I kissed my brother - Chapter 3

 

I found myself in front of a nice looking house. It was white with pillars in front. The entrance was fancy and I couldn't help but wonder how a teacher was able to afford all this. Even if he was working at a private school now, the pay couldn't be THIS good. After all my Mum was a laywer and we weren't that rich either.
„It's quite far from school, isn't it?", I asked my Mum when I kept glancing around the parking lot in front of the house.
„Eito could take you to school you know", she replied.
„Not gonna happen", I said. I rolled my eyes and turned around as I heard a car approaching. They were here.

Last night had ended without any more happenings. We had just finished our dinner, talked about stuff nobody really cared about and I could tell that Daichi would have to face his angry Dad once they were alone.
Eito climbed out of the car, closing his jacket, smiling at my Mum.
I found myself waiting for Daichi to get out of the car and I had to admit I was somewhat excited when he did. He seemed different than the night before. He didn't look at me one single time eventhough I tried hard to make eye contact with him.
He slightly bowed in front of me and my Mum and then continued to look at the ground. I wondered what has happened that he behaved like this. I noticed Eito and my Mum exchange some glances. Something was definitely going on.

We entered the house. The lobby was nice and spacious. There was a set of white stairs leading up to a gallery.
„Your rooms are up there", my Mum said. „But maybe we should go and take a tour down here first", she added. However I was already on the way to the strairs.
„I'm gonna pick a room first", I said and grinned at her.
Eito quickly hurried to get in front of me and invited me to follow him. There were three doors in total. Two to the left of the corridor opposite from the entrance hall and one at the very end.
Daichi had followed us too. He still kept staring at the ground. It was weird seeing him so quiet. He wasn't his playful self and I didn't like it.
„I can choose whatever room I want?", I asked.
Eito nodded.
And so I walked down the corridor glancing into the two rooms I passed long the way. My Mum was standing on the stairs watching me.
I felt anxious because I didn't like the way everyone acted today. I was like I had missed out on something.
I eventually entered the room that was furthest from the stairs. It was a nice room with large windows and it was already fully furnished with a bed to the left, a desk and some shelfs as well as a built in closet. And there was another door. It was a bathroom.
I stuck my head into the corridor where Eito was talking to my Mum. I tried to make a noise or something to get Daichi's attention.
When he finally looked up at me I waved him over. He checked if our parents were paying attention, though they were busy talking about whatever - it seemed hectic.
Daichi walked over and as soon as he was in reach I pulled him inside the room.
„Are you okay?", I asked him with honest concern in my voice.
He looked down on me: „Sure", he went.
„Well that wasn't convincing", I replied.
Daichi was just standing in the middle of the room like a pretty statue.
„You know I do kinda notice that something is going on right? And I thought you and your Dad were practicing this 'let's talk about everything' thing?!"
A smile went over his lips.
„I mean I am just a nobody to you but I guess I'll be something like your sister from now on so..."
I saw him flinch when I said the word 'sister'... „you can talk to me if you want to."
Daichi sighed and looked around the room.
„You want to take this room?", he asked.
I nodded. „If that's okay with you", I added.
„Sure", he said and looked outside the window.
„Daichi?", I heard Eito yell from the corridor.
Daichi looked at me: „Good thing you didn't close the door or else he would freak."
I really wanted to know why but my Mum followed my Eito were already barging into the room.
„Sydney!", my Mum went.
„What?", I went. What was everyone's deal?
„I think we need to set some rules", my Mum went. Both her and Eito looked at me and Daichi. Daichi sighed. So he knew this would come.
„I don't want you two alone in a room with the door closed", she went.
I blinked at her in confusion. What?
„It wasn't planned that Daichi would be staying with us here in this house but as the situation has changed we need to adress this."
„Are you for real?", I chuckled. I didn't understand what this nonsense was suddenly about.
„I am for real, Sydney. I don't want you being distracted from your studies."
„Stop right there", I said. Hell I was angry.
Everyone looked at me now and I had their full attention.
„For starters, if you don't want me to be distracted from my studies, you should not come home from vacation with a new guy and his son - no offense", I said, the last part into Daichi's and Eito's direction. I saw a fine, amused sparkle inside Daichi's eyes.
I continued: „Furthermore you are moving us to a new place just in the beginning of the school year. This time is, as you know, crucial to get into all AP classes and I don't have time to deal with any of your stupid rules now. You came back with him, you decided we move in with them, without even asking me, without even giving me time to adapt to that idea. You again decided everything on your own and I didn't have a say in this. And I get it, you are the adult, I am the child. But guess what Mum, I am not a child anymore and you don't get to decide who I have in my room and who I don't. For once you don't get to decide because I draw the line right here and right now."
„Sydney...", she gasped.
„Are we clear?", I asked her.
„No!", she yelled. „The rules are as I said."
„Then I don't move in with you", I said and glared at her.
„Don't be ridiculous."
„You are the only one that's being ridiculous", I said and with that I walked out the door.
But my Mum grabbed my arm and held me back: „Okay, Sydney. Wait."
„No weird rules?", I asked her.
She sighed: „Fine."
„I wanna be alone now", I said. I waited for her and Eito to leave and wanted to close the door behind them.
„But,...", my Mum went.
„Mum, I won't get pregnant by closing the door", I said.
I sighed once I was alone with Daichi. He was still standing in front of the window.

