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MidReal Story
My Sister’s Flirtatious Friend
Scenario:The house was quiet, and I was stretched out on the couch, mindlessly watching TV. My sister, Jess, was away with our parents, leaving me to enjoy some rare alone time.
As I flipped through channels, I heard the front door open. Jaclynn, my sister’s friend, stepped in, wearing a white t-shirt and short shorts. She moved in front of the TV, completely blocking my view.
"Really? You didn’t care enough to invite me over while your family’s away?" she pouted, placing a hand on her hip.
"Watching TV alone when you could have a beautiful girl like me for company…"
Create my version of this story
Alex Turner
young adult, brother to Jess, average build with messy brown hair, laidback and slightly awkward.
Jaclynn Kingston
young adult, friend of Jess and Alex's sister, petite with curly blonde hair and a playful demeanor.
Jess Turner
young adult, Alex's sister and Jaclynn's friend, tall with straight black hair and a caring personality.
I was having a great afternoon.
Jess was out with Jaclynn, and Mom and Dad were running errands.
That left me the house all to myself, something that didn’t happen often.
I was taking advantage of the alone time by doing absolutely nothing.
I was watching some TV, half asleep on the couch, when I heard the front door open.
I didn’t move.
I assumed Jess was home, and Jaclynn or one of my parents was with her.
I stayed where I was until I heard footsteps in the kitchen.
Then I sat up straight.
Whoever it was, they should’ve been going up the stairs to the room Jess and she shared.
Instead, they were hanging in the kitchen.
It could’ve been one of my parents, but something about the light steps told me otherwise.
"Jaclynn?"
I called out, though I was guessing it was her even before she answered.
"Hey, Alex," she said, appearing in the doorway.
"Where’s Jess?"
"She’s not here. What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping to talk to her—"
"You’re alone?"
She nodded.
Her curly blonde hair bounced on her shoulders.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"No. Not at all."
If anything, this made the day even better.
I shifted to one side of the couch, making room for her.
Jaclynn walked over and plopped down beside me.
She was close—closer than necessary—and I could feel the warmth from her leg next to mine.
The TV continued to drone in the background, but I couldn’t pay attention to what was on.
I didn’t want to look at Jaclynn, so I kept my eyes fixed on the screen.
My heart beat faster than usual.
"Can I change this?"
She reached out, and her fingers brushed against mine as she grabbed the remote.
I nodded and moved my hand back a bit.
She flipped through channels until she found a horror movie.
The woman on screen let out a blood-curdling scream, and Jaclynn jumped, pressing herself against my side.
She was warm and soft against me, and her perfume filled my nose—something with vanilla and flowers that were sweet but not too overpowering. "Sorry," she said, giggling.
"I’m a baby when it comes to scary movies."
"It’s fine," I said.
My voice came out quieter than I’d intended it to, but Jaclynn seemed to hear me okay.
She turned so her face was inches from mine.
Her eyes were light brown, almost gold, and they were staring up at me like I held the answer to all her problems in the world.
"Is this okay?"
It wasn’t a question I could answer verbally.
My throat had closed up so much that all I could do was nod in response.
Jaclynn’s lips twitched up into a smile before she looked back at the TV.
"Alex, there's something I need to tell you," Jaclynn said softly, her eyes still fixed on the screen.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to me, her expression serious. "Jess and I... we broke up."
Tears glistened in her eyes, and she looked away, blinking.
"I know it’s been a while since we started drifting apart. We just... we didn’t have that much in common anymore. We used to be inseparable, but lately I felt like I was trapped in a relationship with my best friend."
I shifted uncomfortably on the couch.
I didn’t want to hear this.
Not from Jaclynn.
Not about Jess.
"Jaclynn," I said softly, trying to warn her off.
"We’ve been together for a long time. We’ve been friends since freshman year, and we started dating at the end of junior year. It just doesn’t feel right anymore. It feels like we’re holding onto something because we don’t want to let go of the past, not because we actually still care about each other."
She moved closer to me, her knee pressing against mine.
Her hand came down on the couch cushion between us, her fingers tracing patterns in the fabric.
"I don’t want to hold onto something just because it’s familiar," she said softly, looking up at me through damp lashes.
My hand shook as I reached out and brushed a tear away from her cheek.