I laugh loudly, looking at my computer screen.

Confused?

Let me rewind you to how I indirectly sent a message of approval to Emma's lunch offer. That got me mad for the whole school hour, with lots of moments of confusion, wondering whether to break it out to my friends.

I have been warned by my friends enough, read enough stories and watched enough movies to know just how arrogant and girly they act.

"Stay away from them," they said when I first arrived at school. I didn't know the reason back then. It's not like I know any better now , but I have heard quite some stories to put my guard up around them.

How snobby can they even get? I am yet to find out.

So in order to arm myself from those dangerous plastic heads, I am sitting on my bed, cross legged, checking online all the comebacks available.

My eyes check the site for more comebacks. One comeback catches my eyes

Bully: Hey nerd, ever heard of mean girls? Bother to even read one? Or just stuck with your nerdy books?

You: Why bother reading one when you can see one everyday?

Wait.

Who even asks that question in the first place? That definitely is a flop.

I yawn, rubbing my eyes and trying my best to stay awake. I can't believe that I have dedicated the whole day to reading this. I can imagine my red bloodshot eyes, staring widely at the screen. I try convincing myself to stay up a little later. The only days I sleep late is for exam. This is already a risk for me. Being awake at 8:00pm , my parents will burn me to death, if they ever find out.

Accepting my defeat, I proceed to shut the laptop before I hear a knock on my door.
I scrunch my eyebrows.

Oh, sh*t, if it's my parents, I better be dead.

Quickly preparing myself for their arrival, I grab my bedsheet, quickly take the laptop, push it down my bed, adjust my pillow and lay down, shutting my eyes.

The knock continues. My stomach twists itself in knots.

I hear an aftermath of silence, and find myself sighing relief.

Just when I thought they left, the door knob twists.

Oh sh*t.

The door creaks and I feel soft footsteps. I shut my eyes further, tying to look as sleep-drowned as possible.

"Eline," the voice says grumpily. Wait, it's not Ma's. Hmm, it's masculine.

But it's not Pa's either.

"Eline. I know you're awake."

Sounds like someone got hit by puberty. Oh wait..

Max?

I slowly open my eyes, trying to act sleepy.

"Max? Can't you see I am sleeping?" I blatantly lie. Max narrows his eyes.

"Cmon Eline, I know you're awake. Now trash that act and get up," his voice orders, a bit irritated and a bit amused. Who even gave him the rights to order me around?

I groan inwardly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes and stand straight up, turning myself so that my legs rest on the floor and my back against the wall.

Max lowers his stature and sits on the brown cushion chair, next to my study table. Displacing some books with his elbow, he rests it on the table and begins to speak.

"Eline, what are you even doing at the night? Staying up till 8:00 pm?" he asks. I expected it to come more stern but instead it comes off concerned. So in all these years, he just decided to speak today? But I still don't believe this act of his.

I narrow my eyes. It sounds ironic that my brother is asking me what I am doing so late at night.

"El."

I sigh. His grey, cool eyes locking with my brown ones. The grey eyes I used to love. Now all I see is a stranger stuck in my brother's body.

He cocks a brow at me.

"Nothing. I couldn't get sleep so I just decided to surf in the web," I lie again, not wanting him to go complain to Ma and Pa. A part of my conscience hits me with a hammer on my chest. It might seem like no big deal. But for me, it is. Proud to say that I am a person that rarely lies, especially only in bad circumstances, this lie is hard for me to tell.

"Then what was the weird noise—your laugh?— even about?" he inquires again. Shoots. Was I really that loud?

That's not even the issue. He can get time to speak to me only now?

"El," he calls out again, giving goosebumps. When was the last time he called me El? Eighth grade? Seventh grade? I don't really bother anymore. But he still has the guts to talk to me after all these years of avoiding?

"Now, you got the time to talk, huh? After all these years, Max," I mutter his name in an almost inaudible manner. It seems like a huge sin even to speak to him.

"I am your brother after all," he says, grunting with annoyance. I chuckle humorlessly, repeating his own word.

"Brother?"

He runs a hand nervously through his pink hair. Without catching my gaze, he replies.

"I wanted to just check in. If you won't answer, I can always call in Ma and Pa."

There goes the parent card. I knew that however they seem to hate him, he always had a special place in their heart.

Obviously. The doctors predicted that he would not live. They told that his heart rate was decreasing fast. They told he would never survive.

I have heard that story told almost a thousand times by my parents. Ma told me how bad she felt at that moment, as though her own heart stopped working. But here he is, all alive and fresh.

Obviously he would be their favourite child.

Max seems irritated by my obliviousness, raising a brow at me.

I groan seeing that this is of no use, I admit to him, half out of hope that time will revert back, and everything I'll be back to normal. Maybe... just maybe..if I keep sharing snippets of my life, he might too?

"It's just... some girl that wanted me to eat with her group, tomorrow. Didn't know that she was one of the popular kids. Just worried about how I will make friends," I say, omitting half of the stuffs. Even telling him this much makes me feel exposed. I didn't want to tell him, but like I said, it's that slight hope that everything will be alright.

Hope can sometimes lead to disappointment.

Max seems uninterested, looking at me with some emotion that I can't put my finger on. His ebony eyes flicker fast, from me to the open window to his left.

"You seem to have some distaste for these kids, I suppose?" he asks, slightly tapping my desk. I roll my eyes.

"Sure I do," I say, meaning something much deeper. As though understanding my message, he snorts.

"The perfect Eline, right? Teacher's pet, parent's pet... That's exactly how you will perceive others. Everyone is just so, so low, right?" He asks, his tongue twisted with words that he still hasn't mustered courage to utter.I rub my temple, trying to calm my nerves down. The last thing I need to do is make a scene and just call my parents here.

"If you have nothing to say, just leave Max," I whisper coldly. He remains ignorant to my taunt.

"I do have. But they are too precious to be wasted on you. What can I tell you anyway? It's not like an average student can advise a great priest, yourself, " he pauses, standing abruptly and pushing back his chair violently in. I wince at the screeching noise it makes with the floor. He seems calm and composed but deep inside is a whirlwind of anger that he has bottled up.

"Listen, I am not that kind of 'Preachy preachy' older brother. I don't even count as you brother, isn't that right?" he chuckles dryly.

"But stop categorizing people into cliques. That's just pure nonsense. Give everyone a chance. Not all are like you, Eline Mills," he hisses my name softly, sending chills.

Not all are like you.

What does he think? He can just barge into my room and scream at me for something that isn't even his business? I won't let this slip away. Building up courage, I stand in front of him, managing to barely reach his height.

Tip toe, Eline!

I tip toe, making him scan me up and down. He scoffs a bit, opening the door to get out.

You can't even talk to your own brother tauntingly?!

"And not all are like Eva," I say, knowing that I hit the right chord when he immediately turns around, making me flat on my heels. His jaw clenches tight, and he shuts his eyes for a second. I find myself slowly backing away. His eyelids immediately open and his mouth forms a thin line.

"That's exactly the problem."

With a slam of the door, he walks away, his footsteps retreating to his room. I sigh, thankful that I was not his murder victim tonight. But even as I will myself to sleep, a small part of me keeps thinking about what he said.

Give everyone a chance.

📝💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬💬

Author's Note

Hello! I actually wanted to make this chapter longer, wanting to incorporate the meet up with the popular kids as well. But this convo itself took so long.

This chapter is important though, for the character build-up. Got any clues about Max? Who do you think Eva is, by the way?

Well, it's time for me to leave..

Later,

Splashes 💧