I wonder
what’s wrong with me. It was just a hug… just a simple hug… a hug that we’ve
shared so many times before... But why? Why today when I hugged her my heart
started pounding like crazy... so loud that I was afraid that she could hear
it. I was aware very aware of her, her arms wrapped around me, smell of her….
something exotic… unique… of her own, her breathing against my light shirt… It burned
into my skin. It would be a lie…. if I told that I didn't like the way she felt
in my arms.
“Drew” I heard her calling me from downstairs. I really need to clear up my head……. Mom , it’s all happening ‘cause of her… 24hrs ago I was perfectly fine and sane until mom talked to me last night….. after that chat with her, my life stopped making sense, my thoughts, my feeling they all seemed alien to me…. Arghhh! If she only hadn't said what she said to me last night, I wouldn't have been thinking about this and I sure wouldn't have been feeling this … or would I? Damn what’s wrong with me?
“Drew” I heard her calling me from downstairs. I really need to clear up my head……. Mom , it’s all happening ‘cause of her… 24hrs ago I was perfectly fine and sane until mom talked to me last night….. after that chat with her, my life stopped making sense, my thoughts, my feeling they all seemed alien to me…. Arghhh! If she only hadn't said what she said to me last night, I wouldn't have been thinking about this and I sure wouldn't have been feeling this … or would I? Damn what’s wrong with me?
“Hey! I’m leaving”
She was standing at my door. Her dark brown hair was now pulled up in a pony tail.
Had she always been this beautiful? Her brown eyes looked so deep that I felt
like I could stare at it forever…. “Drew I think you should walk her home. It’s
getting late you know.” Mom announced coming up behind her.
“Hmm... Okay.” I replied giving mom I-hate-you-for-this look. I silently prayed that Zoe would deny and insist on going home alone but she didn't deny and quietly agreed. Well……… even if she had denied, I obviously wouldn't have let her go alone, would I? ‘Cause it’s really getting dark and no neighborhood is quite safe in the dark for anyone to walk alone. Shut up, you’re just making excuses to be with her, little voice at the back of my mind told me the exact thing I didn't want to admit right now.
“Hmm... Okay.” I replied giving mom I-hate-you-for-this look. I silently prayed that Zoe would deny and insist on going home alone but she didn't deny and quietly agreed. Well……… even if she had denied, I obviously wouldn't have let her go alone, would I? ‘Cause it’s really getting dark and no neighborhood is quite safe in the dark for anyone to walk alone. Shut up, you’re just making excuses to be with her, little voice at the back of my mind told me the exact thing I didn't want to admit right now.
Mom and Zoe
said their goodbyes. Before leaving mom gave me a mischievous grin, the same
one that she gave me when I got home last night... Last night, it was when I
was working on Zoe’s assignment; mom came up to my room and inquired what was I
doing up late. When I told her that I was doing Zoe’s assignment…. Then she
asked me a weird question “Why?” Weird ‘cause this is really not the first she
ever found me doing Zoe’s work. Still I replied her question and told her what
ever happened yesterday and because of it Zoe was probably too exhausted to do
her assignment so I was doing it for her. She looked thoughtful… I ignored her
and continued to do the assignment. She was silent for a long time before she
told me, “I think you are falling in love with her” She told me that I was falling
in love, with a girl I've known since forever, just like that. Before my
mind could even process what she was saying, she left the room. Now, thanks to
her, here I am questioning my sanity. [-.-!]
The walk
back home was full of uncomfortable silence. I didn't know what to say; to be
more precise I didn't trusted the words that would come out of my mouth when I was
so conflicted about my feelings. She was the same girl that she was yesterday,
same girl that I've known for years, I was the same guy and yet everything
suddenly felt so… different.
Before I
knew, we were standing at her front porch. We were in front of her door when I
turned to look at her. In the dim light of the porch her brown eyes somehow
seemed softer and warmer. “Goodnight Drew.” She said softly. Uncertainly my
gaze dropped to her lips. It looked so…. appealing. I was struck by a sudden
impulse to bent down and kiss her.
His eyes
looked darker. There was something about the way he looked at me… it made me
nervous…. It felt as if anytime he would lean down and kiss me… was I just
imagining it or…… Suddenly the front door flew open and a familiar voice said “Oops.
Did I interrupt a goodnight kiss?” followed by a very familiar laugh. I already
knew who it was before I turned to see him.
“Ann! Draco!” Drew and I both said out loud at the same time.
“You guys are back!” I said giving my dear elder brother a hug.
“Yes we are!” Ann replied.
“How are you kid?” Draco asked Drew while Ann wrapped me in her embrace. Draco, my brother, used to babysit both Drew and I when we were young. I was his younger sister but still he was closer with Drew than he was ever with me. Not that I was jealous or anything. I got my share of elder sibling when he started dating Ann. She was the sister that I never had and the best one I could ever wish for.
