City of Blind ✓

you have no clue

"Hey?" I greeted unsurely as I took a seat next to him.

"Hey, captain."

I rolled my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"I can ask the same question, you know."

"It was getting suffocating." I shrugged and he sighed.

"I am trying." I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?"

"Quitting my ways. I am trying to get rid of my habits." I nodded, a proud smile lifted my frown.

"I know you can do it." He sighed and turned to me after placing his bottle down.

"You don't understand it, Astrid."

"Understand what?"

"I know I can do it but who am I supposed to do it for?" I bit my lips.

"Do it for yourself and nobody else. At the end of the day, you're the only one who will stay with you."

He studied me for a minute before breathing out.

"You know, I have a half-brother."

"You do?" I asked, totally stunned. He nodded.

"I do. But we don't get along. He hates me and I am not his biggest fan either."

I looked down at my lap. Silence fell between us. I couldn't think of anything to say that will make him feel better, so I changed the topic.

"Shoot is in a week."

"Yeah." He whispered as I rubbed my arms, regretting not bringing a jacket. November was approaching now and so was the cold weather. "Are you nervous?"

"Pssht! I am never nervous." It was dark but I could almost feel him roll his eyes.

"Yeah, right. Says the girl who was freaking out because the rivals were a goal ahead."

"Shut up!" I glared at him.

"And the award for best retort goes to, Astrid whatever Parker."

I pushed him and he landed on floor with an 'oomf'. I laughed.

"It's like you haven't grown up at all!"

Oh! Did I forgot to tell you that Felix and I were rivals since we were kids? Well we were. He was technically the first person who interacted with me in school. How did he do that?

By getting pushed by me.

No I didn't bully him. He was pulling my braids as he used to sit next to me. I got angry and pushed him off the chair. He landed on floor with a thud and started crying.

We turned into absolute rivals after that and never left a chance to glare at each other. Though, my brothers kept him away from me and with time, our relation as arch nemesis faded into mutual indifference or rare hatred.

"Remember how you cried?"

"Of course, I do!" he rolled his eyes.

"Why did you hate me?" I asked curiously. He went silent but then chose to speak.

"I used to have a crush on you and I tried to grab your attention, which you never gave to anyone. I didn't hate you. I was just mad that you won't even look at me. So, I used to trouble you. The day you pushed me and I cried because of you, my feeling for you burned into dislike."

I tried to hide my blush.

"Y-you had a crush on me?"

He chuckled.