Jeyah’s POV
I went home with mixed emotions. I still couldn’t believe I’m now part of Darren’s group. I shook my head and sighed deeply as I flipped the doorknob of the entry door.
“Hi, sweetie, I’m glad you’re here. But you look so upset. Is there anything wrong?”, my brother Andre asked curiously. He was at the sala, sitting in a figure four-leg-clamp while leaning his back on the sofa bed. I approached him and gave him a hug. I put my things down and sat beside him.
“Are you okay, sweetie? What’s that serious face?”, he asked again.
I laid my head on his shoulder and told him, it’s just nothing. But my brother knows me very well, so even if I say, I’m fine, he would never be convinced because he really knows when I’m okay and when I’m not.
“C’mon, tell me. What happened?”
I lowered my head because I am still hesitant to tell him what happened in school. He lifted my chin and told me to look at him. My brother is always like that. He would never stop if he wants to know something.
“Boo, I have my friends in school, and they asked me to join their group”
My brother’s eyes widened and his brows furrowed.
“Uhm, don’t get me wrong, boo, it’s not a fraternity or sorority. It’s just a group called “All for one”. We are now eleven, including me. Don’t worry boo, they are good people.”, I explained.
“You have your new friends, so why do you look so sad?”, he asked, quite confused of what is really happening.
“Okay, sweetie, tell me who are they? I want to know them of course because they are your friends”
I began to name them all and told him about their courses. Until I mentioned Darren Laurel being the leader of the group.
“Darren Laurel? Sounds familiar. Is he taking an Accountancy course in UP?”
I nodded.
“Darren, Dar—Ah, I remembered now. My best friend Nikko mentioned him last time. That Darren Laurel is Nikko’s cousin on his mother’s side”, my brother spoke, certainly.
My eyes widened upon knowing about it. Nikko is my brother’s best friend and his Executive Assistant in the company.
“Uhm, what else did Nikko tell you about Darren boo?”, I said out of curiosity.
“Aha! And why you’re interested in this guy, sweetie?”, my brother asked, forming a naughty smile on his lips.
I was silent for a while, trying to think what could be a good answer to his question. I sighed and cleared my throat.
“Darren is the leader of our group boo, and I think it’s not wrong if I would ask something about him”.
I thought I succeeded, but my brother is a keen observer and really good at analyzing things.
“Uhm, I’m not convinced, sweetie. I think, you like him, don’t you?”, he chuckled and tickled the side of my torso.
I couldn’t help but laughed as well, especially when my brother was winking his eyes at me. Anyway, I couldn’t hide anything from him. He is my only brother, and who else would I ever confide my feelings? We already lost our dad, and mom is not living with us here in Manila.
“Okay, sweetie, even if you won’t tell me, you like Darren, but I know it. So, is he the reason why you were in a bad mood a while ago? Why? Does he not like you too?”, he asked seriously.
“I don’t know boo, but I’m already a member of his group. And—and-“, I couldn’t finish what I wanted to say because I feel like my tears started to form in my eyes.
“And what? C’mon tell me sweetie”, he said and held my hands.
“I think there’s plenty of women who like him, boo. And they are all pretty”, I quavered.
My brother looked at me and gently pulled me in a hug.
“So, you are insecure with those girls around him? But I guess, you should not. You are beautiful sweetie, believe me. No man could ever resist your charm. I’m not telling you this because you are my sister but because this is the truth. You are simple but irresistible”, he uttered, as he moved my head slightly for me to look at him.
“You really have plenty of rivals in school sweetie, because Darren is the heartthrob of UP campus, Nikko told me about it, so no wonder, girls are tailing around him. But it’s okay. If Darren likes you, then that’s all that matters”, my brother spoke in assurance.
“But… but, I saw him kissing with a woman boo”, I snapped out while drops of tears were falling from my eyes.
Andre looked at me quite confused. He wiped my tears with his thumb and comforted me.
“And why are you crying? Does it mean you are really affected? Uhm, and wait..”, he paused trying to recall what I said earlier.
