Whatever You Say
HERO
Thankfully, my mother had not noticed anything going on in my face. Apparently neither did Rehan. Well, other than the make-up, of course. That. That, my mother did not notice either, which I thought was good.
Susanne ate awkwardly, never breaking contact with my brother. I think he even winked at her which would’ve explained why she groaned in disgust.
“Well, I’m done!” my brother announced, getting up quickly before my mother got a chance to tell him to be quieter. “See ya, Ladies,” he called after his back, receiving a desperately sigh from my mother.
“Rehan,” she muttered.
Then, she took another piece of the pasta she had, and asked Susanne about her parents. It was Susanne’s time to sigh quietly.
“They’re working late again.” That was the deal with Susanne’s parents and my dad. They were successful in what they did, but everything about them was work, and more work.
“Hmm.”
I reminded myself something. “You can stay here if you’d like.”
My mom turned her head to me and I saw her smile. My mother was truly the exception. She worked in a little shop down the street because she found it relaxing. “That’s a great idea. You can do homework or take a little walk, so you don’t get to sit all day alone. I know how much…it—how do you kids say it nowadays? Sucks?”
I stiffened, but Susanne smiled shyly and I think I saw blush color her cheeks. “I wouldn’t like to intrude.”
“Since when have you been a bother in our home?” my mom asked.
I swallowed my food. “Mi casa es su casa.” This made Susanne smile wider.
“Thank you.”
After my mother had dismissed us from the kitchen, so she could wash the dishes peacefully, I turned to my room with Susanne not far behind and we started working on our Pre-Calculus homework, thrilled to find we had the same answers on our exercises. We finished quickly, stopping by at almost seven o’clock to drink some juice and we headed out for a small walk outside my house.
“Your brother is quite a jerk, you know…”
I quickly caught on topic reminding her of all of the things he had been doing since we were little. Rehan was complicated. You could say he was the total opposite of me. People never believed we were brothers, I could tell you that. Even his girlfriend, Frances, asked if I was adopted.
Rehan was the typical cool jock. Yes, he had said I was indeed adopted.
I was basically The Loser. No matter where I went. The only people who thought I was anything near cool were my mother and grandmother. That didn’t help with my macho-ness coolio-state. Definitely not.
“Ignore him. You’re amazing to me,” I heard Susanne’s voice whisper, but she stopped herself along with her body. “I mean—just ignore him.”
I felt my lips curve up and my voice say, “If it were that easy, I’d be a new kind of superhero.”
“That would be cool. A hero for the underestimated and judged!” she yelled excitedly.
“Yeah, like us.”
“Yeah…”
Susanne ate awkwardly, never breaking contact with my brother. I think he even winked at her which would’ve explained why she groaned in disgust.
“Well, I’m done!” my brother announced, getting up quickly before my mother got a chance to tell him to be quieter. “See ya, Ladies,” he called after his back, receiving a desperately sigh from my mother.
“Rehan,” she muttered.
Then, she took another piece of the pasta she had, and asked Susanne about her parents. It was Susanne’s time to sigh quietly.
“They’re working late again.” That was the deal with Susanne’s parents and my dad. They were successful in what they did, but everything about them was work, and more work.
“Hmm.”
I reminded myself something. “You can stay here if you’d like.”
My mom turned her head to me and I saw her smile. My mother was truly the exception. She worked in a little shop down the street because she found it relaxing. “That’s a great idea. You can do homework or take a little walk, so you don’t get to sit all day alone. I know how much…it—how do you kids say it nowadays? Sucks?”
I stiffened, but Susanne smiled shyly and I think I saw blush color her cheeks. “I wouldn’t like to intrude.”
“Since when have you been a bother in our home?” my mom asked.
I swallowed my food. “Mi casa es su casa.” This made Susanne smile wider.
“Thank you.”
After my mother had dismissed us from the kitchen, so she could wash the dishes peacefully, I turned to my room with Susanne not far behind and we started working on our Pre-Calculus homework, thrilled to find we had the same answers on our exercises. We finished quickly, stopping by at almost seven o’clock to drink some juice and we headed out for a small walk outside my house.
“Your brother is quite a jerk, you know…”
I quickly caught on topic reminding her of all of the things he had been doing since we were little. Rehan was complicated. You could say he was the total opposite of me. People never believed we were brothers, I could tell you that. Even his girlfriend, Frances, asked if I was adopted.
Rehan was the typical cool jock. Yes, he had said I was indeed adopted.
I was basically The Loser. No matter where I went. The only people who thought I was anything near cool were my mother and grandmother. That didn’t help with my macho-ness coolio-state. Definitely not.
“Ignore him. You’re amazing to me,” I heard Susanne’s voice whisper, but she stopped herself along with her body. “I mean—just ignore him.”
I felt my lips curve up and my voice say, “If it were that easy, I’d be a new kind of superhero.”
“That would be cool. A hero for the underestimated and judged!” she yelled excitedly.
“Yeah, like us.”
“Yeah…”