Mortified

chapter 6

The next few weeks go like that. Every time I try to talk to mom to get some information about my father, she changes the topic. I know I can’t push, because she has always been very picky and very emotional about that aspect of her life. It is just too sensitive for her.

Dallas had gone to the back of my mind, and I don’t talk about him until Rose does.

“Hey, I have been wanting to tell you this. That Dallas guy, he came asking for you. What happened there?” my heart takes leaps and bounds. He came, asking for me, which means that night wasn’t a dream! I beam with happiness. 

“What did you say?” I try to ask in a neutralised voice.

“Just that you had gone back to college and would come only in December for Christmas. He seemed sad. But then yesterday I saw him again and he was with another girl, kissing her. Such a jerk!”

She was correct, a jerk. He couldn’t possibly have feelings for me just after one meet and kiss. It’s probably normal for him. After talking about Albert and everything, I finally decided to give a call to Robert.

Yes so Robert is my, well how you would say it, my step-brother. Well it gets complicated here. After I was born and my father had run away like a coward, my mom married again when she was 21. It was more of an impulse marriage. She wasn’t financially strong to handle me and my grandparents had died in a car accident so she married a guy called Charlie. He had lots of money and kids already. Robert is 4 years elder to me.

Robert and I don’t talk on a daily basis but yeah twice in a month is necessary. He is very protective of me and for a strange reason I like it. I talk him about college and if he found a girl. He says that he was dating a girl named Stew, and he thinks it might get serious this time.  

“What is it? You are not talking to me. You are lost somewhere else.” I didn’t know that I wanted to cry until I burst out crying on the phone. “What is it? Why are you crying?

“There was this guy Dallas…..”

After it all ends and I am calmer about it, he tells me not to worry and that he would handle it. I couldn’t possibly think what ‘handle it’ meant but then again, he is my big brother.

 A week later as I am walking out of math class with Emily, Sheba and Phaedra, I see someone looking at me but I ignore it. I tell them to go ahead and that I would meet them later and head towards my car. I love my car, it’s a beetle, and it’s yellow in colour. It was a gift from Robert after I got admission in college. Robert is very rich, because of the business he carried forward from Charlie. He loves spending on us because we are his only family after Charlie died of cancer at the age of 34.

I keep all my things in the backseat of the car and as I turn, someone is in my face. I push him away.

“What in god’s name do you think you are doing jerk?” I look at him with anger in my eyes. 

“Trying to kiss you.” He says with a shine in his eyes.

“Ha I don’t even know you. All I know about you is that you are a jerk who kisses people randomly at 3 in the night. You might just be a psychopath. Get away or I’ll scream. And how did you know which college I go to? You are supposed be back home kissing every girl on the street. Why are you here?” I ask with angrily. I don’t understand how I could be angry with someone after just knowing their name and being kissed by him twice.

“Okay. You are right. I’m sorry. The answer to your questions, first of all I don’t kiss every girl on the street, who told you that? And I am here because someone called Robert called me and screwed my case for messing with you. He told me to come and apologise to you personally. So I’m sorry. Now that everything is solved, do you want to go for coffee?”

Oh, Robert! I need to talk to him about this later. I think about the worst thing that could happen if I go for a coffee with him. Nothing, yelled my conscious.

We go for coffee to the nearest place possible. I text Emily telling her about the sudden plan. I also text Robert to tell him that I need to talk to him.

When we are sitting there and waiting for our coffee to arrive, I decide to break the silence.

“It was you right? The person I saw with a bleeding hand? Why and how did you disappear?” I ask eagerly, prying for some insight in his life.

“Yes, it was me. I didn’t want anybody to see me like that. I have a messed up background and I don’t really share it with anybody. Not even my sister. So please if we could never speak about that part again.”  I nod my head, disappointed.

“Also that night was the best of my life. I have never kissed a girl who was so passionate and did not want it for just one night.” He says and I go crimson in my face. How did he know that I wanted it more than once?

We go on to talk about his family and mine. He has a younger sister, Mia, who is also 16 years old. I think whether Rose and she could be friends. His father has a business and his mother is always at home. She has not stepped out from the past 3 years. I do want to know more but think it is too early to push.

“So, what about your family?”   

“Well I have a younger sister, Rose and an elder brother, Robert! My mom works for The Times and has a daily column in it and my dad works abroad.” I skip over the dad part. His eyes widen on the mention of Robert.

It is five by now, and I need to return back to study. The planner on my phone rings and I know I have to go.

“It was really nice meeting you but I have to go.” I say, gathering my books and bag.

“Okay! When could we meet next?” well that was unexpected!

“Maybe for Christmas. I will be coming home only then. And you are going back so. Yeah, December” I say, with disappointment in my voice.

“Who said I’m going back? I study in another university here. I live in the boys’ sorority house, which is down the street. You can come by anytime you want.” Yes! I will be meeting him, again. There is excitement in my voice. He gives me a chit with his number on it.

“Okay! Maybe we could meet for a movie Saturday night.” Oh my god. Too desperate, my inner goddess yelling at me. I need to take tips from Emily. This is harder than I thought.  

“Yeah, sure. I’ll pick you up at 7?” I nod my head and like that our first proper meeting, without any kissing, ends. 

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