Theo's rules

- Stepping in -

• Chapter eleven •

-

  "Can you not?" I grumbled.

"What?" Rick lazily muttered, raising his eyebrows as he watched me slump into the seat across from him. I only scoffed at his question, reaching for the cereal packet he'd already left out on the breakfast table.

"Staring at me." My tired voice mumbled. I just want to eat this crunchy cereal and then go back to sleep, but unfortunately school beckoned my exhausted, unwanted presence.

"Loser," He shot me a sarcastic smile while I stuck my rude finger up at him. Stuck in a grumpy and tired mood, being left alone was ideal and what I desperately wanted. Needed, actually. "What's up with you anyway?"

"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brows, pouring  full cream milk into the bowl.

"You seem dead and lifeless."

"Thanks."

"Not a compliment."

"Eat shit."

"I think you're the one who eats shit considering you talk so much of it," My in-the-process-of-being-lifted spoon paused, cereal dropping off it and splashing against the milk as I blinked. That's a good comeback... I'll recycle it. Maybe even use it against Theo. I started to smile before realising I was still in Rick's presence.

"Who cares?"

"Alright, something is up with you," He observed, raising a brow at me. I stared back at him.

"I'm fine," I studied his dark, unkempt hair. We shared a similar hair colour, both dark brown. In fact, we shared quite a few similar features, only his eyes were hazel whereas mine were blue, plus our noses were different shapes and my face was a bit more rounder.

"Is it..." He leant forward and quietly said, "Periods?"

I scrunched my face up. Can't a girl just be in a mood without explaining herself or having reason? "No."

"Hum," He murmured, squinting his round eyes at me. "Did you and still-in-the-closet Felix fight?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's not gay."

"Pfft," He humoured himself. "His best friend is a girl."

"So?"

My brother only shook his head. "You girls never get it."

"Well... Why can't guys get that girls want male friends WHO won't try and make them feel guilty for suddenly not liking them back? As if we owe them something because they're nice or act like our friend?"

"That has absolutely nothing to do with what I was saying." He said with a monotone voice.

"You were implying that guys and girls can't be friends-"

"Yeah, guys always have a different agenda than females. Remember that," He shot me a stern, protective and "knowing" look before blinking and pointing at me, the previous conversation made irrelevant. "By the way! I'm going camping this weekend with Caroline."

"What?" I frowned.

"Yep! Won't be back till Monday night or Tuesday morning, not sure yet. We'll see how we go."

"But what about me?"

He only stared back at me with a mocking pout. "You'll be fine on your own, you're a big girl now."

"Ha ha," I sarcastically said. "That's not the issue. Why can't I come?"

He made a duh face. "I want to spend time with just my girlfriend?"