CHRISTIAN GAY

12

Evelyn’s POV:

“Hey Big Sis!”, I called Sandra, my elder sister.

“Yes.”, Sandra answered as she was scrolling through her phone, with her back on the big bed and her head propped by a pillow. “What is it?”

“It’s been a long time, you know.”

“So?”

“I’ve missed you now.”, I said with a blush on my face.

“What am I supposed to do with that information?”, She maintained a straight face.

“What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“Stop the pretense and admit it. I know you miss me too.”
Sandra tried to maintain the look on her face but chuckled instead. “Who told you I missed you? I did not miss you, madam.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.

I knew it was all a façade. I was able to blow her cover. Sandra is my first best friend ever, if I would say. She is my big sister yet a very close friend since we share a lot together. She knows so much about me, just as much as I know about her too. She is the reason why I have been able to navigate certain disturbing moments since I know she’s got my back.
She cleared her throat and raised her upper half a little.

“So, what’s up this time? Is someone bullying you at school?”
“And what makes you think so?”, I furrowed my eyebrows as I gave her a questioning look.

“You look famished, do you still treat food like trash?”, she tried to avoid answering my question.

“I know what you are trying to do, but to answer your question, I don’t treat food like trash”

“Really? Then why are you so skinny?”, She gestured at my body.

I walked to the mirror hung on the wall to take a good view of my body.

“Come on sis, you know this is my God-given stature and that no matter how much I eat, it is only my tummy that would protrude after all.”, I shrugged.

“If you say so. I was only concerned.”, She said and continued scrolling through her phone.

Then I muttered, ‘‘Besides, Adam doesn’t even complain.’’
I guess that had her attention since she took her eyes off her phone and gave me a curious gaze.

“What?”, I asked when I saw her reaction.

“Adam?”

“Adam?”, I know where this is leading to, but I wanted to be certain. “Who’s Adam?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“About Adam? I don’t know what you are talking about.”, I rolled my eyes and turned back to face the mirror.

“Now don’t play the ignorant. I heard you say something about Adam not complaining and I was wondering why it has to be him of all people.”, I knew she won’t stop until she gets an answer.

I saw her reflection on the mirror and I smiled. The smile gave me off.

“I knew it!”, she gave a knowing smile.

“What do you know?”, I was still looking at the mirror.

“Nothing other than the fact that you are hiding something about a God-knows-who called Adam.”

I sighed and turned around towards her. She fixed her eyes on me as if she was trying not to miss something. The way she looked at me made me feel uncomfortable, and I guess she noticed that and winked at me. That was enough to ease the tension. I chuckled when she winked at me and she nodded, giving me cue to speak.

“Adam is my friend.”

“Or your boyfriend?”, she cut in sharply.

“No! What? How would you know that?”, I tried to defend myself.

“How would I not? It’s you, Evelyn. You are my sister and I know you better than anyone else, don’t you think?”, she rolled her eyes in a way that would render me speechless. She spread her arms akimbo and said: “Since when have you guys started seeing each other?”

“Come on, sis. I told you he is just my friend.”, I raised my arms in the air.

“This is not adding up.”, she shrugged.

“What is not adding up?”

“If he is your friend, then why is he so important in determining your physical appearance?”

I sighed. “You are taking this too far. It was just a joke. He can’t determine that for me and that’s definite!”

She advanced towards me gently and took my hands in her palms and caressed them. She looked straight into my eyes and winked at me again. Her face is so beautiful up close and it made me melt within.

“Is he your crush?”, It was almost a whisper. I was quiet for a little while. This time, I looked away from her face.

“I don’t know”, I managed to reply. Then, I started wondering what the issue was. I wondered why I couldn’t just tell her how I feel. But, even at that, I wasn’t certain if what I felt towards Adam is actually real or mutual as it is. Adam doesn’t seem to even have the time for me. And it seems hard, and even shameful to admit when it comes to it. That my first love is not… I can’t say it.

“I hope you’ve not started fighting for his attention, right?”, she sounded firm this time.

“Attention? No.”

She withdrew from me and sat her on the bed, with her face fixed at me. “Why?”

“Why what?”, I didn’t seem to understand.

“Why are you not trying to get his attention?”

I became confused. Why would I in the first place? Try to get his attention? Is he not supposed to have known already?

“I don’t understand. Is it ideal for me to do that? Will it not give me off as cheap?”

“I was just asking though. I wasn’t going to ask you to do it in the first place.’, I sighed.

Then she continued:

‘I wasn’t going to say you shouldn’t either. It’s just left to what you choose.” I became slightly weak in my legs and I went to sit beside her.

“Big Sis, I don’t understand. Why can’t you just come out straight and tell me what you think.”

Then she looked surprised all of a sudden.

“Wait up! Where did this conversation start from? I thought you said Adam is just a friend.” I shook my head in the positive.

“Then why are you so curious about getting a friend’s attention?”, she genuflected as she stressed the word ‘friend’.

“Umm…the thing is, I kind of like him.’, she nodded mockingly and I tried to defend myself ‘But, I’m not sure myself if…”

“If he has the same feelings for you?”, she cut me short.
I nodded my head in response.

She sighed. “Since when have you been feeling this way?”

“I think it started late last term.”

“And does he seem to feel the same way for you? Any clue at all?”

“I don’t think so. He seemed to blanking out lately. I guess he has a lot on his mind.” Honestly, Adam seemed to be behaving differently these days. Ever since, Reuben came into the whole scene. I hope he’s alright. I was looking forward to what Sandra was going to tell me, since I thought it would help, until I was thrown off balance by what she said next.

“You are going to tell him.”

I was taken aback. “What?”