SECRETS

Chapter Three

"Hey," I say to the attractive boy standing right in front of me, a genuine smile painting my face.

"So you're him right? Shan's brother?"
I continue speaking when he doesn't answer me.

"Isn't it obvious? " he asks.

A simple yes from him would have been okay, though.

"Yeah it is, well nice to meet you." I stretch my hand for a handshake.

"If it was obvious, why did you ask? " He completely ignores my stretched hand. I put it down and act like I don't notice.

"I just wanted to be sure," I say, wondering if he dislikes me already.

Is it the outfit?

He shakes his head and walks away from me. Okay, that was rude. Who does he think he is anyway?

When I arrive at Shan's room, I discover her wardrobe is turned upside down.

"Shan. What's all this for? " I ask, pointing to the pile of clothes.

"I need to look perfect for lunch," she says.

"You need to look perfect for lunch in my house ?" I ask to clarify what I just heard her say.

"It's not just lunch in your house, Jeremy is being introduced. "

"Huh? "

"My brother, I haven't seen him in ten years."

"Oh. " That's all I can manage to say because this situation is baffling to me.

"Here, put on this dress, "  she says, handing one of her dresses to me.

This time I don't complain. I suddenly want Jeremy to see me in a dress, maybe he will be friendly when he does.

In a few minutes we are on our way to my house. Shan's dad is driving although the distance isn't much. I'm seated between Jeremy and Shan. Jeremy has got his headphones on, pulling a too serious face and looking like he's lost in space. Now I'm sitting close to him, he looks more attractive than he was before when I saw him on the stairs. I should stop staring, I don't want anyone getting any wrong impressions.

When we arrive, I see Jesse's  car parked outside. How Great!

Soon enough we all exchange pleasantries. Jeremy hasn't smiled once since he arrived here, not even when he was introduced to Cathy. His serious face maintained it's composure even then. That's unusual because most guya who sees Cathy just stare at her and gets lost and the only thing their lips start producing are smiles.

As we have lunch, the adults starts discussing. Way to go you all after teaching us how wrong it is to speak when having meals. As their conversation continues, I stare at Jesse and wonder if he's more goodlooking than my dad. I wish I could know the answer to that someday.

"Jeremy, could you please pass the salt?"
Cathy asks even though the salt is no where far from her. She liked doing that, requesting for things that are comfortably within her reach.

"I'm not the only one you see at this table right? Ask someone else to pass it? "

I am in love with today, I mean for the first time ever, a cute guy responded to Cathy like that. I can see the way her lips slightly part to form the letter 'O'. Her charm doesn't work on this one. For a few seconds everywhere is silent and then the conversations start again like nothing happened.

After lunch my parents - Mum, Jesse (I shouldn't say my parents, Jesse's not my dad) and Shan's parents exit the dining. Cathy is on the phone with Dan saying I love you's loud enough for everyone to hear while Shan's sketching something I don't recognize so I'll call it abstract again. Jeremy leaves the dining as if hearing Cathy utter I love you'd repeatedly is torture to him.