„What's with them?", I asked and let myself down on the bed to test it.
„They are worried about you", he said.
I waited for him to explain further.
„My Dad told your Mum about my reputation with girls I guess. And now she is worried you will be heartbroken."
„Oh don't flatter yourself. I'm not even interested", I said.
I started to check the drawers for anything that might be inside, observed the curtains and eventually turned to Daichi: „Let's check out your room now."
„Follow me", he said and went straight into the bathroom. And now I noticed the door on the other side of the bathroom.
„And she was upset about the closed door", I shook my head.
„I'm looking forward to our morning showers together", he said and opened the other door to what appeared to be his room. There was his flirty side again.
„Do you think your Mum will be okay?", he asked.
„I guess not", I laughed.
„But are you okay?", he then asked.
We exchanged a long glance.
„Me?"
He nodded.
It may sound weird but him asking me about my feelings actually meant a lot to me. All those years I feel like nobody had ever really cared about me. My Mum has been busy with work and just obsessed with my grades. She had told me to stop drawing to focus on school even more, to take more extra classes and join more extracurriculars... I had reached a point where I didn't even think about my own feelings anymore. And suddenly here he was - this way too good looking guy, asking me if I was okay.
„But you are real, right?", I said and grabbed his arm to confirm he was not a ghost, leaving him flustered.

„Sydney, can we talk?", my Mum asked when I came down the stairs at our old home with another box.
„No, Mum. Not again", I sighed.
I carried the box to the moving car and went back to my room to get the next one.
„You know the moving company can move your boxes for you?" she said.
„I know but since when are we people who let others do the work for us?", I replied.
My Mum looked at me and she seemed sad. We usually didn't fight a lot but the tension between us had been horrible for the last days - since she returned to introduce Eito to me and had decided to just change everything.
„I know you like his luxury and stuff but I don't like what you are turning into. Also please leave Daichi alone? He didn't do anything wrong and yet you are judging him."
„You are just naive Sydney", she said.
„If you really think that you are more stupid than I thought", I snapped.
„You don't get to talk to me like that young lady", she yelled.
I hated fighting. I hated it so much. It brought back memories from when my Dad left us, from when all the other men left us. I felt like my Mum and me we were doing so good just the two of us but whenever there was a guy around we were just fighting all the time.
„Where are you going now?", she yelled after me as I took off. I didn't want to see her tonight. I slowly realized how worn off I welt, how exhausted and tired I was. But of course I was exhausted from everything that had been going on.
I was supposed to move into the new house already by the weekend. My life felt like out of my control. It never really had been in my control, but this situation right now was worse than everything before.
I ran down the street to the bus station, put my headphones in my ears and just shut the world off. I didn't want to be here anymore, in this moment I wanted to forget about everything. I didn't want to have all these memories and I didn't want to be afraid that history was once again repeating itself. I wanted to trust my Mum this time. Plus Eito and Daichi seemed like nice people. I couldn't exactly put it into words, however the feeling I had with them was different from all the other times my Mum had brought some guy home. Maybe she was right, maybe „the one" did really exist and maybe it was Eito for her. I was sincerly hoping that this time it would work out for my Mum. I didn't want to have to move again, leave people behind who I thought were my family. I couldn't do it all over again - not this time. For some reason, eventhough I only knew them one single day, I had already adjusted to the idea of them being my family. I didn't want to trust them just yet, though I could feel how I got excited about having a real family - it was something I had told myself I didn't need, yet suddenly the thought of not just being alone with my Mum seemed appealing - having a Dad who actually cared for me seemed appealing. I took a deep breath as I started to tear up having my biological producer or something like that pop into my head. That tiny voice inside of my head telling me I was unwanted tried to get louder again. I closed my eyes and let myself fall into this non existing world of music. I didn't want to be in reality anymore. I took in the smelly air in the bus and logged out.

