CHAPTER 4 | NOTHING ALIKE
Ian flopped down on the couch and let out a sigh.
Suddenly, the tapping on the laptop stopped.
"Hey, Ian?" He heard his sister's disembodied voice called.
"What?" He muttered, without looking at her.
"Is something bothering you?"Euphel asked, "I have never heard you sigh."
"Just a long day," he muttered, and slowly got up from the couch wanting to get fresh and eat something.
"Well, okay but are you sure there is nothing wrong?" Euphel pressed again.
Ian paused and looked back at her. Euphel was sitting on a armchair in her most ratty pj's with her laptop. His sister is a senior in college but she was on a gap year right now, so she is back home. He scowled at the empty chips wrappers surrounding her and looked at her.
Ian was the closest to Euphel and his mother only but he never really talked about anything personal with them. Well, there was never really anything to talk about but he have no idea how to deal with his overbearing seat partner. A little advice wouldn't be harmful, he figured.
"Well," he uncertainly began, "There is this boy."
The eyes behind Euphelâs round reading glass immediately sparkled, "You have a crush?" she squealed.
Ian scrunched his nose and gave her a nasty look, "Ew, no." He was centuries away from liking his seat partner.
Euphel's shoulder dropped and she let out a disappointed, "oh". Ian shrugged and was about to walk away when she called him again.
"Wait wait wait!" Euphel called hurriedly and he heard her placing her laptop on the coffee table and dash towards him.
Ian looked at her with raised eyebrow, "Are you taking a gap year because your boyfriend dumped you? Because you like those girls right now," he paused, "Did you took a shower?"
"Oh you are such a clean freak!" Euphel said, she grabbed both of his shoulders and gave him a wide smile, "So tell me what happened between the boy and you."
Ian freed himself from her grasp and glare at her, "Nothing happened," he said.
"You never share anything with me even though I am your only sister, âshe pouted, "even though you were about to share, you changed your mind, donât you trust me? Ah! I am so hurt!" she bought her hand and clutched her chest in mocked pain.
Ian rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior, "Fine, just stop your horrible acting."
Euphel beamed at him, "This is really new to me though," she said, "you are finally opening up to me, come let's sit on the couch first."
"You are such a dork," he said, and followed her.
By the time Ian finished telling her the events that happened, the last time. Euphel burst out laughing.
"He poked you in the eye?" she laughed, and somewhere between her laugh, Ian swore, her laugh sounded like a pig's snort.
He looked her, unamused.
"Seriously, if you are just gonna laugh at my misfortune then I am going," Ian said and pushed himself off the couch.
"No! Wait!" Euphel exclaimed and grabbed Ian by his sleeve and pulled him down.
"What do you think of the boy?" she asked.
"I think he is an irritating twat" he said.
"You are going to be single your whole life if you continue with this attitude, you know?" she said.
He shrugged, "Won't mind it."
"Mom is already thinking you are asexual or something,â Euphel said.
Ian let out a sardonic laugh, "What?"
"We will support you no matter what of course," she snorted, "Mom is just worried that when you finally take a step into adulthood, your attitude is gonna make things hard for you."
He shrugged, "I will manage, you know how I managed to survive kindergarten when all the kids teased me by saying I was mute, adulthood won't be so difficult."
Euphel snorted, "I really wish, I had your uncaring attitude."
"That sounded close to a compliment but you tone directed it for sass", Ian said.
"About the boy, you should give him a chance, you know?" Euphel said, "He seem nice. What's his name?"
"Uh...", He gave Euphel a blank look and she rolled her eyes as she slapped his back, "Of course, your highness does not like to keep people's name in mind. What's my name? Don't tell me you forgot it too."
Ian rolled his eyes, "You are wasting my time", he said and got up from the couch, "The school is having a teacher's meeting and later mom will go to one of the teacher's house for dinner. It's you and me only sis, what do you wanna have for dinner?"
"You will cook?" she asked.
"So, you want to cook?" He sarcastically asked. Euphel's definition of cooking can be pouring hot water inside a cup noodle.
"You are so much like daâ"
Euphel quickly fell silent and Ian froze.
Unpleasant memories flashed his mind.
A woman's sharp cry of pain, a man grabbing her by her hair and those dead dark eyes looking back at him.
"I trusted you with our little secret, why did you tell mom? Now she has to suffer because you didn't shut your mouth up!"
After the incident, where their father beat their mother. Their parents got divorced. Their mom had begged for it. Since then their mother had raised Euphel and Ian single handedly.
Ever since then, the feeling of proudness Ian felt whenever people told him, he looked like his dad or he was exactly like his dad, were replaced with, resentment towards himself.
He was scared of turning into a man like his father. A man who cheated on his wife and beat her when she discovered it. He tried everything to change himself. To not be like his father. His father was a talkative and interactive man so Ian started to shut people out.
His father was poor in studies but was a football prodigy so he stopped playing all the games and studied hard.
His father was a friendly person and Ian did everything in him to become mean and bitter. Even if he had to be lonely.
He tried everything to be someone who was not his father. Yetâ
"I am sorry," Euphel's quite voice snapped Ian out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, "What are you apologizing for?"
Euphel shrugged. They both knew what she was apologizing for.
They fell silent again.
"June Weng," Ian suddenly spoke.
Euphel looked at him with a confused expression.
"The crazy boy who poked me in the eye and is all around me like a housefly," he explained, "His name is June Weng."
Euphelâs lips stretched into a smile, "I think he is gonna be real special."
Ian made a face.
Euphel let out a laugh.
Ian was about to head to his room when Euphel called him. He turned behind and raised an eyebrow.
He could tell that whatever Euphel was going to say was something sincere. Although her present dressing contrasted her sincere speech.
However, the little feeling of uneasiness which had began to gawk on Ian, left the moment he heard, Euphel's words.
"You are nothing like our dad."
Just a heads up guys. This part [In Another Life] is gonna be a lil long than the rest (Almost 20 or so chappies.)
Have a good dayð»
What did you had for breakfast today?
A/A : Air. (I really haven't been eating well, Keke. Don't be like me guys ð¢ð)