Later, at home, I'm sprawled out like a zombie, the pound of guilt weighing on my chest. She sat all day alone. Eva was busy doing her work and I ended up bringing her board back with me! Clutching my fragile aching head I roll over on my stomach which is aching as well. hamster's chowing down on all the chocolates he found in his school locker without barfing for once, but for some reason, my stomach's torturing me.

"I only had four! Stop hogging them all!" I bellow.

"They're mine! Should've opened your locker and checked," he retorts like a greedy urchin. 

"I told you, I forgot the darn key! Now gimme back mine, you punk!" I yell, clutching my aching stomach. 

We both look like a couple of slobs right now. both in PJs!

Since he came over after ages, we're trying out some new stuff. he's got my hair mask on, and it's been three hours, but he's refusing to wash it off. We've slapped on a homemade face mask, and I refuse to get off this couch tonight to wash it off. 

Bro goals!

Man, ever since he leaked my digits, my phone's been going bonkers with texts, and I can't be bothered to deal with it. The last time Tanaka swung by, we had a riot replying to those messages, but now these girls are getting way too amped up! Ugh, dude. That day was going to be a bummer as well, but it turned out to be a blast. I wish the three of us could kick it someday, maybe after school or something. She's a hoot, and she'd probably sort out my phone. I wish she could swing by right now since Bro couldn't care less about anything except his darn chocos.

"Here, take ten bucks and do it!" I beg.

"Nah, not interested. Your offer's too cheap," he shoots back.

"You don't even know what I'm asking!" I snap at him.

"Yeah, but ten bucks ain't worth my time," he says, unwrapping another chocolate, unfazed by the world.

“Oh come on. You know I am broke and-”

“Okay. make the deal ideal first” he states

“How about fifteen bucks” I ask

“What? Do you think I am that cheap?” he questions dragging his tongue all over the wrapper furiously and licking every particle of chocolate.

“Listen, all you have to do is delete the messages and block the numbers”

“Huh? What- bruh that’s so mean. You’re gonna hurt them so bad” he fires back and commences to lick his fingers. 

“Jeez man…how about your phone” I inquire.

“Oh I don’t get them-”

“I knew there was no way! You gave them my number under your ugly name?” I bawl getting up.

“Chill bro! You’re right though but not too much ” he winks and yanks his phone out of his pajama pockets. The screen flickered and he began scrolling grinning “You see this? We were on call and all these sweet and nice people helped me with my homework without even asking for anything in return!”

I fling the pillow at him “You’re despicable!”

“Huh? Should I not attend the calls-”

“You didn’t tell me you did your work! I was gonna be the only one standing tomorrow”

“Oi hold on-”

“Betrayer!!!” I roar

“Shut Up! You twit!” he flings the pillow back and I catch it.

“You shut up. fink! ” I reply feeling the pain of backstab in my chest.

 Blabbering, he stomps to his bag and hurls it at me. “See it for yourself.”

“Quiet down, you loud mouth,” I order opening his bag.

There they are. All my notebooks that I never saw again. Kidnapped in his bag!

“It’s been a decade since I last saw them!” screaming I hopped on the couch. He looks at me with the deadliest eyes, and tuts, and marches to me.

“Okay, okay. I am opening them.” Immediately, I open my long-lost notebooks and flip through the pages in a hurry. Streaks of black and blue pass my eyes. Dude snatches the file from my grip, places it down on the couch, and in one swift move drags my head so close to it. My face so close to the notebook. My vision getting blurry.

“Yes, yes. I can see clearly,” I mumble.

“Good. Now, slowly and carefully flip through them and-”

“And?” I ask still in that position.

“Praise my classic handwriting! What else, you idiot!” he chortles. 

He made sure I moaned a brand new compliment for his handwriting on every single page!

“Okay, now get off of me,” I request him in an overly sweet tone since he did all my work too. 

“So, do you admit I am the best?” he smirks proudly.

“Yeah, yeah,” tired, I say.

