Chapter 7

After that interaction with my brother, I have tried to avoid him even more, which hasn't been difficult because he has been avoiding me since then. In front of our parents, though, we maintain a courteous demeanor. He also doesn't want to bother his parents with his problem with me. I am sure Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro will be furious when they learn of our predicament. Lyka inquired, "Where do you intend on going after class, Anna?" We are having lunch at the school cafeteria right now. I give a shrug. I am not sure. After my fight with my stepbrother, I spent the last few days working at a restaurant. After class, I go there to keep myself occupied. I don't always notice the time, and then it is too late. Aunt Lila is fine with it because I never forget to text her to let her know where I am. I am just not sure if that is acceptable to my brother. I can barely tell the difference because he always frowned at me. "Perhaps I'll just go straight home? I am so tired from preparing our reports that I'm barely sleeping," I explained. I awoke yesterday night to do my Accounting reports, and the bottom of my eye was black, so I simply covered it with makeup, and my eyeglass also helped to hide my eyebags. Lyka nodded, yawning, as if she, too, had reached morning preparing her report. "Hey, ladies," Aiden remarked, "here is your lunch." I envy this one since he still looks fantastic, fresh, and lively despite having remained up all night, whilst Lyka and I looked like zombies with our tired expressions. "Thank you!" Lyka exclaimed. Since we became friends, Aiden has also done something nice for us. We did not have to wait in line at lunch because he was the one who placed our order. That is why Lyka approves of him. He even feeds us lunch on occasion. When Aiden buys us meals, I'm the one who gets ashamed. Lyka is shameless; she doesn't know how to say no when Aiden treats us, despite the fact that it is already embarrassing since he has been buying us meals. Aiden commented after staring at us, "You guys look a little under the weather." At the same time, Lyka and I sighed. "Admit it to us, Aiden," she says. Are you actually the one completing your tasks?" Lyka inquired sarcastically. Aiden frowned as he turned to face her, surprised. "Of course, who else will do that besides me? My mom?" Aiden shook his head and took a bite of his chicken order; he even offered me his chicken because he undoubtedly noticed me looking at him. "Are you certain? Why do you still look so good if you were up all night last night finishing your schoolwork? Look at us, we are anxious, while you do not even appear to be sleep deprived." Lyka exclaimed, her hands emphasizing Aiden's face, and she even peered at his face for signs of tension or lack of sleep, but there were no marks of sleeplessness or stress on A's face. "First and foremost, Lyka, I know I am attractive; don't make it clear that you like me; second, is it my fault if my worry doesn't show on my face?" Aiden responded with a tiny pout on his lips, most likely to appear sweet. I scooped up the tissue paper on the table and tossed it in Aiden's face, astounded by his airiness. I tossed a tissue in his face and it hit him in the face. Lyka burst out laughing. "What you are saying, A, is revolting. Come to a complete stop right there, Aiden." I replied. "You look like a duck trying to defecate." I added. It is really terrible to see him trying to be cute. "You know what, Anna, you are hurting my feelings," he said dramatically, scrouching his chest to make it appear as if he was truly hurt by what I said. All I could do was shake my head. Why am I surrounded by strange people anyway? Can someone remind me why I became their friend? Our lunch break came to a close with a lot of mocking. I couldn't help but chuckle out loud as they conversed. Aiden will reminisce about his childhood, while Lyka will irritate him. As a result, we were the loudest people in the cafeteria. Students will stare at us strangely, but we will simply ignore them. When Aiden is with us, I've also grown accustomed to the students' staring gaze. Maybe things can't be prevented because he's such a lovely man with us. It didn't bother me at all. Aiden was pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering. He is in the same year as me and Lyka. Unlike the other Engineering students I encounter, Aiden seemed to have no problems with his course. Probably because he is smart. Aiden inquires, "Will you come home with me again later?" Lyka and I also got Aiden as our driver. He picks up one of us every morning before school, and sometimes we all go home at the same time, but I just let him drop me off at our village's gate because my step brother's, who seems to be angry with the world, has such a wide imagination that he might misunderstand the relationship I have with A. "No, we know you are tired, too," I answered, "so I guess we will simply wait for our driver." He smiled and nodded. "All right," he replied. He didn't remain long, either, and left because his Engineering classes were in a different building. Lyka and I decided to take our next class together. I am already tired, but it seems like this day will drag on for a long time. Oh, this has been a long and exhausting day. "Hey," Lyka said, putting his hand on my shoulder. We sat at the farthest and darkest section of the hall, so if we gossiped, we wouldn't be too conspicuous. I am even more tired now that the air conditioner is turned on. "What?" I was on the edge of closing my eyes as I responded. She said, "Tell me about your attractive but obnoxious brother." She appears to be sleepy as well, and talking to me about my older brother will only keep her awake till our professor's presentation is through. "So, how about him?" I