My Brother’s Best-Friend

CHAPTER TWO

(SOLANA’S POV)

I feel guilty immediately the blue curtains kiss my eyes good morning. I shouldn’t have walked out of Mum and Dan like that. Well, I got emotional and now I feel like shit.I get out my yoga mat and wear my slacks and bra top.

I begin stretching and then fall into my routines. I’m getting comfortable in a Downward Facing Dog pose when I hear a loud knock on my door. Mum. I wish I was wearing my headphones so I won’t have actually heard.

Disentangling myself I reach for the door and open it. Mum is smiling guiltily and holding a mug of Tea.

‘Morning Ma Cherie.’ She says letting herself in as her silk robe flowed behind her.

‘Morning Mum.’ I reply feeling ashamed. I sit on the bed beside her.

‘Solana I –‘ I interrupt mum

‘Before you say anything, I’m sorry for my ill manners at dinner yesterday. I’m sorry and I’ll apologize to Dan when he gets back from work.’

Mum beams and after setting the Mug on the bedside table she hugs me. I’m sorry for being so insensitive honey, I was a little bit tipsy.’

Well I am sure she was.

‘You know I love and care for you’ She says and I nod my head because I know she does. I mean she acts crazy but she’s my mum and I know she loves me.

‘Do I have to go?’ I find myself asking.

‘Yes baby. Not just because of this workshop thing. You’ll be off to college soon and I feel like you haven’t spent enough time with your dad and brother. I don’t want you growing up to be distant from family Lana. You could burry whatever hatchet you have with whatever and whoever.’

I know what she’s saying makes a lot of sense. Even though Larry and I speak to each other often, it still feels like I don’t really know him. Dad and I are also on some sort of cordial formal relationship.

‘And how about Chloe.’

Mum says and I suddenly feel better. Chloe. My childhood best friend. Still my very close friend, even though our relationship is primarily based on social media. Chloe is amazing, she is probably the only friend I have and that’s because she cares so much about me.

She has never gotten angry because I refused to visit L.A. She’s the only one who understands me perfectly. It would be wonderful being back with her. I have missed her so much. Chloe came to Paris once, on a school trip and she and I spent the weekend together after.

Asides that its been a lot of audio, video calls and text messages.Maybe mum was right. How long was I going to hold this grudge? I still couldn’t wrap myself around it but I knew there was nothing I could do to change .

‘And how about Pete?’ Mum lets out a goofy smile and pinches my shoulder. I could feel my cheeks heating up. I suddenly became very shy at that moment.

‘Stop mum. Pete and I don’t talk anymore.’ I say distracting myself with the steaming mug of tea. But she doesn’t drop the topic and I just want to die in embarrassment.

‘You used to have such huge crushes on each other.’ She says giggling ‘You were both so shy and your brother was , totally clueless. Aww that was all so cute then.’

Mum was looking at me like she in fact did think that it was cute. I sigh.

‘Mummm!!’ She is making me blush hard. I feel stupid.

I can’t believe I am blushing over something so stupid and something that happened so long ago. Something Pete probably doesn’t remember unlike me who always keeps him in my thoughts. It is very embarrassing to think that I am the one still carrying a bright torch for him after all these years. Whereas our situation is more or likely, dead.

Mum gasps! ‘You like him!’ She says opening her eyes widely with a very mischievous smile.

‘Mum please stop.’ I was becoming very shy. Too shy in fact. And I did not need to be told that my cheeks was red. I could feel it and my mother could very much see it .

‘Okay, sorry dear. Well to start with, Dan isn’t at work. He is on a flight to Seoul as we speak.’ She puts emphasis on the word ‘Seoul’.

‘ He said to apologize for not being able to say Bye…..you know because of your sour mood I’m sure.’ She darts her eyes everywhere except my face as she said this. I wonder why.

‘And when will you be joining him.’ I already see mum twisting her finger around her hair. She is guilty of what she is about to say. And I am really wonder what it is.

‘We would both be living Paris, tomorrow morning.’ She starts as she cleared her throat. ‘ Or not if you really don’t want to go to Los Angeles.’ She holds a very serious gaze with mine.

‘You won’t go to South Korea?’

