Chapter 2

Lan's POV

"Mom....we are home!" I yelled as loud as my vocal cords could permit.

"Jeez...can you not destroy my eardrum. Thank you" My grumpy brother went upstairs without even greeting our mom.

"In the kitchen baby"

I dropped my bag on the floor and ran into the kitchen to embrace my mom.

"Hey Mom, you are home early" I spoke with a muffled voice as I embraced her from behind as she cooked.

"Oh, dear...I had to come home to prepare lunch for you. A friend of mine is ill and she begged me to take over her late-night shift at the hospital" My mom spoke chuckling a bit at my action.

Oh no!

Which means I won't have room to sleep in tonight. Nate is not gonna let this opportunity slip by.

Oh right! He is going to a party later!

Thank goodness!

"Must you go...."I pouted, hoping she'd change her mind.

"Oh honey, I need to. She is my friend and is sure she'd do the same for me. Go upstairs and freshen up ok. Lunch will soon be ready"

She patted my cheeks and ushered me out of the kitchen.

I am not happy with this. She is hardly at home and let's not talk about my father who travels for a business trip every freaking time.

Am I a baby? ....No

Do I need my parents always around?... Yes

Do I love cuddling my mom? ....Definitely

I picked up my bag and went to my room upstairs which I share with my brother.

I opened the door and walked in not even minding the soul that was playing video games with my laptop.

I set my bag on the stand and went into the bathroom to shower.

*****

It's lunchtime and we are all seated in the dining ready to eat.

"This smells amazing mom" The aroma of the dish keeps penetrating my nostrils.

Mom is a good cook even though she hardly has time.

"Thank you baby" She smiled. I know deep down she is buzzing with joy. You see my mom likes it a lot when someone compliments her dish. She doesn't know I know but I have lived with her long enough to know.

"Can we eat now?" Nate asked about to dig into the lasagna.

"We pray first!" My mom hit his hand making him drop the spoon angrily.

Nate folded his arms refusing to pray. But mom won't be a mom if she lets it happen. She peeled his arms off and held them tight, reaching out for mine.

After our short prayer, we started eating. At least some of us.

Nate just keeps pressing his phone. Sometimes I wonder if he is my brother. He is so different.

He knows how much mom hates it when he gets distracted by his phone especially when we are eating together.

I watched while eating my food as mom glared at him with one eye but he doesn't notice it yet.

She reached over the table and dragged his phone from him making Nate's eyes pop open in surprise.

"Moooom....my phone! It's important"

"It's always important" She replied rolling her eyes.

"Anyway I wanted to tell you that I won't be home tonight," She said while staring at him.

Here goes...

His eyes sparkled and popped open" Really?"

"Yes. Now I don't care about your late-night activities but please do not leave my baby all alone at home here and I don't want any girls over. Do I make myself a clear young man?"

She gave him those eyes that say 'disobey and you dog pop'

He smirked at me and replied "ok mom"

I gave him silly faces which he returned and turned to my mom.

"Mom am not a baby, I can stay at home alone"

Sometimes she just forgets that I am an adult now. Always address me as a baby and Nate as a young man!

I mean what's the difference in our ages?

"I know sweetheart but I don't want you to"She smiled giving me that motherly sweetness.

I couldn't help but smile back at her. I just love my mom.

Nate gagged giving us a disgusted face "Oh please enough. Not in front of me"

"Oh shut up. You are just jealous you're not my baby" Mom replied chuckling.

I couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Nate glared at me making me shut up.

"I am not! I don't want to be considered your baby" he replied.

"If that's what you want to believe, no problem" Mom replied still on the note that he is jealous.

A few minutes later after lunch, mom left leaving me alone with my annoying brother.

I sat on my bed doing my assignments when the door banged open startling me.

"Hey boogie Woo, give..."

You must be kidding me!

What's Jacob doing here!?

It hasn't even been up to 30 mins mom left and he has already invited his friends over.

Jacob jumped on my bed, making me stumble a bit. I glared at him hard but he doesn't seem to mind.

At the same time, Mark and Luke strutted into the room talking in loud voices.

There goes my peace and quietness.

Nate alone is enough headache. Why do these three idiots have to be here?

