I go straight back home after seeing Brandon, refusing all his attempts to escort me.

Walking is my favorite way of thinking, and analyzing, even if it's all I've been doing lately. My encounter with him gave me a lot to think about.

Some things are clearer now. About me, about him, about us. How our relationship affected me. I don't understand why we acted the way we did, but I understand now that we were not good for each other.

Not just him to me, but, me to him as well.

And even though, Brandon is sweet, considerate, and a gentleman, the only time he made me scream in bed was when I found a spider on his shoulder while he was kissing me.

I'm terrified of spiders; I really scream that day.

My mistake was to believe it was our only problem. Today I discover it is deeper than that. That it was not only the lack of chemistry during sex. The problem was us.

Would it be possible to work on it?

No Kelsey, the real question is, do you want to work on it? And I know the answer to it...

Especially as my mind goes back to Andrew alone, making no effort to do so and against my every will.

Once at him, I change my clothes and go back to Charles's apartment to join the guys for dinner.  

Andrew is the first person I lay my eyes on and he is not even close to the door. 

"Kels what restaurant have you mentioned yesterday that has a dish tasting like heaven?" Liam asked me, smirking.

"It's a Japanese one", I tell them the name of the restaurant and they decide to go there tonight. I adore sushi so I don't mind going again. 

My eyes find Andrew on the corner, waiting for him to tell us he has been there yesterday too. Wondering if he knows I saw him there.

Char calls to do the reservation since we are six. Dani doesn't eat sushi, so will be me and the guys.

Andrew is on the corner talking with Chris. I notice how different he looks today, and I'm hit hard by the fact of how I barely know him. Right now it seems I don't know him at all. He seems a foreigner in front of my eyes, so distant, so cold. A stranger.

The smile he has worn during the last week is long gone, he is so serious, contained, and when he catches me staring at him, I feel obliged in turning around and looking on the other way, quickly. As if I should be ashamed for acknowledging him.

Arriving at the Japanese restaurant the first thing they want to know is what the hell is the dish I state tastes like heaven.

I don't understand why this statement catches their attention this much, but it does.

I demonstrated it on the menu and complemented describing it, "It has salmon all around something like cream cheese inside and other ingredients, it is big like this", I illustrate it to them with my hands, showing the big sushi roll format.

And in the middle of my explanation, the guys burst out laughing, letting me there, confused, watching them, wondering what the hell is so entertaining.

"Are you sure it was a sushi Kels? There is another thing that is pink outside the same format and tastes like heaven," Char stops laughing to glare at Mattew, and then I just realize what their dirty and perverted minds are thinking.

At least Charles's glare causes them to stop laughing.

We order different pieces; I pick the ones I remember loving yesterday.

I notice all guys are talking cheerfully, entertained, except Chris, who hasn't spoken at all. He is silent, only observing.

"Hey Chris, are you ok?" he turns himself to face me, finishing chewing a nigiri.

"He still pissed about an interview he had Friday," Mattew answers in his place, and looking at him now I can discern he is quite disturbed.

"What happened?"

"Well, looks like my skin color is not the good one for the job." He spits.

"What are you talking about? You are the smartest guy I know; how is that matter?"

"I figured it did when the person informed me, I should have put my picture on my cv."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, it happens often Kelsey." He states now annoyed, inserting a final point in our discussion.

I can't believe what he is saying, he is literally the smartest person I know, he has studied at Harvard for God's sake, and they think his skin color is the way to judge. I keep looking at Chris, astonished, even if he stated it happens often I see how it is bothering him, eating him, and of course, it does, he for sure deserves better than this. He is more than capable, yet he doesn't have the opportunity, it is so unfair. I can't believe this still happens nowadays, and that he feels like he must get used to it.

It keeps my mind for a while during dinner, the sushi doesn't seem to be so appealing anymore.

Because it shouldn't be like this. It can't be like this.

"Why aren't you eating?" Liam asks me.

"I did, I'm not hungry anymore."

"That's not possible, you are like the female version of an ogre."

"No, I'm not!"

"Oh, yes you are, remember when she ate fifteen slices of pizza just to win a bet with you, Liam?" Mattew meddles himself in the discussion.

"Yeah, I remember!" Liam replies grinning as if he was the one winning the contest.

I won! However, I went too far for this bet, I was sick of my stomach a whole week after that. I paid a high price for my victory.

"God, I had a stomachache for days after that. But Liam has eaten fourteen, so I just ate one slice more!"

