EINSTEIN HAT
"Dude can we head out already, Hamilton will be disappointed if we aren't there when he arrives. You know we need to get that car fixed and do some practice" I persuade Philip.
He's stoned from last night's event. If not for reasons best known to me I'd have given last night the best time of my life. The stash was utterly good, I made a mental note to remember and get the dealer's contact from Phil.
Philip drags himself to the bathroom muttering regrettable words at me for being a horrible friend.
After last night's face-off with Emma I ditched him for a clearer head and let him find his way home, lucky enough, Florida had his drivers on stand-by for any drunk individual.
"Philip get your act together, we need to leave okay? We've spent hours sleeping off our destinies, man!" I yell as I hear him grunt by the mirror. It's his usual behavior whenever he doesn't look his best.
Clearly, Philip takes much interest in his looks, he feels the need to often look his best even after slumbering, that's stupid.
He'd spend a whole hour setting his hair, exfoliating his skin like a sissy. It's shocking how he still manages to be at the top list of sprinters at May blossom high.
We were an unlikely two, we didn't blend as friends in people's opinion, Phil was the extrovert yet badass boy while I was the closed-off introvert who has dark skeletons in his cupboard but the nice thing about our friendship is that we share the same ground on girls.
I don't like girls, not like I'm gay or something but it's been from several experiences. We've seen how manipulative and dangerous women can be and it does no good to be nice to them.
Philip never knew his mother, he only heard stories of her from his dad, of how she was working hard to provide for them, he didn't understand the impact until he got older and discovered his mum left his dad for a richer, more famous man.
Since then he decided he didn't need her dirty money anymore and moved out of his dad and stepmom's home.
I got to find out he was involved in an illegal underground car race that paid well, that's how he made his money.
At that time I needed independence also, so he linked me up.
While I drove us both to the Hamilton workshop I thought about inviting Dad to come to watch his boy become a man like he always advised me to, but I needed to fix Miller up for tomorrow, and driving downtown was out of the list.
We have a five thousand dollar race to win tomorrow night at the Grooves underground and nothing comes before that.
A message from Eric pops up asking where I am and if I can make it to breakfast.
I scoff dryly.
"Who's that man?" Phil takes his eyes off his phone for the first time since he got in the car.
"Nothing... Just Eric"
"Oh yeah? The favorite child. What he want?"
"Fuckin patronizing me to breakfast with them, probably play pretend with mother" I grab the wheels tight taming my fury.
My brother is part of my bane, my anger issues. It's the way he acts all happy and nice like our family isn't in shambles, like the way dad left us wasn't abnormal, like mum was accommodating.
Sometimes I look at Eric and swear never to live like him, a pretentious, sly teenager who finds solace in women. At least I don't whore around to run from my demons, I face them.
Everyone thinks he's that sweet charming captain of the football team. Then I'm the heartbreaker because I'm scary. I'm the twin who never smiles or jokes around, I'm the bad guy. But no one knows Eric as much as I do.
And the fact that he's hovering around her makes me crazier. I thought she was different from other girls who seek attention from guys. I mean she bit my skin off at our house party, our first encounter was cold and I loved the twist.
But with Eric?... She fell for him like the rest, she's basic_
"Hey man, you just drove past the workshop. What were you thinking?!" Phil yells, bursting my bubbles. I take the other lane to return to our supposed stop.
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I had Miller dropped off at Hamilton's, and we decided to take a bus home. Phil opted for a better idea of jogging all the way but I quickly turn it down.
"I'm not an athlete like you bro, we can just take the bus. I need to get my things at home, you know I hate going to games from there. The scrutiny sucks"
"Alright! Hop in" he shouts as the first bus stops before us.
On a very bad day, I would've punched the daylight out of Terri. That street urchin who doesn't know his status in the society. I watch him step closer to us on the bus with his usual cocky expression and I rue taking the bus.
"Yo Ryder and Hat, heard you guys are on the finals tomorrow night. That's cool, you both managed to rip your way through finals unscathed. I guess Mama's dollars were of great influence"
"I don't expect your little chicken brain to comprehend" Phil replies without looking his way, I'm the one clenching my teeth and counting the minutes till I throw a punch.
He cracks up noisily, setting light on us. "At least we had our dollars placed in fruitful places, what have you got? I guess too much filth won't let you think straight" I retort curtly, his face shrinks at my words which gives me maximum satisfaction.
"I'll do well to bet my money on real professionals then" he walks off as the bus makes a stop at Edison gate.
Philip goes to the garage to get some materials while I step inside the mansion to find mum and Eric at the dinner table laughing over some random joke and it hits me hard.
Memories, as a family, we used to do that a lot with dad then. We'd go ahead to plow the massive garden behind the mansion. Dad would take the lead to haul balls of soil at us while we dodged and retaliated. We called it dodge soil, we'd go on like that till we end up with dirt all over.
All these memories and more resurfaced and not until I heard mum's voice did I realize I'd been standing there for long.
"Are you alright hun?" She sits up making her way towards me. I jerk, stoically moving away from them, she stops on her track disappointed.
I don't care if she's hurt by my cold attitude as I walk through the door leading upstairs and that's when I see her, she's making her way down the same stairs I'm about to climb.
Emma Eric, my heart thumps when our eyes locks. She freezes on the spot, she's no longer in her little vixen shorts and crop top I immediately recognize whose clothes she's putting on.
"Wtf?!!!" I thought, but it echoed through the room and mum was already behind me in seconds.
"Oh, Emma was wasted last night and your brother was so kind to bring her here. It's a bad idea to take her home in such conditions you know" she defends.
I wasn't shocked that she was standing right in my front, my curious mind wanted to be satisfied with the knowledge of how she got into my brother's clothes but I'm not gonna ask. I stand there for a while waiting for her to get down but she seems displaced mentally.
I sigh and take the lead, hoping her timid mind will catch on and it did.
I catch the scent of Eric's cologne on her as we walk past each other.
"Silly!" I whisper as I make my way to my suite not before overhearing them ask if she needs anything.
With the door shut behind me, I can finally breathe properly in this goddamn house.
My room is my haven, the only place I don't feel like running from though mum comes in once in a while for inspection as the owner of the house so nothing like total privacy. That's why I hang out in Phil's condo, it makes me so jealous that at his age he gets to be free and decide what he wants.
Speak of the devil, Phil barges in as usual with a duffel bag.
"I thought I just saw that chic at the party downstairs," he said dropping the bag carelessly.
"Yeah, mum and Eric's hand work" I reply not wanting to talk or think about her anymore but it seems Phil has more to say.
"She his next conquest? Cos she doesn't look like your brother's usual"
"Does he have a spec?" I open my closet, thinking of what best to wear for the race.
"We should go shopping next" I decide after rummaging through my clothes to find nothing suitable.
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