The Hired Daughter

Chapter 6

We were in the car when I tried to make a conversation just to prevent this awkward moment with him.

"Where we heading?" I looked at him, he actually drove for today.

"Mall, watching movies. Unless I bring you to my basketball practice." he said in a lazy tone.

"No, it’s alright Cast.. I love basketball." grinning at him.

"What's your favourite team in NBA?" he side glanced at me with brow shot up.

"Hmm.. absolutely not really NBA team.. but I have this local team and player that I like." I could feel my face heated. I watched PBA and even supporting our National team for FIBA.

"Alright then, your favourite local team and player?" he asked again after a couple of hours of being silent.

"Rain or Shine and Chris Tiu." I smiled big at him.

"They are good, I had watched some of their games." he nodded.

I stopped myself from asking him about his favourite team in NBA. Too afraid to ask him about it coz I barely know about NBA.

Just few minutes past I noticed this huge gate we were entering. "You sure you okay watching my practice?" again, he asked me after he pulled over.

"Yes, bro-brother." I sweetly smiled at him.

His face contorted. "Don't call me brother. Cast is fine." and then he slid out of the car.

I sighed before I held the car door handle. What should I do to make him favoured of me as his little sister.

I was only tailing him and even knitted my brows looking at his shirt and jeans. Or he could change, Sheina! My eyes wandering and landed to its school name.. St. Anderson University. He might be a student here as a sophomore for this school year.

Coz I was not paying attention in my front I was crashed on his back.. hard. "Ouch!" and touched my nose.

He was irate looking at me. "Just stay here, I’ll just get changed." he looked at my face down to my heels before he shook his head. He then started walking towards somewhere.

From where I was standing I heard the cheers of the crowd, I tried to look for him but then he seemed ate time to be ready why I think of waiting for him there, on the gym. It looked like the game has started.

I followed the noise, I am pretty sure that one came from a gymnasium. When I reached its door my eyes widened, I was almost hit on my face by.. a ball. The players and the crowd suddenly stopped at what happened.

"My apology, Miss.. it’s not my intention to.." the guy was panting hard picking up the ball. This guy was handsome despite of his messy and sweated looks.

"Are you okay, Miss?" one of the guy in jersey came to me. He has this fair skin and slit eyes.

"Ahh, ye-yeah! I-I am fine." I stammered. Shocks! My destiny!

"New comer? But the class has not yet started. Enrolee?" this handsome Chinese guy asked me while wiping his forehead.

"Huh? Ahh, nope.. I, I have-"

"Sheina!!!" a loud and stiff voice called my name and almost making me deaf.

I shut my eyes and turned around only to see his angry face. Damn! I bit my lips and just waiting him to come near me. Same when the guy was called by his team mates.

"I told you to stay there! Why you left?" he shouted at me while holding me tight on my arm. His brows drew in a line.

"I, I am sorry bro-"

"And I told you to stop calling your brother, why so hard headed?" his voice was immensely loud.

My face and eyes heated at the way he was shouting at me. Why he’s this rude? When he could approach me in a nice way. Yes, granted that I did not follow him.. but I didn’t think that could be a reason for him to treated me like this.

"Eulises, man, you’re hurting her." the Chinese guy said, he then stayed.

Cast loosened his grip on me, but he was still holding me on my arm.

"Oh! This is the first time you brought a girl here, then LQ already?" another voice said followed by a bark of laugh.

"Shut up, Marquez! I'm not talking to you!" he shouted at the guy also.

"Ca-Cast, don’t get mad.." my hand tightened to my sling bag, halting my tears to well.

He gasped before he let go of my arm. I immediately cover my arm and massaged it coz his grip already left a mark.

The Chinese guy neared him and tapped his shoulder, then he looked at me before he returned to his game.

It’s when I realised that Cast already changed his clothes to his jersey. Yeah. Cast if Cast, he did not like me to call him brother, when I should address him that perfectly as Venus’ brother.

"Don’t think on going somewhere." he snarled and started walking, to the bench neared the other players.

I occupied the seat he had offered and took his bag when he handed it to me, placing down to my lap. "Stay here, for sure you understand me now?" he raised me a brow.

"Yes, bro-Cast.." I nodded.

"Tss." he turned on his back and headed to the center, the man whistled for a break I think. Cast wanted to go in without stretching?

The game stopped and waited for Cast, I looked at the score board, it was second quarter now.

Cast is a good player, with his advantage in height and good physique he nailed it in defense. He just started and yet he managed to add eight points. Two from three points and one jump shot, and he’s even good at managing the ball to the other side. But if Cast was good.. this Chinese guy was superb also. They were playing on different teams and yet also the aces of their teams. The Chinese guy was wearing this number nine jersey with Anderson on it. I frowned, trying to remember on where I read.. Anderson? While my brother Cast wearing this number twenty-two jersey, Dela Francia.

The other team called a time out. And then I saw a sweating Cast walking towards my directon. I opened his bag and searched for his towel when I saw this Gatorade. I handed him his face towel. I gave him next his drink and then smiled. He took it and sat next to me.

