Chapter 5

I've never felt so uncomfortable in my life. The only thing that blew around was the sound of the car engine and the horn from outside. Due to the full blast air conditioning, the air is quite frigid. I'm now in the car of my brother Alessandre. Aunt Lila must have woken him up to take me to school. Auntie may have been aware that the automobile I had reserved would be late. It's difficult to get a taxi or Grab here because it's a gated community with practically every resident owning a car. As a result, I was able to spend time with the person I had been avoiding. I was taken aback. Are you upset at me, Lord? Is it possible that I've committed a severe sin? Why are you dragging me down the path of disaster? My endeavor to get up early was in vain. I even lied to Aunt Lila to get away so I wouldn't have to see brother Alessandre, who was the only one who could take me to school. How fantastic is that? Because no one was speaking to us, I chose to remain silent. Isn't it so embarrassing that whenever I speak, he simply ignores me? What a laughingstock will I be if my brother ignores me? I just kept my mouth shut and forgot about the fact that I was sitting about half a meter away from my brother. I merely closed my eyes today instead of being terrified by my driver. Because the University is so far away from our home, I'm sure it will take us a long time to get there. I'm incredibly sleepy now because I didn't get enough sleep last night because what I saw in my older brother's room didn't put me to sleep, and I also woke up early earlier. My weariness was exacerbated by the oppressive silence. I was completely unaware that I had dozed off. "Whoa! I'm in good spirits! I had a feeling I would now." The speaker's abrupt loud boom makes me shiver. With the volume of the music, it felt as if cold water was suddenly dumped on me. In disbelief, I almost had a heart attack. My soul is almost ready to leave my physical body. Disgusted, I searched for the heartless perpetrator who had woken me up. "You should have seen your face, youngster," the culprit said. "You've become much more obnoxious." He added. If it weren't for my false brother, whose entire face is now flushed with suppressed laughing, who else with a callous monster would do this to me? He's shooting my reaction with his phone. The glare in my eyes as I turned to face him was unmistakable. Despite what he did to me, he still has the audacity to laugh at me. He is truly heartless. "What? That was incredible, kid. You screamed as if you were a market hawker. Do you want to look at your face?" He laughed. To irritate me even more, he pretended to hand me his cell phone. Is he having a good time with this? My eyesight became blurry, and I tugged his hair without saying anything. This is a shivering jerk. I was soundly resting here when he abruptly awoke me in this manner. "You cruel, cold, ruthless, embecile, monkey!" I scream at him as I fiddle with his hair. When I tried to grab his hair, he always shied away. He's terrible. I never do anything like that to him. I've been polite and understanding of his poor behavior all this time, and now this is how he'll do it? Can't he see how tired I am? The very least he can do is gently wake me awake. My gaze was drawn to the book that had fallen beneath the car seat. I seized it and slammed it into his head without saying anything. "Fuck! That hurts, ah!" he exclaimed, but I don't care. "You deserved it! You callous jerk!" I scream back, unfazed by him. If I was terrified of him before, I'm not afraid of him now because he awakened me up in such an unpleasant manner. I wasn't getting enough sleep, and everything he did was making my blood boil. "Stop it! Fuck!" he yelled, but I couldn't care less. I snatched a fistful of his hair and yanked it from his head. He suddenly seized my hands and turned the table around in a matter of seconds. He had me in his grip now, pinning me to my seat. I tried but failed to withdraw my hand away from him. Isn't it true that I'm up against his might? He was much more powerful than I was. I kicked him when I realized I had no chance of him letting go of my hand. I kicked him in the foot, and he screamed. Thrown to the ground. Huh! It's only fair. "That's for you, asshole!" I yelled at him, stocking my tongue. He shouted, "You little brat!" before squeezing my legs with his two thighs. He's clenching his teeth, as if I'm already causing him pain. "Let off of me, you jerk!" I screamed, but I couldn't pull free from his grip. He is plainly strong, and I have little hope of winning with my small physique against his large bulk. "What did you just call me, kid?" he said, his voice thick. I imitated him and asked, "What did you just call me, kid?" "You're deaf!" I tease him. "You're so close to me, but you haven't heard me. You're not just a heartless jerk, you're also deaf." We were only a few feet apart, yet he still wanted to know what I said. To irritate him even more, I chuckle at him. "And yeah, you heard me correctly: I call you jerk. As in J-E-R-K. Jerk!" I said, shouting at his face. He grew deafeningly quiet, his expression solemn. As he sat back in his chair and moaned numerous times, he appeared to be weakening. Before speaking, he