Chapter 3

"Nigga I'm outside the first gate"

I text Thando agitated, I've been waiting for him for

the past 15 minutes since the bell rang and no sign

of him

"Coming"

A text pops through my phone and it's him, I wait

while texting Buntu telling him what I'm doing. Yes,

he slid in my DMz and we've been talking since and

let's just say things are going good, he's actually

sweet and maybe I'd date him... never mind the

fact that we would look good together! The door

opens startling me

"Hey Sino"

Says my little brother settling in the front seat

"hi, where the hell have you been?"

I ask starting the car

"I was in the yard, I thought you'd text like mom and

dad normally do"

He says defending himself, I turn to him

"yeah well I always find you waiting outside"

I say

"because you never this early, everything ok at

home?"

He asks with his look piercing right through my skin,

I chuckle

"why would anything be wrong at home?"

I ask focusing on the road and he chuckles

"cause you early, you never early"

I chuckle shrugging my shoulders

"mom's not going to make it for dinner and so we

eating out"

I say and he sighs

"and that means we going to your choice of

restaurant"

He says sounding really annoyed making me laugh

"YEP! You know how it is"

I say increasing the volume, I'm driving mom's Jeep

which she gladly told me I could drive. The joys!

"I'll tell mom you drove the jeep"

He says and I just laugh at him

"nice try buddy, she knows!"

I say sticking my tongue out at him. His school is 30

minutes away from our house and it's even more

depending on the traffic and right now there's

traffic! GREAT! My phone rings and it's mom

"Honey"

She says

"hey mom"

I say

"Hey Honey"

Says my little brother, that's what he calls mom and

has always called mom ever since I can remember

"great! How are you baby?"

She asks, I automatically assume she's talking to

her because she and I spoke earlier

"I'm good mom thanks, we on our way home and

your daughter was actually earlier than usual.

Should I be worried?"

I shoot him a look

"I will drive into this truck!"

I say and he laughs

"not in my car please! Plus, not with my baby"

Mom says making me laugh, she can be so

dramatic at times. They both know I would never do

such a thing

"I'm kidding geez, tell your son to watch it"

I warn and mom laughs

"baby wear a seatbelt in case your sister tries

something"

I gasp

"MOM!"

She laughs

"I'm just saying. Get home safe ok? seemingly I'll

be out of here earlier than expected"

She says

"I'm sure dad must be happy to know that"

I mock laughing at her

"Shut up Sino! You must think you and I are the

same age I swear! I am 20 years older than you

little girl"

She says dramatically making Thando and I both

laugh

"we love you too mom. Bye now"

"bye babies"

She says before dropping the call and all is well in

love and war. We chill in silence with him pressing

his phone while I listen to my music connected to

the radio and cars hooting behind us and in front of

us. Traffic is hectic around this time of the day

because everyone is either leaving work or school

and rushing to get home.

"Sino"

My brother calls bringing me back to reality, I'm so

lost in thoughts while listening to Jhene Aiko's

album sailed out or something. I love her music, I'm

a fan and her voice is just calming

"What?"

I ask annoyed

"Geeez, what's wrong with you?"

He says rolling his eyes

"I'm sorry for snapping, what's up little bro?"

I ask politely this time around

"So there's this girl"

I smile turning to him and he immediately rolls his

eyes

"keep talking"

I say smiling widely

"Anyway, she's pretty and she's pretty much

everything but I'm scared to approach her. There's

something about her that's just intimidating sis. We

do talk on social media but I can't gather up the

balls to approach her like that and I really like her"

He says making me laugh, I never thought he and I

would have such a conversation considering how

close he and mom are

"At least you already talking on social media, walk

up to her and greet, start small. Talk about school

and just take it from there. Nowadays girls just want

a guy who's honest from the get go. Are you still a

virgin?"

I ask side eyeing him and he chuckles and looks

outside

"I'm not answering that question Sino"

He says with his deep voice that sounds like dad's.

Argh my little brother is a photocopy of my father in

all ways, the only thing he took from mom is the

eyes otherwise the rest is all dad.

"So you've already had sex?"

I say poking him

"that is none of your business!"

He says and I can't even hide the shock on my face

but then again I'm not really shook because my little

brother is as hot as they come. Your usual dark

skinned guy with pretty much everything a girl could

possibly want. I just hope he's not a player

"So, when? Where? With who? Do you guys still

talk?"

I ask turning to him and then back on the road, he

huffs

"Because you not going to let this go. This is her,

remember when I went to a sleep over? Or rather

when I said I was at a sleep over?"

I nod doubtfully trying to remember and then it hit's

me. Last month little bro said he was going to sleep

over at a friend's place and came back the next day

acting all weird

"When you was acting all weird and stuff?"

I ask

"I wasn't acting weird! Anyway yeah that's when it

happened. I'm not going to go into detail!"

He says sternly and I just laugh at him

"And what about the girl whose virginity you broke?"

I ask driving into the drive way and he shrugs

"she and I are cool. She's seeing someone"

He says almost as though he's dismissing me

"Are you sure?"

I ask and he nods opening his door just after I finish

parking. OK he's being weird. I let him be and take

my things and lock the car following him inside the

house while responding to Bantu's DMz and

sending him my number. It's not even 2 minutes

since I sent my number and my phone rings with an

unknown number on the screen

"Hello"

I say unsure

"Hey beautiful, you speaking to Bantu"