looking for a change of subject I reached for the first thing that came to mind. “You start school tomorrow, since you don‘t know the way you can ride with me.”

“How sweet of you.” He sounded bored again and his eyes drifted from my face back to his food.

“Why can’t you be nice?” It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. “I’m not nice.” He paused for a moment, as if thinking. “You think that because my mother is dead that you need to feel sympathy for me, but if you were to ask people in Charlotte, they’d tell you what I am, and that I’ve been this way for a while.”

“And what are you?” I couldn’t deny it, I was interested.

“Hollow.” His short answer took me back, and effectively ended the conversation.

The ride home was short, but not short enough to keep my mind from wandering. I hadn’t really thought much about Jariden moving in, to me it was just another occurrence. I hadn’t hoped that we would be friends, but I also never expected him to be so distant. In retrospect, I guess I can understand, I would probably be the same way if I were him. I promised my parents that I would help him out, show him around, introduce him to my friends. If it wasn’t for that promise I would probably have given up by now.

He had described himself in one word, hollow, and this word kept me up long after we got back home and I was laying in bed trying to sleep. Can a person really be hollow? Can someone go through so much that they just don’t care? Even worse, that they don’t feel?

Suddenly, the year that Jariden would be spending with my family seemed like a lifetime.