Chapter 4

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The next day was very boring. Until third period when he came up to me. I only have one class with Chase, and that's Math C. Dad wanted me to become an accountant. Mum wants me to become a music teacher. Doesn't the world love to make choosing difficult?

"Hey Krissy." He says casually.

"Uh... Chase! Hi!" I say a little too energetically.

"Since you're really great at well... math. I was wondering whether you could tutor me. I've been really behind because of my other commitments."

"Sure! What day are you free?"

"Monday afterschool."

"Oh... I have my piano lessons then."

"Oh..." He repeats and looks around the room. "I'll have to come back to you on that then." He says.

"No that's fine!" I say and chastise myself for speaking like a sales person.

He walks off and then I sit and think about spending one of my afternoons with Chase. Would it be interesting? Hopefully he wouldn't come to my house though. It's such a mess. The therapist, Sharon, can barely even navigate through the maze of mess. Clothes on the floor, take away boxes, rubbish in general. You name it and it's somewhere spread across the house where it's not supposed to be.

At lunch Chase came back to me. "Hey Krissy," Wow I'm getting sick of being called Krissy.

"Yep?" I say.

"Someone else was free on Mondays. So you don't need to worry about it anymore. Thanks though."

"Oh." I try not to let the disappointment show on my face or through my voice. But before I get to ask him who offered, Kyle showed up by my side.

"Hey Kristen."

"Kyle?"

"I should go. Later." Chase says and leaves.

I clench my fists. That did not go as planned. "Kyle, what do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Then why did you... ugh!" Kyle stares at Chases back as he walks away. I wonder if they've had a fight or something. It looks like Kyle hates him.

"Ugh!" Kyle copies me and scrunches up his nose.

"Go away." I say and walk off.

***

Another boring lesson passes and I take a bus home at the end of the day. Sharon is still here talking to Mum upstairs probably. Lewis is downstairs eating a bowl of cereal.

Oh my gosh. Lewis is downstairs eating a bowl of cereal. Lewis is downstairs eating. Lewis!

I refrain from running to him and wrapping my arms around my brother. I might undo the hard work Sharon has done to get him to eat and come out of his room.

So I stand there with my mouth open and watch him in silence.

Later, Sharon comes and tells me it's alright to talk to him. Her voice is gentle, but her glare at me is hard. She wants Lewis to hear her soft voice and me to bare her traitors snarl.

She seems a bit too young to be a therapist. Or psychologist, whatever.

"Hey Lewis." I say, trying to replicate Sharon's soothing-ness. Don't bother telling me that's not a word.

"She broke up with me." Lewis says. And I realised why he has been worse, more depressed. He was going to marry her.

"What happened?"

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