"Oh hey, Lan" Mark smiled at me and popped down on my bed with Luke following his actions.

"Hi" I forced a smile out.

Is Nate's bed invincible?

Why do they always have to sit on my bed?

And where the hell is Nate?

"Whatcha up to?" Luke asked taking my book that was spread out on my bed.

I watched as he tried to understand the calculus but always ends up squeezing his face in a frown or scratching his head.

"Dude if you don't understand at least don't try to make a fool out of yourself," Jacob said making all of us chuckle.

I dragged my book from him and continued my assignment.

"I wonder how you understand that," He said confused.

"Well, that's because I focus in class and don't get cheerleaders to do my assignments for me!"I replied sarcastically.

"Ohhh...burn!"Mark yelled making my cheeks redden.

I don't know why I said that though. I mostly just ignore their nasty remarks.

"Shouldn't you all be with Nate? Where is he?" I asked looking at them one by one.

Jacob laid down on my bed with his shoes on making me knack his legs off.

"Oh he's around" Jacob replied smirking.

"Where then?"I asked confused.

They looked at each other with a grin on their faces.

"Having fun...."Mark said.

".....in your parent's room" Luke completed.

I don't understand

Having fun in my parent's room?

And just like an alarm, it went off in my head.

Oh no, he doesn't!

I jumped down from my bed and ran out of the room with Mark and Luke in toll.

I went towards my mom's room but it was locked.

I banged at the door

"Open up!!! I am gonna tell mom!!" I yelled

Mark and Luke just kept chuckling behind me annoying me some more.

I hate it when he does this. Mom says something and he ends up doing the opposite.

When the hell did he bring a girl over!?

I'm sure she came with Jacob and the rest.

I heard a grunt coming from the room

"Get lost!" He spoke in a muffled voice.

"I will not! If you don't come out right now, I am calling mom"

I brought out my phone from my pocket hoping the sound of the dial pad will scare him.

"Ok..ok.. fine, give me a moment" He grunted.

I waited for a while before the door unlocked and opened up.

In front of me stood my brother burning glares into my eyes and beside him is Genevieve. I'm sure she is part of the school cheerleaders.

"Hey Lan" she waved at me with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Out!"I didn't reply and just pulled her out of my mom's room as she was covered in the bed sheet and her clothes and my brother's clothes in her hand.

Nate rolled his eyes and came out in only his boxers.

"Why not be a good baby brother and clean the room up for me okay" he patted my shoulder making me sigh in annoyance.

He knows I won't be able to leave the room like that cause I sure as hell don't want my mom to see the mess they created.

"Oh, and you do know, you and I definitely won't be going anywhere together right?"He spoke raising an eyebrow at me.

I sighed in both annoyance and disappointment.

I don't know why I am disappointed though. It's not as if I wanted to go out with him.

I nodded making him smile and walk away with the girl and his friends behind him.

I walked into the room and saw the pillows scattered on the floor, the bed cover lying on the floor, and the stench of after-sex covering my nose.

I was about to pick the pillows off the floor when my phone rang

"Hey, pearl how was your date?" I asked

"Amazing, we had so much fun. But why do you sound tired? What has Nate done again?"

I could just imagine her facial expression with her brows frowned and her fists tight.

I spent 5 minutes downloading to her what happened.

"Oh, I can't believe he did that. Well... honestly I do believe he would, to be honest. It's in his blood" She sighed on the phone.

"Anyway tell me everything that you both did on your date.... excluding the romance and kissing part I don't need to know that" pearly is a very descriptive person. So her describing their disgusting act will scar me for life.

She chuckled "Oh get a girlfriend Lan...or a boyfriend?!"

My ears turned red.

I have never been in a relationship before so hearing anything about sex or romance gets me all flustered and uncomfortable.

"Pearl!! You know I am not gay!" I can't believe she'd say that.

"Oh please! How would you know when you have never even kissed a guy or a girl before" She replied. I am sure she'd be rolling her eyes right now.

"I am sure am not gay thank you" I changed the topic and kept speaking with her as I arranged my mom's room. I heard our front door open which assured me that Nate and his crew are gone.

Making me sigh in relief.