The Quirky Tale of April Hale (Quirky Series #1)

17: Fourth First

Quentin was out with his friends, that was all I knew. After today’s mishap at football practice, he and the rest of the football team was called once again to the principal. Somehow, they got away because they said that ‘roughing Ryder up’ was part of the team ritual all along. Either Mr. Trask was a poor gullible fella or he had done some ‘roughing up’ himself at his younger years.

I guessed the latter.

“I’m going now,” Ryder said, and without any sound, he got out from my room. 

I waited anxiously at my bed, my bottom lip were now hurting because I’d been chewing on it whenever I was stressed. I grabbed Mr. Teddy #21 because he was the sweetest looking of all, and he was also the fluffiest when I hug him.

Or maybe that was due the fact that I kept smashing him with my bones that he became squishy and limp and all that.

Not five minutes later, Ryder came back, his face a little red and his breathing fast. Nevertheless, he looked triumphant. Never had I ever seen him look that happy, never had I ever seen him look that euphoric. It was almost as if light radiated off him as he was walking on a rock concert.

“That will knock Quentin’s socks off,” he gloated.

“What? What? What? What?” I meant to say ‘What did you do to my dear brother’s sacred room? Please don’t be too mean to him because even though Quentin looks like a big bad meanie and a bully, he’s actually very nice and a big softie inside.’ Instead, since everything was so jumbled up inside my head, the only thing that came out was, “What?”

Fortunately, Ryder seemed to understand my real question, after all. “I moved things around. Just a little bit. That Megan Fox poster? It was now at the right side of the wall, not left. The Xbox is on the third cabinet instead of second. I also rearranged his t-shirts so that the printed ones were on the bottom and the plain ones on top. Only the little things, but knowing Quentin, it’ll be enough to drive him crazy.”

I was actually moved at how much insight Ryder had towards Quentin. Nobody never really realized how anal my brother was when it came to his stuff. He wasn’t that much of a neat freak, but give him time, and I was sure that he’d eventually become one. I knew that it was his destiny the moment he freaked out regarding Ryder wearing his t-shirt.

“That.. Is actually quite brilliant,” I told him honestly. I could feel my heart beat in excitement, and somehow my hands were now at the air, pumping and swinging around. “My Stars, Ryder, that is really brilliant!”

“It’s a petty revenge, alright,” he seemed pleased with himself. “But I just can’t let him get away after all that torture at the football practice.”

“It’s a prank!” I just realized this. “Holy Fruity Loops, it’s a prank. I’ve never pulled a prank before. Am I part of the prank? I’ve never pulled a prank before.”

Ryder’s smile softened. “Yes, you’re part of the prank. You told me where his room was. You’re the integral part of the prank.”

The fact that I was ‘integral’ to this brilliant plan made me very giddy. I was near to the point of jumping on my bed, but I tried so very hard to relent myself. It was the first time ever I’d ever pulled anything like this to my brother. Most of the time, I wasn’t that creative to do things like this. I just didn’t know how. People could do mean things to other people and they would laugh at it. As for me, I was too used at people laughing ‘at’ me, not ‘with’ me to really understand the concept of pulling a prank successfully.

“So now tell me where’s the stash of chocolate is,” Ryder said.

I gulped. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”