My Brother's Brother

Chapter Four: Reality

My senses were awake. My brain had logged in and was ready to face the world...but I wasn't. I dared my eyes to open. I'd imagined every possible scenario before I forced myslef to get up. Finding my phone, I went through my messages hoping that my hallucinations in the morning were real. Surprisingly, they were.

I saw the message, clear and shallow. My problem no longer existed. And as much as I wanted to know the reasons behind Fred's outrageous attitude on the previous night, I was frightened that a simple question might ruin everything. So I remained shut and walked to the bathroom, where I took the warmest shower to relax my tensed muscles.

The day slid smoothly. When I told Colin that Fred apologized, he didn't seem like he cared much anymore. Though it did annoy me somehow, I realized that this guy was too bipolar.
Ignoring the small bursts of pain in my hand, I undid the bandages and applied an ointment on my cuts. That night's sleep was one of my favorite.

That week wasn't weird. No, it was unreal. Colin woke up with the rest of the family. He had breakfast and dinner with us. And to my astonishment, he even offered washing the dishes. Now, I would be lying if I said he was talkative or acted like a normal person did, but the mild effort was appreciated by both Daniel and mom.
When I locked myself in my room to catch some hours of study, I heard him out with Jacob. It seemed like they were having tons of fun, and for the tiniest bit, I was jealous that Colin behaved normally around Jacob, not me.

I put my books aside and ignored my nagging conscience for once. Walking around the front garden, I caught Colin and Jacob playing soccer. For a moment, I lost myself in the haze and joined Jacob's team to score a very well-played goal. Colin had an amused look on his face; that which I see very often.

"You asked for this, Cassie."

I didn't have any time to process his words, for he dribbled past Jacob and me and landed the ball right in the corner of the net. I nodded playfully at him and threw Jacob a wink.

Jacob took his place as a goalkeeper whilst I attacked with surprisingly "not so bad" skills. Colin tried to steal the ball from my experienced feet but in vain...

Two hours later, Colin went in and brought three bottles of water. The final score was 3-2 for Colin, after having several matches and different teams. Jacob jugged his water and ran in to watch Sponge Bob. I was left with Colin and my thoughts.

"You're pretty good at this, where'd you learn?" Colin asked.

"I was the captain of middle school's soccer team. I used to play for hours daily. But when middle school ended, I felt like I don't have it in me, you know?"

He nodded at me then stared into open air.

"You are not bad either." I tried to break the silence.

"Thank you."

I didn't know what else to say, so I sat there and watched the darkness enveloping the view.

Suddenly, I smiled to myself.

"Hey Colin?"

"Mmm?"

"I've always wondered what it would be like to have an older brother. Do you consider me your sister now?"

For instance, his eyes met mine, and I felt his gaze burning my soul.

"Cassie, I'm not your brother. I'm a complete stranger that has his dad married to your mom. I'm sorry. This won't ever change. I lost my only family, and I don't plan on having a new one."
And like that left with a sigh leaving my mouth.