"Thank you for the gifts, mom. I'll call you again when I got home!"
I waved back at my mother whom I was having a facetime with. Soon as we ended up our call, I quickly got up from my bed and run towards the bathroom to take a shower. My two brothers just invited me for shopping in M and M supermarket which stands for our names: Maxwell and Maxine.
Maxwell is my Dad's firstborn while I am his second and only daughter with my Mom Ayen. It was a very long story but Dad and my mom had a past in New York where they've met. My mom didn't know that my Dad already has a wife and a son back then. She's already carrying me to her tomb when she met Tita Ria, my Dad's wife. We were lucky enough that she's kind and understanding. It was settled after my mom explained everything while Dad took a year to claim his family again.
When I was three years old, we came here to the Philippines to welcome my younger brother, Rhumzelle. Knowing that I will be having a little brother makes me excited. And the first time I saw him, it was like the best day of my life. Since then, I stayed here in the Philippines. I'm studying here since pre-school and just graduated from junior high school, thankfully.
My mom is working as a surgeon in New York. We rarely see each other, we're just communicating via call and facetime. Thankfully, I have Tita Ria whose very kind and sweet to me. She has been treating me like her own and never made me feel that I do not belong in their family.
I was brushing my hair while looking at myself in the mirror when suddenly, my phone rang. My eyes almost roll when I saw my little brother's name.
"YAHHHHH!"
I quickly hang up the call and walked toward my window. "Hey, what was that for? Are you planning to rupture my eardrums?!" I shouted from my window, glaring.
Seconds later, the window from the other house opened and my brother came out with his annoying mocking smiles. "Sorry, I thought you're still sleeping!"
"I was talking to my mom!" I said, still glaring at him.
"Oh, Mommy Ayen? Why did she call you and not me?" He asked, pouting his lips.
I rolled my eyes. "'Cause I am her daughter, Rhum."
"So I am!" he shouted back. I bet after that his throat will hurt.
"Whatever! Tell Max, we're coming!" I replied and closed my window. Rhumzelle was just in the other house. Since we had been arguing and shouting so often, Dad decided to separate us. I've been living in my own house since I turned 15. Rhum has been alone so he always comes to my house. Even if they want him to go home, he just doesn't want it so they have no choice but to also give Rhum a house that is close to where Maxwell and I live. My older brother lives just a few meters from here.
"Good morning, Nanny," I greeted as soon as I saw my nanny whom I living with. I sometimes address her as Nay.
"Good morning," Nanny placed a plate of bacon and eggs on the table. "Will you eat? I cooked fried rice."
"Of course, how can I resist your fried rice, Nanny?"
We both laughed. Well, my nanny is very good at cooking. She seems to have the best-fried rice here in the Philippines. I love it more when she puts a lot of garlic in it. They call it "Sinangag" here in the Philippines.
"Nay, did we receive any call from Solomon University?" I asked in the middle of my food. Rhum and I just transferred from a new school since I was in senior high already. Rhum did not agree to be left alone at our old school. Meanwhile, our older brother is already in college.
"Not yet, but your Aunt Ria called. Your daddy will go to school tomorrow," she replied without looking at me. She has been very busy cooking.
"Is there something wrong with our applications?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed. "Why would they go to school?"
"The school wants your daddy to invest in them," she replied so I nodded before finishing my meal.
"Thanks for the food, Nanny! I have to go, Rhum's waiting outside his house," I said after drinking a glass of water. "Delicious by the way."
I quickly get my bag and got out of my house. I stopped and held onto my chest when Kuya Seb and Kuya Val were the first things I saw. And the moment they saw me, they quickly let go of the hose and stood up straight. Kuya Val even jumped in the air when his shoes got wet.
"Good morning, ma'am!" they greeted in unison.
I smiled at them. "Good morning."
"Where are we going, ma'am?" Kuya Val asked.
"Rhum wants to go shopping," I answered and thanked Kuya Seb as he opened the gate for me. "We'll be back. We're just going to get Maxwell, you know him. He's quite slow."
They both laughed.
"All right, ma'am. We'll get the car ready," said Kuya Val.
