The College Badboy's Danger Zone

Chapter 09: What's the Point?

“And don’t you dare sneak out anywhere,” Caleb said firmly as he pulled up in front of my house.

“Where could I possibly go? At most, I’d just ride my bike to the end of the street to have some roasted pork with rice and chat with the old vendor,” I replied, preparing to get out of the car.

“If you wanted to eat, why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve stopped so you could finish your meal,” he snapped, getting irritated again.

I didn’t understand why he was so moody. I go out to find food all the time, don’t I?

“I was full then. I’ll go out when I’m hungry. Why are you getting so worked up?” I turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

“Mind your own business,” he shot back, scowling. He really is sharp-tongued and temperamental all the time.

“Frowning so much isn’t good for you. You should smile more and stop being so mean to me. You’re scaring me so much I’m practically swelling up,” I teased, reaching out to poke and smooth the space between his furrowed brows.

“What’s wrong with you? Your face is turning red again. Do you have high blood pressure from shouting so much? You should really tone down that temper.” After smoothing his brows, I placed both hands on his cheeks and then touched his forehead. His face was so red it looked abnormal.

Caleb just sat there, frozen, looking like he was in shock.

How peculiar.

“I’ll give you some pressure, alright! Don’t you dare act like this with anyone else, do you hear me? Now get inside, take a shower, and go to sleep. Tomorrow we need to settle what happened today. Be prepared. I’m too tired to argue with you right now. Get out, fatty.” Caleb reached over and tugged on my bangs again.

“Hmph!” I opened the door to leave, but before stepping out, I reached back and gave his ear a sharp tug. Then, I quickly hauled myself into the house.

How annoying. He’s so loud and bossy, complaining about everything even though we’re nothing to each other.

Fatty, fatty, fatty... He keeps calling me that. Just wait—if I ever get thin, and he still calls me fat, he’s going to regret it.

“What a day,” I muttered to myself while walking inside.

To be honest, talking to myself is one of my specialties. I have a wild imagination; sometimes I even hold full conversations with imaginary friends. Some might call me crazy, but I don’t think so. I’m just a very cheerful person. Maybe a little too cheerful at times.

“So, why was someone dropping you off at the front door? Who was that?”

As soon as I stepped inside and closed the gate, the deep, smooth voice of my eldest brother rang out. It was Thomas, my twin brother.

“It was just Caleb. I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately, but he won’t stop bothering me. He’s gone and told everyone at the university that I’m the younger sister of the 'Hot Engineering Twins.' Now I can’t escape the comparisons—people saying I’m adopted or an accident. It’s madness. And the people talking aren't even that good-looking themselves! I hate gossipers who don't look at their own reflections. I might be chubby, but at least my face is prettier than theirs. It makes me so mad. But I can't just blame them when you two were born way better-looking than me.”

I immediately vented my frustrations to my brother. Today, a group of students had been making fun of me, comparing my size to my brothers' looks. Then there was that whole thing with Hunter having his friend apologize to me. If I were thin and beautiful, I wouldn't be this embarrassed.

But I’m not!

I’m going to start dieting. I won’t be a laughingstock anymore.

“Who are you taking your anger out on, The Smallest? And the guy I’m asking about isn't Caleb. I’m talking about the one who walked you to the front door last night,” Taylor said, stepping out of the house and staring at me, waiting for an answer.

“Just an upperclassman from my department,” I said, trying to dodge my two brothers who were now looking at me with suspicion.

“Where do you think you’re going? Stay and talk to us. Because that guy is a popular heartthrob from the Business Department, and he’s one of the people who bullied you yesterday.” My twin brothers grabbed both of my arms and stared me down.

“Mom!” The only people who could save me were my parents. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Go ahead, scream until you’re hoarse. She’s not coming out because she’s not here,” Taylor said with a smug look.

“Where did she go?”

“I bet you didn't even read the family group on the messaging app, did you? That’s why you don’t know that Mom went on a business trip with Dad. They’ll be gone for months,” Thomas said, his tone even more annoying.

“Why am I the only one who didn't know?” I felt like I was going to cry. Why didn't Mom tell me? It hurt my feelings.

“Don’t start crying. Mom and Dad told us, but you weren't around. Mom also posted it in the chat. You’re just forgetful. Now get inside. We three siblings need to have a talk,” Taylor said.

And just like that, I was hauled into the house. Even though I’m heavy, my brothers were strong enough to drag me easily. I absolutely hate having brothers who act like detectives.

“Spill it. Why did he walk you home?” Taylor asked me while holding my legs. I had been dragged onto the sofa, with Thomas pinning my arms from behind.

“I told you, he’s just an upperclassman... Ah! Stop! Hahaha! Stop it!” As soon as I answered, Taylor started tickling my feet. I always lose to this tactic because I’m incredibly ticklish.

“Are you going to tell us how he ended up walking you home?” Taylor paused to let me breathe, giving me a chance to talk.

“He’s just a senior!”

“Alright, Taylor, thirty seconds this time,” Thomas ordered, holding me tight. Taylor grabbed my legs and started tickling again. I was punished for being stubborn for thirty long, agonizing seconds.

“Stop! Stop! Please! Hahaha! Enough! I give up! Hahaha!” I probably looked like a pig being scolded with hot water, thrashing around like that.

“Speak,” Taylor stopped and stared. Thomas didn’t let go of my arms because they both knew how crafty I could be. If they let go, I’d bolt. They’d been tricked too many times before.

