Domagoj

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

The next morning I woke up, and wasn't really awake yet. I put on my Smittendale uniform and combed my hair, as usual, to the best of my ability. Then I remembered Kayla, and quickly rushed to wake her up. She wasn't there. I checked my phone, no texts. Weird.

As I walked downstairs I saw my parents and some other guy. He looked as if he was about nineteen. He had black hair, as black as Duff's, and a rather, proper, wardrobe. He had on a dress shirt and dark, fancy jeans.

“Dom, come here for a minute,” my dad motioned for me.

I walked over to them and sat down next to my mom, who looked like she was having a heart attack.

“This is Constans,” he continued, “your older brother.”

There was a rather long awkward silence. Did he just say brother?

“When your mother and I first met, we had..” he paused for a moment, “him.”

“My mother raised him, she didn't trust me with him, mainly because of my busy athletic schedule, and your father's political campaigns,” my mom added.

“When Lao Lao died, she had written in her will for me to come live with you,” Constans finally spoke.

You could easily tell he was raised in China, he had a certain tone of voice. Not so much as an accent, but a noticeable difference to my ears. That and he said “Lao Lao” which I was taught meant grandmother. I didn't know why, but I didn't really like him. I know I just met him, but he gave me a bad vibe.

“Grandma died?” All of their eyes widened, as if that wasn't what they expected my reaction to be.

I got up, grabbed my backpack and walked over to the stairs. I looked up the stairs and saw Duff and Zhen leaving their rooms. They started walking down the stairs when they noticed Constans.

“Who's he?” Zhen whispered once she reached me at the bottom stairs.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” I walked to the door and opened it, leaving with the twins.

Were there questions left unanswered? Yes. I just wanted to get out of there and soak it all in. I figured Zhen wouldn't like him either, but then again she's a free spirit. Usually if we disagree about something Duff goes on her side. I needed Duff on my side, he's very smart and devious. I know I just met the guy, barely, but I wanted to take him down. Not for any reason in particular, but I did.

“Dom, if you aren't going to focus let me drive!” Zhen yelled at me as we backed out of the driveway.

“You're only fourteen, you aren't driving anywhere.” I snapped, my attention back on the road.

“Who was that?” Zhen asked the question I was waiting for.

“Our older brother,” I explained, as if it was nothing strange.

“What?!?” Duff yelled.

I stopped the car so me and Zhen could both stare at Duff, he spoke. Not only did he speak, he yelled. When he noticed us looking at him, he sunk down in his seat and put his headphones on.

“Apparently grandma raised him, and she died so he's ours.”

“Lao Lao died?” Zhen didn't sound too upset, it's not like we had ever met her.

“I met him, I don't like him, I declare war,” I aimed my words at Duff, who responded with a smirk, clearly his headphones weren't plugged into anything.

“Maybe Ajax can give him a pointer or two,” Zhen laughed.

I laughed too, even though I knew I shouldn't. Ajax was our brother (yes, we have a large family) who was younger than me, but older than the twins. I know what you're thinking, I'm sixteen, the twins are fourteen, that would make Ajax fifteen. It is physically possible, it's just one of those “damn” situations. My parents were overly in love apparently. Anyways, back to Ajax. He was the poster child, great at everything, nice to everyone. Him and Duff were best friends, Duff would talk to him about everything. Now it's not only rare that Duff speaks his feelings to someone, but that Duff speaks at all. Since he was so great, the rentals shipped him off to a school even more high-class than Smittendale. It crushed Duff, which was part of the reason he's attached himself to Zhen. I always figured Ajax leaving was the reason Duff isolated himself from the world. Although, looking back, Duff was never the most sociable person. Ajax left about four years ago, and we haven't seen much of him since. Every chance he gets Duff video chats him, but nobody's supposed to know about it. I only know because I'm snoopy.

“Sorry Duff,” Zhen broke the awkward silence that filled the car.

Duff made a noise that partially sounded like he was accepting the apology, but partially like he was swearing Zhen out.

“We've arrived,” I pulled into the parking lot and we all got out.

Kayla and Daf were sitting on a bench in their uniforms laughing with my friends Christopher Evans and Matthew Longerine behind them.

“How is it that your two girls are friends?” Zhen whispered to me.

“I'm not dating either of them, so shut up,” I pushed her away from me and walked towards my friends.