Friendly Dating 2 - Ethan

Chapter 3 - Big Sister Wisdom

"Awwwww, that's just because you're my little brother, not hers," Delia grins, tapping the tip of my nose as if I'm a friggin' toddler. Well, at least she knows who I'm talking about... I think.

"Yeah, that's right," I fully agree with her logic. "Please tell her that I'm your brother, not hers. I'm your little brother, that's two meters taller than you. "

"Ten centimetres."

"And weighs 100kg more."

"About 30... give or take."

We were born via caesarean, and the doctor happened to pull Deli out first, something she takes a lot of pride in, prompting her to try and protect me my entire life. It's cute, especially since I've outgrown her in size and can pick her up and throw her over my shoulder when she tries to stand up to bigger guys on my behalf. I do think that most guys are more afraid of Delia than they are of me.

"Trust me, Ethe," my big sister says, stroking my hair from my forehead. "Kiki loves you."

"Of course she does," I grunt. "I just told you! I'm her annoying, irritating brother that she's stuck with. She has to love me."

Delia rolls her eyes and gives me that look I always get just before she flicks my forehead, I wince in anticipation, and she doesn't disappoint.

"That's not what I mean."

"Well, doesn't matter what you mean," I grumble, rubbing the spot where her finger struck me. "You're wrong. She might love me as a part of her extended family, but she doesn't see me as a potential boyfriend at all."

"You're right," Delia agrees, shattering the thin glaze of hope coating my heart. Now I am disappointed. I could've just tried to communicate with Kicks again if I wanted my hopes crushed. She's good at crushing me.

"Don't look like that," Delia smiles, patting my cheek. "She loves you but is wired to see you as her neighbour, my brother and an annoyance. Come on, Ethe," she adds when I frown at her. "Face it! You've been trying to annoy the girl every chance you got for 12 years. You're an annoying pest. It's part of the reason why I love you so much."

"She's so friggin' cute when she gets mad," I grin, making Delia chuckle in answer.

"I know, but it means you'll have to re-program her to see you in a different light."

"She's not a blooming computer-"

"I've given it a lot of thought," Delia is very good at ignoring me when she doesn't want me to interrupt her speeches, "and I know that just informing Kira about her feelings or reasoning with her or talking to her is not going to work. She needs to realise it herself. Firsthand. I think you need to tackle the whole situation like a project."

"Were you using oil paint without ventilating the room again? "

"Remember when Dad said you'd never make it in engineering if you don't learn to do maths correctly and push up your marks?" She is still ignoring me.

"I got the right answers-"

"Yeah, but you could never supply the steps... Never mind that!" she grumbles, flicking me on the forehead again. She thinks that doing that brings me back on topic. She's wrong. It just pisses me off, and when I eventually retaliate, flicking her forehead, she acts all indignant and shocked as if she couldn't see it coming a mile away. "He was going to make you quit rugby and take extra math classes and stuff, but then you got Kiki to tutor you."

"Right, it helped get my grade up," I don't see the relevance here. "But we just did maths all the time, and at the end of it, she still just saw me as the annoying brother dude. Maths is not very romantic-"