Weekly Sanity

Chapter 24 - March 3, 2014

It felt so different. I am not being targeted by paralyzing glares whenever I walk down a corridor for a month now. Not that I really know of it, but it felt that everything is so perfect. Though, Zec kept saying that I'm only on my first stage of enlightenment, whatever that meant. He kept digging holes on my head, like plating seedlings, saying that I am only a kid. And that I still have a lot to learn in life. It piqued my curiosity and I asked him about it, only to get a response that Chloe would kill him if he answered.

Anyway, enough of Zec and his cryptic nonsense; Chloe kept bugging me for plans for summer vacation. And we settled at Charles' plan on taking us to their father's home-province, to the house they inherited to their father's parents. Now, if only I could voice out my concerns regarding my custodians and her older brother.

Chloe kept droning on and on about Charles' fondness of me, very ignorant of the guy's obsessive liking to bully me.

Charles would lift my chin to his eye-level, and look at me in the eyes. He would then say, "Listen here kid. I don't want you getting weird ideas involving my little sister. Clear?" He would say that almost every time we meet with variance in words. But one time I unwittingly responded. I tried to take Chloe's advice, and get on her older brother's good side. I put on a cheery smile. Chloe told me that it puts people off. I just hope that means that it would put off Charles of his current mood. "What weird ideas? I don't get it." Instantly after saying that, I got glared at. I quickly thought of a follow up. "But I'm pretty sure I haven't done or even thought up of anything weird." It might have sounded a little too defensive as Charles did not loosen up.

"Listen here, kid. If you're joking around, you better stop now," he smiled, menacingly, as I'm aware of, and he patted my head like one would have to a dog. "Because, I can think of lots of ways to console Chloe or make her forget you if you ever go missing all of the sudden," and my entire body had turned icy solid. Then, Chloe would come back with snacks and curiously ask what we were talking about. In her eyes, we would look like brothers having a moment of bonding.

"Eh, nothing much, I really like this one, Chloe. I guess you'll never be bored with him around, huh?" I had just witnessed an outstanding exchange as Charles playfully ruffled my hair so very different when Chloe was not around. The unaware Chloe probably thought that my life was not in danger whenever I'm with her older brother.

I told Chloe about this, one time. While I wait for her response, I was standing there thinking that Chloe would have to inevitably choose his older brother over me. But she just laughed it off.

"Charles- he likes to joke around but he's really nice. His jokes can be a tad mean," Chloe admitted. "But I stand by what I said. He's fond of you." His fondness of me scares me a lot, though. "Are you not happy about it? He's already approved of you. You would have one less problem with in-laws, if you ever decided to marry me, that is,"

Yeah, but I'm a lot more worried that Charles' humor would end me long before I could even come in terms with his acceptance of me, if that's even true, that is.

I might never be ever able to find out.

March 3, 2014

It was a random afternoon, a slightly spent month left before an April. Chloe and I were talking in a middle of doing an activity in Foreign Language class. (Well, Chloe was the only one talking). The teacher abruptly cleared his throat. A reprimand was on its way to us.

"Miss Garcia," I almost laughed at Chloe's sudden shift of expression to a snobbish serious one. "I've just been informed that you're wanted in the faculty room." The tone in teacher's voice made me worried all of the sudden.

"What!? I haven't done anything!" Chloe's indigence was probably because of guilt over spilling coffee at the teacher's files that she hasn't told anyone besides me and Mel.