Love Like In A Book

Chapter 25

I screamed.

No, wait! I didn't scream.

But it'd have been awesome if I did, right?

I sat on my bed studying or rather, making a list of reasons why I didn't need to do my assignment but each excuse I wrote seemed as pathetic as the one before. I groaned and opened my maths book. When was alphabets allowed in maths? Find X? If X was smart enough to get missing, it was definitely smart enough to solve its problem.

There was a soft knock on my door and I contemplated whether or not I should answer but the person didn't wait for me to reach a decision and opened the door.

"Hey Sandra!"

I kept shut and watched my brother peek in and smile sheepishly.

"You're awake."

I nodded slowly, wondering what he was looking for.

"Can we talk?" He asked and walked in, shutting the door behind him.

Geoffrey walked to my desk and picked up the photo frame I had covered up. He looked at the picture with a blank face, no emotion to tell me what was going through his head. I knew that photo like the back of my hand, I spent days wishing on that picture and I had intended to throw it away but I never really had the chance.

"I was going to throw it out," I said trying to get him to say something but he just nodded and dropped the frame back. He pulled out the chair from my study desk and sat facing me.

"We need to talk."

"You already established that."

He nodded, "I want you to understand that I care about you."

"Of course you do."

"And I want you to know that it is because I care about you that I'm asking if you are happy."

"Huh?" I asked, a frown appearing on my face.

"Are you happy?"

"I'd like to think that I am."

"I asked the wrong question," Geoffrey said and pulled his chair close to the bed. "What I meant to ask is are you alright? Are you okay?"

"What are you driving at?"

"I'm sorry I didn't notice it earlier," Geoffrey said and shook his head.

"Notice what?"

"The reason you've been acting so weird, the reason you've dated more boys in one week than I have dated girls in my life."

"And that reason would be.... " I trailed off, asking him to fill in.

"You're trying to forget," Geoffrey said, sympathy clouding his eyes.

My scowl deepened and I shook my head to clear my thoughts, "I see Caleb has been filling your head with nonsense and I appreciate your concern but I'd really like it if you didn't spit nonsense from your mouth because, as far as I am concerned, I'm not trying to forget anything."

"Did he hurt you that bad?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I am here for you but you never really acknowledged me, you didn't talk about it, you just shut us out and -"

"Geoffrey, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your breakup with -"

"Don't say his name."

"Derek."

"Dang it! You said his name."

"Sandra, you need to move on and forget him for good. He doesn't deserve all this."

"And what makes you think I haven't forgotten or that I'm doing all this for him?"

"8 months later, his picture is still resting on your table."

"First of all, it is our picture, I'm also in that photograph and I told you I had meant to throw it out but I'm not a big fan of throwing my pretty face in the dustbin. Thank you."

"Have you thought of just taking a break from all this drama you've surrounded yourself with?"

"if you must know brother dearest, I haven't surrounded myself with any drama."

Geoffrey took a deep breath and sighed. "Derek is not the only boy in the world."

I scoffed. "I know that."

"You can get over him."

"I can but there's nothing to get over."

Geoffrey opened his mouth to talk but I shut him up, "Derek was a passing interest just like Akshay, Saheed and the others."

"Sandra-"

"And we broke up because he didn't have a yacht."

"Your relationship with him lasted longer than all the rest put together."

"Of course it did because I thought he was planning to buy a yacht."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Because I'm here if you need to talk, vent and cry."

"I know but I promise I'm fine."

Geoffrey nodded and stood up. He looked at me closely and I smiled, "I'm fine."

He nodded and walked out the room.

I stood up and walked to the study table and waited for the door to shut before I picked up the photo frame.

We were at a fair, Derek and I, and I remember him dragging me to the photo booth. In the picture, he had his arms on my waist while I was looking at people screaming on the rides. The smile on my face was wide but it was the sparkle in Derek's eyes that made me unable to throw out the picture.

Maybe, I'll get the chance to see Derek and ask him why he broke up with me rather than tell me he couldn't afford a yacht so I could break up with him but until then, the photo frame is all I have.

Nah, Geoffrey is right, I need to get rid of this picture. I picked up the scissors and craftily cut off Derek's face from the picture.

Done!