Pulling up to the dance studio, a curse slipped from my mouth.
I was thirty minutes late to pick up Kyle, due to training running overtime.
Locking the car door, I quickly jogged up the studio steps.
The warmth of the studio was widely appreciated. My hair was still wet from the quick shower I took after training, making me feel colder than usual.
After thanking the secretary for giving me directions to studio B215, I made my way there.
Approaching the door, I heard familiar voices chatting with one another.
"Are you okay, Kyle? You seemed a bit out of it today, your pirouettes weren't as sharp as they usually are," A voice asked with concern.
I immediately identified that voice to be Jesse's.
What is she doing here?
Moving closer to the door, I eavesdropped on their conversation.
The door being wide-open worked to my advantage as I was able to hear them clearly.
"You know you can tell me if anything's wrong?" Jesse said gently.
Peeking slightly into the room, I saw that the two of them were sitting in the corner of the room.
Luckily they were facing the opposite direction of the mirror, so they couldn't see me.
"I know," Kyle said as Jesse lent him an encouraging smile.
"Today, at school. The teacher asked us to share something we love to do and of course, I said dance," Kyle said taking a pause.
Seeing that Jesse was paying close attention to what he was saying, he continued.
"Then a couple of the other boys in class started to pick on me, saying that dancing is for girls," Kyle said sadly his head hanging low in shame, my jaw clenched in anger at his words.
Little jerks
"That's terrible Kyle," Jesse said sympathetically, rubbing his back gently.
Though her tone was gentle you can see the anger in her eyes.
"Listen to me, those boys are just jealous of you," Jesse said making Kyle's head perk up in interest.
"Really?" He asked
"Really! They wish they could dance as amazing as you and are simply jealous that they can't. Don't listen to a word they say, dancing is for both girls and boys. Trust me in the future they are going to be buying tickets to your recitals wishing they could be the one on stage," She stated confidently.
Her words making a giant grin appear on Kyle's face.
"You're right Jess! Thank you!" Kyle said his mood instantly lifted as he threw himself at Jesse.
"Oof," She said startled by the sudden hug, but she instantly relaxed, wrapping her arms around him.
"Anytime bud," She replied, ruffling his hair a bit smiling down at him.
It was then I decided to make my presence known.
Knocking on the door I got their attention.
Kyle was the first one to recognize me.
"MYLO!" He yelled running towards me.
"Hey, Ky!" I replied just as happily, catching him in my arms.
His giggles echoed through the room as I spun him around.
"Okay!Okay! Put me down," He squealed out an ear-splitting grin on his face that matched my own.
"I thought you weren't coming anymore," Kyle said once he caught his breath.
"And why would you think that?" I asked kneeling down in front of him.
"Class ended awhile ago, and you weren't here. So, I thought you forgot about me, like dad." He answered his once joyous smile turning into a frown.
My heart hurt at his words.
There are not enough hands to count how many times my father forgot to pick me up.
It sucks that Kyle has to go through what I did.
But, back then I didn't have an older sibling to be there for me, but Kyle does.
I promise I would always be there for Kyle and that is a promise I plan on keeping.
"Hey, look at me," I said directing his light blue eyes to look into my grey ones.
"I could never forget about you, you're my little brother. I'll do whatever it takes to be here for you and nothing and I mean nothing will ever change that, okay," I said slowly making sure he understood each word I said.
"Promise," He said sticking out his pinkie.
"I promise,"
Once my pinkie linked with his a smile graced his face once more.
"Now, I'm sorry for being late, training ran overtime. But, to make it up to you how about we stop to get some ice cream on the way home," I said making his eyes light up.
"But, mommy says we can't have dessert before dinner," He stated with a pout on his face.
"Mommy doesn't have to know, it will be our little secret," I whispered into his ear making his eyes widen in understanding.
"Okay," He said giggling slightly, before running over to grab his things from the other side of the room.
Standing up from the ground, my eyes meet those of Jesse's.
It was then I remembered it wasn't just Kyle and I in the room and that she just witnessed our interaction with one another.
A silence fell over the room, neither of us knowing what to say, just the sound of Kyle packing away his things in the back.
"I didn't know you had a brother," She said breaking the silence, looking between Kyle and I in surprise.
