Step by step

Chapter Two

The bottom half of my body ached from curving into a tight ball all night because of that stupid horror movie Matt had forced me to watch after failed attempts to go back to sleep after I had tucked my sweet big bro in for the night, and the other half just got so stiff and throbbing from preventing myself from screaming and I kept swatting an invisible fly on Matt's shoulders.

Oh how I wish I knew something that scared him too.

But I knew him too much, he wasn't afraid of anything. He's tough, fearless, and never lets anything get in his way. Ever since we were kids, he would always stand up for me in school. Blocking the mean words pressed on by bullies of my class, he'd crossed the entire playground for me if he saw me in trouble, he'd always buy me snacks when my packed one got snatched by those mean kids in grade school.

I was one of those loser type when we were kids and he was one of the popular kids. We never really fitted the same crowd but he never forgot about me. Even when we reached middle school, he would be by the gate waiting for a braced-teeth, shaggy-haired, unfashionable loser named Eleanor Keats and would happily walk her to class.

Maybe it was pity but I'd like to think of it as kindness. When other kids threw weird glances at me, he would be hugging me and telling me all about his day as we go home.

Things started changing in the middle of the year when my braces got removed and my hair treated and curled the right way, people started to notice me and became really nice. They would say 'Hi' and invite me to parties more often than I'd actually talked to them. But in the midst of the sudden boost of confidence and popularity, I never forgot the one person that stood by me all those times.

Matthew Stefan Castell.

"El! Are you asleep or what? It's almost 7, let's get going. Stop whatever weird thing you're doing in there." Tom shouted from the other side of the bathroom door, his silhouette clearly painted on the stained glass.

"Alright! Jeez, its not like you have to use this bathroom specifically." I rolled my eyes as I finished brushing my teeth and chuck it into the holder. I wrap a towel around my body and another one around my head before pulling the door open.

"Well I don't but I am still in-charge of you and I don't want any late marks on your report card this year, especially when you're graduating and more especially, when mom and dad's coming home. Now please, breakfast. Down. Now." He gently pushed me towards my room and closed the door for me. I could hear his footsteps disappearing into the corridor towards the stairs. "And Matt's already here. At least mind that he's waiting!"

My lips automatically curved up. I didn't mean too, they just did. My body just acted the way it did when its about Matt, its a reflex.

I quicken my pace, putting on my choice of my dress and pinning the heart-shaped earring that Matt gave me on my left earlobe. I finished off with a small amount of powder and light lipstick. I stole a quick glance in the mirror before dashing off downstairs.

Matt's eyes immediately caught mine, his lips thinning into a frown.

I reached downstairs when Matt spoke, I stood by the open archway to the dining room where Tom was seated quietly reading the daily newspaper, his back to the both of us.

"What are you wearing?" Matt's British voice thick with accent and disapproval.

"What?" I glanced downwards. A spaghetti strap empress-waist black dress that reaches mid-thighs enveloped my body. "What's with my dress?"

Instead of answering me, he craned his neck, looking behind me. "Tom."

My brother looked up from his paper lazily, his eyes suddenly going wide when he'd turned fully to met eyes with Matt but accidentally landed on me. "What are you wearing?" His voice exactly like Matt's.