Mum nods and I know she’s not bluffing because she can’t help but look so sad. Which now makes me guilty. And I’m suddenly feeling immature. I did not need to act like a spoilt brat. Ridding my mother of happiness all because of some old grudge that was stupid.

‘How will Dan survive in South Korea, Without you?’ I ask her finishing the tea. Dan was like a child. He also can’t last an hour without being in contact with my mother. Seriously, my mother is his everything.

‘He will have to manage. I have a more important baby to take care of.’ She pulls me closer and strokes my hair. ‘ You are the most important thing in the world to me. You and your brother of course.’

I sigh and hug her back. She smells like floral lavender and suddenly I begin to miss her, because I know I can’t let her stay back here with me. I start crying before I can control myself.

‘Baby, what’s wrong?’

‘I have to go to L.A and let you go to Seoul’ I say between hiccups.

‘If it makes you so sad you don’t have to. I promise I’m good with this.’ Mum said to be rubbing my back affectionately.

‘You’re right about me needing to bond with Dad and Larry. And besides I can’t let you miss out on spending a year and a half in Seoul……with Dan.’ I sniff and wipe my nose.

‘No, Solana.’ Mum says laughing ‘I want you to go because you want to, Ok?’ She was raising an eyebrow at me.

‘Now, I am planning a fun day for us beautiful ladies. It’s an order, Not an invitation. A mum and daughter day. Then you can think about what you really want.’

I am tongue tied. I know I can’t get out of this outing, I hope I make it past the day.

‘Come on, we’re going to have so much girl time. And you can tell me if Pete is the reason why you haven’t dated anyone.’

I cringe and ignoring her, we go downstairs for breakfast. Pete and I used to like each other so much up until I left L.A. He was some sort of secret boyfriend. We hid and had a lot fake dates, gave each other letters, secret gifts. Of course mum knew, because she’s mum and nothing gets by her and to top it off, on my 8th birthday she saw us hide together in the Garden eating my special cake, Dad had got me. That must have made hear activate her detective mode.

Mum and I have breakfast on the patio. We sit eating bacon eggs and pancakes with Juice and watch the sun crawl unto the sky.

After breakfast, I hurriedly shower and wear my sweatpants and T-shirt. Mum sends me back the minute I go to her room to tell her I was ready for the day. I return with a floral dress and sunhat, She eyes the hat and tells me not to wear shades, because I will be covering my pretty face too much. Of course my mum is dressed in one of her expensive sexy high slit dresses. She makes me take pictures of her in the driveway. I know it’s for Dan or f*******:.

The day with Mum was absolutely lovely. We went shopping of course and Mum made me put on this beautiful silk dress that brought out my curves. I was very shy. She tried to make me buy it, I felt it was useless so I didn’t buy the dress of course. It was beautiful though, It’s deep violet color made my skin look so creamy. I did think about getting it, but for only a second.

I did buy beautiful sun dresses though, in all honesty for L.A which I had already made up mind to go. Mum saw me with the pile of sundresses, sandals, sunglasses, Sling purses, shorts and skimpy tops and raised an eyebrow at me. I just smiled at her.

After shopping, Mum and I went to the Spa. We spent an hour getting a full body massage and getting steamed. I came out reborn. Then, we go had ice cream and sandwiches at the Parc Monceau. Mum took me to an outdoor art exhibition. It was wonderful. When we returned home, I was as exhausted as ever. I sent a text to Chloe telling her to expect me in L.A soon and then I crashed into my bed.

When I woke up, it was dinner time. Mum was on the phone with Dan when I got to the table. I helped my self with some salad and chicken.

‘Pardon my manners Solana.’ Mum says as she gets off the phone. I shrug as if to say No Problem.

‘So you’ll be leaving for Seoul tomorrow.’ I said biting into my fried chicken

‘Please tell me you really want me to go?’ Mum asks and stares directly into my eyes.

I nod. I actually thought more about it today and though I am very anxious about going back. It might not be so bad. It would be wonderful to see Chloe and for a year and a half! We’d have loads of fun. Mum was right, I was going off to college soon and since I was eyeing Yale in Connecticut, it would be good to have some bonding time.

Then there was Pete. The love of my life. Maybe I might get a chance with him? Maybe he will like again. Especially now that I don’t look so much like a nerd.

‘I’m starting to think Los Angeles might be fun after all’ I say.