This is the twelfth part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X, and Part XI before continuing.
“Do not go into the basement, you stupid white boy,” Britney practically screamed at the computer screen where she and Sarah were watching their favorite drama.
“He has to save his sister. It’s sweet.”
“Spoken like someone who never had a brother.”
“I always wanted an older brother to protect me when I was growing up.”
Britney turned to face Sarah, her face distorted into a mask of confusion and disbelief. “Protect you? Now I know you’ve never had a brother.”
“I already told you I’m an only child. I always wanted a sibling to play with when I was growing up.”
“No, you didn’t,” Britney said, rolling her eyes. “Siblings are the worst. They take your stuff. They put boogers in your food.”
“They do not!” Sarah said, laughing.
“They absolutely do,” Britney said, completely serious. “And older brothers don’t protect you, they are your worst tormentors. They tickle you until you wet yourself and then they laugh at you for wetting yourself. They never stop when you tell them to stop. And no matter what they do, everyone just shrugs and says, ‘Boys will be boys,. But heaven help you if you put so much as a toe over the line. Then you’re the one who can’t be tolerated.”
“OK, sorry. I didn’t realize I had hit a such a sore spot.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap,” Britney said, settling back against the pillows. “It’s just that being away from home and talking to other people makes me think about the different ways my brothers and I were raised, even though we lived in the same house and had the same parents. I guess I didn’t realize how much your idealized version sibling life was getting to me.”
“Was it really that bad?”
“No. It’s just that it never occurred to me at the time that we were being treated differently, and now that I’m aware of it, it’s like it’s all I can think about.”
Sarah was silent for a moment before saying. “Maybe you should write a play about that.”
“I’m already three quarters of the way through my play. I can’t just start over and write about something else entirely.”
“Sure, you can. Or maybe you can find a way to work this into the play you’ve already mostly written.”
“I doubt it. They’re two completely different issues,” Britney said as she slammed on the space bar to continue playing the video. But Sarah could practically see the wheels turning in her friend’s head, and after a few moments, Britney got up to get her own computer and started writing.
“You want to finish this episode another time?”
“You can keep watching if you want. I’ll finish it on my own later.”
To be continued…