I just nodded and left the house. When I got to Rhum's house he had just come out with his cat, Whiskey.
"Ayiyi!"
For the second time, I rolled my eyes when I heard him call me that name. I don't know where he got that or why he needed to say the word 'Yi' two times.
"Whiskey," I called his cat. It immediately jumped towards me which made Rhum pout.
"She's still your favorite, huh? I see," he commented as we started walking to our brother's house.
Rhum opened the gate and rang the doorbell. Minutes later there was still no Maxwell coming out so I immediately picked up the key under the doormat and opened his door. I then put Whiskey down as we barged into our brother's house.
"Maxwell-"
"Didn't you guys know how to knock?" he asked, cutting my words short.
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear Rhum ring the doorbell?" I asked back which made him glare at me. Rhum and I exchanged eye contact before chuckling, walking towards our brother, and giving him a hug. "Morning."
"This two..." Maxwell shook her head, looking so done with us. "Do you really have that introduction before greeting and giving your brother some hugs?"
"Our day will not be completed if we didn't do that, Kuya," Rhum remarked.
Maxwell just shook her head. "Come on, summer will end soon and... I, uh-"
"And you will become busy already," I continued what Maxwell couldn't which made him halt for a second. Rhum's already pouting beside me.
"O-Of course, not! No, that will never happen. Kuya will never be busy when it comes to both of you," he uttered, ruffling our hair.
"Kuya!" we both hissed.
Maxwell chuckled before getting out of his house. Rhum and I followed and walked back into my house where Kuya Seb and Kuya Val were waiting. As I expected, Rhum started teasing me about it.
"Can you stop it already?" I said, annoyed. "It's Maxwell's fault, okay? He's the one who insisted to have me some drivers!"
"'Cause, you're just seventeen, a minor, and the only princess in our family. Therefore, we should take care of you the most," Maxwell reasoned out, silently playing with Whiskey.
"Yeah, I know, I know," I nodded, sighing. "It's nice to have them both, though."
In one of the rarest moments, Rhum agreed. "Yeah, they're funny."
"That's new," Maxwell commented.
Our little brother drew his eyebrows together. "What new?" he asked, confused.
"You agreed with me, that's new," I muttered, folding my arms.
His smile turned into an awkward one. "I changed my mind. Your drivers are not fun. They keep saying and arguing that they're the most handsome man in the world which is crazy... and hopeless!"
"Rhum?!" I exclaimed, looking at my driver in the rearview mirror.
"We're here, "announced Kuya Val. We quickly got off the car while they went straight to the parking lot.
"Good morning, ma'am Ayine, Sir Rhum, Sir Maxwell!" they greeted us.
I smiled, though I felt quite embarrassed. I'm not yet used to it unlike my two brothers especially now that they're proving some security for us. I couldn't help but be uncomfortable and Maxwell seemed to notice that.
"Uh, my siblings and I want some privacy," Maxwell told them after clearing his throat. It was obtained immediately but there are still doubts in the head security. "It's okay, Harry. We will be fine. I'm with them. Please."
Just then, the security bowed their heads and walked away. Rhum and I smiled meaningfully at each other while Maxwell shook his head when he saw us.
"I knew it, I knew it! You're just pretending earlier-hey! Maxine! Rhumzelle! Come back here!"
"Faster, Ayiyi! Come on," Rhum shouted as we ran faster than before, leaving our dear brother behind. When we got sure that he will no longer catch up with us, we parted our ways. Rhum quickly headed to the arcade while I go inside the ice cream parlor.
"Good day, ma'am Ayine! Cookies and cream?"
I smiled, nodding. They really know what ice cream flavor I like already. "Thank you," I thanked, handing some bills.
"Thank you rin, ma'am!"
I hurried out to follow Rhum. I do not often go to arcades but I needed to. My brother was still young. He always picks a fight even to a three-year-old kid, so we can't let him play alone or else we're all doomed.
My phone rang and I knew it was my brother, Maxwell. I was about to turn it off when someone just crashed into me, making both of us fall, so do my ice cream.
"DAMN!"
* * *
When He Dares Me
by: Thesweetestthing