cleared his throat. He added, not looking at me, "We're here at the University you're attending; you may come down; I still have a lot of things to do." What went wrong with him? He was even stifling a chuckle like a mad man a while ago, but that was fine, and now he's back to being serious. He tightened his jaws and held the driving wheel firmly. What went wrong with him? Is it possible that he became enchanted and his mood shifted back to seriousness? It's difficult to interpret his mind, tsk. "Thanks for the ride, brother," I murmured, still irritated by his callous attitude. I was still taken aback when I saw him blink before exiting his car. Is he bipolar or does he have a split personality? He altered his mood as quickly as a shooting star, and I've never seen him laugh like that before. He was even mocking or more like aggravating me not long ago, and then he returned to his old self in a flash. The one who is chilly, dictatorial, and scary. I made the mistake of walking into the University's gate. My older brother left me off a few meters from the University's door, so I still had to walk. "Boo!" Lyka arrived out of nowhere, seemingly out of nowhere. "Are you planning to murder me, Lyka? I was taken aback." I snarled at her. In horror, I was even clutched to my chest. Is it really everyone's hobby these days to scare each other? I'm still reeling from what my fantastic stepbrother did, and now this? I truly believe I would have had a heart attack if I had heart disease. If I don't already have it, I may have it right now. "Hello, I've been trying to call you for a while now." She remarked, rolling her eyes at me, "I just went with Dad, then I saw you come out of an odd car, looking incredibly pale." "I thought you were kidnapped by a vampire and swallowed all your blood; you seem so anemic that you're about to pass out, despite you were already anemic," she added as we strolled hand in hand. "This morning, my brother drives me to school," I blurted out, as she immediately came to a halt and stared at me as if I had grown another head. "Unbelievable. You've got to be kidding me." I must say, she's completely taken aback. Her mouth is open wide. She looked around and exited the University when she couldn't find what she was looking for. In her hunt, her neck lengthens. What is it that she is seeking for? "Hey, what are you doing? While it's still early, come join me at the cafeteria. I haven't eaten anything yet." As I approached her, I remarked to her. I give her a gentle prod on the side. "Stay still, Anna. Don't interrupt me," she said, oblivious to what was being spoken. "What are you looking for?" I inquire. I looked as well. My stomach began to growl as we both looked around. I frowned and grabbed my stomach. "Wasn't that the car that took you there? That is it, right?" She exclaimed, her face beaming. As I frown, her eyes twinkle and the width of her smile widens. "I'm hoping your sibling will emerge so that I can see him. His blue eyes are sorely missed!" She guffawed. Yes, of course. Lyka has a crush on my older brother. My older brother is a snob, so I'm not sure what she saw in him that made her like him. Maybe he hasn't even heard of her. I understand that my brother is attractive, but doesn't she believe that it is the attitude that counts the most? When Kuya is around, she will just feel rigid. "It' s up to you, Lyka. I'm just going to eat in the cafeteria." I murmured before walking away. Another person who is tough to comprehend is that woman. She used to be apprehensive about visiting our home since her brother might be present; today, she is ecstatic and eager to see him. Fortunately, despite the fact that our house was somewhat far away, I arrived early. I quickly placed an order for food. The cafeteria was packed with early school pupils, luckily, I got a vacant seat. My class isn't until nine o'clock, so I still have plenty of time to eat. "Hi, can I take this seat?" I raise my head, looking up to see a man beaming at me while holding his lunch. I look around the cafeteria with my eyes wandering. He stated, "Oh, there aren't as many vacant seats." His grin never faded from his face. I reciprocated with a nod and a smile. As he sat in front of me, he said, "Thank you." I nodded once more and resumed my meal. I was so famished that I didn't even see the man seated across from me. I just eat there as though the only thing that matters is that my hungry stomach is filled. I soon became aware that someone was staring at me. When I raised my eyes, I was met by the deep brown eyes of the stranger seated opposite from me. