look after you ( andrew bazzi )

XIII

  "good morning, miss kuwonu!"

  the woman's head perked at the familiar childish voice. rosalia ran up to the teachers desk, a toothy smile on her face. "good morning, rosalia."

  "say yes, please." the child whispered, pointing behind her to andrew who had just walked into the classroom.

  the woman's eyebrows furrowed slightly, rosalia walking to her own desk before adeline could ask anything.

  "good morning, adeline."

  adeline moved her gaze from the child who had just ran off to the man in front of her. "good morning, andrew."

  "can i ask you something? you can say no, it's just— rosalia and i wanted to invite you and i'd love it if you were to come, but don't feel pressured or anything." andrew said, seeming flustered.

  "what is it?"

  "every year we have this get-together for mine and rosalia's birthday. it's a small thing, just my friends and their girlfriends, but you're invited and so is your brother and his friend. rosalia wouldn't stop reminding me to invite them too."

  "i'd love to come." adeline sent him a genuine smile, andrew feeling his heart race at the sight.

  "caleb! brandon! where are you?"

  "in here!" zion's voice echoed through the house.

  adeline walked into the extra room in the apartment that the two had turned into a studio type thing, the woman smiling to herself at the sight until she noticed brandon wasn't anywhere in sight. "where's b?"

  zion perked his head up at his sisters voice. "he went home."

  "what?"

  the boy let out a sigh. "i don't know why, he just— he wasn't here when i got home. i tried calling, but he didn't answer."

  "i'm going to try and call him again."

  adeline felt herself grow more worried by the second. brandon was like a brother to her, she loved him like she loved zion and elom. the thought of him not being safe enough to make her freak out.

  "you've reached the voicemail box of—"

  the woman closed her eyes tightly, waiting until the beep played to leave him a voicemail. "b, please just let me know you're okay. you can't just up and leave like that, even if you just went home. you know how i get in situations like this, please just let me know you're okay."

  adeline ended the call, putting her phone down on the counter next to her. she ran her hand through her hair, thinking of all the scenarios that could even slightly happen with brandon.

  "did he answer?"

  adeline looked over at her brother who'd just walked into the room she was standing in. the woman just shook her head at the question.

  "i think he's mad at me."

  "what happened?"

  zion shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to tell her what brandon had told him the morning they went to the breakfast place. he couldn't believe what his best friend was telling him— couldn't believe that his best friend had fell for his sister. "i may have said something to him, but i don't really want to talk about it right now."

  adeline nodded her head in understanding, respecting his wish. "andrew invited me to this friendly get together this weekend. rosalia wanted to know if you'd come too."