The bell rings, and all I and bro hear are sirens and red lights.

“Sh*t, sh*t. Someone came,” Leon whispers aloud, panicked.

“Yes, sh*t, sh*t! WHO COULD IT BE!” I cry.

“Get off of me first!” I hiss.

“Oh, oh, right.” 

The bell rings again, and we both stand there having a dysfunctional fit. 

“Did you order?” bro asks me.

“Hell no,” I answer sure but not so sure. Checking through the recent calls I reply perturbed “Nope.”

“Then who could that be!” he shrieks, clutching his head and spinning a little on the same spot.

“Exactly!” mortified I whisper, at my clothes, and then I look at him “Nope, the door’s not opening.”

The bell rings again.

 Howling he sprints to the bathroom, and I gallop behind to shut his loud mouth. As I am about to head in the bathroom too he violently slaps the door close on my face. An inch of the distance saves my nose. The peace invader is bound to imagine that someone is fighting for their life inside.

 “I'm not opening the door so don’t panic. Relax!” I whisper to him from outside the door. I am not sure if he can hear me because all I can hear is running water, and hurried and panicked footsteps, accompanied by loud thuds and thumps because he's throwing my stuff!

“don’t throw the bottles, they are expensive! And I told ya I am not opening the door”. I revile

“Just give me my board,” came the voice. Rapping on my chochlea. 

“What the heck,” me and bro say together. “That’s her!”

“Why is she here?” the dude cries from inside sounding literally like a crying man. “Why?” he adds, his voice breaking for a moment. “You guys are dating?” he screams aloud and I curse him much louder and intensely.

“Breathe, Leon! She’s not gonna see you in the situation you are in. I will go and give her the skateboard discreetly,”  I assure his panic-stricken soul.

“Whatever. From this moment onward I will always stay squeaky clean!” he jibbers.

The bell doesn’t ring again but not wasting any time I smack the bathroom door. “Open it dammit, at least lemme wash my face!”

The lock doesn’t budge.

“If that’s what you want. Okay then dearest bro, remember you brought it on yourself,” I whisper, and keeping my chin high I open the door very slightly, my hands shaking slightly. I don’t know why. It isn’t like we were doing drugs and got caught! Holding the door wide I motioned to her with my hand since she couldn’t see a very welcomed and pleasant smile.

“No, I uh..won’t come in. Just give it back to me,” she says avoiding my eyes.

“I know I kept you waiting-”

“Yeah yeah but um…why are you wearing a helmet?” she asks genuinely curious.

Crap. What should I say? Isn’t it obvious, Tanamah, because I wanted to hide my face!

“I-uh..haha…guess I forgot to take it off haha.”

“Oh okay. Now would you be kind enough to return it,” she replies.

“Oh no no..come in”

“No. I am good,” she says pulling out her hands from her pockets.

“It’s rude just come in but be quiet,” I whisper. “I have to show you something.”

“ I said I am okay,” she insists.

“Jeez,” I pulled her inside. “Bye-bye, take care, Tamasha,” I say and shut the door.  Upon turning to look at her I find her glaring at me. Silently seeking an answer. She blinks once. I blink excessively but she can’t see.

I am gonna do dude dirty.

 "There's, uh, a spirit living on rent it uh..sleeps at this hour, so be quiet," I whisper. 

Puzzled, she sits with me on the couch replying to the messages I've received for me. We're both so weirded out that it's not fun, and I can even hear myself gulping. She keeps looking around and peeking at me. Leon sure is working on keeping his promise of being squeaky clean. We both can listen to the shower running wildly and the opening and closing of several lids. Now that she's seen me in something other than our classic school attire, you turn bro.

"Oh, and this one too," I tell her, and she begins typing in some words whose meanings I would have to search for later. 

The bathroom door clicks open. long-awaited moment. Leon in his Hello Kitty pajamas! Someone needs to through despicable me in dungeons.

