without you || n.j

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

We all paused at what we were doing, and stared at him, just to make sure he was feeling okay.

"What's with the stares?" Neymar asked.

"Filho, are you feeling alright?" Nadine questioned him.

Neymar stopped making faces at Mariana. "I'm alright? Why ask?"

"Ney... You hate the zoo and now you want to go to the zoo... " Rafaella claimed.

He shrugged, "I never said I hated the zoo."

The Santos family blankly stared.

"Did you not remember when we wanted to take you to the zoo, but you refused to go. And when we forced to take you to go, you hid for hours and didn't come out until dinner time." Neymar Sr, concluded.

"That was along time ago."

"Filho.. That was 3 months ago..." Nadine coughed.

Neymar looked down in defeat. I couldn't help but laugh at this situation, which only made Neymar glare at me. I ended up coughing my laughter away.

"Can a person not go to the zoo without be questioned?" Neymar groaned. "And Mari wants to go too. Right mi amor?"

Mariana replied with a small laugh, not knowing what was going on. "See even she agrees."

"Fine." Neymar's parents and Rafaella muttered.

We all finished our food and paid because heading to the zoo. We all split up into different cars, with Neymar's parents and Rafaella in one while Mariana and I went with Neymar.

"Looks like Mariana is prepared for going to the zoo." I joked.

Mariana was wearing a little blue elephant onesie.

When we stopped at a red light, Neymar turned his head to face me. "That's actually how I was inspired to go to the zoo."

"So... You don't really want to go to the zoo?"

He shrugged and began driving once the light turned green. "My fear of the zoo hasn't gone away. And that's the only place I could think of."

I gaped. "You've been living here for almost 2 years and you still don't have a clue to where to go? And why are you scared of the zoo so much."

"I came here to play, not be a tour guide. And my fear will not be spoken of."

"That isn't an excuse and I really need to know." I begged.

He ignored me and continued driving. The only time he would speak to me is when I try to change the music. He would slap my hand away and say, "Keep your hands away."

I rolled my eyes and continued trying to change the song. As much as I like "Love Yourself", it is quite annoying when it's being played over and over again.

"Do you really want to know why I'm scared of the zoo?"

I could feel my eyes brighten up, "Yes!"

Neymar rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Promise me you won't laugh."

I nodded eagerly. "Promise."

Not.

"Fine... It happened when I was 10. I was causally eating my hot dog, when an ostrich came out of nowhere then it started chasing me, for almost 5 minutes! It didn't stop until I dropped the hot dog." Neymar said, with a serious expression.

"Wait.. So you're saying you didn't drop the hot dog as soon as the ostrich came towards you?"

Neymar stared at me with a weird expression. "Who would drop the hot dog first thing? I was going to run and eat at the same time.. But that didn't work out."