Chapter 11: The Naughtier Chronicles
The Naughtier Chronicles
Chapter 11
“It’s not happening,” Cole said as soon as he realized that his mother wasn’t kidding.
He watched as Mikey blinked innocently up at him as she asked, “What’s not happening?”
“You’re not in charge,” he bit out, folding his arms over his chest as glared down at the girl that normally amused him, but he was so far from being amused at the moment that it wasn’t even funny.
He was going to have words with his mother, but much later. For right now, he was going to make sure that they had an understanding, one that didn’t come between him and going next-door as soon as the coast was clear.
“In charge of what?” Mikey asked, looking adorably confused while her partner in crime simply sighed heavily as he adjusted Hunter in his arms so that he could grab a book off the small stack that his parents kept for him on the end table.
“Of me,” Cole said evenly, making sure to stress every last syllable to make sure that there were no misunderstandings.
“Why would I be in charge of you?” Mikey asked, making a vein just beneath his eye began to tick.
“Because my parents left you in charge!” Cole snapped, wondering why she was having such a difficult time following this conversation.
“They did?” Mikey asked, somehow managing to look even more confused while his brother and sister were forced to turn their heads to hide the smiles that he would not forget about!
“Yes!”
Squishing her face up adorably, Mikey said, “I think I would have remembered that.”
“They did!”
Shrugging it off like it was no big deal, Mikey said, “If you say so.”
Relieved that they finally had an understanding, Cole said, “I’m in charge.”
“But you just said that I was,” Mikey said with a sad shake of her head as she grabbed Sebastian’s backpack off the floor and began rummaging through it with a mumbled, “I really wish that you’d make up your mind.”
“No, I didn’t,” Cole said, wondering why her parents hadn’t spanked her ass yet.
“You really did, though,” Elizabeth murmured in agreement with a solemn nod while Joshua matched her nod with one of his own as he considered shoving them both in a closet and leaving them in there for the night.
“Don’t make me kill you,” Cole bit out for his little sister only to end up wondering why his parents hadn’t spanked her when she reached up and playfully tweaked his nose.
“I’m going back upstairs to finish my homework,” his sister said, already heading for the stairs instead of being appropriately outraged on his behalf like a good sister should.
“They’re your age! This should infuriate you!” Cole pointed out, wondering why no one else had a problem with this.
“It did,” Elizabeth said, nodding in agreement, which had him sighing with relief until she added, “But then I realized how much this was bothering you and decided that the entertainment factor more than made up for it.”
Nodding slowly, Cole said, “You’re a brat.”
“And you adore me,” she said, chuckling as she abandoned him.
That was fine.
More than fine, Cole decided as he shifted his glare to his brother, deciding that Joshua would have to do. He’d prefer Elizabeth, but he really didn’t have a choice in the matter. He opened his mouth and-
“I’m going back upstairs to pretend that I’m doing my homework, too,” Joshua said with a devious smile as the little bastard abandoned him.
Fine.
He could handle this on his own, Cole decided as he shifted his glare back to Sebastian and Mikey to find Mikey rolling a baseball between her hands as she watched him with what could only be described as pity. “Did you want a snack before bed, big guy?” she asked in a tone better used on toddlers and babies.
“I don’t need a snack!” Cole snapped, insulted that she thought that he could be bought with a few cookies.
“Are you sure?” she asked in that same tone that was going to get her stuffed in a closet.
“Yes!”
“Are you sleepy? Because you look sleepy,” Mikey murmured, looking thoughtful and further pissing him off.
“I’m not sleepy,” Cole bit out, narrowing his eyes dangerously on the little brat.
“Doesn’t he look sleepy to you?” Mikey asked Sebastian, who didn’t even bother looking up from his book as he said, “Very sleepy.”
“I’m not sleepy!”
“Are you sure? Because you sound cranky,” Mikey, the girl that he’d once thought of as adorable only to now realize was evil, said with a pitying look that he did not appreciate.
Not. At. All.
Deciding that he’d wasted enough time on this conversation, Cole said, “Listen up, buttercup, because I’m only going to say this once. I’m in charge, which means that I’m going next-door for a while and if my parents call, you’re going to tell them that I’m upstairs fast asleep in my bed like a good little boy.”
“But how can you be in charge if you’re not even here?” Mikey asked, making his left eye twitch.
“Because I’m the oldest,” he bit out.
“Not if you’re not here,” Mikey pointed out.
“You don’t want to play this game with me, Mikey,” Cole said, giving her the only warning that she was going to get if she tried to get between him and what he needed to do.
“Are you sure about that?” Mikey asked, not sounding all that concerned.
“Absolutely.”