I understood her confusion as not many people believed we were brothers as we looked nothing alike.
Kyle's golden hair and oceanic eyes were a huge contrast to my pitch-black hair and stormy eyes.
"Yeah, I do," I replied, not knowing what else to say.
It seems she didn't have anything left to say or more like she didn't want to ask any questions that could possibly offend me.
"Just ask it," I said
"What?" She asked taken back, by my statement.
"I know you're wondering how Kyle and I can be related when we look nothing alike, but you're afraid to ask in fear of offending me,"
"So, ask," I repeated the statement again.
"Alright then, how are you related. Kyle doesn't look anything like your mom or dad, is he adopted?" She said vocalizing her thoughts.
"That is more appealing than the truth, but no Kyle is not adopted. My father cheated on my mother four years ago. Kyle's mother ending up dying during childbirth and my mother being the incredible woman she is took Kyle in and raised him as her own." I explained.
"Your dad sucks," Jesse said her words laced in anger.
I smiled, glad that she didn't give me pity as people have done in the past.
"Your mom didn't deserve that," She continued to say.
Yeah, she didn't.
"You didn't deserve that" Jesse finished looking up at me, her words sincere.
"Thanks," I said as she gave me a small smile.
"Though the circumstances aren't ideal, Kyle means a great deal to me and he is my brother whether we share a mother or not," I said an unknown emotion flicking through her gaze, but it went away too fast for me to identify it.
"Yeah, I can see that you're an amazing brother. Kyle is lucky to have you in his life," She said gently her eyes looking a bit sad.
I wish you were in my life
But of course, I was too chicken to say that out loud.
"Thanks for what you said to Kyle, I really appreciate it," I said changing the subject.
"No, thanks is needed. Kyle is a great kid, I'm always happy to help," She said brushing my words off.
"Besides, I know firsthand how mean kids could be," She said making me think back to that kid who said she looked like poop when we were five.
I still hate that kid.
"At least I had you to punch them in the face," She said amused, letting me know she was thinking of the same memory.
"That reminds me, once I get home I gotta teach Kyle how to throw a good punch, so he knows what to do the next time those kids say something to him," I said making her roll her eyes at me.
"You know you can't always throw a punch at your problems," She said slightly amused.
"It worked in kindergarten," I replied a smirk making its way onto my face.
"Well you could've gotten in trouble," She argued
"Well, I didn't," I said my smirk widening as she shook her head at me. However, the small smile on her face gave her away.
"And besides getting in trouble is worth it, if it's for you," I said wanting to punch myself for how cheesy that sounded.
That sounded better in my head
"Yeah," Her voice coming out as a low whisper, her face softening at my words.
"Yeah," I stated
This time a comfortable silence surrounded us, no words were needed. Somehow we knew what the other was trying to say, but knew the other wasn't ready to say anything yet.
"About last night,"
This time it was me who broke the silence, her warm brown eyes looking into mine with anticipation.
"Thanks," I said as she rolled her eyes at me.
Yet again
Seems like she's doing that a lot lately.
"Stop, thanking me. I was happy to help and I'm glad to see your cuts look better than yesterday," She said stepping closer to me.
My heart was sent into overdrive as her soft hands gently caressed my face, her eyes examining my injuries.
Feeling my penetrating gaze, she dropped her hand quickly, making me crave her touch once more.
Her eyes darted to the floor in embarrassment at what she did.
"Like I said you're always welcomed," She said clearing her throat slightly, looking back up at me.
"Good to know," I replied my gaze unwavering, not bothering to take a step back from her, liking the feeling of having her close.
The tension between us could be cut with a knife.
Can she feel that?
This magnetic force that seems to be drawing us closer.
If I leaned down just a bit more, my lips would touch hers.
"I'm ready!" Kyle said popping in between the two of us.
Stumbling back, Jesse and I snapped out of whatever daze we were in.
Looking down at Kyle and seeing that he was starting to get impatient, excited to get the ice cream I promised him.
"Alright buddy, let's start heading home," I said
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said looking back at Jesse, who seemed to be lost in thought.
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," She replied back giving me final smile.
I walked outside of the studio with Kyle blabbering beside me about what flavor ice cream he's going to get, with one thought going through my mind.
I can't remember the last time I was happy to go to school.