Simple, Unexpected Crush ~Book 1 of Life Matters~

Chapter 20 ~ Not Good

Erix stood standing at the gateway for the past hour. I bough him a cup of coffee as a police man stared at us cautiously. My brother had dark circles under his eyes, he looked weak and out of breath. it must had been hard for him to let her go just like that. Xavier had said to leave him alone for a while. I couldn't though. To me it was painful, it was just as if we shared the same emotions. I think I was the only one though.

"Got you coffee." I said. Erix finally moved his eyes away from the gateway and stared at the cup in my hands. He took it.

"Thanks." he said dully.

"Let's go home. We ordered pancakes remember?"

"I cancelled the order." He gripped the cup. I tensed. I felt that he was going to rip through the styrofoam. 

"You need to rest." I went on. Erix nodded and took a sip of coffee. "You can't wait here for four years."

"I can." 

"Norma wouldn't want you to waste four years waiting for her you know." 

"How would you know? Were you somehow her girlfriend?"

"Stop with the attitude. You well know that I'm right. Let's go Erix you're a mess."

"I-" he stopped. He took a step forward but turned around. We walked towards Xavier who was sitting on a bench almost sleeping. He opened his eyes startled when I touched his arm.

"We're leaving?" he asked. I nodded.

We walked back to the car with me on the wheel. I began to drive but the traffic on the way back was making me sleepy. I took a sip from my frappe and went on.

"Want me to drive?" Xavier asked

"No it's fine." I looked back for an instant just to see Erix looking towards my direction with such distress. I sighed.

"That looks nice." Erix said pointing at my over sized sweater that belonged to Xavier. Xavier raised an eyebrow. 

"Thank you." 

We got out of the freeway and decided to go straight to Norms and got out. I stormed into the restaurant and said "I want to make an order."

"Make that. Table for three." Erix said behind my back "under Erix Michaels." the waiter stared at us and at an instant he got us a table on the empty side of the restaurant. 

I expected it to be a quiet meal but no. Erix sat alone in front of Xavier and I telling us about his relationship with Norma. I decided that the most uncomfortable day of my entire life was probably listening to a heart broken Erix Lee Michaels talk about nonsense...well it sounded like nonsense but I understand as the sister I should be. I should get paid for listening to him mourn about his lost love. But I shouldn't say that. I was sad too, because Norma left and she left my brother in a state where he'll never recover.

"Then I said no you can’t. She said yes I can because I want to make my life worth wild."

"You're making Norma sound like a bitch." Xavier said.

"She is!"

"A minute ago you said she was the one, how kind blah,blah, blah." I pointed out.

"I can’t. I don't know what to do."

"Remind me to make sure Erix never gets pregnant cause he'll have bipolar mood swings." I said. Erix shot me a warning look but it didn't help him much.His head fell on the table and continued to talk but only to himself. 

"Things will turn out good." Xavier managed to say at last. "You got in UC Urban, you can go on playing basketball or go after journalism."

"I don't know. I got in the journalism course."