Wrenchplains High School Series

Chapter 5: Afterschool

Chapter 5: Afterschool

“That's all?" I am finally home after an inevitable exhausting day as I rolled around the sofa with my hands hanging at the edges while trying to talk to Einstein, I mean Trevor. He is, as usual, in the middle of something with his calculator and a protractor.

I am merely lounging around without a second thought to my assignments around my brothers who are all caught up with their own things.

The 24-inch Sony Bravia TV is beaming with recurrence of noisy toothpaste and bath soap commercials, which were both using annoying mascots.

Trevor, as I've mentioned, is immersed with the greatest mysteries of numbers in the world all bounded in a single book. Greg is attempting to hit the target with his dart by multiple tries. Corey is writing a chord with his guitar. Andy is drawing himself as a pilot for his class in English that asked their class to draw himself when he grows up. And mom is preparing the pizza in the kitchen while dad's writing his reports upstairs.

Because the pretty Susan asked me a favor that I am honored to be fulfilling, I am trying my best to catch Trevor's attention. But the whole time that I am wasting my saliva, he only looked up twice from his book entitled Advanced Calculus.

I frowned. How I wish he'll just give himself a break. Reading is a pleasure that I couldn't deny to myself, but I never met anyone who is so engrossed in keeping his nose to a book for every minute of his life except for my brother.

“And I think she likes you," I pointed out my judgment in order for him to get interested, and perhaps a topic like it might make him.

I get up and then dug my pocket mirror and comb. I check my teeth while looking at myself in my mirror while combing my hair. I felt like saying: “Mirror, mirror, who's the fairest one of all?"

But I don't want the answer to that because it would say: “Isn't it obvious? It's Dana Fernandez! Dana, Dana, Dana…

I placed the mirror down because it felt like I was the Mother Witch and Dana's Snow White.

“C'mon, Susan liked him since elementary," Corey cut in while scratching a bad note at his music sheet.

“I don't understand you, Trevor. I mean she's pretty, a cheerleader, and I know she's nice not like the rest of those stereotypical girls who only cares about lipsticks and flirting with the soccer captain," Greg said while throwing his third dart. It still landed near the target, much to his disappointment.

“Susan gave me chocolates once when I was waiting for Trevor to pick me up. I think she's going to be a good girl to Trevor." Andy colored his drawing. Corey rebukes Andy, “Hey! You're too young for these things! You'd better finish coloring your airplane instead!"

Andy rolled his eyes at him.

“I'm not really into those dating dramas." Trevor casually shrugged the idea of going out with Susan, much to my anticipation.

How could he be too cold about it? Susan might be a cheerleader captain, and she might have been a stereotype who likes lipsticks and flirting, but it doesn't mean she can't be a worthy person to be loved, if that is what she wants from my stone-hearted Einstein brother who might be marrying one of his books someday. He continued punching five-digit numbers with co-sines that makes my head dizzy.

“Christine is extending her regards to you, Greg, also," I turn to Greg. I didn't know if I mentioned it to annoy him or merely to inform him. And I'm now touching my eyebrows while looking at the mirror, checking if I have to do something about it or will just leave it alone. I check my teeth too.

“Then say hello back?" Greg continued throwing his darts in vain to hit the target.

Trevor smirked and then turned to Greg's direction. “I don't understand you, Greg. I mean she's pretty, an athlete––just as you are––and I know she's nice too."

Trevor waited for Greg's reaction. Greg made a face at him, knowing that Trevor echoed how Greg described Susan earlier. “I'm not into dating dramas too," Greg said.

“Greg, can I play dart?" Andy got up and left his pencils. He must be getting bored from coloring and listening to adult conversations. Greg handed him a dart.

“I'm betting 50 pesos (ome dollar) if he could make it to the center," Corey confidently assured while still strumming his guitar and writing the chorus this time.

I turn around to watch Andy throw the dart. He miraculously hit the target. Greg's jaw drops because he tried to reach that achievement for almost an hour now, and Andy just hit it in mere two minutes.

“I know you could do it!" Greg and Andy exchanged high fives, Trevor gave him a low five, and I showed him a thumbs up. Every one turned to Corey who isn't pleased. Andy grinned at Corey who is looking up from his paper. “Um, I wasn't really serious about the fifty."

“I'm just going to tell you that you can try F major in the chorus," Andy suggested.

“I'll buy you an ice cream tomorrow though," Corey said.

Andy beamed a genuine smile while he was getting back to his coloring.

“Do you guys think my teeth are crooked?" I changed the subject after a while, and I didn't know why I have to ask them.

“The enamel and dentin should be properly maintained, and cavities cause tooth decays that will lead to teeth abnormalities such as being crooked and leaving holes in it. I used to have tooth decays in my molars and the bicuspids when I was in Andy's age." Trevor is talking Einstein language again while I am dumbstruck. I don't even know where my bicuspids are.

“Um, Trevor, my question was just answerable by yes or no." I found my words. How illogical a genius could be!

“He's just trying to tell you to brush your teeth every night," Andy cleared things up.

“Do you think my eyebrows are too thick?" I asked again while still watching my face at the mirror.

“Hmm, some people like girls with thick eyebrows," Corey answered.

“Not all of them," I sighed.

“Do you think I'm fat?" I now really need an answer for this.

“You can't be an athlete if you're not fit." Greg said. He picked up the remote control and started switching the channels.

“Guys! I'm asking logical questions. I mean answerable by yes or no. Not a whole explanation, an observation, or some requirement to be like this or that." I stand up while my hands are on my hips.

I creeped into Andy's room during bedtime. I heard him doing his night rituals again while lying down on his bed. He's afraid of the dark that's why my parents bought him glow in the dark toys that are shaped in different animals or heavenly bodies as a strategy to help him with his fear.

Going inside Andy's room is like going inside a galaxy. You can watch glowing objects up the ceilings and by the walls. As I had expected, he's lying down on his bed with a half empty glass of milk by his bedside table.

His night routine is counting his blessings every night until he falls asleep.

“Hey, mind if I could count with you?" I peeped by the doorway.

He got startled to see me. He replies, “Sure." I got in and then laid down beside him then listened.

“I'm now counting my blessings of having my friends: Derek, Matthew, Gilbert; and my family: mom, dad, you, Trevor, the twins, and what else?" He pulled his blanket closer to his chest.

“You consider me a blessing?" I asked him as I stare at the biggest star above me.

“Everything around me is a blessing, I guess." He yawned.

“How was school today?" I asked him while staring at his comics lying by his study table with his Narnia books.

“It was fun. I love drawing comics and airplanes," he said while yawning again. This time, his eyes finally closed then he slowly falls asleep.

I kissed his forehead, pulled his blanket closer to his chest, and picked up his half empty glass to return it downstairs to the kitchen.

I guess he will always be my favorite brothers.