He was still angry when he got home. He thought the long drive from Fee's to his house would calm him down, he was wrong.

She couldn't even look at his face when she said yes. She looked at the table said yes and walked out, no goodbye.

He had no idea what pissed him off more, the fact that she lied about loving a new kid she met in summer school or the fact she couldn't tell him whatever she was hiding. They were close friends, he knew she didn't have cancer or any weird diseases. Their parents were doctors and worked in the same hospital, if anything was happening, his mom would give him weirder or pitiful looks, might even taunt him way more than Sophie is.

He made a sharp turn into the garage almost hitting an unfamiliar car. He stepped out of his car to check if any damage was done. He was definitely sure this was not his dad's new car, if his dad was coming back from his business trip, his mum would be home cooking all day to welcome him.

He walked into the house careful not making any sounds, for all he knew they might be robbers in the house. He took an umbrella from the umbrella stand near the front door and did the mini tiptoe dance into the living room. He heard TV sounds and calmed down, maybe he was being overdramatic, he peeped from the wall separating the kitchen from the living room.

He saw Jade sitting on the edge of her seat, as if dying to get out and Sophie, who stretched her legs on the table she dragged towards her chair, eating the rice on her lap. He dropped the umbrella near the wall and combed his hair with his right-hand fingers and walked into the living room, stealing a spoon of Sophie's rice before spitting out and started choking, Jade rushed to his side and started beating his back hoping he was going to spit out whatever he choking on. Sophie, his ever-loving sister, threw a bottle at his face and said, "Oh my words, can you stop making noise? I've not seen this episode before." He drank the water carefully, trying not to choke on that too. When he finished downing the liquid.

"What were you doing?" He turned to Jade laughing.

"Patting your back?" Sophie said making the two siblings laugh till they got tired. Jade didn't find it funny, crossed her hand and glared at Dre.

"What the hell are you eating, Sophie?" He said sitting next to her, trying to pick another spoon but he knew better.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked taking her eyes off the screen to glare at him.

"What's not wrong with it?" He started saying, "I thought it was rice but it is too-"

"It is rice! Here taste it." She cut him off picking a spoon, trying to feed him.

"No thank you, that way too soft to be called rice, and honestly it tastes like you added more salt than rice."

"First of all, I blended the rice and it is supposed to taste like that." She replied not taking her eyes off the TV.

"Why, in your right senses, would you blend rice?!" He stood up abruptly.

"Wait, please tell me you blended the rice before you cooked it." He said looking at his sister who paused the TV to look at him with pouty eyes.

"Oh come on!" He yelled causing Jade to flinch and Sophie to look at him with a guilt-filled look.

He marched to the kitchen and saw the mess she made. He went back to the sitting room and dragged her to the kitchen.

"You're cleaning this up and I'm watching you." He said to Sophie.

"Jade." He called out going back to the sitting room.

"I'm sorry but can we do this tomorrow?" He asked looking frustrated with his fingers in his hair.

"Tomorrow is Saturday." She said crossing her arms.

"Yeah... I know. You can still come at noon." He said rubbing his eyes.

"But-"

  "Ahh!!" Sophie's loud scream from the kitchen cut them off. They rushed to the kitchen to see what happened.

"There's soap in my eyes! There's soap in my eyes!" Sophie screamed trying to look for the sink instead she was walking towards the door.

"C'mon," Dre said to her, dragging her hand towards the sink. He held her hair back and started washing her eyes. He threw a napkin at her and asked her to clean her face.

"How did you get soap in your eyes?"

"There was- and I - the blender- and-" she tried to lie but she was too bad at it and Dre's glare was clearly not helping.

"I just tried to blend the sponge and soap and I forgot to cover the blender. Then it started-" she paused to look at it, "I don't know the water just started pouring."

"You've got to be kidding me." He said pulling his hair frustratedly.

   He went to the sitting room to pick Jade's bag, when he got back to the kitchen, Sophie was trying to remove the sponge from the blades of the blender whilst Jade just stared at her with a confused look.

  He grabbed Jade's hand and pulled her towards the front door.

  "Look, I'm sorry Jade, I was already pissed before I came home and the mess Sophie just made... I don't think I can tutor you today. You can tomorrow if you want, if you don't want to we'll do this on Monday. Ok?" He said trying to look at her and what Sophie was doing in the kitchen.

