"No. No. No. No. No. We can't do this." I shook my head in denial looking at Evie and Brian who were looking at me expectantly.
"But why?" Evie complaint, "Just look at him, will you?"
I did. I gave the guy sitting beside me a good look.
"Xavier is hot. But he is Hollywood material "hot"." Evie complaint.
I looked back at him again while he wriggled his eyebrows at me. I couldn't deny that he was way better looking than Xavier and that has a lot to say since....I am the one saying that. He wasn't as tall as Xavier but he was hot. F'ing hot.
"Come on Liya, if Xavier gets a chance you should get one too." Brian said putting his hands on my shoulder, "Maybe you will fall in love with him too." he mumbled the last sentence to himself.
I sighed closing my eyes.
°°°°
One hour ago
"Mom I am home." Brian said loudly as he opened the door to his apartment for me and Evie. He took his shoes out beside a rack. His slippers were already out so he slipped them on.
Evie and I were about take our own shoes off and go inside with just our socks on when we heard a woman from inside,
"Brian you gross person, how many times have I told you to keep your room clean! Especially throw your underwear in the laundry and not on the floor!"
I felt Evie lean a little closer towards me before whispering into my ear, "That's Brian's mom."
I looked back at her as she tried to control her laughter. Brian looked back at her and I swear I could see his cheeks turn up red due to embarrassment.
"Mom! I have someone with me. Can we please not talk about my personal hygiene?" Brian yelled out of embarrassment as he entered into what I suppose was his living room.
We took our shoes off before entering behind him. His apartment was actually very spacious. The grey walls giving an elegant vibe with black couches. The room was well lit due to the fact that it had a large window at the other end of the room from where the sunlight came through. There was a table between the couches while a vase of flower was sitting on top of it.
I saw a woman emerge from one of the rooms. There was no doubt that she was Brian's mother. You could see the similarity between them. Their eyes, hair and features. They were so much like her.
"Well we wouldn't have talked about it if only you were hygienic. I have told you so many times to not leave them on the floor!"
"Mom!" Brian said alarmed. He took a step back and put his hands on mine and Evie's shoulder, "I have girls over. It is embarrassing." He said the last part through his teeth with force.
Brian's mom looked at both of us before smiling, "I am so sorry. You know Brian, he is just so...unmanageable."
If I wasn't laughing before I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle now. I could see Evie trying to control her laughter too.
I love his mom. She was so lively. And lively people make home more homely.
Her eyes stopped on me, "You must be Liya."
I nodded my head at her before stepping forward and extending my arm, "it's nice to meet you,"
She took my hands in hers, "Call me Rene."
I couldn't help but smile warmly at her, "Rene."
She returned my smile, "I remember Brian telling me about you."
I couldn't help but be a little surprised. He talked about me? It is not as if I wasn't expecting it but I just didn't take Brian to be a person who told his mom everything. And I mean it in a good way.
Rene lets go of my hands and turned away from me, "Evelyn! Sweetheart I haven't seen you in so long!"
She went and hugged Evie while laughing. Evie laughed while hugging her back.
You could tell they were very close. I looked at Brian and found him looking at both of them with a genuine and satisfied smile. Seeing both the woman you love together must really be wholesome.
I wish I could experience something like this too. A man to love me. My whole family together. I wish I could feel this whole.
"Mom that's enough." He said taking her away from Evie but the smile was still on his lips.
Rene pouted looking at Evie, "I just wish I had a daughter."
Brian rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you never forget to remind me whenever she comes."
"It's true."
"I am your son! How could you say that in front of your son?"
"I wish I had Evie rather than you. It's not that difficult to say that, believe me."
Brian shook his head a little frustrated while his mom enjoyed looking at him this way. He let's his hands fall down on his side before he took a deep breath,
"Why don't you sit?" He motioned us to sit.
I went and sat on the three seater which was in the middle while there were two one seater beside it facing each other. Evie came and sat beside me while Brian kept on standing.
"Mom can you bring us something to eat?" He asked.
