Matches Made by Maddie

Chapter 6: Boy bands and McChick

It wasn't really a ride down memory lane when Royce and I took a bus to Eric and the twin's college. It was more of, the revenge for my pet chick that he let loose and grew up in someone else's house.

Royce and I sat in the long seat at the back of the bus, taking the seat near the window, I just stared at the view as it rolled by. Royce was busy with his phone. It's just feels kind of weird to spend a day with him after a day or two when he came home, well, to his second home. He's still the way he is when he went to his parents house, his attitude and personality hasn't changed but his way of treating me? A bit.

The moment he stepped in our house when Nana brought him, he knew that I'm going to be his sister, just that and nothing more. Well, siblings are the best of friends, right? And so we did become bestfriends, pulled pranks together and basically did any sports together and then we're teens. He fell in love he said, and I was uncertain if he already knew the meaning of love like I did and then he had his first kiss. And it wasn't from me. It was my first heart break and he didn't even have a clue about that. He was too busy being in love that he only paid attention to the girl more, and not his family. But then, she broke his heart and that was when Royce became the infamous bad boy in our town. He's known to have been pulling the kind of pranks that led him to jail, broke the rules and partied hard till he just slept in someone else's house.

He changed because of the heartbreaks he's been through, from his parents to the first girl whom he's truly loved. He still didn't know about my feelings then, until he came home drunk and kissed me.

I was in the living room when everyone else was fast asleep, waiting for Royce to come home and when he did, he was really drunk. I opened the door for him, and that was when he took a step towards me, cupped my face and kissed me. He kissed like an expert, his mouth tasted like bitter alcohol and his touch felt like a stranger's, and without any hesitation, I pushed him hard and watched him fall on the floor. He didn't stand to ask me if I was okay, he was too drunk to even care.

The flashbacks made me shudder, and Royce immediately put his phone down to check on me.

He gently pulled me by the shoulder to face him, and his expression was confused. His thumb touched my left cheek and gently brushed it, wiping away a tear.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" He asked, concern dripping from his voice.

I shook my head. "You remember what you did when you were so drunk? Wait, you were drunk so you couldn't-"

He sighed, "I do. Well, Logan told me because he said you told him too."

"Oh,"

I sat back into my seat and looked at the passenger beside Royce stand up and walk down the aisle. I looked back at him, and guilt was visible in his eyes.

"That just explains how much you hate me, Maddie and I understand that. But it wasn't me-" He glanced to his side and back to me again. "You know I wouldn't have done that if I was sober, right? You're my sister Maddie, and I love and care for you-"

I forced out a laugh, surprising him. I didn't want to make him apologize and return my feelings just because he was guilty, but I don't expect him to return it anyway. And just slapped it in my face, the two things I didn't want him to say: that I'm his sister and that he loves me because I'm his sister. That's nice of you, Royce.

"It's not that, genius. I don't like to think about that kiss again," I said and prevented myself from stuttering.

He blinked rapidly and became more confused. "What?"

And that's when we started bickering about McChick, the name of the cute yellow chick our neighbor had given me as a pet. McChick was our bestfriend too, and was part of our pranks (you can call him as an apprentice) but that was until Royce decided to set him free, and make him run towards another pair of arms that wouldn't resist his cuteness.