Pretending I didn't notice the door creaking open, I kept my head near the phone. My vision tainted black from under the helmet. In pin-drop silence, I can only hear the sound of her texting, the heavy breaths in my helmet, and water dripping on the floor from Leon's hair. Like a real man, he refuses to dry himself with a towel too. Humming, he goes behind us to my cupboard, completely unaware. He should be screaming right now! Didn't he see her head from behind? Quickly, I stared at Tamasha, and, flapdoodle! he didn't see her! She has leaned forward, and he can't see her head from behind!

 Crap! Crap!

"Tamara!" I say her name for him to notice and she looks at me "Oh, haha, nothing. You have a unique name. Hahaha," I laugh awkwardly as Leon gets a silent heart attack behind me. he aborts going to my cupboard and, grabbing his school bag, dashes while trying to tiptoe to the bathroom again. The urge to look at me in excruciating pain overcomes me and I sneak a peek without making it obvious to her.

Tiptoing in his towel!

What the apples and bananas! Why did he? 

Breathing once again because she didn't notice him.

 Why did you come out like that? You jerk! Were you going to wear my new clothes?  Things almost took a tour of hell for him. Biting my lip I curse him silently.

Damn you, jerk Leon! You and your image! I stare at Tanasha, and she's become a skeleton by now. "Oh, your skateboard's right by the door... haha... I think you've done me enough favors already, haha," laughing awkwardly I accompany her to the door. "Yeah, probably."

I can't believe he walked out like that! What was he even thinking?

"Oh, hey, Tanaka!"

We both stop mid-track and slowly turn to peek at him.

"Oh, you look good in those clothes," Bro comments, and slowly I drag my eyes up from the ground and look at him, although he can't see not to mention I'm still wearing a helmet.

Who stood in front of me wasn’t what I remembered him. Tanaka had her jaw drop to the floor. A brown-haired, well-combed, tall, and slim guy with twinkling brown eyes in a maroon suit. Jeez, he looks good, and from where the heck did he manifest that suit??

"Hey? Is that you in the helmet, Xion? Tanaka, why is he wearing it? Is something wrong with him?" he asks her, knowing darn well the reason.

“Why are you posing like a model?” she asks plainly.

“Oh, you see” Running a hand through his hair he explains “I just got back from my vogue shoot and side effects of posing there for too long,” he flashes us another pose thinking she didn’t notice that someone was in the bathroom for so long!

“did you bathe in all the perfumes you could find?” I ask.

He grins. “Why don’t you get rid of this helmet? I can’t see what face you’re making,” he smirks.

I clench my fist. “Why don’t we get rid of your existent you-”

“I am out of here,” Tanaka announces, lifting both her hands in the air.

“Ah-kay,” I say.

“Huh? You should stay, I won't interrupt you two,” smirking Leon assures us.

Before my fist could hit his beautiful face, her kick kissed him. Like a card, he cracked and bawled on the floor.

“Oh, crap. I did it again. I'm sorry. I’m sorry,” she says quickly, panting.

“Serves you right, dude,” I snicker. 

“Why did ya…h-hit me?” Bro manages to say from the ground.

‘Because you were spouting nonsense and I already said I am sorry, so quit crying,” she orders “and it wasn’t even that strong”

Making the ugliest face, bro imitates her. “It wasn’t even that strong-”

She whacked him on the head.

Quickly I shoved her out of the house before something else happens. That damn skateboard!

“And you-” I begin at him when she’s gone.

“And you!” he cuts me infuriated.

Both of us are ready to shower fists at each other, but I laugh. “That was nasty and evil, I know I did you dirty but why’d you get out in a towel?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, remembering it. “I don't know… In all that panic, I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to put on neat clothes from your wardrobe!”

“There, there,” I offer him my shoulder to cry on. “Good thing she didn’t see you.”

“Yeah, like my abs would have totally mesmerized her-”

“Would you ever stop? She would been traumatized, you looked like a potato!” he’s delusional.

“Potato? You mean a hot French fry,” he smirks.

“Jus shuh uh.” annoyed I roll my eyes.