I mulled over his words and stared at him for a whole minute.
He knows who I am?
What?
Do I know who I am?
"I don't understand, Sven. What do you mean?" I asked quietly.
His smile just grew wider and he said without looking at me, "You'll understand. Don't worry."
"Sven, please tell me what you know," I asked him in an exasperated tone.
He turned to face me and put a finger up to his lips, his eyes sparkling playfully. Then he faced the white board again, as if carefully listening to the teacher's every word.
I sighed and gave up. I know when to stop pushing and I also know he's having a wonderful time knowing something that I don't.
That too about me.
...
Suffice to say, Sven didn't leave my side the entire time at the university. I trampled on my curiosity with shoes of self-respect and decided to pretend as if his actions didn't bother me at all.
He doesn't want to tell me? Fine.
He could easily be lying too.
"I'm not lying."
I shrieked and jumped and dropped my books on the floor just as I was going to put them in my locker.
"Sven! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I yelled.
He was already in a fit of laughter and I doubt he even heard what I just said.
"Your face!" he said wiping away tears from his eyes, leaning on the lockers beside mine for support.
I hid a smile as I put my books back in, then shut my locker and pulled on a straight face. I started to walk towards the gate to put more distance between him and me.
"What about it?" I said nonchalantly.
"I'm sure your mate would be glad to see it everyday for the rest of his life," he said from behind me.
My steps faltered as I turned to look at him. He was suddenly scrolling on his phone and seemed absolutely unaware of the glare I was giving him.
Why does everything he say sound so normal yet as if he knows a lot more than he's letting on?
I turned back around and walked towards the building exit. I can't do this right now, I have a shift to get to and he's not going to tell me anything anytime soon.
I started the ten-minute walk, thankfully he didn't catch up with me. I looked back to see him standing by the building and watching me with a satisfied smile.
...
I reached Milano's and walked into the restaurant from the back entrance to be greeted by Brooks.
"Hey kid," he said smiling at me while going through a clipboard. For a pair of humans, Brooks and Blakely are really good-looking and could easily pass as models.
"Hi Brooks. What's up?" I asked calmly, trying to hide my irritable demeanor.
"Well, I think I'm gonna land that job I'd hoped for. The final interview was today and the guys at the table seemed pretty impressed," he said, his eyes gleaming.
I exclaimed with happiness and hugged him, "You deserve it Brooks! I'm sure you'll get it!"
He hugged me back and gave me his best smile.
"Thanks Rayne, I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for you," he said as he let go of me and turned back to his clipboard with a solemn expression.
I held his shoulder and laughed, "Well, what are little sisters for?"
He rolled his eyes and said, "You should tell Blakely. She's nothing but a pain, really."
"I heard that!" came her voice from outside. Her head peeked from the side of the door and she stared her big brother down.
"Just because I gave you two some privacy doesn't mean I couldn't hear you!" she said, her eyes still slits.
"And eavesdropping is totally not invasion of privacy?" said Brooks now heading towards her to get back to work.
I followed them out and laughed as they bickered as usual. They love each other a lot but I guess fighting and insulting each other is their way of saying 'I love you dear sibling'.
Well, I wouldn't know.
I put on my apron and waited the tables and kept thinking about how I'd known them for three years and they had become like a family to me. I had gotten involved into their personal lives and made their problems my own. With my tiny little self, I did what I could to do my part to help them.
But I never got them involved in my own story. The real story, anyway.
I couldn't risk having someone hurt because of me again.