During the afternoon, tired of being bored and alone in the big apartment all by myself, I picked up my phone and placed a call across to Zed. He picked on the first ring.
"Sup, Kenz?" He sounded like he had something in his mouth. Food maybe?
"I'm okay? What are you up to?" I kicked my legs in the air as I laid my back on the bed and counted the ceilings with my eyes.
"Nothing. I'm off work today and having a totally lazy day."
"What do you say we go over to my place and have lunch together?"
"Cool." His voice sounded excited. "I'm in. What time should I come over?"
"In an hour. Come pick me up at Connor's."
"Alright, ma'am."
Not more than an hour later, Zed's car horned in front of Connor's house and I hurried outside to join him. As we drove to my apartment, we talked about our childhoods, recalling moments that caused us to laugh so hard, that tears spilt from my eyes.
When we finally reached our destination, I opened the car door to step out and Zed peered in the direction of the house like there was something dangerous in there.
"Are you sure this is a great idea?" He asked sceptically as we alighted from his car and walked in the direction of the apartment.
"Why? Are you having second thoughts?" I asked him as I walked us to the doorway and searched my fingers into my handbag for the keys.
"Well, for one, that lovely sister of yours does not like me one bit. Secondly, she takes after the most aggressive woman I have ever met. So, yes. I should be scared and worried for my safety. What if I don't make it out of this place alive?"
I ignored his childish rants and opened the door, pushing it open and leading him inside the house. I turned on the electricity to give light to the dark room and the entire whole room brightened instantly.
"You used to be the best of friends those days." I reminded him.
"Used to." He quoted, following me as I walked into the kitchen. "Until she believed I was a bad influence."
"Just shut up and help me make dinner," I grunted and with an exaggerated sigh of surrender, he took off his suit, leaving his white inner sleeves on. I clicked my tongue and shook my head at his dressings disapprovingly. He gave me a quizzical look in return.
I did not waste my time explaining things to him and I simply pulled him by the arm and led him to my bedroom.
"Woah, Kenz." He had an exaggerated tone of concern in his voice. "Forgive me for saying this...but I am not interested in making out with you."
I shot him a shocked glare and he winced at my hard stare.
"I mean...I don't even regard you as a girl anymore. You're my bro."
My tongue hung in my mouth as I stared dumbfounded at him.
What the fuck was he even saying?
He scratched the nape of his neck embarrassingly.
"Not like you aren't pretty or stuff. I mean...you are exceptionally pretty. But I don't find you sexually attractive or sexually appealing in any way. I'm sorry."
He made to dash for the door and I immediately grabbed him back him the wrist and gave him a hard kick on the groin. He let out a yelp of pain and crutched, holding his groin in pain.
"Fuck, Kenz. What was that for?" He cried and I stared back at him without the slightest emotion on my face.
"That is my version of a makeout session, you prick," I answered him and with a hump, I turned my back to him, ignoring his grunts. I immediately proceeded to rummage through my closet for an appropriate shirt for him.
How could he misunderstand my fear of him staining his white shirts for trying to get him involved in a makeout session? The thought was enough to send chills through my body.
"Bro. You could have just cleared the air instead of trying to make me impotent!" He was almost crying now but I ignored him and kept digging into my closet for a shirt. Eventually, I found a pair of pink graphic tees and held them up for him to see.
"Here. Change into this."
His face instantly contorted in disgust and he waved the shirt away with a fling of his hand. "There's no way I'm wearing such ridiculous pinkish stuff. I am not a male barbie, Kenz."
I rolled my eyes annoyingly at him and returned the shirt to the wardrobe. Moving next to Jojo's side of the closet, my eyes immediately caught on the pair of purple tees on her hanger. I pulled it out and threw it to Zed and he straightened his frame to catch it. I watched him with daring eyes that warned him to reject this again and have his hair scraped off his head.
He looked like he was about to burst into tears but I was sure he understood the message my eyes sent and he held on to the shirt obediently.
I smiled an accomplished smile and ruffled his hair playfully with my hand. He pushed my hand away and I laughed.
"Get dressed and come join me in the kitchen," I said, walking out of the room and leaving him alone to change.
A few minutes later, he rejoined me in the kitchen, looking small and childish in his pastel purple shirt. He had a small frown on his face and did not smile at me even when I flashed him a toothy smile and gave him a thumbs up in acknowledgement of how well the shirt suited him.
"Who in the world is this hot young man we have here?"
