My Best Friends Brother and Me

Chapter 2 – You Like Him!

Leah’s POV

I arrived at school and shook the filthy thoughts from my mind. It was late March, and, in a little over a month, I would be starting my finals. I had a lot of work to do, and a lot to prove.

I had struggled over the last few years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. When I finally decided, my parents were less than amused. Mainly my mother.

I chose Art, Photography and Business as my A-level options. Business was for my parents’ gratification. What I wanted to do was ceramic design and photography. I want to be an Artist, maybe run my own shop one day, selling my work.

When I told my parents, the disappointment was paramount. It ended in arguments, primarily with my mother, who thought it was a dead-end bum job with no potential for success and every potential to fail.

She struggled to accept my decision, but eventually, she seemed to accept it. When I picked my courses for college, she gritted her teeth and smiled thinly. I took that as a win.

My Mother didn’t work, so I felt her judgment was misplaced and a little hypocritical. But she was a forbidding woman, and she wasn’t one for backing down or giving up. Essentially, she always got what she wanted in the end.

I wondered why my dad put up with her. He was soft, kind, and gentle. He was a harmless soul who loved jazz, art and literature. He was only 5”10, and was cuddly and slightly rounded. He had short light grey hair, big blue eyes and full lips.

Somehow, albeit his love for the arts, he ended up becoming a financial consultant. I never asked, but I guessed it had something to do with mum.

He worked long hours, was rarely at home, and when he was, he often went to his home office and worked late into the night. We were well off, but not rich. I had never needed a part-time job, and always had what I needed. I never asked for more.

Mum was quite tall at 5”8, always wore heels and never failed to wear a matching two-piece dress suite. She was the perfect Stepford wife. She never left the house without a full face of makeup with her blonde wiry hair always in a perfectly elegant Chignon.

She always had several fingers in several pies. However, despite this, she didn’t work. While she spent her days being ‘busy’, I had no idea what she did, and I rarely saw her. But in honesty, I preferred it this way. I was nothing like her and we often clashed.

I was like my dad both in looks and temperament. Other than my mother’s blonde hair, I was the female version of him. My mum hated this about me, and often tried to break me down the way I assumed she had broken him down.

He seemed happy enough though, and clearly, he loved her. I think deep down she loved him too. At least, I hoped so.

He would try and stick up for me or diffuse the tension between us. Sometimes it worked, other times she shot him a look which he immediately knew meant to shut up. Which he did, followed by an apologetic look at me while she wasn’t looking.

I went straight to my form room and found Kaya already sitting at our usual spot.

"About time!"

"Sorry, I slept in"

"Again? What has gotten into you recently? That’s every day this week!"

Your brother! Yeah, maybe not.

"Just been quite tired recently, maybe I am over doing it with revision", I shrugged.

"Jayden has invited me to the end of year party at the Millers barn"

"Nice, as his date?"

"No, as friends. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be his date by the end of the night!"

"I like your newfound confidence, Kaya. So, what are you wearing?"

Kaya, like me, was a little on the shy side. We hadn’t many dealings with the opposite s*x, but since Jayden transferred here at the beginning of sixth form, things had changed, and she was crushing almost as hard on him as I was OK, Kai.

"I don’t know. Thought maybe we could go shopping on Saturday?"

"Sounds good to me’

"We could try and find something for you as well!’

"Why do I need something?"

"You’re coming with me?"

"Not really my scene K"

"You have too. My mum won’t let me go without you"

I rolled my eyes "Fine". I wasn’t about to c**k block her. Although I was less than impressed.

"Don’t look like that. Maybe you will meet someone too?"

"Not interested"

"Are you gay?"

"Kaya!"

"What? I’m just asking. It’s a legitimate question. You never show interest in boys and you’re 18 in, like, a month!"

"Quieten down Class!"

Mr. Hollis’ dulcet tones swept through the room, just as I said louder than intended, "I am not gay!"

Everyone started to laugh as they stared at me. I’m going to f*****g kill Kaya for this.

"Well, Miss Barnes, now we have established you are indeed not gay, can we move onto the register?"

"Yes, Sir" I managed to squeak out through gritted teeth.

I managed to get through the day, withstanding the obvious chat and whispers about my sexuality. I met Kaya at Cal’s car and as soon as he arrived, he had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t the self-professed straight Leah Barnes"

Kaya started to laugh, and I clipped her upside the back of her head. My face said a thousand words. But my mouth kept firmly shut. I had learnt long ago that I was not quick-witted enough to out smart Cal's sense of humour.

I got in the car, and we made our way to Kaya’s house, as we did every Friday after school.

"So, girls, what’s the plan for this weekend?" Mel asked as we walked into the kitchen.

"Shopping. We need dresses for the Millers party"

"Do you need a lift?"