"No problem." She said walking out.

He heard her car start before he realized he gave her two and she didn't pick any.

"Dre!" Sophie yelled his name. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, pressed the remote to open the gate for Jade, and went to the kitchen.

  Sophie and Dre spent the rest of the day cleaning not only the kitchen but the entire house and that includes Sophie complaining throughout.

  
  The next day Alex woke up to the smell of Fried sauce and other smells he can't recognize.  He got up from his bed and went to the kitchen saying a mini morning prayer on the stairs.

Sophie was sitting in the sitting room watching TV, as usual, their mother was in the kitchen struggling to cook more than a meal at the same time.

"Is Dad coming back today?" He asked with a smile, taking an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table.

"Yes," his mum turned to him with her face glowing with happiness, "can you clear that table?"

"There's nowhere to place the fruit bowl mum." He replied with a straight face, this happens every time their Dad was coming back from his business trips, she makes too much food and the table is never big enough. So they end up stuffing the fridge.

"Ok can-"

"Sorry, I have to brush my teeth and take my bath." He said dashing from the kitchen.

  The day went by fast, the family stood outside to welcome him, it was a weird tradition. Dre had no idea how it started or even turned to a normal thing but there he was in his sweatpants waiting for his dad to honk.

They heard the first honk, Sophie snatched Dre's gate remote and jumped as the gate slowly opened. Jade's car drove in slowly earning a scowl from Sophie and a curious look from his mum. He forgot about tutoring her today, he can't cancel on her again at the same time he can't miss his father's arrival.

    Sophie pushed the close button on the remote making the gate almost scratch Jade's car.

"Oops." She feigned slapping the remote on his chest earning a glare from Dre and their mum dragging her ear.

"Am I interrupting something? I can- "

"Yes, you are, we're expecting someone and it's a family thing," Sophie said cutting Jade off.

"Sophie." His mum said with a Stern voice.

"I was supposed to tutor her today, I forgot." He said looking at his mum whilst scratching the back of his head.

"It's fine, she can stay for supper. You don't mind do you?" She asked Jade with a smile.

"He's here!" Sophie jumped when she saw the gate opening. His dad probably pushed the remote three houses before their house, so he could speed in and that's exactly what he did. He almost hit Jade's car like Dre almost did yesterday.

"You really need to learn how to park your car." He whispered to her.

"I learnt how to do a new twirl with my car and wanted to show you guys, whoever parked that car there just saved my life." He said with a big smile.

"Dad!!" Sophie yelled jumping on him to which he caught her and spun her.

"I missed you soo much," she said resting on the car to catch her breath, "Andre bullied me yesterday."

"I missed you too darling," he bent down to  kiss her forehead, "he's just jealous of you."

"Right?" She said sticking her tongue out to Dre.

"Hey, Dad." He said as they exchanged their father and son handshake with small laughs in between the messy handshake.

"Honey," He said as he kissed her, "I missed you so much." He whispered his mouth not leaving hers before pulling her into a firm hug.

"And you must be?" He asked Jade with his arm still on his mum's shoulder.

"Jade. Jade Benedict." Jade said stretching her hands.

"Well nice to meet you, Jade, I'm Mr. Brown. Sophie's Dad." He said shaking her hand.

"Not my friend," Sophie said her face staring at her phone screen.

"Oh. Andre's Dad then, sorry about that."

"Where's my second daughter?" He asked looking around.

"Freshen up first, honey." Mrs. Brown said leading her husband in.

Dre shared a look with his sister not sure how to tell his Dad, Rachel was his past now. Sophie shrugged and waltzed inside the house.

"We'll just go to Fee's, I'll wear something more comfortable and we'll leave," Dre said not waiting for a reply from her.

"Sure I'll stay in my car," She said quietly to his back. "Asshole."

"Did you call Rachel yet?" His Dad said coming down from the stairs.

"Rachel and I broke up, Dad." He said with a thin smile.

"I know that." He said walking towards the kitchen.

"How?"

"Sophie told me first, then Rachel did, why didn't you?" he said looking at him curiously, "oh your mum did too."

"Wow, well since you know the whole story-"

"More than you do." His Dad muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Anyway, she can't come here anymore."

"Oh, that's going to be awkward cause she just parked her car," Sophie said waving at Rachel from the front door.

