My Brother’s Best-Friend

CHAPTER FOUR

(SOLANA’S POV)

I planned on sneaking into the kitchen later after arranging my clothes. Of course I was still starving but thanks to Pete, I had trouble having a peaceful dinner. When I could not even feel my finger well enough. Talk more of having me eat in a comfortable position.

Anyway, I haven’t sorted out all my clothes yet. I have done most of them though and my room looks almost ready for me to sink into my life here. I really am tired but I do not want to have to do this tomorrow. I facetimed mum immediately I got back to my room after skipping the rest of my dinner.

She was in Seoul and with Dan of course, even though he was busy doing something. I didn’t stay long on the phone with her. I told her I was really tired and needed to sleep because she was already overwhelming me with questions about L.A and everyone in it.I am hungry now and it’s almost midnight.

I don’t think anyone is downstairs because the house is extremely quiet so I decide it is time to have my proper dinner. Without anyone around. And so I walk quietly downstairs using my phone torch because the lights were off. I come into the kitchen and I am torn apart by the eye blocking brightness of the light. And there’s Pete eating Wafers as he is leant on the table. He looks surprised to see me and then he smiled.

‘Hey.’ He said in a very cool tone. I swallow as my ears register his voice.

I try to adjust to the bright light. ‘Hy Pete.’ I hope I don’t sound nervous. Because I feel nervous. What is he doing casually snacking in someone’s house by midnight? I go to the refrigerator and thank the heavens when I sight left overs of the chicken and burgers. Surprised and grateful Larry didn’t do the works.

I head over to microwave it trying to ignore that Pete was standing there.

‘Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing here?’

‘ I don’t live here remember?’ I say as I punch the keys on the microwave. ‘I don’t know how you guys do your thing.’

I really was surprised to see him here. And I wanted to know what he was doing here. But I also did want to keep my cool. And I was not sure that I could handle that well enough if I was having conversations with him.

He chuckled and my heart melted at how he sounded,

‘Fair point.’ He said ‘I should be at home though, your brother wants me to cover for him.’

‘Cover for him?’ I ask him now confused and more interested than I was before.

‘Yeah he went to see his chick and he wants me here incase anyone notices he is gone.’ Pete said so casually as if it was normal thing for me to hear all the time. Boys!

I roll my eyes leaning against the counter. By anyone he means dad. Because I knew that if dad knew that Larry was going out at such an ungodly hour and to see girls. Larry would definely be in big trouble. I had to give it to him, for getting his friend to come and help him out.

‘Larry has a chick?’ I asked.

Pete laughs at my question ‘Okay, one of his chicks.’ He says shrugging.

I nod. That sounds better. I know my brother all too well.

‘And care to spill a little tea about this one?’ I ask him.

‘I was getting there.’ Pete said.

I laughed.

‘Well I don’t know much about this one but they’re having a fight because Larry smooched her best friend’

I gasp dramatically. ‘No way.’

Pete laughed. And then with a stern face he lifts his fore finger to his lips .

‘No telling. I am no snitch.’ He winks after that and sits on a stool.

‘And if I tell?’ I ask him with a mischievous smirk.. Pete laughs deeply.

‘I know you won’t that’s why I told you.’ He said and then stares intently at me in the eyes.

I was getting lost in his eyes not able to say a word. The beep from the microwave made me gasp. Pete just stared at me. I quickly put my food on a plate and start heading towards the door.

‘You’re leaving me here?’ He says widening his eyes in surprise.

‘Of course. I’m here for my food as you can see.

‘Won’t you stay with me a little while to keep me company?’ He stares plainly at me and even though he’s not doing puppy dog eyes, He looks so cute and I want to kick myself. He was the reason I missed dinner earlier and now he wants me to sit together while I eat. Just the two of us?

And I was more surprised at myself for strongly considering it even though I was hungry.

Pete’s eyes landed on my food. ‘I would love to have a taste too.’

Tell him No!

‘I’ll stay ten minutes with you and No you can’t touch my food.’ I say and move to the chair beside him, that way I can focus on my food and not his gaze.

‘Ten minutes is small, Larry could be gone for hours.’ Pete said in a pleading voice.

‘Hours? Doing what? Buying her all the clothes in the world to make her forgive him?’

‘Oh, trust me. She has forgiven him.’ Pete says and laughing he narrows his eyes.

I squeeze my face in irritation.

Eeeew! Please don’t ask me what that means, I am having my dinner.

