It all comes crashing down

It happened out of nowhere, on a day like any other. I hopped on PlayStation with some of my uni friends for a bit in the morning, then when a couple of them left for lunch, I went down to check the fridge like usual. I was pleasantly surprised to see my stepmum fussing around in the kitchen, clearing in the middle of cooking something.

“Morning, Luke,” she said.

I checked my watch. “It’s one-thirty in the afternoon.”

“I was making a joke about your god-awful sleep schedule.”

“Har har,” I replied. “I’ll have you know I woke up super early today. Like, ten-fifteen.”

“Impressive,” she chuckled.

“Watcha making?” I asked.

“Lasagna. Thought I’d change it up a bit. Actually, could you go and get Charley, please? It’s nearly ready.”

I frowned. “Then sun is up, and she’s at home? She must have pneumonia or something, no way she’d miss brunch with friend number five thousand and seven for nothing.”

“Very funny, Luke.” She smiled. “Your sister’s social skills might be something you could aspire to. It’s healthy.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll get her.”

I trudged up the stairs, grumbling about how little my family thought of me. It really seemed as though they genuinely thought I never went out and had no friends. I didn’t understand how it was so hard to understand that it was the holiday. I’d spent the whole semester hurrying around campus and being dragged to shitty, cramped London clubs and overpriced pubs.

I just wanted to sit around and do nothing for a few months. And it wasn’t like I just had no human contact – I was talking with my friends, just on the game instead of in person. Was it too much to ask that I do that without being judged?

I was still complaining about it in my head as I got to Charley’s room and barged in. “Lunch is – Oh, fuck.”

The curtains were closed, and the room was really dim, but the scene in front of me was as clear as day. Charley lay slumped against the headrest of her bed with her eyes closed, wearing nothing but a pink crop top she must have had since secondary school. But that wasn’t it. My eyes traced her arm all the way down to where her hand rested, right between her legs, cupped over her pink, glistening pussy. Face flushed, she moaned quietly as she used three fingers to slowly rub her clit.

After all my progress, I’d just walked in on her half naked. Half naked and touching herself.

I was only standing there for a split second in the doorway, but it felt like a year. Long enough to burn the image into mind, probably forever.

But suddenly, whether it was her finally registering the sound of the door opening, or whether she had just sensed that someone was watching her, her eyes fluttered open, then stretched wide as she saw me standing there. “What the fu-”

I didn’t let her finish. “Shit! I’m sorry.” Quick as a flash I grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut.

I stood outside the door with my eyes shut tight for a good while, trying desperately to process what had just happened. When that failed, I slowly went back downstairs, unable to think. I got back to the kitchen, and Mum looked pointedly at the door.

“What was all that racket? Where is she?”

“Oh. Um …” I had honestly forgotten what I’d gone up to do in the first place. “She’s coming. I think.”

Mum frowned, I think suspecting that my mind was elsewhere, but she didn’t comment on it. “Well, she better be quick. It’ll get cold.”

I sat down quickly and took a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from pounding. But it didn’t work – the image of Charley masturbating was all I could see. It didn’t help hearing her footsteps as she came downstairs a minute or two later.

She slunk into the kitchen quiet as a mouse, the slightest hint of red still in her cheeks, clearly avoiding looking in my direction. “Sorry,” she muttered as she slid into her seat. “Just had to finish up on some work.”

Mum brought over the lasagna and sat it down in the middle of the table. “I’m having some people over this Friday, including Uncle Min-ho.” She turned to Charley, sitting beside her. “I expect you to be there.”

“Sure, Mum.”

I expected her to say the same to me, but they both began to serve themselves and eat in silence. Apparently, it was just a given that I wouldn’t have plans, which while true, was still a bit offensive.

“I’m free as well so I’ll be there, no problem,” I said loudly, as I spooned a small helping onto my plate.

Mum looked up at me, smiling. “Oh. Sorry Luke, I just assumed –”

“Yeah, I know what you assumed,” I grumbled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Charley was smirking as well, though she still wasn’t looking at me.

“So, do you think you can find the time in your busy schedule to grace us with your presence?” Mum said, finally cracking up.

“I don’t have to take this ****,” I declared, wolfing down the rest of my food and taking my plate over to the dishwasher. Truthfully, in that moment I didn’t really care about being made fun of. I was just extremely eager to be in a different room to the one Charley was in.