"How did she get in and what is she doing here?" He said approaching the front door.

"I gave her one of the spare remotes last year and I called her," his dad said earning a look from Dre, "I brought gifts." He said shrugging.

"Ugh! She's talking to your friend." Sophie said.

"I can see that, I'm literally watching what you're watching." He said.

"Dad, can you read lips?" Sophie asked as Mr. Brown got to the front door.

"No he can't, we can judge based on their body language though." Mrs. Brown said as she joined her family.

"Really? I expect it from Sophie and Dad somehow, but you mum?"

"My job is not as fun as you and Rachel imagine, ok?" She said still looking at them.

"Oh looks she's inviting your new girlfriend in." Mrs. Brown said.

"I think your girlfriend is refusing, Dre." Mr. Brown added.

"This is pure craziness, I'm going to pack my things," Dre said leaving them.

"Seriously you're still watching?" Dre said rolling his eyes and stealing a little bit of the meal on the table.

"You were gone for a minute, Dre," Sophie said.

"Ohh Rachel's coming." Mr. Brown said looking at Dre.

"And I'm leaving."

"Maybe they'll bump shoulders," Sophie said shrugging to which his parents nodded.

"I'll try to avoid that, Bye." He said pushing his way out.

"Be home before 8." His mum added.

"Hey, it's not polite to leave a girl outside." Rachel said as they got to each other's side.

"As long as she's not complaining."

"Doesn't mean you should step on her."

"Look, it is none of your business Rachel. It's not polite to cheat on your boyfriend, Is it? Telling him you loved the guy is also not polite, is it?" He asked with a raised his brow.

Rachel rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Real mature, Alex."

"And you are? Please, Rachel, we both know  you're using that relationship," he said air quoting the last word, "to cover up whatever pain you're in."

"At least I'm not sleeping around to make myself cool."

"Let's not go there, Rachel."

"So it's totally okay for you to poke my relationship but when I do at your... Situationships, it's a bad thing? Check yourself before you wreck yourself, Alex. I'm done with this convo." She said walking away and greeting his family with the weird handshakes they formed over the years.

  Dre shook his head and approached Jade.

"Sorry, for keeping you waiting. Can we go?" He said walking towards his car, he knew she saw the conversation he exchanged with Rachel, even his family saw it. He was sure they'll be trying to suck details out of Rachel, but he knew Rachel was bigger than that. He hoped.

"Sure sure," Jade said walking towards her car.

  When they got to Fee's, Dre was uncomfortable about the fact that Rachel was still that close with his family, he was also guilty of it. Once in a while, her dad calls, and he sometimes calls him too. It was something he could have avoided if he had thought their friendship was going to end. His mood was obvious, Jade chose to ignore it and just focus on what was obstructing her Saturday nap, Biology, and Chemistry.

"Sodium sulphate VI?" She said unsure of her answer.

"Yes! Thank God you're smart, I'll literally walk out if you were dumber." Dre said offering her a sincere smile.

"Thank you?" She said not sure if he was insulting or complimenting her.

"I think we should stop there for now?" He asked.

"No problem." She said packing her books.

"We can just stay and chill though, where are you from?" Dre offered.

"Nigeria, Are you doing this to avoid Rachel?"

"Maybe." He said shrugging and resting his back comfortably.

"Ok then. So, what should we talk about?"

"Why are you always so eager to help with Rachel?"

"Well, I know what it's like to deal with an ex that was once a close friend plus I like you." She said shrugging and looking at the menu.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She thought about it for a second and said "No, but with the right people or friends, you'll figure it out but the best thing is following your heart."

"You sound like a low budget therapist." He said chuckling making Jade throw the napkin on the table at him.

"So you like me, huh?" He said biting his lips with a smirk and raising his brow.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." She said laughing and looking for what to throw at him.

"All I heard was plus I like you."

"Why do I feel like strangling you?"

"Because you like me? I heard some people are bad at flirting." He said taunting her with the words she used earlier this week at detention.

Hii, So Dre and Jade met a week ago? That's- that's crazy.

If your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend was a close friend to the family, would you still allow them to meet after your break up?

Don't forget to vote and comment 😊❤️

I like writing author notes, I don't know why I do, maybe cos it's fun? 😂

Anyhoo, do you like this chapter?

Song of the chapter: Oh my God by Alec Benjamin.