Without realizing I had been taking the way to our new house. I didn't even know that this was the bus that would take me here.
I found myself walking down the small and dark lane that leads to the house. There is light and a moving truck and I can hear people talking.
„Sydney?", I hear a familar voice.
Then I see him. I wondered if I would ever get used to his looks. He was dressed more casual than usual in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. It was pretty cold but as he came closer I saw how sweat was running down his forehead.
„What are you doing here?", he asked me.
I was just staring at him. Just then he took the hem of his shirt to dry his face, exposing his stomach yet again in front of me.
My eyes automatically went down to his bare skin and followed the line of dark hair further down...
„Sydney?"
„Sorry", I said and shook my head.
„Are you alright?"
I quickly nodded.
„Daichi! Your new house is so cool", I head a girls voice.
A pretty girl with black pig tails jumped out of the front door and ran into Daichi's direction. She was around my height, threw her arms around Daichi's body and stayed like that while looking at me with curious eyes.
„Are you Sydney?", the girl asked me.
I nodded again.
„I'm Kami", she said and reached one hand out to greet me. I took the hand that had just clung onto Daichi's shirt.
I didn't bring out a word.
„Are you just gonna stand there and leave all the work to me?", a male voice then interrupted the awkward silence.
A guy walked over to us.
„Sydney came", Kami told him. She was still holding onto Daichi's shirt, basically hugging him.
I didn't have any judgement inside my look - or so I thought. But when Daichi noticed me looking at the spot where her hands hooked into one another, he tried to free himself from her grip.
„The infamous Sydney", the guy said and smiled at me.
I could acknoledge that he was a somewhat decent looking guy. All three of them were quite beautiful people.
„I'm Trevor by the way", the guy then introduced himself.
I just nodded at him. I didn't really feel comfortable.
„What is going on here?", I asked Daichi.
„The university send all my stuff that was supposed to go to my dorm this weekend", he shrugged his shoulders.
„Why aren't you going anyways?", I asked.
„Because he doesn't want to be a doctor like his Dad wants him to be", Kami grinned.
I could already tell from the change of look on Daichi's face that this was a rather difficult topic for him, so I decided not to ask further questions. For now.
„Why are you here? You haven't answered my question", Daichi pointed out.
„I don't know", I said in all honesty. And with that I passed by the three of them and went over to the house. They were almost done with moving all the boxes into the house and the truck was basically empty.
„Do you need any help?", I asked. Maybe moving some boxes would clear my head and not bring back the thoughts of the awkward fight with my Mum. After all I just ran into the reason for our fight.
„I should bring the truck back, you can accompany me if you want to", Trevor winked at me.
„Yea, she won't", Daichi said.
Trevor and Kami exchanged some knowing glance.
„I'll come", Kami said and already opened the door to the truck.
„You're leaving already?", Daichi went. It seemed as if he liked having her around. I couldn't really make out their relationship yet though.
Kami shrugged her shoulders: „You don't need me here anymore. Come on Trevor, let's go!"
„See you soon, Sydney", Trevor said.
He and Kami waved at me before they took off and I waved back.
„They seemed nice", I said when it was only Daichi and me.
„Just be careful around Trevor", Daichi said.
„Isn't he your friend?", I asked.
„That doesn't mean he won't be trying to make a move on you."
I didn't know what else to say. I just didn't see myself as someone anyone would ‚make a move on'.
„Can I stay here?", I instead asked.
Daichi looked at me a little startled: „It's your home, of course you can stay here."

I went into my room. It felt unfamiliar but I thought once I got all of my things in here, I would probably be able to feel home. I hoped so.
The house was way bigger than the house my Mum and I had lived in. Suddenly I felt like this house was matching my private school persona. This was what people were expecting from someone going to my school.
I had listened to Daichi moving around in his room on the other side of the bathroom. But now that I thought of it, it had been quiet for quite some time. I concentrated to hear something, though there was nothing but silence.
I got up from the comfortable spot on my new bed and went out into the corridor. Daichi's door was still open, but he wasn't inside his room.
The front door was closed. It looked scary from up here - the entrance hall was completely in the dark and I could see the rain falling down in front of the windows. It was a typical autumn night with lots of wind that was pulling on the house and rain that was knocking on the glass.
„Daichi?", I asked into the silence.
It was a bit scary being alone in this house. I didn't know where to go look for him, so I went down to the kitchen first. But everything was dark down here. He wouldn't have left without telling me, would he? I started to panic more than I wanted to. My palms got sweaty and I couldn't deny that I was really scared by the thought of being left alone in this dark and empty house in the middle of nowhere without anyone knowing I was here - okay that was maybe slightly exaggerated.
I was thinking of what to do next. Should I go home? Daichi didn't appear to be here anymore. Should I stay here alone? I didn't even think about school the next day. It was probably best if I went home before it got too late.
„Sydney", Daichi said from upstairs.