“Don’t call me kid any more Drake. I’m almost as tall as you!” Drew replied.
“But do you have muscles this big?” then Draco started showing off his muscles and the complete conversation started to turn into the same old boring and boyish. So, Ann and I headed inside. Ann was a typical blonde by looks…. you know really pretty, tall, skinny and oh those beautiful blue eyes! And the best part about her was the calmness that she possessed; she was the only person I’ve ever known to keep up with Draco’s short temper.
Few minutes later, Draco came in. “Where’s Drew?” Ann asked the exact question that was at the tip of my tongue.
“Oh he went. He said it was getting late and all….. Have you told her?”
“No, I was waiting for you.” Ann replied with a warm smile. He came and stood beside her amd said, “We’re engaged!”
“OhMyGod!! Really?” I could barely contain the excitement in my voice.
“Yes” Ann replied blushing.
“I’m so happy for you guys” I said hugging both Draco and Ann.
“And one more thing …” Ann continued once I released them from my hug “ Be my bride’s maid? if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course! It would be an honor. Thanks Ann! Have you guys told mom yet?”
“Mom’s not home yet” Draco spoke up.
“She is not home yet??” That’s weird.
“You don’t know where she is? I thought you’d know”
“I have no Idea. Haven’t you called her?”
“I did but her cell phone was switched off.”
“She is usually back home from office by seven and always informs me if she’s gonna be late….. Maybe she’s still at office and she forgot to tell me that she was gonna be late.” I added hopefully.
“She’s not at office. I called there too. They said she left at her usual time.” Draco said frowning
I was getting worried now, it was almost nine. It’s unlike her to be late. Mom… where could she be? Every horrifying thought about what might have happened started to invade my mind. An accident or maybe... I knew I was over thinking and I tried to shut away those horrible thoughts but they just wouldn’t go away. I heard Draco say, “I’ll call the police.” I could do nothing more than nod. Just then the doorbell rang. I rushed to the door as soon as I heard it. Ann and Draco followed. I opened the door, Mom was there… standing with a bandage on head and right beside her was…… “Reid?”
“Ann! Draco!” Drew and I both said out loud at the same time.
“You guys are back!” I said giving my dear elder brother a hug.
“Yes we are!” Ann replied.
“How are you kid?” Draco asked Drew while Ann wrapped me in her embrace. Draco, my brother, used to babysit both Drew and I when we were young. I was his younger sister but still he was closer with Drew than he was ever with me. Not that I was jealous or anything. I got my share of elder sibling when he started dating Ann. She was the sister that I never had and the best one I could ever wish for.
“Don’t call me kid any more Drake. I’m almost as tall as you!” Drew replied.
“But do you have muscles this big?” then Draco started showing off his muscles and the complete conversation started to turn into the same old boring and boyish. So, Ann and I headed inside. Ann was a typical blonde by looks…. you know really pretty, tall, skinny and oh those beautiful blue eyes! And the best part about her was the calmness that she possessed; she was the only person I’ve ever known to keep up with Draco’s short temper.
Few minutes later, Draco came in. “Where’s Drew?” Ann asked the exact question that was at the tip of my tongue.
“Oh he went. He said it was getting late and all….. Have you told her?”
“No, I was waiting for you.” Ann replied with a warm smile. He came and stood beside her amd said, “We’re engaged!”
“OhMyGod!! Really?” I could barely contain the excitement in my voice.
“Yes” Ann replied blushing.
“I’m so happy for you guys” I said hugging both Draco and Ann.
“And one more thing …” Ann continued once I released them from my hug “ Be my bride’s maid? if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course! It would be an honor. Thanks Ann! Have you guys told mom yet?”
“Mom’s not home yet” Draco spoke up.
“She is not home yet??” That’s weird.
“You don’t know where she is? I thought you’d know”
“I have no Idea. Haven’t you called her?”
“I did but her cell phone was switched off.”
“She is usually back home from office by seven and always informs me if she’s gonna be late….. Maybe she’s still at office and she forgot to tell me that she was gonna be late.” I added hopefully.
“She’s not at office. I called there too. They said she left at her usual time.” Draco said frowning
I was getting worried now, it was almost nine. It’s unlike her to be late. Mom… where could she be? Every horrifying thought about what might have happened started to invade my mind. An accident or maybe... I knew I was over thinking and I tried to shut away those horrible thoughts but they just wouldn’t go away. I heard Draco say, “I’ll call the police.” I could do nothing more than nod. Just then the doorbell rang. I rushed to the door as soon as I heard it. Ann and Draco followed. I opened the door, Mom was there… standing with a bandage on head and right beside her was…… “Reid?”
