Chapter 1
“I’m gonna miss you like crazy.” I said to Ethan as I hugged him tighter.
“I know, I know, me too. But you can still call me everyday. I always pick up your calls no matter what and you know that.”
I sighed, pulling back from the hug and taking a seat on my bed.
I patted the space beside me, “Stay a bit longer please.”
I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded, “One hour and I’m gone.”
I nodded excited and laid back on my bed.
He did the same beside me.
“Can’t you just speak to mum and dad and have them let you stay here like permanently?”
I looked at him asking.
He looked me in the eyes and replied, “You know I can’t do that, but I do promise to come visit a lot more.”
I turned back to look at my ceiling I had fixed with fake night lights and stars.
I heard Ethan sigh beside me, “Come here Elina.”
I immediately went into his arms.
I always loved his body heat and his natural body scent, it calmed me down.
“Tell me more about school and all, stuff you maybe forgot to say.”
I chuckled, “I didn’t forget to say anything.”
I shook my head burying my head more into his chest and his arms tightened around me.
“Any boys I should know about? Girls?”
I laughed, “Don’t worry. I still have no interest in anyone, and I’m still totally straight. So far it’s just Jeremy still trying to shoot his shot with me.”
He pulled back a bit to look at me, “The boy still hasn’t given up?”
I shook my head laughing, “He still doesn’t get the hint. I mean I’ve told him a million times I don’t like him but...there was this one time that he came like in front of me in the cafeteria and he-”
“Hey, I thought you were supposed to leave like thirty minutes ago?”
I heard my mother’s voice cut me off from where she stood at the door.
I knew I should have closed the door.
“Yeah I was but staying a bit won’t hurt at all. My flight isn’t for another two hours so I thought to stay and keep her company before you got back.”
Ethan replied as he looked at mum.
“When did you get back?” he asked her.
My mum shifted her eyes to her phone on her hand which was vibrating.
“Just now.
I need too pick this call, it’s work.
I transferred money into your account Ethan, it was nice seeing you here and oh Elina act like the older sibling for once and stop being a baby and let him go before he misses his flight.”
“It wasn’t like that...” I mumbled.
“Well we don’t want him to miss his flight. We all know your father and his tantrums with schedules and-Hello, Athena Samuels speaking.”
And with that my mum walked out with her phone on her ear attending to work.
I looked away.
“It’ll get better I promise.” I heard Ethan assure me.
“Will it?” I scoffed.
“Enough about that. Tell me more. Jeremy; you were saying something about what he did.”
I shook my head, “Forget it. Tell me something more about you. This break has only been about me and all, every time I ask what’s going on with you at your side, you divert and don’t think I didn’t notice. I’m your elder sister yeah but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”
He chuckled, “You’re only older by seven minutes and no you’re not stupid. You are the smartest person I’ve ever met even though you try to hide it.”
“Still changing the subject at hand.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Is it dad or Jenny or their children? If it is-”
“No it’s not them.”
I sat up a bit leaning my upper body weight on my elbow on the bed.
“Is it school?”
I noticed him look away for a second, “Oh my God, it’s school. What is it? What happened?”
“It’s no-”
“No you don’t get to say it’s nothing. We’ve never kept anything from each other, or at least I haven’t. So just tell me.”
He pulled me back to lie back down gently, “It’s something I have to deal with myself.”
“But you can still tell me, I promise I won’t say or do anything.”
He exhaled, “Just drop it Lina, please. I want you to trust me.”
I nodded, “Okay but promise me you’ll be okay.”
“I promise”
He put his index finger and middle finger to his lip and kissed it and I did the same with mine and then we placed those fingers against each other then placed it on our chest.
“Are you okay?” I asked him concerned.
He seemed taken aback, “I’m fine.”
He looked at me and raised his brows, “So Jeremy...?”
I laughed, “Screw Jeremy, sing me to sleep.”
“Damn no wonder people confuse us to be dating.” he said as he pulled me closer.
“They’re blind. We basically have almost the same looks, now shut up and sing.”
I felt his hand run through my hair as he sang the song I always sang for him when we were kids but somehow he had a better voice than me and made it sound better.
I felt myself sink into the darkness as my body finally succumbed to sleep.
I felt someone move me after what felt like a second to me, “Shh...it’s okay, it’s me. Go to sleep.”
“Don’t leave me.”
“Never, but I need to go now. I love you.”
“Mmm, I love you too.” I murmured as I let myself sink again.
I woke up the next morning to the sunlight seeping though my window, I looked around and noticed Ethan was gone.
I sighed and got out of bed, I saw a card on the bed.
I picked it up and it had Ethan’s handwriting on it.
He had left a note:
Needed to leave.
I’ll call you as soon as I land.
Love, Ethan.
I shook my head and got in the bathroom to get ready for school.
I got dressed in a simple overall with cropped white inner, putting my hair in a messy bun.
I felt lazy today as always.
I walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen with my bag on my shoulder.
I saw my mother sitting on the barstool drinking s cup of coffee with her laptop in front of her working on something.
“Good morning, I greeted.
“Mmmm”
That was the normal, usual response I always got from her.
I took out the mango juice from the fridge and picked a bag of chips from the cabinet.
Mum never cared about what I did in a way, though if Ethan caught me eating this in the morning, he’d through a fit and a lecture of eating healthy then make me something.
My mum closed her laptop when I was in the middle of my ‘breakfast’ and got up going to the sink to wash her mug.
She patted herself down looking out for stains or wrinkles on her outfit.
She was dressed in official pants and blouse.
She walked back to her laptop when she saw she was okay with her appearance.
She picked her bag from the stool next to her and was about to walk out when she turned back remembering I existed, “I’m leaving. I’ll transfer money for this week in the afternoon.”
I nodded as I stood up washing my glass in the sink.
She looked me up and down, much like my outfit and appearance and just shrugged and walked out.
I walked out too minutes after her getting in my car to go to school.
I got to school in record time and stopped by my locker to pick up some stuff.
Some one banged on the locker beside me, I jumped.
“You didn’t tell me my future husband came by to visit this weekend.”
I rolled my eyes and smiled, Ava.
“You still daydream of him? That’s not gross at all.” I said sarcastically.
“Have you seen that guy? He’s eatable.” She said as I closed my locker looking at her.
“Yeah I have, he’s my twin.”
“And he keeps getting more handsome every time he comes back here. He’s every girl’s dream.”
I knew that was true.
Ethan was a guy with beauty and charm and his smile made the girls melt.
“I don’t know but every time I meet your brother, he makes me question my sexuality and it’s like my brain leave my head and my head is turned upside down. You know what I’m saying right?”
I laughed as we walked to class, “No I don’t. I thought you liked Clara.”
“I do but she’s with Isaac and that still doesn’t change the fact that your brother is my first childhood crush and will be my future husband.”
“Yeah you’re high I’m sure.”
“I’m high yeah but honest too. I am so glad I am bestfriends with my future husband’s sister.”
“Well I’m rethinking that.”
The bell rang for the start of class.
