One Step at a Time

Chapter 7

Sadie POV

"Hello?" I answered my phone, laying down on my bed in the process.

"SADIE JANE!" An intense volume met my ears.

"Matteo! What in the world? Do you really want me to go deaf or something?"

Matteo Philips. This man was my best friend. The bane of my existence. My constant comparison. And my twin brother. Besides being the normal annoying brother, he was also gifted my father's intelligence. Matteo had always thrived in school, and so my parents played into that. The little try hard graduated high school at 16. So last fall, he moved out and to New York City. He was at Columbia University, studying biomedical engineering. My mom had taken it hard when he had left. And so my parents fights got worse. But I was the only one home to deal with that.

"Now, Sadie, that isn't something to joke about," he teased. It's important to note that Matteo did not fit the stereotypical child prodigy. He wasn't some genius who lacked social skills or any sort of personality. In fact, I'd argue he has too much. One thing for sure, when Matteo was around, there is always something happening.

"What do you want?" I asked and looked over at my clock. "Isn't it like 11 there?"

"And?"

"And maybe, this might sound crazy, but you should be in bed."

"Sadie, I'll have you know this is the earliest I have been in my dorm all week. I didn't even come back last night." I could just feel the smirk grow on his face. "Well it started when I met this total babe in my—"

"Leave the gory details for someone else. Also, don't refer to women as babes. That is so degrading. You know, if you only called to brag about your latest conquests, just hang up now."

"Sadie, as if. What kind of brother do you take me for?" His voice tried hard to feign innocence. "On second thought, don't answer that. Besides, is it degrading if it wasn't a girl? Look at you assuming. This isn't 1950, Sadie."

"Matteo. I have practice in the morning, if you don't get to the point."

"Ok," he started. "You know how I told Mom and Dad that I was working for the summer out here." They had mentioned it to me one night over dinner, in between their jabs laced with double meaning. "That isn't exactly the case."

"What do you mean?" I sat up in my bed.

"I have a plane ticket for next week and I was hoping that you would help me in surprising them."

"Matteo, are you insane?" It took everything in me not to shout that. "Mom and Dad are already on edge. Is this the best idea?"

"And I thought you'd be excited to see me."

"Mattie. It's not like that." Guilt filled my stomach at the sound of his voice dropping. "I am surprised, that's all."

"So you'll help me?"

"I guess so." The thought of him being home made me smile, I couldn't help it. I did miss him.

"Oh!" His voice squeaked. "How's your dance team going? Congrats by the way."

"Fine." I didn't elaborate in hopes that Matteo would just glaze over it.

"Fine? As if. What's up?" Never mind.

"Why would anything be up?"

"Sadie Jane. I might be in a different city than you, but this twin telepathy thing still works, hun. So what is up?"

"Ok. So there is this guy, Simon, on the team right?" I began to vent.

"Rightttt," Matteo chuckled. "Now I see."