enquire. She shook her head. "Aren't you two still getting along? I am talking about things like... Is your relationship the same as it was before?" She inquired. I told her about the confrontation of my brother with me. She was furious when she heard that. She also said that if older brother had not changed his behavior, she really will not like him anymore. I actually laughed when she said that. As if brother Alessandre cared if she didn't want to like him, if I know, I don't think he even know her. "I am not expecting anything. You know, I have done everything I can to keep our relationship healthy." I stated. I'm just waiting for everything to fall into place; if my brother and I get along, that is great; if not, that is OK as well. I don't want to force anything, especially with my brother. "What a waste of time. If you two got along, you could have made it easier for us to get to know each other. You know, I might still be your step sister in law." She said and I looked at her annoyed. "Anyhow, do you have anything planned for tomorrow? Let's go on a road trip. Let us invite Aiden and ask him to treat us," she suggested, gladly abandoning the subject of my brother. I pondered. She invites us to go for a walk again tomorrow because it is the weekend. I don't have anything planned for tomorrow. Aunt Lila didn't tell me about any Saturday activities, so I am guessing I am free tomorrow. However, I was considering napping for the entire weekend. "I guess I am free," I replied. "Just in case," I inquire, "where are we going?" Aiden will be joining us for the first time if her plan goes through tomorrow. That makes me want to keep thinking. She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I don't think there is anything specific we can do right now." On weekends, when Lyka and I are not at the mall, we go to our house and hang out there. If we did it again, it would be tedious. When I think about something, I smile. I had entirely lost interest in the professor speaking in front of me, or rather, we had lost interest in the professor lecturing in front of us. We don't appear to be the only ones who are drowsy and aren't paying attention to him. "How about a road trip? We have not gone on any road excursions, have we? Since neither of us has a car," I added, smiling, as a wave of adrenaline rushed through my veins. Aiden has a car, so we already have one. Lyka nodded happily. I am overjoyed. I just hope Aunt Lila agrees. We spent all our time planning our road trip for the following day. We don't have a precise destination in mind, but we are considering driving to Tagaytay. We'll start by asking Aiden if he's available tomorrow. I simply took out my phone and looked through my contacts for Aiden's name. I texted him to see if he might join us on a road trip tomorrow. I did not expect him to respond quickly because I know he is in class, but I was pleasantly surprised that he did. Perhaps he was bored since it was Friday, and let us face it, Friday is the most dull day of the week, especially for students. It is day when all we want to do is skip class and sleep at our comfy and fluffy bed. Ah, how I miss my room, my bed to be precise. He accepted our invitation to go on a road trip with us. When I told Lyka about it, she was overjoyed to learn that the plan would continue the next day. We looked for Aiden after class to talk about our plans for tomorrow. We tracked him down right away, and Lyka informed him of our plan. She's the one who's good at such things in the first place. We already separated ways to go home when we agreed to the arrangement. Aiden didn't even offer to drive us home, as we had arranged. Uncle has taken Lyka under his wing. Uncle insisted on sending me home, but I refused. I insist because our subdivision is out of the way and it will only cause them inconvenience if they are going to drive me home. I told them I would just text our driver to come get me so they could relax. I called a taxi after Lyka and her father had left. I was also able to return home quickly. Because I am so exhausted, my entire body hurts. I ran into Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro in the living room as soon as I walked in. I went up to them. I said, "Good afternoon, everyone." They shifted their attention to me. Uncle Sandro was amused by my appearance. I sulked. Uncle laughed and added, "You look tired, Anna." He is making fun of me. I kissed his cheeks and made my way over to Auntie. Auntie received a hug from me. Auntie patted my hair while laughing. "You are right, Uncle, I am dead tired. Can I just skip school forever?" I asked, sleepily. "I am just going to marry a rich man, Uncle." The two laughed out loud. I, too, smiled. I adore hearing their laughter. Uncle smiled and asked, "Honey, do you want to get married already?" I gave a nod. "Later, Anna. When you reach legal age, you can marry," Auntie said thoughtfully, looking at Uncle. My brow furrowed as I broke away from our embrace and faced them both. These two might think I am serious about what I said. "Please don't take my joke too seriously. I am just joking," I said to the two of them, smiling. They merely shook their heads, as if they didn't believe me. Auntie rose up and said, "Let us just come to the kitchen and eat." I gave a nod. It came at the perfect time, as I was also hungry. "Oh, that's right." I replied. Uncle Sandro ordered me, "Go to Alessandre's room and tell him we are going to eat." I was stunned. "Can I have Joy, my nanny, do it for me?" I asked Uncle, smiling sweetly at him to entice him to agree; I am avoiding Alessandre's brother, right? Uncle nodded. I heaved a sigh of relief when he called nanny Joy and told her to call older brother; I was secure, thank heavens. "Good evening mom, dad." My step brother greeted us. He nodded