HIP #3: Forgetting The Old Us

Chapter 1

I grabbed three big notebooks from the shelf and placed them in the cart, my brother, Kobie is holding. Today, we're shopping for school supplies. I'm supposed to be with Britney but she said that she already bought stuff online and Charlie's dad shopped for her. So, here I am trying to look for the best things I can with my little younger stepbrother.

This year is the start of the 2nd year of Senior High. This means that I am finally about to go to college and take my dream major, which is Creative Writing. They said it's very stressful because you would have to write a lot of essays and short stories, but those are what I love, so I don't think it would be that hard for me.

I fell in love with writing back when I was ten. I used to write short sad stories. The first one I wrote was about a kid who lost his dog, which is based on a true story. That was Peter's experience.

"Umm, Kobie, we're here for school supplies and not for crap supplies!" I complained after seeing him insert a sachet of protection into the cart. He probably thought I didn't notice that. "Umm, that is a school supply." He rose his shoulders and jokingly smiled, making his dimple appear on the sides of his face. "Protections are not school supplies!"

"Give me a valid reason why they are not!" So we're fighting over a condom.

"Give me valid reasons why they are!" It disgusts me to see someone older than me do things I've never done before. Like this. Putting a crap in a cart.

"I asked you first," he kept pushing it until we reached the pens section. I tipped my toes to reach the green pen on top of a shelf and then threw it to him.

"I'm two years older than you, so answer me first." This is the perks of being old.

"Okay, treat old people nicely, right?" I rolled my eyes. Darn this kid!

"You're putting that back or I'll tell mom and dad that you're the one who broke the refrigerator last week?" We're not the type of siblings who hangs out most of the time but we know each other's secret. Except for relationships. He rolled his eyes and immediately grabbed it then placed it back to where he got it earlier.

Nice kid. He's scared of me more than how he's scared of a spider. Yes, he's a guy but he's scared of spiders. Once when I threw one to him, four years ago, he was all grown up at that time and even had a lot of exes already, he still cried and screamed out loud then cursed my name.

"What is that?" He asked when I placed a pack of napkins in the cart.

"What?" I asked then hid it behind my back. I know what boys usually feel when they see things as awkward as this.

"Behind you? Why are you putting a pack of napkins in the cart? I thought we're only shopping for school supplies?" I threw it onto the cart confidently with a lot of force. "First, this might not be a school supply but I'm on my period right now."

Sounds weird that I tell him whether I'm on my period or not, but, this is me. I have trusted him. As I said earlier, he's scared of me so he doesn't tell any of my secrets to anyone. "Oh, I get it. That's why you're too grumpy." My eyes widened. Not the type of joke I like.

I turned to him immediately and flew my hand to the air as it met his cheek. I felt how strong the slap was because of the loud noise made by it and also because it hurt my palm. Then it caught people's attention around us.

My bad...

"What was that for?" He frowned.

"I guess you should never make jokes about things you don't want to get slapped about," I smirked like the devil and turned around while mindlessly pushing the cart while all the people's eyes are on me and I'm ignoring them. I can picture how he's probably trying to heal his cheek by rubbing it gently. He loves himself so much and always takes care of his pretty face blah, blah, blah.

That's what it's like having an overconfident stepbrother. "Anyway, how was this year's varsity summer camp?" He's a basketball player for our school. Teaming with Britney's older brother or let me call him her ex-boyfriend: Nate together with Charlie's boyfriend: Chance.

I'm the only one in our squad who never dated a guy on the basketball team. Maybe soon I will?

Hold up, what was that? I thought I swore to myself that I would never, ever love again after what happened to me before unless I know he's the right guy. Don't you dare break your rule #1! Never fall in love with a guy who looks like A!

I can't say his name anymore because it disgusts me and reminds me of the days when I cried alone every night and no one knew about it because I kept things about us a secret. I remember dad walked into my room and asked me why I was crying but I said that it was just because of the onion I sliced earlier that night. So, I would just call him A now.

"It was... pretty nice, I guess?"

"Sounds like you are not sure about that. What happened?"

"Well, our best player just quit."

"Wait, you mean Nate? Britney's sibling?"

"Yeah."

"Britney didn't tell me anything about it."

"I don't know why he quit but when I asked him he just smiled at me and told me that I can make it without him." They have been close friends since they were in 7th grade. Just sad that Kobie's younger than Nate and that they can't be classmates. Their friendship began on the Varsity team as well. Nate taught Kobie tons of lessons, tricks, and strategies. They helped each other in a lot of ways.

"Who's the leader in your group now?" I didn't know which were the right words to use so I just said what came to my mind first.

"This guy!" He pointed his finger at himself. I rolled my eyes.

"I can believe that Nate quit but not that you're the new leader."

"What? You don't believe me? Ask him then!" He smirked.

Oh, my silly little confident brother.