My Famous Brother

Chapter Seven

I didn't have school anymore, as my principal had let me have my graduation before everyone else, so that I didn't have to go back to Atlanta just for a few hours. I could just wait at home before anything that wasn't boring happened.

But one day, he asked if I wanted to come with him to see the school and meet his friends. And of course, I said yes. I wanted adventure, I wanted to discover new places.

So on Friday, I went with him. It was a very short car-ride which actually surprised me due to my previous ride to New York.

"Have you seen Theo?" he wondered, looking strict at me as if he was going to punish me if I lied.

I looked down at my knee when I answered. "No, not after Atlanta."

"You should," Jacob continued. "You should give him an explanation."

"I know, I know," I said before sighing, "I'm just... not ready yet."

"I understand." Jacob turned his eyes on the road again. "But you have to see him sometime."

"And I will," I assured. "When the time has come."

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We were at Jacob's school. He walked before me into the "reception", if you would like to call it that. It at least looked like one with big couch-groups in every corner, the chalk white walls and the big desk that stood in front of you when you got in. Behind the desk a woman stood. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties with her pixie-hair and round, black glasses which sat a little on wrong. She looked like a nice, kind girl.

"Good morning, Jacob," she said, smiling very happily. Then she looked at me. "Who is this...?" she said a little questioning.

Jacob looked from me to the woman. "This is my cousin, Joline," he said. "She's staying with me for a while and she wanted to see the school."

The woman looked surprised. "Oh, have you...?"

"Yup," Jacob answered before the woman even got a chance to finish the sentence.

"Okay, have a nice day then." She smiled again.

We walked through what seemed like endless corridors. Jacob turned around to see if I was behind him sometimes, but most of the time he looked forward at his feet.
I didn't say so much either, I was too focused to look around the building.

Suddenly Jacob stopped. I stopped right after, just in time, so that I didn't go into him.
He talked to someone. Someone I couldn't see. He was too tall and I stood behind him, a little bit away. I tried to get a glimpse of that person, but it didn't go too well.

I tripped on his foot and fell to the floor. "Ouch," I said.

Jacob and his friend turned around.
Jacob looked scared at me. "Joline," he said while he helped me up, "did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," I mumbled, a little shy.

His friend looked at me. Now I got the chance to see who it was. Beside my cousin, a girl stood. She was very pretty with her night-black hair and red lips. Her make-up was very minimalistic with just a little black eyeshadow on the eyelids.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"Hi," I said a little awkwardly. "I'm Joline."

Jacob cleared his throat. "Joline is my... cousin," he said. "She's living with me for a while."

"I didn't know you had a cousin," she said. "You've never talked about her."

"No, I haven't," Jacob confirmed. "I actually have two. It's Joline and her older brother."

"Older brother?" The girl looked a little confused. "Aren't you like nineteen?"

"Yeah," I said. "My brother is twenty-two."

"Is there a chance that I know who he is?" she asked, a little too interested now.

I swallowed. "Yeah, I think you do."

I looked at Jacob who mimed: Don't, she likes him more than she loves me.

I laughed a little before speaking. "My brother is Theo Clarke," I said just to piss Jacob off.

Her jaw dropped. "Theo Clarke?!" she exclaimed. "You're brother is Theo f*cking Clarke?!"

"Nora," Jacob said. "Can you please stop making such a big deal about it?"

"What?" she said. "I found out that my amazing boyfriend has Theo Clarke as his cousin and can't talk about it? I can't wait for the family dinners."

"I haven't seen him in years," Jacob continued in an attempt to change the subject.

"It's true," I implied. "You have to save it for yourself, at least outside these doors. No one can know about his real family."

"Why?" She looked confused.

"Because he has secrets, and if they come out his whole reputation will be ruined."

Nora nodded, a little disappointed. "I understand."

When I walked after them I whispered to Jacob: "Boyfriend, huh...?"

He tried to sound angry, but it only made him sound like a baby that didn't want to do as his parents said. "Shut up."

I laughed a little.
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