Sister Complex

Freedom! The voice in my head screamed. The last two weeks had been awkward. Alex and I moved around the house like two different poles, avoiding to be in the same place at the same time.

"Guess I'll see you around?" Was Alex's last words the night before I left his house. The next morning I left without a word. School would start soon so I would still see him, somehow.

I dragged my feet on the way to campus. I was almost at the gate when I zoomed in on a young girl by the entrance, standing awkwardly with her hands in the pocket of her shorts. She pulled out her phone and fiddled with it when some college guys walked past her and said hi.

Good girl.

"What are you doing here?" I said as I reached her. "And why are your shorts so … short?"

"Geez brother, what's up with your sister complex?" She giggled and when she does, she's so adorable I had to hide her from view.

"Hi cutie." I heard someone said and I gave a piercing glance towards whoever greeted my cute little sister.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked again.

She pulled out an envelope from her purse handed it to me.

"Tada ! Your allowance! I'm such an awesome little sister! "

I smiled sheepishly and patted her head. "Thanks sis, but why not just send it via Western Union or something?"

She looked at me intently with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. "I heard you weren't at the dorms, that you were living with someone during the quarantine? So I was curious to see if it's true."

I raised a brow at her. "And how did you get wind of that?"

"Sorry. For security purposes, I cannot divulge my source's information." Her smile widened. "So it's true then?"

Knowing my sister she would not drop the inquiry until she gets an answer that would satisfy her.

"I stayed with a friend, yeah. I did tell mom."

"Is she pretty? Is she your girlfriend?"

I shook my head. "He's a guy."

"Then, is he handsome? Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head once more. If things were different I wouldn't know how to answer her question. I never really understood my relationship with Alex.

"Really? You're asking me that?" I answered, more like, avoided her question.

"Kuya*, I don't really care if you got a girlfriend, a boyfriend or a cat. As long as the other party reciprocates your feelings and fixes that sour old man look on your face." She laughed.

"Sour old man face?" I frowned. "Anyway, don't you have school?"

She shook her head. "Highschool opens next week."

"Wow." I answered flatly. "Lucky."

"Lucky bastard, yeah."

"Ria." I snapped. "Don't."

"Sorry." She pouted.

I sighed and patted her head. "Go home, I have class."

"Alright, bye kuya." She started walking away but stopped abruptly when she spotted Anna and Josh walking towards us.

"Hi Anna." Ria smiled.

"Oh, hi ex's little sister." Anna greeted. Now my sister's also labeled as ex. Figures.

"Eh? That's Jason's sister?" Josh looked at me, then back to my sister. "Are you sure? Maybe one of you is ad-"

Josh received an elbow from Anna but Ria caught on.

"Oh yes, I am. That's why I have a pretty face." She smiled for emphasis. "I'm a lucky bastard."

"Ria." I said, too sternly and all three looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry kuya. I'm gonna go. Bye-e"she said extending the e on the end.

"Ria is adopted." Anna explained. Although by just looking, it wasn't hard to tell that we weren't related. The difference was very evident. Ria was tall and slender, almost the same height as me at 5'7 and she's only sixteen. She got brown, wavy hair and I got black straight hair. Even our eye color doesn't match either, I got dark brown eyes and hers were glassy, almost transparent green eyes.

"Ex really hates it when Ria talks about her being adopted so nonchalantly. He sees her as his one true little sister. He's got a brother complex, you know." Anna continued.

"Can you please stop talking about it like I'm not here?"

"I'm sorry sour old man" Anna teased.

I shrugged. "Whatever." And walked away as quickly as I could, eager to put a distance between us.