(I'M NARRATING)
Simon Van Meerveene as Kian Kristian Cartier
Z a r i a led the way to the house. It seemed new. It didn't look the way Anastasia's looked. It looked like a modern era of the sixties kind of house. She opened the door nervously shaking her hands while Drew stood behind her looking around his surroundings feeling like he was being followed. The awkward tension between them didn't leave neither of them. Zaria was still thinking about him the first time she saw his pictures but Drew was feeling lightly angry about everything.
Playing with her coiled key chain after opening the door, she tossed them on the counter by the door and looked back at Drew.
"Please make yourself comfortable. Tea or?" She asked him offering anything to occupy himself.
"Why do you trust me?" Drew asked tiredly. She squirmed and pulled down her zipper. She quietly did so to hear any outside voices.
"Because you're my brother duh?"
"'How are you so sure?"
"I'm sure because I've studied you." Her French accent began fading a little bit the more clearer she sounded.
"How much and how long?"
"Like three years ago I think. I remember it was a long time ago when Willy and my mom were together. You see, I just randomly started going through his stuff and saw your things with his stuff so I wondered why is this here," she took a deep pause before she can catch her breath from speaking too fast. " he was always sneaky anyways so what the heck, why not. I mean, he did leave it out visible enough for me to see so I dug and dug," she walked around with her hands on her hips hoping Drew wouldn't make her repeat herself again. " I'm really getting annoyed now."
"So Willy and your mom are divorced?"
"Yea they separated about four months ago I think. I honestly don't care." Drew looked down at the off white carpet underneath his shoes and softly sucked his teeth. Her eyes narrowed down to Drew's face. Her eyes were scruting every angle of him.
"Besides I'm not the only sibling you have kid." Drew looked up automatically biting the side of his lower lip. He quickly tilted his head to the side but no words came out his utter mouth. " I trust you because the way you overreacted at the hospital the other day and the way Willy looked at you...I felt a sharp sting in my stomach," Drew couldn't respond to her. He was thinking about the other sibling he has but didn't want to sound desperate at all. He wanted Zaria to go on about any hidden family secrets he deserves to know."I truly understand why you're mad. I would be mad too, but at the time when my mother was pregnant with me she had nothing, no one. In fact it was so bad that Willy just had to stay and take care of me and her. Her family didn't support the both of us and Willy was our only help so he stayed with us and left you."
Drew couldn't look into her eyes anymore every word that came out her mouth broke him part a lot more. It killed him verbally.
"Look uh Zar --- " Zaria cut him off as she trembled down to her knees and begged with her two palms together. She got down on both knees looking like a woman crying out for God to forgive her and the terrible sins she's committed.
"I'm sorry Drew. I'm sorry about everything. Please don't hate me," She said holding on to his hands asking for forgiveness. "I know how much you hate me right now but I swear I'll be the best sister you've ever had. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" she held his hands tightly and Drew couldn't hold back another word. He was surprised at the way she fell down to her knees and accept her into his life. "Please forgive me!" she said once again. Drew removed his hands from hers and slouched on the sofa. He was starting to see himself in her greenish-blue-ish eyes.
She was blaming herself as for the reason why Drew left his mother in the first place. If her mother had not gotten pregnant, neither of them would be in this predicament.
"Why would I hate you? I barely even know you, but yea I guess," He said tiredly averting his eyes. Zaria rubbed her palms down her thighs. Her head bowed down and she looked at her youthful fingers laying calmly on her thighs. "Where is your mom?"
"Working."
"How old are you?"
"I'm twenty-two."
"Oh." Drew looked away again. He heard the door next to him open halfway as a shadow peeked through the door. Drew slid himself an inch away from the door. He seemed scared and lifted up Zaria from the floor. He pushed her behind him to save her from any kind of threat. Zaria's head looked over Drew's arm. Before Drew can overreact, a young boy with a lacrosse jersey on looked at him demurely.
"What the --- "
"Who are you?" asked Drew still holding on to Zaria standing behind him.
"Wait don't hurt him he's your little brother," Zaria moved away from Drew and quickly stood in front of the boy. "His name is Kian. He's Willy's youngest son."
"He's the one you were talking about?"
"Yes!" Drew looked at him each way he could. Full lips just like him, eyebrows seemed identical to his, and the jawline structure a little off than he expected. He looked like him and a bit of Willy's appearance but he mostly had the mothers big eyes.
"Who's he?" said Kian putting down his gym bag to the side on the sofa.
"He's our older brother Kee. His name is Drew. He is the other son we never knew about."
"Dad has another family?"
"Yea. You're not the only who's shocked."
"You knew about this for a long time?" Kian waited for Zaria to answer.
"A while. What matters is we are here together face to face."
"Where is he from?"
"Yea where are you from Drew?" Drew looked at the both of them speechless. He stuttered a bit. Everything happened so fast.
"New York City!"
"Oh." Kian said. Drew took a seat. He was confused. He was surprised that Kian didn't overreact emotionally.He wondered why Kian didn't give him an attitude, matter of fact strike him with a punch. He was cool and calm like he'd somehow expected this to happen.
"I'll get some drinks, you guys can talk." Zaria said walking away from the two. Kian sat down next to him and they looked at each other awkwardly.
"So?"
"Well. . ." Drew picked at the dead skin on his finger.
"What's New York like?"
"Paris. . .but with a lot of trains and a huge city on the island."
"Oh! How old are you Drew?"
"I'm twenty-five you?"
"I'm twenty."
"You play Lacrosse huh?"
"Yea. What sport you play?"
"I used to play Baseball. I also used to play Basketball too. It got me a scholarship in college. I was stuck between NYU or Hunter College. I chose to go to Hunter instead." Drew added on trying to make the conversation a little less boring. Hoping Kian would ask about his academic experience in Hunter, he went totally off topic.
"Awesome," Kian licked his lips wanting to ask something more electrifying. "How come Willy never talked about you?"
"I don't know. He's a very private guy. That I know."
"He could've said something."
"He could've, but he didn't."
"Do you uh hate him?"
"I don't even know what to think or feel."
"Understandable. You know I always wanted to know what it feels like to have an older brother. I always wanted one. Zaria is a pain in the ass."
"I can relate to you one-hundred percent!"
"I have some interesting photo albums, do you want to see them?" Drew looked at Kian in the eyes.
"Ah yes, that would be very nice of you."
"I knew about you too if you are wondering. I was being a creep just like Zaria. It took me quite some time to fully get it but I'm fine with it now," He pushed himself off the sofa and loosen the knots on his cleats."By the way you're not the only one who was affected. My mom found out too that's why she divorced him."
Kian walked away heading upstairs into his bedroom to find the photo albums. Drew didn't even bother to watch him go upstairs. Too much information was making his head hurt.