Chapter 1 – The Text

It was just another evening. It's 5pm as I'm rummaging through the closet in my 2nd floor bedroom, sorting through clothes and various odditie.

"I know it's in here" I said sifting through a pile of blouses on the closet floor. I feel another top would better match my Cream Cardigan and blue jeans then the floral print I'm wearing right now.

I kept searching for a while longer before giving up and heading over to my bed. My room, pink with white trim, is adorned with posters of my favorite k-pop groups, 2NE1 and Super Junior as well as J-pop star Ayumi. My laptop is sitting open bed with Skype being shown on the computer screen.

I sit on the bed next to the laptop. Nervously, I take my iPhone out of my back pocket and send a text:

"Will you be online tonight?"

Tonight is a very special night you see. It's the night I've been waiting for over a year. It is on this night that my friend and I have been planning to talk with each other face-to-face for the first time.

I wait patiently for a few moments before checking my phone for a reply. Nothing.

The minutes feel like they're dragging on forever.

Just then, I hear the shuffling of feet up the stairs. Before long, a pair of identical twin boys enters the doorway. The boys, my 15-year-old brothers, are a matching set of Brown hair and Hazel eyes. Both of my brothers are wearing their football uniforms, having just returned from practice.
Logan, the older of the twins and sporting the number 73 on his chest comes closer followed by his brother Thomas, wearing number 82.

"Hey" Logan says to me, half way between the door and the bed.

As soon as he gets closer I smell an odor emanating from him. "You reek!" I reply.

"And you don't?" Thomas replies, looking somewhat bemused at my comment.

The three of us paused for a moment and exchanged glances at each other. They're only two years older than I am yet they sometimes like to act like they're my boss. Bit annoying really.

"How was practice?" I ask.

"Long, dreadful, boring" Logan replies with Thomas nodding in agreement.

"Teammate was cut at the knees during practice and had to sit out the rest of the season".

"Well that sucks" I reply.

My brothers are the toughest guys I know. I didn't understand why they fancied a sport in which you knock each other over and caused bodily injury. It didn't make sense. But then again, they were guys so I chalk it up to being part of the male experience.

"And how was your day runt?" Logan asks with a sly grin on his face.

I love my brothers but sometimes he does manage to annoy me. My brothers are just shy of 6ft and I'm only 5'2 so remarks like that really wind me up.
Before I can counter my brother's response however, I hear a text message notification coming from my cellphone.

I check the text message: "Nah, not tonight. Other plans came up. Sorry."

The disappointment is evident on my face and my brothers, taking notice of it, decide this would be the perfect time to tease me some more.

"What's a matter? New boyfriend?" Thomas asks.

"You wish." I reply, clearly flustered.

The twins exchange a knowing glance at with one another.

"That's too bad for you shrimp. Just leave dating to the adults" both twins say teasingly.

Still disappointed from the earlier text and growing increasingly annoyed, I end up snapping at my brothers to leave my room. The twins, feeling tired from practice, comply and head towards the door.

"Oh, by the way" Thomas says at the doorway. "We'll be getting pizza soon so don't eat anything until then". With that, the twins exit my room and I get another text notification. It's from my friend.

"You're not mad at me are you?"

In truth, I had a few tears welling up in my eyes but I didn't want my friend to know. So I took a deep breath and replied:

"Nah, just sad. I wanted to talk to you :( ".

"Yeah, I know"

"When will I get to see you?" I ask.

"Soon."

We exchange a few more texts back and forth before calling it a night.

"Tell you what…how about we meet up tomorrow?"

I hesitated for a moment. Could this be real? Meet, in person?
I mull the thought over for a minute more before responding: "Really? You mean it?"

I get a reply back almost immediately saying "Yes, of course. :)"

Excited, I lay down on my bed holding my cellphone close.

"Ok. :) Let's meet tomorrow around 3pm. Ok?" I ask.

"Ok. Goodnight pipsqueak. :)"

"Pipsqueak. Isn't that sweet?" I thought staring at the text. A warm smile comes across my face, then I reply:

"Goodnight Senpai"