PICS and IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

27. The Casanova

Back to the urban jungle that's our home town. The trip was good, but I would've definitely enjoyed it more if I wasn't roomed with Hannah.

So I'm happy to be back, and especially looking at Frank's handsome face as he drives us to his place.

We have a date planned this evening. His practice just ended. So he'll get freshened up at his place first and then we'll head to the RG Tower - our first stop this evening.

I wait in his room while he washes up. Slightly bored I decide to tidy up the place while realizing I might unknowingly be a neat freak. I remember tidying up Raylan's room and Mr. Finnigan's place when I was there.

While I put away the things on the table, I notice a hair band.

It's not mine. He doesn't have a sister.

Maybe it's his mom's that he might've took to tie up something.

I bite my lower lip. Should I ask him whose it is? Will he think I suspect him or something?

I begin to feel that frustration again, the one I felt when I couldn't ask him to stop being friends with Bianca.

Sometimes I wish I could just stop overthinking what I want to say to Frank and just say it, like whose hair band you have in your room?

When I hear the bathroom door open, I quickly hide the band under the books and move away from the table.

He gets ready and we leave. Pushing away the frustration, I enjoy my time with Frank, remembering why I like him this much.

----

When I come down to the living room I see mom place a glass container full of cookies on the counter.

"Take these to Nina, will you?" mom says, before returning to her mixer.

I whine.

When I enter Raylan's house I notice that his second older brother, Victor, is home, asleep on the couch in the living room. College must be off for a few days.

Out of Peter, Victor and Raylan, only Peter, the eldest, has been nice to me. The other two brothers are remarkably annoying.

I walk past him to the kitchen, give Nina the cookies, go to the sink and fill a glass of water.

Quietly I approach the couch. Even though Victor is not as bad as Raylan, he's still no saint and has pranked me heartlessly for years, a favor I tend to return in installments whenever I can. Ever since he has left for college the payments have slowed down a bit.

I move the glass slowly over to his face, but suddenly his eyes open and his hand grabs my wrist. Scared I drop the glass to the floor. In a second I'm on my back on the couch and he's on top with a smirk.

"Fuck, I thought you were sleeping!" I say.

"I was. But I can still see my enemies approaching."

I try to move and get away from him. But he has taken my hands hostage in his, so all I can do is wiggle my body like I'm dancing to an 80s tune.

"What are you doing?" Raylan says. He has just come downstairs from his room.

"Ellie, here, tried to welcome me back with a glass of water," Victor says, tightening his grip around my wrists. I moan out in pain.

"Get off her," Raylan says.

Victor didn't hear him and tries to screw off my arm from my body.

"Get the fuck off her!" Raylan shouts, startling me and Victor.

Victor stops trying to disassemble my arms and looks at Raylan. "Woah, cool the fuck man. Why are you mad?"

Then he looks at me, and then back at Raylan. "Don't tell me, are you two-"

"No!" I push a distracted Victor off of me, and he falls off the couch with a loud thud.

Oops. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd actually gotten this weak," I say, laughing.

Victor lunges at me.

I close my eyes and cry, "Raylan!"

Soon Raylan manages to separate us safely. Nina comes in with coffees and cookies for us right on time when I need to regain my lost energy.

I take a cup and sit at the opposite couch. After Nina leaves, I ask Victor, "How's college?"

"College is fantastic. How's Schoo- Oh, before I forget," Victor says and takes out a wrapped box from under the coffee table and throws it at me.

I catch it before it comes in contact with my face.

"It's for you," Victor says.

I grin and eagerly open my early birthday gift. This is something I've alway liked about Victor. He never fails to get me something whenever he visits.

Inside the box is the latest version modules for my Nintendo. Yelling, I rush over to Victor, fall on his lap and give him a hug.

Raylan scoffs sitting next to us. "Weren't you just screaming for me to save you from him a second ago?"

Still sitting on Victor's lap, I look at Raylan. "Did I? I don't remember."

Victor laughs. "So what's new in Mueller Avenue? How's Karen by the way? She got a boyfriend?"

I shake my head. "No. But you're still not allowed near her," I say, flicking his nose.

Victor is popular for being a playboy. Though Karen and Victor were never interested in each other it was a thing between Victor and I where I would block off all his attempts to flirt with my sister.

I was terrified at the thought of those two dating. I can't imagine how hard my life would be if Victor becomes my brother in law.

"What about you then? Found a naive boy foolish enough to date you?" Victor says.

I grin, ear to ear, and take out my phone.

"What? You did?!" Victor says, sounding shocked. He looks at Raylan before looking down at the photo of me and Frank I've just pulled up on my phone.

"Oh, he's good looking," Victor says, not sounding excited at all. I thought he would be showering me with praises.

He looks again at Raylan before looking at me. "So... how long you guys been dating?"

Raylan gets up and leaves, I move to Raylan's place and start narrating the whole story to Victor.

"So you guys are just getting started? That's good. Keep it like this for now. Don't hurry into anything serious," he says.

I narrow my eyes at him. He might be channeling his big brother spirit now, but it doesn't suit him at all and he sucks at it.

And what's with all these boys anyway? They were the ones who used to mock me for not being able to score a guy, and when I do score one they sound like this might not be the right time for it. I don't understand boys at all.

Nevertheless, I continue updating Victor on the latest neighborhood news until it's time for me to leave.

And it's only when I'm back home in my room, I realize I forgot to tell Victor the most important thing - the photos with Tony's girlfriend and me blackmailing Raylan.

I swear at myself for forgetting it. Next time, I think to myself. I'll tell him next time when he's back, after all that's my biggest achievement this year, even bigger than finding a boyfriend.

End of chapter

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