"Brother?"
The sound of the woman's voice rang on his ears. After hearing those, he looked at the girl curiously. He didn't understand.
"What??" He didn't recognize the person in front of him, yet why is she calling him brother?
He then remembered about her younger sister. How is she? it's been three years already since he last saw her, yet he could still remember the times they spent together as if it was only yesterday. Would she still remember him? Her brother who left her alone without even explaining the reason why?
He peeked a glance at the girl in front of him and he noticed how remarkable a lady this person is, based on her posture and characteristic. His first impression. But the word "brother" still bothered him.
He observed her and noticed some similarities between her and his little sister. But looking again at this girl, it might not be the case since his sister's still little and is probably still on 10th grade while this girl who's facing him right now is a grown teenager who is currently on her senior years. He can only imagine comparing the two. His sister is still many inches below her while this one is almost his same height. Her little sister is more chubbier than this one who's a little too, ahemm-- hot.
He also remembered his sister having eyesight problems so she always wear those thick glasses, while this girl is not wearing one.
There is definitely no way that this girl is his little sister. And besides, he knew that she is living on their main house so there is no way that she's here unless maybe their parents allowed her to finally follow him in this place.
He always knew that his little sister was so fond of him that she almost follow him everywhere he goes. She was also about to follow him that time when he finally decided to live on his own, if not for their father. He didn't like his daughter to be involved on her older brother's business, and Kayden also didn't like her being so dependent and always together with him.
He can't remember when his little sister started clinging onto him, maybe when they were still too young, but he also wanted her to live freely, without relying on her brother. So unless things have changed and she could finally visit him on her own, there is no way that this lady over here is his little sister--
Or maybe....?
Kayden looked back surprisely at the girl who is now looking at him with a worry expression on her face.
No way it is what he think it is.
He just realized that three years had already passed since he last saw his sister. If it's already three years, then his sister might really be on twelfth grade now, and is already a full grown teenager. Come to think of it, he may have not payed attention the last time they are together, but he always knew that his little sister liked to dress up. To see this girl in front of him right now, there is actually a high possibility that she really is her.
He laughed at the thought. Who would not recognize their own sister?
The girl approached him and offered her hand to help him stand. Looking at how the girl dressed, he now realized how pathetic he actually looked right now standing next to her. He could smell himself and somehow he feel embarrassed.
"Are you okay?" she asked him as soon as he recovered himself.
Instead of answering her, he just entered the bathroom without looking back. He was too ashamed to even look at her. He knew that she never thought that this would happen to her older brother, and neither did he.
He locked the door and looked at his reflection on the mirror.
'You're so pathetic, Kayden' he kept repeating it to himself while hitting his head.
After doing it several times, he caught a glance at his chest on the mirror that made him stop.
'What's this?' He observed it clearly and felt chills run through his body when he saw the unusual shape of the thing. It looks like an unpolished stone with shades of red color as it reflected the light coming from the bathroom window, and looks like it's stuck out of his chest.
He touched it and felt its roughness from his fingers. His touch from the stone gave him a weird sensation inside his chest. it feels like he's touching something inside without him knowing, and it actually feels kind of ticklish and sensitive. as much as he wanted to deny it, and about what happened earlier, it's real. From what happened in his room until right now, unfortunately, it is all real.
He's still feeling the stone when a certain thought had struck him. What if her sister had saw this?
He immediately peeked out his head from the bathroom door and traveled his eyes around the house thinking he would find her little sister.
After realizing that he's alone in the house, again, he closed the door and headed to the shower.
The drops of water on his skin made him feel nostalgic about his last time showering. He first flinched when it touched his skin but later got used to it. He kept thinking about how her sister reacted that time. Maybe she really saw the thing on his chest and ran because she's freaked out. Well who wouldn't be, her long admired brother became a worthless dude with a weird stone stabbed on his chest.
After the cold shower, he scanned the living room again thinking that she might be there.... Or not.
He just entered his room when he noticed that all his laundry weren't there anymore. so is she still really here?
He then heard the sound of he dishes being done in the kitchen. so she really is still here.
He got on his closet and chose a pair of neat shirt and shorts then proceeded to enter the kitchen.
He decided to finally confront her sister after three years. Even if he just showered he could feel sweating because he's nervous. He didn't know what she would react, but at the same time he's sorry. he didn't have the chance to explain the situation to her because she was still young. He took deep breaths first to calm himself before entering the kitchen.
There he saw his little sister cooking him food, which made him emotional from his mind. He cannot believe that the little girl who used to clung upon him and always asking for his help would now be a full-grown lady who is cooking him dinner.
He faked a cough which made her look on his side.
"Oh brother, you're here" she smiled at him which surprised him. Oh how he missed those smile. It's been many years since he last saw her so it feels like everything is new to him again.... No, not, like.... It is all really new to him. His sister changed within those three years and he don't even know anymore if the girl in front of him is still the same little girl that's always around him before.
"You could take a seat first because I think you're still feeling ill...."
"Ah, yeah...." he grabbed the chair and waited for her to finish.
After readying their dinner, they ate silently. He kept glancing at her sister but cannot start a conversation because of the awkward atmosphere around them. He also think that she's also observing him, because he could also noticed her glancing at him from time to time.
His mind started to fill with memories from the past of them being the closest siblings a person could imagine. Wherever they go they cannot be separated. They have separate rooms but his sister would rather prefer beside her brother's. Even they share the same food almost everyday because it was what she always wanted, and he couldn't possibly scold her to not copy and do everything he does, or she might cry. but this all stopped when he left the house. He knew how much he regretted not telling his little sister about what happened and wanted to tell her right now, but he didn't. He wanted to explain the situation to her, but he didn't want to burden her with his own problem.
"Brother?" he snapped back to reality after hearing his sister call him again. He looked at her and gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, I was just lost in thought" he scratched his right temple slightly. He still cannot get used to someone calling him that. "What is it?"
He found his sister fidgeting so he waited until she tells him what it is.
"Uhh, you do know that father won't let me get close to you these past few years right?"
He looked away, ".... Yes"
"And you also knew how stubborn I am right?"
"Yes"
"So did you know why I am here right now? When father won't even tell me where you're living?"
He looked back at her. Right. How did she know that he was here? And since when?
"You see, I keep asking him where you are and what are you doing right now, and he wouldn't tell me. But eventually I convinced him and he then told me where you are."
"Oh," Is all he could say. He didn't think that their father would tell her where he is. That was quite unexpected.
"But he did told me to do something once we meet again...."
"Oh yeah? What is it?"
"...."
He can see her having second thoughts before telling him. She sighed.
"Dad wanted me to bring you back to school"