at me and I simply smiled back at him. The two don't seem to notice the tension between my step brother and me. "Good evening, son." Uncle replied, patting his son's back. "How is your day, Alessandre?" Aunt Lila asks to start a conversation. We have already started eating. Alessandre, the stepbrother, shrugged his shoulders. "Mom, nothing much occurred. He replied, Just the same schedules, meetings, and yeah." Uncle nodded. They have already started talking about business, and Auntie would occasionally inquire while I remained silent, as I have no knowledge of Uncle's line of business. After dinner, I helped Aunt Lila wash the dishes, and I will also tell her about our plans for tomorrow. I trailed, "Auntie, can I go out tomorrow? Lyka and I, along with a friend, had planned a road trip for tomorrow. It is just to unwind," I said, and Auntie considered it. "Hmmm, you can go," she said, smiling. "Just remember what I always tell you: always be careful, okay?" I was giddy with delight. "Thank you so much, Auntie! Thank you very much!" I squealed with delight as I kissed her cheeks, and we both burst out laughing. "By the way, honey, who is this other friend?" She inquired, perhaps because she was aware that Lyka and I were the only two people who were usually together, and Lyka was the only person I introduced to them. "Auntie, he"s a transfer student. He is nice and hilarious," I said, smiling. "Really? You already have a male friend?" she enquired. "Yup! And, first and foremost, we despise him because he is well-known among the female students on campus. But because he insisted on being a part of our group, Lyka and I agreed. Auntie, I promise he isn't a moron. He is also not a negative influence. He is, in fact, an Engineering student. How awesome is that?" I exclaimed proudly, knowing that if Aiden could hear me, he'd burst out laughing at my compliments. Tsk. "Looks like you're very comfortable with your new friend, ah." She said as she wiped the already washed plates. "Just always take care, honey. Alright?" Auntie said. I lovingly nod at her. After that she said goodbye to went to their room. She said she was going to rest. "I will be the one to finish it, Auntie. Please rest." I said. "Thank you, Anna. Goodnight." She kiss me on the forehead before she left. Not a few minutes after Auntie left, I heard footsteps behind me. I smiled. Auntie really, I already told her that I can manage to finish this. "I will take care of it, Auntie. Please take a break." I stated. "I will simply do the dishes; I won't cook; your kitchen is safe in my hands." I said, jokingly. Auntie did not respond to my message. My brow was furrowed. "Aunt Lila..." I was cleaning the dishes when I came to an abrupt halt. My waist was securely encircled by a pair of veiny arms. For a brief while, I was paralyzed and unable to move. I struggled after learning that Aunt Lila's arms are vastly different from the ones that are holding me. I struggled but failed to break free from his embrace. It is not a woman's hand, I am sure. I am convinced they are the hands of a man. He had impossibly enormous hands-his over-enthusiastic handshakes could definitely snap your wrist in two if you had weak bones. "Can you stay still? I am feeling dizzy the more you wiggle." I stopped struggling when I hear his hoarse and manly voice. I was stunned and could not speak immediately. I struggled to find my brain but it seemed to have stopped thinking. My heart is pounding like the thundering hooves of a thousand wild stallions. It beats so hard I thought it would tear out of my chest. "Brother?" I whispered. I can barely recognized my voice. His warm chest pressed into my back is enough to weaken my knees. "What... What are you doing?" I ask, still finding it difficult to utter a word. My hand is shaking and I am afraid I might drop the plate I am holding so I put it down with a trembling hands. "My world is spinning, Anna." He groggily answered and pulled me even closer to him. I can feel the calming rhythm of his heart. I nibble my lips. I feel strange feelings dripping over me. "Are you drunk?" I asked confused. We just finished eating. Did he drink with Uncle? And why is he hugging me tightly? "I drink a little vodka. Just a little amount." He said like a child complaining. He even choked. "Little, my foot." I said. I tried to remove the coil of his hand from me but I couldn't. The longer we stay together, the stronger my heartbeat gets. "Let go, will you? I will take you up to your room." I said sounding piss just for him to let me go but he didn't. "Hey!" I said weakly. "Come on, Alessandre. Do not be such a pain in the ass," I said. "Your ass is in pain? Hmmm, let me see." And the next thing he did almost knock me out from my sanity. He unwrapped one of his hands from around my waist and grasped my buttocks without warning.What he did made my eyes widen. My mouth has been left dangling open. My mouth is left hang open. My brain is having a hard time processing what happened. "I think your ass is fine. It is still bulky." He said not letting go of my butt. He was still squeezing it as if he was liking it. He even slap it that earn a groan from me. "Hmmm, yours are really sexy." He said while like a stress ball squeezing my butt. He still nods while doing that as if he is contented by what he is holding right now. I didn't move and just gazed. I attempted to move but was unable to do so. My heart has doubled in speed and my breath has become labored. I'm having trouble concentrating. My brain isn't working, but all of my other senses are. I can feel his left arm snugly wrapped around my waist, his tickling breath on the side of my neck, his warm chest crushed against my back, and his macho scent combined with the rum he drinks, which is a wonderful mixture for his seductive scent.