"You play well brother.. uhm, I mean-Cast. You're good at this sport." I faced him slightly.

"How come you know I'm good at this sport when you never saw me playing others? Like football?" he annoyed said and drank on his Gatorade.

My smile faded. What’s wrong with this guy?

"Yeah, you’re right." I whispered then looked down on his bag on my lap.

"Tss. Nevermind." he sat up and placed down his face towel and bottled drink on the next bench.

He glanced at me once again before he returned to the game. My eyes just followed him and he was obviously good at this sport as he played well till fourth quarter.

The game ended to 87-90, Cast advanced the game. And even I wanted to cheer for him, I stopped myself coz it was really awkward. When earlier he was closed on choking me then I would cheer for him like a loving girlfriend or an avid fan.

"Congratulations!" I managed a smile after the game.

"That was not even a real game." he again took his towel and wiped off his sweat. He looked at me and reached for his bag, he rummaged it for another towel. He handed me one. "I am sweating on my back." he said before he turned and pulled up his jersey.

"O-okay." I was agitated but followed at what I was told.

"Wow! How sweet! Mind to introduce your girl, Eulises?" The loud guy earlier teased, yeah. I know it was him.

I gulped and felt my heated face at the comment. I stopped wiping Cast’s back.

"Yeah, introduce the first and only girl you ever brought here." one of the boys added.

"Your girlfriend?" the tall guy neared us.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"He’s my brother."

We uttered in unison, I gulped my nervousness when Cast violently faced me. He was scowling at me why I averted my gaze.

"What? You have a sister?" the Chinese guy blurted out nearing us.

"Aww! You never mentioned man that you have this beautiful sister of yours?" the loud guy was all smile nearing me.

I just pursed my lips and avoided on making any comment, coz Cast seemed not happy whenever I communicating with his friends, I remained silent looking down on my legs.

"Back off, man, she's off limits." Cast in his serious tone. He held me on my hand and pulled me up from the bench.

"You ain’t cool, man!" the guy only laughed at him.

"Hey, Eulises, aren’t you going to change first?" one of them shouted.

He did not bother on answering them coz we already out of the gym. My eyes dropped down to our entwined hands, I could feel my warm cheeks again. I pulled out my hand away from him.

He was creasing his forehead when he looked back at me. "Make it faster or I’ll leave you here." he strode fast to the parking lot.

I made face thinking that I should have let him dragged me with him, coz he seemed wanted to ditch me the way he was striking a big steps to his car. Thanked heaven I was on my flat shoes.

I took a heavy sigh when he waited me before going to the driver's seat. And as usual I opened my car door to the front seat. He was eyeing me with his hawk eyes as I managed my seatbelt, my eyes travelled to his wetted hair. Wet looks looked good on him.

"Ca-Cast you’ll surely get a flu, you’re sweating and yet it’s cold here?" I tilted my head to the side.

"If you didn’t steal a scene there then I probably got my shower first." he said coldy before he started the engine.

My mouth fell at what he just said and just looked in front. He was always striking a side comments. Later past he then pulled over in a restaurant. I looked at him when he unbuckled his seatbelt, he creased his forehead when he looked at me.

"Do you want me to unfasten your seatbelt?" he irate asked.

I did my seatbelt unbuckled in a speed way, as we both slid out from his car. I was like a cute and submissive kitten following her master, till we took our table and the woman handed the menu.

My eyes flew to the other table, there were two girls at our age who were shamelessly looking at him. I looked back at Cast, he was oblivious of his surroundings.

"Prawn vindaloo with vinegar, kerala prawn fry, grilled lobster and pasta." After placing his order he turned to me. "Your order?"

"Uhm, same with yours." I smiled a little and drank on my water, I tried to decipher the name of the dishes in that menu but seriously that’s new to my eyes  and ears.

"Make it two." He handed back the menu.

When our orders arrived my eyes remained on the serve food, I could not be wrong this was not pork, beef or chicken.

"Problem?" Cast raised me a brow.

"No, nothing." I started my food while Cast’s eyes remained on me, watching my every move.

When I chewed on it, I confirmed it were seafoods. "You don't like it?" he asked me and stopped munching his food.

"No, I like it. It tastes quite good." My face twisted when I tried the prawn, then lobster. Minutes have passed and I could feel the aftermath of eating them.

"You okay? You looked flushed. Are you not feeling well?" he asked me again when we were heading out the restaurant. He touched my forehead. "Your temperature is just fine."

"I-I am fine."

When we entered his car, that’s when I clutched on my chest. I couldn't breathe. Even my stomach started cramping now.

"Hey, what the hell is happening to you?" he neared me and checked on me.

"Ca-cast.. I, I can’t breathe." I said in between of laboured breathing while holding him tightly.

"What? Don't tell me-f**k! You're allergic of seafoods? Damn. Why you ate them?" he raised his voice.

I was sweating hard and cold holding at him. I was not feeling on answering him when I could barely catch my breath.