Hidden, Twisted, Lovely

Chapter two

I was preparing to dedicate myself to a very important activity in the life of any human: eating.

It's already 6pm, and I just started the day.

****

- Hello?

- Hello, sorry Amé, I was in the shower.

Strange, his voice is different than usual, it's deeper, more mature.

- Hmm, no worries, nothing was pressing anyway.

- And what about the bookseller? He said

- What about the bookseller? I repeated knowing well what was about the bookseller

- You lied to me, didn't you?

- What? Of course not. I lied

Obviously, I was planning on telling him the truth originally, but he annoys me with how easily he figures me out. Let's show him that I'm not an open book.

- Liar. He said in a deep voice that I had never heard before.

- Woooaaaahhh, am I now a woman who makes up dates all by herself?! I say in an exaggerated way.

- Yes, you're capable of it.

- No ! I'm completely capable of it.

I hear him sigh on the other end of the phone, a bit far away as if he had moved away from the microphone. Then I hear him coming back to his phone.

- Amelia, we're going to play a game.

- A game? Where did that come from?

My little sun who proposes to play a game, there I find my Isaac.

- It's a very simple game, we've never played it before.

- Alright, I'm listening.

Anyway, I was bored, and besides, I always win against Isaac, strategies and thinking and all that, it's not his thing.

Which is surprising because when he was little and until this event happened, Isaac showed absolutely no academic weakness and according to his teachers was even destined for a brilliant future.

- I'll tell you a statement about you right know and whatever you are doing, and if it's correct, you do exactly what I tell you.

- And if it's false?
- It won't be.

- I find you very confident for someone who hasn't won any games in 5 years.

- With you. He rapidly reckons.

Now, what did that mean?

- Go ahead, I'm listening.

...

- You woke up less than 3 hours ago.

First statement, he's off to a good start, but it wasn't difficult to guess since he has a habit of always observing me while I'm sleeping, even during summer vacations, so knowing my sleep schedule isn't that complicated.

- Pff- it's too easy, with statements so simple I might as well become your slave, I laughed.

- You're right, I'll be more aggressive then...

- You can always try.

- You read 'The Desire of Roses' all night last night.

The second statement is more complex, it's true, but I must have talked to him about ten books, so how can he know exactly what I read last night?

- Correct.

I want to see what he's trying to do with this statement game, so I don't hesitate and accept his victory.

- You'll regret it, Emilia, he says. I hear a mocking smile at the other end of the line, but I don't question it any further. Because I didn't yet know what I was going to regret exactly.

- Ok, what do you want me to do now?

I asked eagerly.

I was genuinely curious about what my innocent little brother could possibly desire. He's certainly grown up well, and he's become a big boy even though it's been a few months since I've seen him, but I know he's still my little Isaac who wouldn't even dare to imagine a naked woman, watch an X-rated movie without covering his eyes, and the bodies of women disgust him but he assured me that I could take a bath with him. I had laughed at this proposition, it was just too cute.

- You're very impatient, dear big sister, he said, emphasizing the "big sister." But don't worry, you'll know very soon. Let's continue.

- Ok, go ahead!

- You're currently wearing a pink underwear set-

Pause.

- Wait, how do you know that?!

My shock was strongly felt in my voice, he had no way of knowing that since firstly, I didn't have a single set of pink underwear until a week ago, when I bought my first pink set of underwear.

- I got lucky.

It's true that he had a lot of luck to come across the pink one, a lot of strangers on the street would have come across pink.

Are you not imagining strangers guessing the color of your underwear?

Ahem. Focus, Amelia.

- I'll take your reaction as a 'correct answer.' I'll move on to my third statement.

Not really knowing why, I feel my heart beating wildly.

- Amelia, you're home alone.

- Correct.

I don't dwell on the ease of the question, since very quickly, I'm taken with tension, chills running down my spine, I wait for his response.

- The door to your room is open.

My neck instantly turns to the entrance of my room, slightly ajar. I fix my gaze on my phone, and answer.

- Correct.

There, silence. It's getting colder and colder in my room, like an open window in the midst of a snowstorm. Maybe my imagination is playing tricks on me, but I hear footsteps on the stairs, the noise becoming heavier, slower, and closer.

I'm about to start writing, redirecting my attention to my phone. But a response pops up:

- You're in your underwear.

I don't even bother replying. Sitting on my bed, with my legs tucked under me, my breathing becomes heavier and gradually more and more labored.

The footsteps get closer and closer, and are now headed in the direction of my door.

Paralyzed, I don't move. But I pick up my phone and reply "OK" again.

My body suddenly feels a wave of chills, when suddenly

My door opens. A woman appears.

Mom.

- « SURPRISE! » Says the young woman who looks proud of herself.

- « Mom?! Weren't you supposed to come back the day after tomorrow? »

- « Yes, but there was a change of plans. The sponsors preferred the city 30 minutes away from here. Why do you look so disappointed? Are there any boys? »

She said with a very mischievous look. My mom is cute, but I clearly wanted a bit of solitude. I don't know why, but I was slightly disappointed.