Beauty and the Pharaoh

Chapter 15 - [Beauty and the Bicycle]

I freaking hated my brother. I hated him so much. After what he said to me about the possibility of Atem being interested in me... that was literally all I could possibly think of.

I found myself staring at him. Trying to decipher every movement of his.

Trying to figure out what made my brother think of something so ridiculous.

And no matter how much I stared at him or how much I thought about it... I couldn't figure it out.

There was nothing.

No evidence that Atem was interested in me at all.

But why would my brother think that?

I shook my head vigorously and then felt a jab in my arm, "you okay?" Aurora asked.

I was out doing Christmas shopping with Aurora while Atem went to work with Grandma Seetha.

And I wasn't doing a good job paying attention as Aurora picked out a bunch of toys for her little cousins back at home.

"Yeah," I sighed, "fine."

Aurora raised her eyebrows, "you don't look fine."

"I'm fine. Just fine."

"You look seriously troubled."

I sighed again.

Aurora placed the Sailor Moon Barbie into the cart and looked at me carefully, "gurrrrrl," she started, "who do you think you're dealing with? I can tell you've got a problem from a mile away. What's wrong?"

I gave her a funny look, but then sighed for the third time, "my brother was over the other day, remember?"

"Yeah, you told me that went swell..."

"It was swell. But that night he told me that it was obvious Atem was into me."

Aurora narrowed her eyes.

"And it's just been freaking me out since!"

She snorted.

"I can't even think straight!" I said, "all I can think about is whether or not he likes me and–"

"Oh. My. God," Aurora's eyes widened as she cut me off, "do you like him?"

I laughed, "what?"

"You do!"

I laughed some more, "Are you crazy! Ohmigosh, no way!"

Aurora leaned forward against the cart and looked at me intently.

"He's a total jerk. I mean, he's an evil Pharaoh for crying out loud. How could I like him?"

She kept looking at me, "but now that I think back... he may be a jerk but whenever you talk about all the good things he's done for you... you always look all... weird."

"Don't be silly, Ro."

"Oh god, May. You are totally into him."

"Ro!"

"Maybe you heard your brother wrong," she straightened up, grinning, "maybe he was saying that it's so obvious that you're into him?"

I did not hear my brother wrong. I heard him loud and clear.

That's why I've been so messed up ever since.

"No. I heard him right. And stop it Ro! I don't like him that way. He's just a friend."