My Stepbrother-Too Hot To Handle

DABBY:

After Damien said that and I left to my room, I sat in front of the dresser mirror in the room and stared at it for a long time. Tears seemed to be lurking around my eyes, but they weren’t coming out for reasons I could not explain. My heart was just hurting.

I didn’t know if it was because he said we shouldn’t do something like that, or that it could never be us. Regardless of what he was pointing to or talking about, I felt so stupid and dumb. I felt bad for myself, and sad that I had let my guards down.

‘Just how could I be so screwed? Why would I be attracted to my stepbrother of all guys? Why would things choose to go wrongly for me? Why?’ I pondered so much in my heart, and was unable to sleep the entire night.

I couldn’t cry as I liked to let out my burden, and I couldn’t feel any better too even if I tried. The feeling I had in my heart was so heavy, and it was really hard to sleep. I had done bad.

It was a glaring fact that mum and Damien’s father were now married, and that Damien and I had indirectly become siblings. Even though we were not related by blood, we were at least under that category of being siblings.

So how could I fall for him like that? I knew that I would feel guilty towards mum the next day.

And when I came up with an idea the next day, the best I could do was try to be proper siblings with Damien.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

The surprise in my eyes was palpable when I called out to him, but the least I could care about was trying to know what he could be thinking.

I just wanted to enjoy the rest of the vacation, without having my mistake punched into my face. And with that, I had to do everything mum wanted to do. That way, I would be away from Damien’s sight.

When we returned back home, I was being so normal to Damien and I knew he was cringing at that fact. Sometimes he gave me an incredulous look when I spoke to him, and other times he looked sad. He said we could never be together, so I had better braced myself for whatever was coming.

One thing I knew. Our parents could never find out about what was going on between us.

I didn’t know why, but I was scared of meeting Mason the next day at school. He had called me throughout our three day vacation, and he was the sweetest guy ever.

I felt guilty because of what happened between me and Damien, even if we were both in a fake relationship. And I felt sorry towards Debby because it felt like Damien cheated on her because of me.

Irrespective of what I felt, it didn’t matter anymore. The milk was spilt already.

~~~

It was another week for school again, and the situation was screaming awkwardness. I dressed up for school as fast as I could, so that I was going to be able to make breakfast quickly.

As I made omelet and toast, mum strode down the stairs that led to her own room, and took a bite of what I was making. She looked so tired like she had not slept the entire night.

She asked me about our parents’ meeting day because they sent an email to her, and said that Mr. Anderson said that she should come for both of us.

“You are coming for me and Damien’s parents’ meeting day?!” I yelled out, even before I realized that I had screamed that loud. I couldn’t believe and understand why that had to happen.

“Is there any problem with that?” Mum asked me with a surprised expression on her face, because I was not the type to have such an outburst.

“Hmmm. Yes, mum. We’ve told nobody in school that we are siblings. So, it is going to be a hassle if they find out,” I tried to keep my voice slow, as I responded to her question so seriously.

“Why? Are you ashamed of that fact? The purpose is to know that your new dad and I got married. That is the main point,” she argued.

“I’m thankful you said, your marriage is the main point. Your own marriage, not this scrambled family setting. So, nobody has to know. What matters is that you are married because you wanted it, even if I didn’t want or support it,” I spoke in a bitter way, and mum certainly didn’t expect me to talk back to her like that.

I never wanted her marriage, but she rushed everything and assumed it was the best thing to do. It was so suffocating for me to accept and I was really sad about it, but I went along with the idea without telling her how I truly felt.

Expressing my true feelings about it at a later hour seemed to have more effect on her, because she was dumb founded by my words. She must have been wondering what had come over me, and why I was suddenly voicing out things I never minded before.

‘And those dumb shredded pieces of paper. I needed to finish arranging them at all costs.’

I packed my food immediately, as mum turned away from where she was standing, astounded at what had just played before her. I walked out of the house and entered into the car, as I ate my breakfast peacefully without anyone to disrupt.

I had sniffed so many times to prevent my tears from falling, before Damien came out and entered into the car. I was so tired and felt the need to vent.

Damien didn’t say a word as he ignited the car, while I gently sipped on the box of yogurt as we drove. He drove really fast and I wondered why he was being grumpy on a good day, as he drove really fast past the bus stop he was meant to drop me at. It made me wonder what was going on, and where we were going.

He drove fast towards the direction of school, and it got me confused about what was going on in his head.

‘Why was he doing that?’

“Damien. You have passed the bus stop you were meant to drop me at, and you seem to be driving towards school. What is happening?” I voiced out reluctantly, because I wanted our ride to be quiet. My own personal space of meditating.

When I realized that he wasn’t going to answer my question, I frowned and screamed at him again to drop me down.

“Do you want everyone to ask why we are coming to school in the same car?” I yelled at his face, when he seemed to be speeding up even more.

“If you want that, well I don’t! If you don’t drop me off, I am opening the car to the door,” I threatened suddenly, and gulped when I realized what I had said.

‘Was that really me? Was that? Did I say that? Was something going wrong with me?’

“Why shouldn’t anyone know? We can as well announce our status as siblings, since your mum is going to come to school on our behalf,” he sassed.

“Well, I don’t know why you are being so annoying now. But your girlfriend must be waiting for you to go pick her up. Mine is waiting too,” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh well, the one you do not love?” He was being sarcastic again, and I scoffed.

“And who says that I do not love him. I love Mason so much, and I’m glad to have him. It is a pity that a girlfriend like me, does not even deserve a good and loyal boyfriend like him. But I am going to be putting my best interest in our relationship. No more distraction and meaningless bonding!” I yelled again from behind the driver’s seat.

“Meaningless bonding? Really? We gave something meaningless?” Damien asked incredulously with a scoff.

“I didn’t talk about anyone, Mr. Anderson. So, please do me a favor by dropping me down,” I yelled again, suddenly getting so angry at nothing in particular.

“Well, I am not stopping this car,” he threatened, and I pushed the door of the back seat open immediately.

“Shit! Dabby. Are you out of your mind already?” Damien screamed at me, and quickly swerved to the left side of the road to park the car. Immediately he did that, I opened the door and hopped off.

“Yes, I am,” I replied in a mocking tone, and turned to the side of the road.

And the luck that decided to shine on me after getting two people angry in one morning, brought a handsome guy riding a power bike to my front.

“Hey baby. Sorry I am late,” Mason seethed a smile, and winked at me which caused me to smile too. He passed a helmet to me and I put it on my head, as I hopped in the bike behind his back and wrapped my hands around his waist.

“Thank you, brother Damien. You can go pick your girlfriend now,” I jibbed in a derisive tone as I turned to Damien, who was looking so shocked by everything that played before him.

I stuck out my tongue at the last minute, before the bike rode away from his sight.

‘The pressure was now mine to take and give.’