"Cut it out, Kenz." He said and I laughed. He laughed too this time.
There was no way he could handle being mad at me for so long.
When we finished preparing lunch, we began to arrange the three-course meal on the small dining table and the doorbell rang as we did so.
I left Zed to finish setting up the table and walked past the living room to attend to the door. Jojo's face greeted me as soon as I opened the door.
"Hey, Kenz. I didn't know you were coming." She gave me a brief hug and brushed past me carelessly, sniffing her nose at the scent of the room. "Mmm. I smell something nice. What's cooking?"
"I made lunch..."
But Jojo wasn't listening or looking at me anymore. Her gaze was now transfixed and staring at Zed while the latter looked on, dramatic fear in his now widened eyes that looked like they could fall off their sockets anytime soon.
"Who is that?" She gasped a small gasp and looked at me sharply, her eyes accusing. "And why is he wearing my shirt?" She pointed a finger in Zed's direction.
"Uh...hi, Jojo." Zed waved wobbly and I jumped in to save the day before Jojo would try to rip him to shreds and pieces.
"Zed is staying over for lunch," I informed and Jojo shifted her look to me, bewilderment and disbelief in her eyes as if she had not heard me correctly.
"Enough of the drama already. Come settle down before the food gets cold." I ordered, getting sick of the eye contact and unresolved war between the two. When I saw that Jojo wasn't ready to move from her spot anytime soon, I raised my voice a little sternly and authoritatively.
"Jojo!"
She rolled her eyes in surrender, seeing she had no other option but to comply with my demands. Flinging her bag pack carelessly to the cushion, she finally walked with me to the dining where the three of us settled to eat, Jojo still glaring hard at Zed while he did his best to avoid her killer eyes.
We ate in silence for a few minutes until Zed cleared his throat and broke the quiet.
"How have you been, Jojo?"
"Safe and sound and not having to worry over a rascal putting his life in danger now and then."
I pretended not to hear the sarcasm in her reply and acted like I was unaware of their little quarrel. Let them settle their shits themselves this time.
"That was a long time ago, Jojo. I am changed now. I swear it." Zed's voice reeked strongly of plea and the need to convince and be understood.
"Whatever," Jojo replied nonchalantly and went silent again, allowing the clinking of her fork against her ceramic plates to fill in the silence she had created.
"Zed works with Connor now." I chipped in, hating that once again, I have to be the one who steps in to save the day. "He is the general manager of Connor's entertainment agency."
But Jojo looked at me, disbelief and sarcasm on her face as she laughed a small mockery laugh a few seconds later. But I could swear that deep down, hidden beneath that laugh was a faint glint of the belief that I may have spoken the truth. She knew I never joked with stuff like that.
"You are kidding, right?" She asked and I shrugged defiantly, not seeing the need to prove what I had said any further. She shot me and Zed a look and Zed did not waste another second bringing out his business card and dropping it in front of her.
She snatched it from the tabletop almost immediately and her eyes scanned the content of the card, thoroughly and greedily taking in all its details. Her eyes shot open and so did her mouth. She looked from Zed to the card repeatedly as if trying to catch on to a lie that wasn't there in the first place.
"General manager of Stars World Entertainment? Are you shitting me?"
Zed laughed an awkward laugh and Jojo only looked on, stunned.
"It is I."
"Does this mean you own a nice house and loads of cash and posh cars?"
"Uhm...kind of." He answered, his face reddened in cute embarrassment. Jojo gasped again and a large smile coated her face now.
Gold digger.
"Oh my God!" Jojo exclaimed and punched me on the arm, startling me a little. "Why didn't you tell me any of these, Kenz?"
I stared at her in disbelief. Could this girl be any worse?
"Well, I didn't, because you for once never gave a damn about Zed. And what would have happened if I had told you anyway? Not like you cared...."
Jojo laughed a loud crazy laugh that was intentionally meant to shut me up and punched me again, cutting me off immediately. She continued to laugh her silly gold digger laugh.
"What are you saying, Kenz? Of course, I care. If you had told me he was coming over today, I would have been home super early to make sure we prepare something special for our loveliest brother here."
She punched me on the arm again and I rubbed a hand over the spot, trying to reduce the pain. Her eyes gave me a wink that pleaded with me to cooperate and stay by her side.
I almost laughed at her action and went back to eating my meal again while Zed and Jojo continued their conversation.
My little sister was a gold digger. There was no denying that.
