Chapter 11: March 14th, 1992
Sarah approached the front door to her brother’s house. The long walk here was annoying, especially when she had nowhere else to go after a fight with their mom, and she swore one day she’d have a car of her own, just as soon as she could get her license. Until then, she’d have to walk almost an hour and a half each way. At least Mark would hear her out and let her stay until things blew over.
She unlocked the door with her spare key. It was a little rude to come over unannounced, but he wouldn’t mind. It wasn’t the first time, and he did tell her to drop in any time she needed, even if he wasn’t home. But she knew he had to be. His car was still in the driveway. Yet when she walked in, she found a dark and empty living room.
That was weird. There were usually some signs of life in the kitchen at this hour. Could he be upstairs? He could be taking a nap or something. That had to be it, he would have heard the front door if he were awake. Sarah was careful not to let the stairs creak under her feet as she went upstairs. She was just going to check on him, and then come back down and freeload on his couch until she felt like going home.
Sarah stopped at her brother’s bedroom door, which wasn’t closed all the way. Cracked open just slightly that it wasn’t pulled all the way shut, but she wasn’t able to see inside. And hearing what sounded like… Mark? Whatever he was doing in there, it sounded like he was exerting himself. How didn’t he hear her come in?
Listening closer, she could hear that he wasn’t alone. Someone else was there with him. She could tell those grunts and low groans belonged to him, but the fast and excited breathing that she could faintly pick up on were clearly coming from someone else. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for Sarah to piece together what was probably going on inside.
There’s no fucking way. Is he seriously getting laid right now? Since when does he even know any girls?
She considered turning around and leaving right there and then so she could give her brother the privacy he deserved, and pretend she never heard anything. Mark didn’t need to know she was there, she didn’t need to know who he was with, and things would be better for it.
“ Haaah , Mark, harder ple…”
Pleas from an uncomfortably familiar voice were cut short by the sound of slamming and smacking noises getting louder. Only for that to get louder in response, confirming Sarah’s creeping suspicion.
“...aaaAAAHHHN, OH FUUUCK!...”
That was coming from another guy. Not a girl. Sarah had an idea of where this was going, and she didn’t like it one bit.
No. That’s not Cesar, it can’t be.
“Yeah? You like that?” She could hear Mark huffing out the words, barely audible under the frenzied wailing of the other boy. She didn’t want to believe it, she couldn’t believe that her brother was doing… things with another man.
With the way the door was just barely left open, she could open it a little more without making noise. She didn’t know what she was thinking, gently cracking open the door just enough to see inside. For all she knew, she could be imagining things! Maybe there was something else going on behind that door, and she’s just jumping to conclusions.
Misplaced optimism is punished so swiftly.
She realized immediately that she should have stuck to her original plan of bailing without a trace. There was no mistaking it, what she heard was exactly what it sounded like.
There was no denying it now. Because yeah, there they were, with Mark between Cesar’s legs, one leg held under each of his arms while Cesar tangled his fingers in Mark’s hair. There was no time to be thankful that she mostly had a view of Mark’s back and nothing else. As if the sight wasn’t bad enough, she watched Cesar wrap his legs around Mark’s waist and dig his heels into his back. It was like his body was moving on its own without any input from his brain, his eyes were so hazy and distant.
Sarah wished she could have let herself go the rest of her life without that mental image seared into her brain. She’ll always remember what her life was like before seeing her brother naked. At least it was only a view from the back…
She threw the door the rest of the way open, and it slammed hard into the doorstop. She didn’t stop to think of what she would do now that she had their attention, both boys wide-eyed and afraid, not even knowing who or what was barging in on them until they were hit with the reality of what was happening.
“Mark, what the fuck is going on?!” A vague and open-ended question, but the only one she had ready.
“I— What the fuck, Sarah? What are you—”
Mark tried to pull the covers over himself and Cesar, at least just to cover the parts that were supposed to be between just the two of them. A little too late, but trying to protect both his sister’s eyes and his own dignity, assuming he had any left after this.
“You?— And him? What, I don’t… What? When? ” She was stuttering, all out of coherent questions. She really should have put herself together before slamming the brakes, but if she waited even a second longer she risked seeing even more of whatever the fuck they had going on here.
Better yet, she wished she hadn’t gotten involved at all. What Mark did in his bedroom was his business, and it was going to be hard to justify interrupting like an asshole.
Mark started handing Cesar his clothes, making an effort to show some civility. She honestly expected her brother to beat her ass for this, it had to be the one thing that was bad enough to make him snap. Somehow though, Mark was… definitely upset, but not angry. but maybe he just didn’t want to look bad in front of his man.
I’m so fucking dead. Why did I get involved?
“Fuck, I’m sorry you had to see that.” He really did have the patience of a saint. Cesar was obviously super pissed off, but Mark was doing his best to keep him placated. “Look, I can… I can explain. I’ll explain everything. Just go downstairs, okay? I’ll be down in a few.”
“Okay,” she squeaked, turning around and resisting the urge to bolt down the stairs and out the door. Her footsteps thudded down the stairs until she was back in the living room. She could sit and wait for them, but at this point she was so restless all she could do was pace.
She didn’t know if she needed an explanation, an apology, or to be the one doing the apologizing. Or maybe all three.
What the fuck had gotten into those boys?