"If you can? We can get the bus if not"

I prayed she could take us, neither of us had passed our tests, or got a car and living so far out in the sticks, we had one bus option, even on a Saturday to the main town, and it was early!

"Of course, just make sure you sort the horses before we go."

"Deal!"

"Thanks Mel"

We headed upstairs to get changed. On our way back down to go see the horses and walk the dogs, we bumped into Kai on the stairs. I hadn’t seen him in weeks. My heart fluttered and I could feel the heat raise in my cheeks.

For f**k’s Sake Leah, get a f*****g grip. He didn’t even speak!

"Dunno what his problem is", Kaya shrugged as we reached the front door.

"Why question it now, he’s always like that?"

"Only when you’re here" she stopped, still in her tracks, as we were almost at the stables and I bumped into the back of her.

"What? Why did you stop?" I took a step back.

"s**t"

"s**t what?"

‘" f*****g likes you!"

"Shut up Kaya, what the f**k are you talking about? He doesn’t like me, he doesn’t speak to me, in fact, he barely looks at me, that is, when he bothers to grace us with his presence."

"EXACTLY!"

"What?"

"That’s what boys do when they like a girl."

"Ignore them and pretend they don’t exist. That’s just stupid."

"Boys are stupid. And he’s my brother, so he is exceptionally stupid".

"What ever Kaya. He’s your brother. Can we talk about something else please?"

"Oh My God!"

"What now?"

"YOU LIKE HIM!"

"For the love of God Kaya. Stop! You are embarrassing yourself. We do not like each other"

"Fine, but just so you know, if you did, I’d be cool with it’

I did a little dance in my head, and then composed myself "Well, thanks for your blessing, but it’s not going to happen’.

"Fine"

"Fine"

The following day, Mel dropped us off in town and told us to call her when we needed to picking up. We went straight to the shopping centre and went into every clothes shop open.

"Kaya, we have been in this shop already" I moaned as we traipsed back into the store.

"I think the dress I like the best was in this shop."

"Which one was it?" she had tried on about a thousand.

"The ribbed black body con with the ruched top"

"That’s next door."

"How do you remember that?"

"Because I told you to get it when we went there the first time, over 2 hours ago."

"Quit moaning, will you? It has to be perfect."

"It was perfect then and it is perfect now. Can we just go buy it please? I’m starving"

We made our way back to the right store and she bought the dress.

"Fab, now, let’s go eat!"

We sat in the booth and waited for our food to arrive.

"Are you sure your happy with your outfit?"

"What’s wrong with my outfit?"

"Nothing. You look hot. But, well, you picked the first thing you tried on, and well, you have a figure to die for Leah, don’t you want to show it off?"

"K, I have big boobs, a big bum and a larger than average frame deemed not so attractive for a female. It does not need airtime. But thanks."

She shot me a look I thought would turn me to stone.

"Ugh, Leah, would you just shut up! You are gorgeous, you have a great ass, perfectly full breasts, curves I could only dream about and, quite frankly, a figure to die for. I am more than jealous and wish you would just embrace your inner goddess."

Well, that told me. We finished eating. My mind had wondered, and I had decided maybe Kaya was right. Maybe the only way to get over my crush on Kai was to look elsewhere. Maybe I did need to step outside my comfort zone.

"What are you thinking about?"

"That maybe you are right!"

"About what? Kai?"

"NO!"

"Then what?"

"About the dress".

"Yes! Atta girl. I saw the perfect one"

We paid for our food and went back to the shop she saw the dress in.

"s**t K, I don’t know! It’s a bit… not me!"

"Isn’t that the point?"

Kaya and I had completely different styles. I was a little more grungy chic with black skinny jeans and oversized boho tops or ditzy dresses and black leggings, always teamed with my fav Biker boots and black blazer.

Kaya was more girly, she loved bright colours, baby doll dresses, playsuits, or skirts with a fitted t-shirt. The body con dress looks amazing on her, but I lacked confidence as I stood in the mirror. We had been in there so long that the store assistant came to check on us.

"Are you girls OK in here?’

"Yeah, actually what do you think?" Kaya said as she pushed me out of the cubicle.

I almost knocked the poor girl over.

"Wow, you have to buy that!"

"See!" Kaya looked smug.

"Really?"

"Yes!" they said in unison.

It was tighter than anything I had ever worn before. I usually managed to cover up everything, even in the height of summer.

It was a bright red skater style with cap sleeves and an A-line skirt. It sinched in at the waist and hugged my body, this along with the square neck line accentuating my breasts without having them on show.

It fell just above my knees, so it wasn’t showing too much leg, but fell perfectly from my waist, emphasising my round ass.

I looked back in the mirror at the beautiful dress. I loved it, and I loved the way it made me feel.

I surprised myself as I realised I was about to do something way out of character.

"Okay, I’ll get it."