Liam starts laughing forcing Matthew to explain.

"He ate twelve, the last two slices he had dropped on the floor!" I stare at Liam, I can't believe this, he used to play fair with me, at least I thought he has. I always trust him. I can't believe he cheated.

"If it wasn't for Charles he would have dropped more."

"Fuck Liam! I could have eaten thirteen and at least avoid being sick!" I remember refusing to lose, I don't even remember what we have bet on, just that I would have eaten twenty slices in case of need.

Liam is a bad loser too, so much he tricked me. The guys are laughing again, I'm the only one glaring. Well, and Andrew, who doesn't seem to find anything amusing tonight.

He barely glances at me, and even if I believe it is better this way, I admit I miss his eyes on me. Even that annoyed look that I became used to.

The discussions continue, as a need to find something else to spend my energy on and stop thinking about the stupid green English pear here.

My current stomachache doesn't allow me to forget the revelation of how Liam tricked me, driving me to eat more than I should. I don't care it has been almost two years ago, I will come back to it. I am a revengeful person after all. I for sure need this revenge to have something to concentrate on.

Once Liam goes to the bathroom a great idea pops into my mind.

The guys are watching me as if I am a crazy person when I take one transparent plastic that was holding the chopsticks and place it on Liam's chair saucing it with soya sauce.

I hope he doesn't see it before he seats on it.

Charles clears his throat once I finish preparing my trick.

"Liam is off money, would you guys mind if we split his part before he comes back and won't accept it?"

"I will pay for his part," I state, "he paid me a lot of coffees. Is the least I can do."

I give the money for me and Liam to Char, and since Liam is already returning from the bathroom no one disagrees.

As I have planned, he seats on his chair without taking a look at it.

And that's when I realize I still can't hide anything from anyone, my face will always reveal everything.

Bluff is not my thing, I suck playing poker for a reason.

I want to laugh badly. I distract myself by chewing my lips. I can't even look at him, I'm trembling from restraining my giggles, regarding the opposite way, away from Liam and hiding my face with my hand.

I'm aware he only needs one look at me to figure everything out. Yet I succeed to hide my face until we finish our drinks and leave.

I let Char and Liam go ahead, with Liam arguing he could have paid for his part.

They're walking in front of us and I notice the dark spot on his jeans, and it becomes futile to avoid laughing, at least I try repressing the sound of it. The most I can.

Mattew is the first of them to remark it and starts provoking Liam.

"Oh, man! I thought you went to the bathroom!"

"What?" Liam turns to us.

Everyone sees it now, the dark spot caused by the soya sauce looking like he has poop in his pants.

"You couldn't control yourself, Liam?" My brother asks.

"What is going on? Why you are all laughing??"

"Because you couldn't control yourself and poop in your pants?"

"I didn't poop in my pants!" He says annoyed, turning around trying to check the back of his pants, which is impossible.

Until he finds a store and checks it on the vitrine glass.

"Who did it?" By the time he has discovered it, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Convulsing, red, even crying.

One look at my face and he knew it was me.

I tried to run, escape, but it was in vain, he is faster than me.

"You are an evil kid!" He places me on his shoulder and starts carrying me. Running with me bouncing there.

Thank God I didn't eat too much, or I would throw up sushi all over the sidewalk.

"Liam", I ask between breaths and laughs, "stop it I'll throw up!"

"I can't believe you were once the sweetest girl! How did you become so evil?"

"It's your fault! You tricked me first! You gave me stomachache for days!"

The guys are all around us, laughing at our childish behavior.

"Where is that sweet girl, Kels??"

I  keep laughing with him moving me around and tickling me.

Thank you, Chris, for defending me, "she has paid for your dinner man."

With that Liam halts running and places me on the ground, the guys are still laughing. He hugs me before we start walking again, "I knew I like you for a reason, you're still the sweetest! Thank you, Kels!" Liam said in his brotherly way, arranging his arm around my shoulders.

"Didn't need to spot my pants though! They're the only good pair I have!" When we all start walking again, having an enjoyable time, laughing, I recognize not all of us thought it was funny.

A sharp understanding sense hit my guts when I see farther away, in front of us, Andrew, walking fast to come back home.

************************************************************

Happy new year to everyone!

I hope you have all enjoyed it!

I'm sorry about the delay, as I have explained in the last chapter it is being complicated and difficult until mi January.

I expect after mi January to come back with a 'normal' update schedule.

**Please let your comment and vote 😉 **