"Actually I was waiting for you to get home so that I could go. Will it be fine..." she looked at all of us a little apologetically.
I wasn't that hungry actually. And besides I didn't want to trouble Brian's mom in any way,
"We are actually not hungry. We will be fine." I said looking at her.
Her caramel eyes which reminded me so much of Brian who was standing just beside her twinkled before she mouthed a 'thank you' to me.
She didn't even look at Brian again before going and taking her car keys which were hanging on the key holder. She put on an overcoat before tying her hair in a ponytail. She said a loud 'bye' from the door before closing it shut.
It was just the three of us now. And it was silent.
"She didn't even ask me." Brian mumbled a little shocked. His eyes wide.
I patted the seat beside me but he shook his head. He clasped his hands together letting me know that he will be back in a minute. The next thing I know he was dragging a white board outside which was standing on a whiteboard stand.
I didn't even want to ask him why he has that? Because I haven't really seen him playing any sports.
He brought out a marker and opened it with his mouth--the cap still between his teeth.
He started writing something on the board which I couldn't see because his back was covering it. I tried to bend a little so I could see but I didn't succeed. Evie was trying to do the same but boy Brian was covering it like a professional.
He finally stepped aside revealing the board to us. He had a proud smile on his face(the cap still between his teeth).
On top of the board he had written in all capitals, "MISSION R"
"Weed." He tried to explain through the cap still between his teeth.
"Did he just say weed or was I delusional?" Evie said from beside me.
"I am sure that is what he said." I mumbled.
He shook his head, "Weed. Weed. Not Weed."
"I knew you did that." Evie shook her head disappointed.
"WEED! NOT WEED!" He tried to shout. The cap fell down from his mouth.
Oh look, if it wasn't for the culprit.
"REED! I meant REED NOT WEED GIRLS. What do you think 'R' stand up for." He said finally able to talk freely.
"Not our fault. You should have taken care of that cap of yours." Evie rolled her eyes.
"Yeah whatever. Now focus on the board."
And we did. In the middle of it he had drawn a stickman with hair sticking out. Beside him was a stick girl with long hair. And guess what? In a far corner there was other stick girl. Hmm, I wonder who that is?
He tapped the marker at the stickman, "This right here is Xavier." He said. Then he tapped the girl beside him, "Guess who this is?"
"Me." I said when at the same time I heard Evie say, "Olivia?"
Brian pointed his marker towards Evie while clicking the top of his tongue.
Wait. So even my friends picture them together. What can be better than that?
That is what I thought until Brian pointed at the lonely girl in the corner and said, "This is our little Liya."
I choked on my own saliva, "You guys really love me, don't you?"
"You know it." He said without taking any hint of sarcasm. Jerk.
"I can't believe how accurate this thing is." Evie laughed from beside me.
I snapped my head towards her and glared at her. This. Is. Not. Accurate.
She continued laughing before looking at me. She saw my expression because she stopped and said, "Why are you giving me the Xavier look?"
"There is no Xavier look!" I said.
"That look there. Yes. That. Right there. It is the Xavier look. You know the glaring."
"Plan! Guys focus on the plan!" Brian clapped his hands together trying to get our attention.
I sighed before looking at him and nodding my head at him.
"Look here," he started, "Xavier is with Olivia, right?"
We both nodded our heads at him, "Which leaves our poor Liya out there alone." He tapped the girl in the corner.
"I am not alone." I mumbled.
"Yes you are." He said. I opened my mouth to retort back but he waved me off, "Anyway, I saw Liya try things on her own and she sucked. You don't run after a man like Xavier. You make him realize. Realize him what he missed. How awesome you are...." he took a deep breath before sighing relieved, "Thank god I took it into my hands. Or I don't know how twisty she would have made it."
"I didn't make it complicated."
"Yeah as if asking your fiance to fall in love with other girl isn't complicated." He said mocking me.
"Geez. Fine. What do I need to do?"
A smug expression crept up onto his face. Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Like it was going in the direction where I don't want it to go.
"You get a fair chance too." He smirked at me.
