(Before I begin let me just tell you that her name really is Butkiz.)

I remember the day exactly. It was November 17,1996. Ike had just turned 16 and was blissfully happy because mom was finally going to let him date. Sure he'd been out with girls, but never without our whole family with him the whole time.

Tay was furious. He'd been working on mom begging her to let him go out alone when Ike could and mom said he could. But only if Ike took him on a double date. At that exact second, I don't think you could have paid him to double with Ike.

Zac, could have cared less. He was still going through that "girls are icky" stage, pretty funny since they were putting the finishing touches on Middle of Nowhere and he had just spend the last six months singing about them.

Anyway, that night Ike was going out on his first real date. And I wanted to know everything...

"What are you guys going to do?"I asked, while Ike finished his two hour search for the perfect shirt.

"None of your business,"he muttered. I was beginning to get annoyed. That was the exact answer I had been getting to every question I had asked him all day. Of course it was my business. I was his sister. What could he possibly not want me to know?

"Why won't you tell me anything?"I whined.

"Because I don't have to,"he told me. He pulled on a blue-and-white striped T-shirt."How does this look?"he asked.

"I don't know,"I told him. If he wouldn't tell me anything, I wouldn't tell him anything. So there.

"Isaac, Lindsay's here!"Mom called.

Ike grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

"What's her last name?"I asked, making one last attempt at getting any information.

He sighed."If I tell you will you leave me alone?"

"Probably."

"Her last name is Butkiz."

"Butt-kiss?"I exploded in laughter."Come on Ike, even you can do better than that."

Ike heaved one last big sigh before going into the kitchen where Lindsay Butt-kiss was waiting."Butt-kizzzzzz,"he emphasized.

"Whatever."I rolled my eyes.

* * *

That wasn't the last Ike would see of me. Around 1:00 AM, an hour past his curfew, he tiptoed into the house. He crept into the living room.

"Hi, Ike."

"Aaaaggh!"He yelled, jumping about a foot."Jessi!"he hissed."What are you doing up? It's past your bedtime."

"It's past YOUR curfew,"I reminded him."By the way, how was your date?"

"None of your business."

"In that case, MOM!"I shouted.

"I'm gonna kill you, you little brat,"he warned me as mom came downstairs.

"Isaac? Jessi? What are you two doing down here? It's past your curfews and bedtimes."Mom looked from her son to her daughter.

I grinned with delight."Isaac just came home,"I informed mom."Past his curfew."

Mom rolled her eyes."Jessi, go to bed."

"But, mom!"I tried.

"Now,"she said firmly.

Annoyed that I wouldn't be able to stay for the fight, I stomped upstairs. I did however hover at the first landing long enough to hear part of her conversation with Ike.

"You have one minute to explain why you missed your curfew."Mom liked to get straight to the point.

"Rick's car broke down and I had to wait while Lindsay's brother fixed it." That was by far one of the worst excuses that I had ever heard. There was no way on this planet that Mom would fall for it.

"What was wrong?"she asked.

Good one, I thought. That would throw him for sure.

"I was running out of transmission fluid." That sounded way too well prepared. He must have thawed his brain out enough after making out with the Butt-kiss girl to come up with a good excuse on the ride home. I may have been only seven, but I wasn't stupid. He hadn't spent the night waiting for the car to be fixed and I was going to find out the truth.

* * *

It turned out to be far easier than I thought that it would be. All I had to make was one phone call. The next day I found Ike's phone book and called the Butkiz household.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Butkiz?"I asked politely. All those polite lessons that Mom tried to pretend was actually in the Tulsa school curriculum were really starting to pay off.

"Yes, it is. How may I help you?"

"May I please speak to Lindsay's brother?"

"I'm sorry, Lindsay doesn't have a brother. Who did you say this was?"

"I didn't. Sorry to disturb you, Mrs Butkiz." I smiled a little triumphant smile. Ha! I knew he'd been lying to Mom.

I happily ran into the living room."Mom!"I exclaimed."Isaac lied!"

Mom gave me a strange look and Isaac shot me a look of death. I wasn't afraid of him. There was nothing he could do to me that could take away the pleasure of turning him in and getting him grounded.

What I hadn't anticipated was that part of his punishment would include baby-sitting for Avie, Mac, and I.

Banished to my bedroom at six-thirty, about a half hour after Mom and Dad left, I swore I'd get him back. He wouldn't get away with sending me to bed two hours early.