I bite into my chicken savoring the taste. And then continue eating. Then I notice the whole place has been quiet. From my side view, I see Pete starring intently at me. I almost fainted, maybe I have been eating like a savage. I’m sure I’m as red as a beet now. I wipe my mouth with tissues and keep eating. At this point, what could I do?

‘So, how are you?’ Pete asks.

I nod my head and then when my mouth is empty I reply ‘I am fine.’

He nods too. I push my plate to our middle so he could eat too.

‘I didn’t think that I would ever see you again.’ He says and even though he is chewing, he looks serious. I clear my throat. I actually never thought of that.

‘Of course, I would have come for graduation.’ I say thinking about it.

He looks hurt. ‘Well yeah for Larry and I.’

I am confused. And he looks sad so I just change the subject

‘I see you are the captain of the basketball team, You always wanted to be that.’ I say. When Pete and Larry were appointed captain and co captain of the school’s basketball team, Larry wanted to go bonkers. He wouldn’t let any conversation breathe without reminding us of his new title.

Pete beams. I know how much he used to love basketball and it is good to see that he still does.

‘Yeahhhh.’ He says shyly. I give him a thumbs up.

‘Do you still want to be a Lawyer?’ He asks and I am hurt to know that he doesn’t know I gave that up a longtime ago. It also means that he doesn’t even know that I am in the science class now.

‘I want to study Public health in college.’ I say finishing off my burger. His forehead wrinkles in confusion and he asks me if that is part of the Lawyers’ stuff.

I laugh and shake my head.

‘It’s a science related and it has to deal with the health of the public. Yunno I can work for NGOs, travel around, help people.’ I was already getting excited so I blush.

‘That’s awesome!’ Pete says and he does he looks impressed. Then he carries a distant look on his face

‘I have missed a lot haven’t I?’ He asks with a sad smile.

I feign ignorance.

‘A lot of what?’ I ask back

‘Of you. You are different now,’

I laugh. ‘You don’t really know me now.’ I tell him

‘Exactly.’ He said

There’s a brief silence

‘You look different, your hair is all sleek now.’ I say teasingly and he does an invisible hair flip which makes me laugh deeply.

‘You don’t have your braces anymore.’

I nod.

‘And your hair looks really curly, you used to like it straight and short. A little around your shoulder, I think.’ He says and then quickly added. ‘This is beautiful though.’

I am sure I am blushing. ‘Thank you.

Larry smiles. ‘I don’t think you got taller though, mean you are still so small and cute as ever.’

I laugh. ‘I did grow taller.’ I say with my nose in the air.

‘Nah,’ He disagrees and I hiss at him.

‘I was going to send you a message on Instagram.’ Pete is avoiding my gaze, he seems to be drawing circles on the table too. I on the other hand can’t control my heart race and I hope Pete can’t hear it beating so loudly.

On i********:? That means Pete might have been stalking me too. I do a mental run up of my i********: account and all the pictures on it. Surprisingly to me, I have a good following on i********:. Chloe says I am Arty and according to her ‘people dig that shit.’ Of course I have pretty pictures of myself but asides that I post books and aesthetically pleasing pictures of views. Like the sunset, a valley, the Parkview, usual stuff. People do seem to dig it because I have almost 20 thousand followers on i********: and I follow less than a thousand because I don’t know who those people are and I am creeped and amazed by their interest in my boring life .

Now I am wondering how I look in the pictures of me I have on i********:. I wish I could slip my phone out of my pocket and peek but I can’t.

‘Why didn’t you?’ I ask him.

He shrugged. ‘I was scared of being rejected.’ He looked at me now. ‘You know if I reminded you of what we spoke about on the day you left for Paris.’

The backdoor opens and I jump. Larry stops for a second and then grins at me guiltily.

‘Hey Sol,’ He closes the door behind him and walks behind Pete and I giving him a gentle smack on the shoulder.

I take my plate to the sink to rinse it.

‘I owe you one bro.’ I can hear Larry say behind me.

‘You owe me way more than one.’ Pete replies and I hear him stand up from the chair.

‘Well for the last time I hope, Goodnight boys.’ I say immediately I am done rinsing the plate. I am walking in such a hurry because I don’t want to meet Pete’s gaze

I can hear Larry saying something about me leaving so soon and asking what I was doing down in the first place. I take a huge breath and sink into my bed when I was finally in my room. My heart is still beating fast. Pete remembered. Does that mean he still wants me? That he never forgot like me? Even after all these years.