“Ow! Let go of my arms first, it hurts! I can’t breathe. I’m already fat, and now you’re suffocating me. I might run out of air—”

“Should we go for another minute so you’ll stop making excuses to run away?” Thomas whispered in my ear. He was definitely serious.

“I don’t even know him! Yesterday Caleb dropped me off, saying you guys were busy with activities and the driver wasn't around. Caleb offered to take me, and we stopped for pancakes at the end of the street. Then Caleb said he had an errand and told me to take a bike taxi, but there weren't any, so I walked. Then that guy rode his motorcycle up to me and offered a ride. I refused, so he said he’d just walk me home quietly because it was dangerous. And that’s what you saw.”

I didn’t tell them everything. If I confessed that he was the senior I had a secret crush on, my brothers would never stop laughing at me.

“Are you telling the truth, The Smallest?” Taylor glared at me.

“Yes, I am!” I insisted. It was the truth, mostly. I just left out the important parts.

“He likes our sister,” Thomas said, finally releasing my arms and jumping over to sit on the sofa next to me.

“But he’s handsome and our sister is fat. What you’re saying is impossible,” Taylor, sitting on the rug, commented while still holding my feet. When he called me fat, I really wanted to kick him in the face. But I could only think about it, since he is my brother.

“Then why would he be nice to her?” Thomas put his arm around my neck and looked at my face, searching for answers. I hate it when they act like Sherlock Holmes.

“I don’t know. But from what I’ve gathered from the girls he hangs out with, he’s the quiet type. He dates whoever asks, but he’s never said 'I love you' to anyone.”

Look at that—they even did background research. They act so protective even though I’m huge. It’s a good thing they don’t know I’m talking to 'Black,' or they would’ve tracked him down by now.

“So why is he involved with her? What’s so interesting about her?” They continued to criticize my face. Is it a crime to hit your brothers?

Vibrate, vibrate...

My phone chose that exact moment to ring.

“Who’s calling? Answer it now!” Great, here comes trouble.

“I’ll answer it later,” I said, trying to sound firm.

“That means it’s a secret. Pick it up now, or else...” Taylor threatened to tickle me again. I had to take my phone out of my bag.

“It’s Caleb... and it’s a video call. This guy again. Let me settle this one by one. Answer it,” Thomas ordered.

Why was Caleb calling me now?

“Press accept,” Thomas commanded again while Taylor pressured me with his gaze. I had no choice but to answer.

“Yeah?” I said, leaning my face close to the camera so he wouldn't see Thomas with his arm around my shoulder.

"I’m home. What are you doing? Why is your face like that?" Caleb said while holding a cigarette in his other hand.

“My face is normal.” Normal, my foot. My brothers were practically glued to me.

"Oh, then why the hell is your face so close to the camera? Your face is huge. Move it back!" Caleb barked.

“No, it’s nothing, and—”

"Get your fat face away from the screen! I think I see someone’s arm around your neck. Do it now! Move back before I get angry!"

“What arm? You’re seeing things.”

"Move your fat face away from the camera right now!"

'Fat face' this, 'fat face' that. Even I can get angry!

“Listen! Why do you keep saying that? My name is Adeline, not fat face—”

"Damn it! Whose arm is that around your neck?" Caleb stood up, looking furious.

I looked at the screen and realized I had moved back too much, exposing Thomas’s arm.

"Who are you with? Why are you letting them touch you? I’m telling your brothers. Just you wait!"

While I was stunned, everything turned into chaos.

“It’s my arm, you i***t!” Thomas yelled into the phone. “And is that your house? I’m pretty sure that’s a picture of Isabella in the background. You told my sister you were home, but you’re actually in your 'best friend’s' room?”

“Maybe Caleb thinks that place is his home, Thomas,” Taylor added, sitting up on the sofa next to me.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? That’s it, I’m hanging up."

“Hey! Caleb!” Taylor called out, popping his face into the frame. Caleb scowled at them.

“Listen here, buddy. You can fall for whoever you want, but don't dare try anything with my sister,” Thomas warned.

"I don’t have feelings for your sister. She’s just my best friend’s little sister. You’ve seen the girls I date—they’re all beautiful. Why would I ever think of her that way?" Caleb snapped.

I felt a strange, dull ache in my chest.

“Good. Because you know she’s innocent,” Taylor said.

"Yeah, you know why I’m doing this. That’s enough, Isabella is coming out of the bathroom now." Caleb cut the call.

I sat there in silence.

“You don't have feelings for Caleb, do you?” Taylor asked.

“No. He’s such a jerk, why would I?” I replied quickly.

“Good. I was afraid you’d misunderstand. The reason he’s acting like that is because he sees you as innocent, just like his sister, Jill. He doesn't want you to end up like her. So he looks after you when we’re busy. You heard him... he doesn't think of you as anything more than a sister. He already has someone he loves,” Thomas said, patting my head.

“I’m not innocent. Tell him to stop bothering me because it’s annoying. My life at university is already messy enough, and I don’t want another brother. Having two is already a headache, especially with your 'handsome' but messy selves.” I stood up, grabbed my phone from Thomas, and headed to my room.

At least now I knew why my brothers' friend kept showing up and causing trouble in my life. He just saw me as his friend’s sister.

“Exactly. Like he said, who would ever like a fat girl like me? I was just daydreaming without looking in the mirror. How embarrassing,” I whispered to myself after flopping onto my large bed.

I didn't plan on crying. I just felt a heavy, sinking feeling in my heart.