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uneasy," he expressed his concern. He must be concerned that his gaze irritates me. I burst out laughing. I'm not easily irritated by people staring at me. "No, I'm alright," I assure him, but he appears to be as concerned. To prove that I was fine, I even gave him a thumbs up. We both burst out laughing. "By the way, my name is Aiden Guevarra," he said. He extends his hand in greeting. "My name is Annalise Fay, but you may call me Anna for a short." I said, shaking his hand. He grinned, and his adorable dimple appeared. Wow, that's cute. "It's my first time seeing you; are you a new student?" I inquire. He took a sip of his coffee before responding. "Yup," he said, his p popped. "I came from the province, from my Grandma's, but she, she's with God now, so I came back here," he said, his gaze averted from me. You shouldn't have asked him, Anna. "I'm sorry to hear that. How do you feel?" I said, oblivious to the fact that he was going through a terrible time. "I'll be alright. At least now, Grandma won't be in pain, and she'll be able to be with Grandpa," he remarked, and I couldn't help but grin sadly at him. I'm not very good at reassuring folks. Because I am not a good speaker, when Lyka has a problem, I simply listen to her and hold her. "You know what, aside from my parents, you're the first one to ask me how I'm feeling," he added. "The majority of folks asked if I was okay, which I am obviously not," he added. At him, I shrugged my shoulders. "Perhaps because I've been there and know how it feels? And I also know that asking someone if they're okay when they aren't won't make them feel any better," I replied with a smile. He smiled and nodded. He laughs and replies, "You know what, Anna? You're cool." He questioned, "Can you keep listening to my stories?" "We just met, but I told you a lot straight away," he said. I glanced at him with perplexed, inquisitive eyes. "Silly, I'm asking you to be my buddy because I truly appreciate the way you think, and you're the only girl here who doesn't seem to be bothered by my presence," he said, smiling. What exactly is he on about? I cast my gaze over the room once more. I can't tell you how many times I've looked around the cafeteria. I've already lost track. I observed a bunch of women staring at us, namely the man with me. They'll gaze at him and then laugh. Aiden received a frown from me. "So?" he inquired. I locked my gaze on him. To be honest, he seemed kind, and I was confident we'd get along. I believe I can relate to him. He's also a laid-back guy. But, exactly like what's going on right now, I don't want to draw anyone's attention to myself. I'm trying to keep a low profile while I'm at school. And this person, he draws everyone's attention. Even now, he appears to be the only source of gossip among the students on campus. I shook my head and answered, "Nah, don't want to." I can already see what this man's future holds. Almost every woman and woman at heart on campus will have him as their crush. I don't want to be despised by them. What's that, me vs. the entire female population on campus? I'm not interested, therefore I'll pass. I don't want to be bullied by those horrible females who are going to have a crush on him. Someone appears to be irritated with me right now since this man is approaching me. Aiden frowned and asked, "What? Why?" I just shrugged and ate my Aunt Lila"s egg sandwich. "You must have a reason for rejecting me; don't be bashful, tell me," he replied with a smile. He nodded, as if he wanted to congratulate me. He's insane. If only people could hear what he had to say, they would most likely think differently. He acted as if he had just proclaimed his love for me, and I had rejected his feelings for me. "I already have a buddy; I don't need another. Enjoy your breakfast," I added before speaking to him, his mouth hanging open, as if he didn't hear me. On my way to our room, I ran into Lyka. She strolled with a smile on her face. With the way she presently seems, she appears to be going insane. With a shake of my head, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation. What kind of foolishness did this lady come up with? I approached her and went on a walk with her. "What's up with your face? You look creepy," I said. I even looked around to see whether I was the only one who was irritated by Lyka's actions. "I'm overjoyed! I saw your brother! His vehicle window was down, so I had a good look!" she said. She's bouncing around like a kid. "I was able to see his attractive face again after so many years! Imagine that. Who would have believed I would see him again?" she exclaims, slapping my shoulder. I just let out a gasp. When people are thrilled, why do they hit the person they are with? Isn't it possible for her to be happy without causing harm to others? What is her opinion of me? Is it a punching bag? I yelled to her, "Wait!" She's been overworked, and I'm the one who's taking the brunt of her abuse. It would have been preferable if it had been a weak strike, because Lyka's hand would have been iron. She came to a halt. Maybe she sensed that I was already in pain. She gives me a shy smile. "You know what, I really don't get you; sometimes you want to avoid my older brother because you know how I feel about him, and then you're like a worm sprinkled with salt on him," I replied, raising an eyebrow at her. She fell silent all of a sudden. "I can't help myself. Your brother is far too attractive to be overlooked," she reasoned. She gave me a cheeky smile. I sighed and rolled my eyes. That's correct. I just said, "Whatever you say, Lyka." I'll take the lead and walk first. Lyka was still smiling as she followed me. I'm unable to do anything but shake my head. Why were my brother's charms so enthralling to everyone? Tss, as if he's the most attractive dude in the planet.