“Kissing with a woman? Are you sure, he was the one who kissed her? Uhm, Nikko told me that his cousin Darren is not interested in any woman. So cheer up sweetie, okay?”, my brother patted my back.
“But the group has a set of rules boo that they are not allowed to have a romantic relationship within the group”, I spoke blatantly.
My brother chuckled as if he was trying to tease me again.
“Rules? And who made those rules, Darren?”, he continued laughing and crossed his arms for a little while.
I nodded and started pouting my lips. My brother was just smiling until he was not able to hold it anymore and suddenly burst into laughter.
“Oh my goodness sweetie! Okay, okay I got it. That’s why you look so upset because you are now a member of his group, and you’re thinking, it’s impossible for the two of you to have a romantic relationship because of that set of rules?”, he sighed and shook his head. He looked at me, still showing his coy smile.
“Sweetie, in every rule there’s always an exemption. So don’t worry about it okay? I’ll be coming with you tomorrow in school because I want to meet your friends especially…”, he intentionally left the sentence hanging just to give emphasis to the word’ especially’.
I looked at him annoyingly. But all he did was just laugh and laugh as if he was really enjoying teasing me around.
“You’re blushing sweetie, Uhm… I can sense, that you are really attracted to Darren Laurel. And it makes me more interested to meet him”
I stood up and was ready to go upstairs to my bedroom.
“Okay, go and change your clothes so we can have our dinner. My stomach is already grumbling so, please have mercy on me, Darren!”, he exclaimed and grinned, obviously joking me again.
I couldn’t stand my brother’s teasing any longer, so I went back and thumped his shoulder in annoyance.
“Boo!!! you’re pissing me off!”, I uttered, and was seriously staring at him.
“Okay sweetie, I’ll stop now. Go ahead and get dressed so we can have our dinner okay?”, he pulled me in a hug and messed up my hair.
I grabbed my things and went upstairs. As soon as I reached my room, I slumped down on my soft bed and let my body rest for a while. I was thinking about what my brother had told me. It means, there’s still a chance for me and Darren. Oh my God! Why I’m thinking like this as If I’m already sure that he likes me too. But what if he doesn’t?
“Silly girl, stop overthinking!”, I scolded myself.
I reached for my bag and took my cellphone inside. I texted Clarisse and told her that my brother would like to meet them at school tomorrow. After receiving her reply, I hurriedly stood up and got dressed, knowing that Andre was already waiting for me at the dining table.
After having dinner, I went back to my room while my brother was there in his work studio for some work-related matters. Andre is always been a workaholic since Dad passed away. At a very young age, he took the CEO position at JJ tech. I know it was very hard on his part because leading a business is not an easy task to do. But being the eldest and the only son, he had to take over the responsibilities that Dad left to him and ensure that our company would continue to thrive in the business world.
Suddenly, I remembered something that slipped off my mind a while ago. I hurriedly took my laptop and opened it. I need to prepare a PowerPoint presentation for my class report tomorrow. I sat on the couch next to my study table and began preparing the slides. I was about to finish encoding when a certain scene flashed into my mind unexpectedly.
That kiss, Darren and Bridgette shared together in the hallway!
Again, I feel so upset about it. I heaved a deep sigh and continued focusing my mind on the screen. But no matter how much I’ve wanted to forget about it yet, it keeps on repeating in my mind.
That kiss!
Deep inside, I’m hoping it’s not Darren who initiated it, or else I would be thinking that he and Bridgette are in a relationship. Oh no!
I looked at my watch and it’s already 11:00 o’clock in the evening. It’s supposed to be my time for my live streaming but I feel like don’t want to stream because I’m totally in a bad mood. I received private messages from “Denver”, my avid fan on the platform, asking me why I was not streaming. I just replied to him that I’m not feeling well.
I left my work undone and shut down my laptop because I wanted to sleep and forget everything about Darren. How I wished I could let the time fly as fast as it could so that I could be able to see him again in school.
Darren…
I softly uttered his name as I closed my eyes.