"A fair chance at what?" I asked. Even though I think I knew what he meant.
"At love." The smug expression turned into a goofy one.
I was about to shake my head denying like crazy when I heard Evie from beside me after this whole while squealing, "Aaaaaaaaaah. Perfecttttt. And the guy will be Alecccc."
"No!" I haven't seen anything come so fast out of my mouth, "Not Alec."
Evie's smile turned upside down, "Why?"
"Because he made it clear that he just thinks of me as a friend. Besides, I don't want to ruin the friendship between the two of them." I whispered looking down.
"Also she is afraid that she might fall in love with Alec." Brian said coming and sitting at the one seater beside me.
Me? Fall in love with Alec? Pfttt. Why would I? Right? But I did catch some feelings, didn't I? But they meant nothing. So, no.
I shook my head again, "I am not taking any chance with anyone. I already have a guy as an headache, I don't want one more."
Evie came and jumped up on me, "Don't be like this."
"I can't." I shrugged my shoulders letting them know that I. Can't.
Brian laid back down in his seat while he propped his feet on the table in the middle,
"Okay. Don't fall in love. But you can act, right?"
"What?" Evie and I said in unison.
He raised his hands in surrender, "Just to make Xavier jealous you can act to have a boyfriend."
"I don't know." I couldn't even complete my sentence before Evie started jumping on me again,
"Yes. This is perfectttt."
I looked at Brian and he looked excited too. Looking at both of them like this made me give up and believe in them. Besides, I don't really care about making Xavier upset anymore.
"But we will have to find a "fake" boyfriend. It's not like he will come at us knocking at your door."
There was a knocking at the door.
What the fuck. My mind fell into numbness as Evie looked at me with surprise. Oh no, it isn't true.
There's a fucking knock on the door!
Brian got up to answer the door while Evie and I ran after him to look. We wanted to know who it was!
We were both standing behind Brian as he opened the door.
"Hey." The person from the other end of the door said.
Dead. I would have been dead if it wasn't for Brian holding onto me and Evie at the same time.
We both cleared our throats before balancing ourselves. We both looked at each other with panic in our eyes.
When I said a knocking at the door, I didn't expect a knocking at the door! And I sure as hell didn't expect a Greek god standing in front of us.
He was perfect in every sense. And I mean in every sense. Even Xavier wasn't this flawless. He had dirty blonde hair which were so smooth and shiny and you could tell because they were freaking long. Just ending above his shoulders. And I have a thing for long hair. I find guys more attractive. Just like I was finding him.
His eyes turned to me. He smiled at me making my heart melt. His eyes, they were grey. And every now and then you could see them turn into blue. And his lips, I haven't seen such a perfect smile.
"Girls," Brian started, "I would like you to meet my cousin Luke aka Liya's 'fake' boyfriend."
My what?! I stared at Luke standing there at the door while he saluted me with his two fingers and coming inside. He went straight for the living room. Brian patted both of us girls shoulders. Evie smacked him on his arm,
"Why didn't you ever tell me that you had such a hot cousin?" She scolded him.
Brian rubbed his arms looking at her weirdly, "Why would I?"
"Because he is hot!"
"You are weird." He said going inside.
She turned towards me, "You better take him."
I gulped nodding my head. It's not all about looks though, is it?
We went all inside and found Luke sitting on the three seater in the middle. He motioned for me to sit beside him. I looked around to see if he was talking to someone else.
No. He wasn't. Dammit. I don't know how to talk to such good looking person.
"I will just sit there." I said referring to the single seater but Evie pushed me towards him making me lose my balance and fall into his laps.
Speak of embarrassment!
I apologized quickly before getting up and sitting beside him quickly. He chuckled lightly before shaking his head, "You are cute." He said.
*Internal screaming*. If you could listen to my internal screaming you would be deaf.
"Liya," I heard Brian say, "As I told you this is my cousin Luke. He is studying Medical in university right now. And he will be your,"
"Fake boyfriend." Luke completed his sentence smirking at me.
Oh my freaking heart.
___