“Tap!” Brother called out to me. But I didn't stop. I kept on running like a person who has the entire world against me.
Some students sitting on the bleachers turned to watch when they heard my brother shout.
Yet, I didn't stop until I reached the side of the school. And that was when my brother caught up to me.
“Tap, what's wrong with you?” Brother circled his hand around my waist when he caught up with me.
“Let me go!” I tried to remove his tight grip on my waist, but he held on tight.
“What's wrong, baby boy?” He turned me to face him.
“ Your girlfriend is what's wrong with me!”
I said those words before my mind fully caught up on the words I said.
I covered my mouth with my hands to stop myself from saying more, but it was already late. The words have been said.
“What did Dinma do to you?” He asked. His face wasn't masked in anger as I thought based on the fact I mentioned how girlfriend in a conversation that shouldn't have included her.
If anything, have had a concerned expression on his face.
Yet, I didn't answer his questions. I kept on moping at him like a fool who has lost all coherency of thoughts.
“What did she do to you? “ He asked again.
“I hate her! “
She stole you from me!
I wanted to shout, but I can't do that. Saying those words out loud will rob me of my brother, and that right there isn't something I want to happen.
“Why do you hate her? “
“Nothing.” I caught myself saying words I shouldn't say, to talk more about thinking to say. “Forget I said anything. It might be based on how angry I was earlier.”
I don't want my brother to hate me, should I tell him in detail why I hate his girlfriend?
“If it makes any difference to you, I'll break up with her. I won't want to date a person you don't like.”
His words made me inwardly smile.
I so badly wanted to ask him to do that.
“No!” I said instead of the yes that was on the tip of my tongue.
“Why?”
“I don't want you to break up with her on my account. You don't have to do that.”
Brother might end up hating me for being the cause of the problem between his girlfriend and him. That right there isn't something I want.
I don't in any way want to be the cause of my brother's sadness.
If he's happy being with her, then I won't mind.
Even if that gets my heart broken countless times, I won't still mind.
“You don't have to worry about that.” He placed my head on his chest. “I'll do anything that makes you happy.”
“Even at the cost of your happiness?” I raised my head from his chest. “ I don't want you to do things just because that's what I want. I want you to do what you want.”
“Don't worry about that. It's my life, and mine alone, to worry about. You don't need to worry your cute head about something like that.”
“But….” I tried to counter his words, but he stopped me from doing so.
“Shhh. You don't have to worry about anything. Your big brother wants to keep you happy. Don't worry about me. I'm happy when you are.”
If only he knew how much his words affect me, he won't say words like this because they are the type that's capable of making me commit a crime I might regret.
You shouldn't say words like those, Tata.
*
I strode into my last class of the day.
Luckily for me, I came in earlier before our teacher made an appearance.
Had I been a minute later than I was, I would have been in danger of being tongue-lashed by her.
No one wants to be caught in her dark web. Not even her fellow teachers are exempted from it.
“You're really lucky.” Gor my seatmate smiled.
“That's my middle name. Mr Lucky.” I smirked
**
“Mr Tap, can you tell me the words I spoke just now?” The said devil incarnate asked. Her shrew eyes narrowed at me.
“Ehm…” I nervously scratched my hair. My hand mercilessly tugged on the poor hair.
“You spoke of the incoming test.” I heard from the back.
“Oh yeah! You were saying something about the incoming test.” I answered as if I've known it all along.
Bravo, Tap.
You can catch up to things faster than anyone else.
“Mr Max!” She glared at him.
“Yes, Miss.” He smiled. His innocent eyes blinked at her.
His face was just too innocent that you can't get yourself to be angry with me.
However, we know that's not true. But the devil's incarnate is the only one who thinks Max is the most innocent boy to walk the Earth.
In the entire school, Max is the only one she likes. She most times lets the things he does slide.
*
“Thanks for what you did.” I grinned gratefully at him.
“It's no problem at all.” He mirrored the expression on my face.
Up close, I get to see how handsome he is, but despite how handsome he is, he can't in any way be compared to my brother.
In my eyes, no male can't be compared to him. He's the best among the beat.
Max might be handsome, but he holds no candle to my brother, who's the most handsome boy to walk the Earth.
My stepbrother is the best among the rest.
“Baby boy?”
I turned at the sound of my brother's voice. A smile on my face as I did so.
“See you later Max,” waving at him, I ran to my brother's side.
“Okay.” Max waved at me.
“Who's that?” My brother narrowed a look at him.
“My classmate.” I turn to Max who's still standing where he was when I left, looking at us before I turned to face my brother," Come on, let's go home.” I took his hand in mine and started dragging him home.