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Angeline:
My brother stood at the front door with a bloody nose.
I immediately rush up to him, getting on my knees and grabbing the sides of his face. "Luke, what the hell happened?" I worriedly asked as I examined him. There were a few splatters of red stains on his white shirt and scratches on his knees.
Sniffling, he wipes away a few tears streaming down his cheek. He opens his mouth a couple of times, but he doesn't end up saying anything.
"He tripped and fell on his face," another voice answers for him, catching me off guard.
With furrowed brows, I usher Luke to the side and find the person standing behind was–
Oh.
"Kaizen," my voice shows hints of shock. I rise to my feet in an instant and wipe my hands along my jeans. "Luke, go into the bathroom. I'll meet you there and we can fix that up, okay?" He dips his chin and then strolls into the house with his basketball. I watch him go up the stairs before turning my attention back to the other male.
Kaizen Gryan, our next-door neighbour, but also, my childhood friend from the third grade. I want to say we stayed close friends, but when high school started, he started avoiding me. I still have no idea why to this day. However, once I noticed, things got awkward and we eventually drifted apart. Even though I felt conflicted and confused back then, I never reallyconfronted him about it. I decided it was best to leave it as a mystery.
"Thanks for bringing him home. Luke's a bit of a clutz." I look him in the eyes and then back to my feet.
"Yeah, of course. Any time." He lightly chuckles.
A moment or two passes, and uncomfortable silence fills the atmosphere. I reach for the back of my neck and begin scratching it. I find myself clearing my throat, contemplating if I should say something.
Gazing at Kaizen through my lashes, I can't help but bite my tongue. Deep down, a hidden hatred lies beneath my heart because I never figured out what I did wrong for us to end up like this.
"Angeline I–" Kaizen starts but stops mid-way when we hear a voice from upstairs.
"Angeline!" The sound of my brother causes me to glance over my shoulder, then back to the boy at the door.
"Sorry, I gotta go," I send him an apologetic look. "Duty calls."
"Don't apologize. You should probably go check up on Luke." He sympathizes.
Nodding in agreement, I step inside the house. As I'm about to shut the door, I notice Kaizen still standing on the porch with his hands in his pockets. We exchange one last look before I mumble, "Goodbye, Kaizen."
