I Hate My Brother (editing!)

33.

A/n: You asked for another chapter, so here it is! I woke up at 6:30 in the morning to write this. It's now 8:30am as I click publish and today is a Sunday. I hope y'all know I'm that happy to make you guys happy.
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"Okay. This is getting all levels of ridiculous."

Yes, I know. "Nah, it's fine."

"What fine? What fine?! It's anything but fine!" Cass raises her voice at me but quickly mutters a sorry after realizing anybody in the cafeteria can hear us.

"In my opinion... I think it's messed up too." Ally says, placing her hand over mine.

I barely even have the mood to eat these days anymore. It's not as if anything bad really happened yet. Two weeks has passed since our supposed movie date. So far, Zac has only managed to send me home just... once.

And it isn't like he's really that busy, you know? Cass snooped around and managed to find one of her classmates who happened to be in the band. Her classmate claimed the band is on a break! They are taking a break! But just because the band is, doesn't mean the drumline is. Maybe he has something to do with the drumline. But what has a clarinet player got to do with it?

"He has his reasons..."

"That's what men always say. Fuck, Kelsey. If you don't start interrogating him about it, so help me god, I'll go grill him for you."

"Cass..." I trail off. It's not like I haven't tried to ask. I did. But all he supplied me with were vague answers.

"Tell me. Describe to me how he has been treating you like shit. Go on."

I remember him coming back on that Saturday. He entered my room when I was already drowsy and ready to sleep. I must've waited for him up till 2AM. That's how long he took to come back to me.

He spooned me, cuddled me and kissed the back of my neck. He apologized. But he didn't explain. He didn't tell me why he was gone for so long; leaving me alone in the cinema, letting our first movie date become my first solo movie date, not picking up my calls even though he said he'll pick me up if I need a ride, and eventually making me take a cab home—sad and disappointed on my own. Nothing. He was just going to say a couple of 'sorry' and that was it. I forced myself not to sniffle, but that night, my pillow turned wet from all the tears I silently shed.

The following week, I began to realize his phone was getting so active. It was abnormal for him. He barely had one or two texts from his friends in the drumline, group chat conversations with us and just me. Sometimes, girls do text him and try to ask him out but it was never a daily occurrence. He never hid about it either. He always tried to make me answer his calls and texts for him, but I would tell him no anyway as I wasn't one who liked to pry. But this time? He had to walk away from me to take his calls. And they were happening more than once a day. It was all... Becca.

He also never managed to send me to and fro school anymore. I had to either wake up early or wait up for Wayne to catch his ride. I didn't know what he was so busy about, but sometimes, Zac would wake up as early as 8AM even on days he didn't have morning classes. He'd write me a note saying he had to go, asking me to get my brother to send me to school instead. Leaving no explanations behind.

It was the same week Friday when he finally texted me and told me to meet him at his car after my class. He still smiled brightly when he saw me and engulfed me in his hugs as usual. He smelled the same. Thank god. I was afraid to begin smelling another female on him.

"I'm sorry for neglecting you, baby. Can I make it up to you?" He grinned at me. "Sushi?"

I nodded cheerily. Of course I'd treasure every single minute he had with me now instead of trying to think about why it was that way. I kept reminding myself that if he wanted to tell me, he would.