Mess You Made

7.

Miguel

I glance out of the window when Luca's car comes to a dreaded stop, blowing out a long breath.

"Not up to your standards?" His tone is cutting.

Whichever way I answer, this isn't gonna end well for me so I ignore how the school looks like a pile of shit, keep my mouth shut, smile like a good boy, "Looks dreamy."

He narrows his brown eyes, hearing the sarcasm even if I tried to mask it.

"That sounded sarcastic." Comes a young voice from the backseat.

I clear my throat, "Thanks for the clarification, Benny."

"No problem." He flashes me a smile that I couldn't ever be mad at, adjusting his school jumper before looking outside the window, "I think it looks cool."

I glance back to the boy in the middle backseat, now wiping his glasses with the hem of his jumper before sliding them back over his big brown eyes. Benji flashes me one of his famous soft smiles and it's instinct, the way your lips just start to turn up when he smiles at you.

I click my tongue, muse, "Well, if Benny's approved, then I'm not as fucked as I thought."

He grins, shakes his head which makes his brown curls flop over his forehead, looking at me like I'm an idiot even though he's eleven and I'm eighteen soon. Kid's always been a shit ton more mature than me, I can tell you that.

The school itself looks a bit rundown as groups of students file up the main steps but I don't care that it doesn't look as luxurious as the ones near us. The schools in our area, or anywhere in our district wouldn't take me in since misconduct, violence and property damage don't look too great for their institution's reputation. So Luca had to venture uptown and managed to get me a place here to finish the school year in so I can graduate.

We're in West Harlem, I think. Manhattanville.

"What's your problem?" Luca speaks.

Benji says innocently, "I think he's still sleepy."

I wince.

Luca asks, "Why?"

"Because he was back real late last ni-"

"Okay." I laugh, clear my throat as I shift in the seat and don't turn to glance at my brother, "Nothing's my problem. It's good."

"Bullshit."

With the way he's watching me, I can feel him analysing the shit out of me. Like a laser being pointed right through to your skeleton. I could move my hands a certain way and he'd somehow deduce my entire train of thought with it and it's irritating because he's done it to me since I was seven.

Can you imagine how much of a nuisance that is? A person that you don't want to see your vulnerabilities, he can see them anyways, whether you like it or not. I used to like it. Used to like that he could know me without even speaking to me because he was like a god to me when I was little.

I grew up.

"Stop." I say, uncomfortably.

"Stop what?"

"That."

"That's not very descriptive." Benji chimes in and for all the secret ice cream I buy this boy, he really picks and chooses when he wants to be on my side.

"I agree." Luca muses, in an annoying way, "Not very descriptive."

He's annoying.

Hasn't spoken to me for two weeks, now he wants to taunt? Like fuck. I'm sick of it, to be honest. Been patient, been quiet around him because he decided he wanted to act like I didn't exist again. Just like he'd done before. Like he tends to do with me. It's his go-to.