Interlocked

“Hey, Tamara!” “Hey, Steve. Where are you right now?” “I’m in the cafe across the street. Where are you?” “I’m in front of the library building. I’m done with my classes for the day. Are you with your friends? Are you gonna be late? Should I wait and pick you up?” “Woah, there, tiger! Slow down. First, no, I’m not with my friends yet, but they’re on their way. Second, yes, I’ll be late. Jenny and Clara are coming. We are going shopping. So, lastly, no, you should not wait. Go home and get some well-deserved rest for a change. You are my brother, and I love you. But I wanna spend some time with my friends as well, now that I’m finally in college. I know it’s hard for you to let me loose, but just trust me every now and then, alright? I won’t do anything stupid.” “(Sigh)... That’s not fair, kiddo. You know it’s hard for me to let my baby sister out in the world. You’re too precious and college is too full of vultures. I’m trying, sweetie, I really am. But I’ve been taking care of you for so long. And I’ve seen the cruelty of these college goers a bit too closely for my liking. Knowing my baby sister is out there unshielded is giving me a constant heart attack. But you're right. I trust you and it’s time that I show it as well.” “Thanks so much, Steve! You won’t regret it, I promise.” “If you say so. Are you sure that Jenny and Clara are people I can trust you with? Sure that they won’t film you making a fool out of yourself and leak a video on the internet?” “Steeeeeve!” “Alright, alright. Stop whining. Be careful. I love you.” “Thanks, big brother. I will. Love you too.” Tamara let out a huge sigh of relief. Steve was really over-protective about her. Well, given that their parents were never around when they were young (not like they’re around now), they only had each other. Sure, there were the servants around them. But Steve was almost eight years older than her, so since he was eighteen and she was ten, he personally took care of everything about her. Even before then, when Steve wasn’t as capable of that, he’d spend most of his free time with her - play with her, help her with her studies, read her storybooks, teach her to draw and paint and everything else that he could do. He barely had any friends and neither did she. They had been enough for each other. I guess, it’s hard for me too to be away from him, she thought. But I wanna meet other people too, and so should he. “Hey, Tam.” “Hey, Jen. Where’s Clara?”  “She didn’t have classes today, so her brother’s dropping her. He’s so over-protective about her, you won’t believe!”  Tell me about it… she thought to herself, but only smiled on the surface. These two girls were her first friends in college, or better say ever. She met them in her philosophy class. Both of them are very jolly, though Jenny was more talkative and outgoing than Clara. Actually, Jenny’s the one who wanted to go out today and convinced the other two. They were meeting for lunch at the cafe and would go to the mall after that. Jenny and Tamara took a table right beside the window and chatted while waiting for Clara. “Sorry I’m late, girls. Criss is a nightmare when I’m in a hurry!” “You really should show some respect for your brother in front of your friends, Clara. I drove you here at a minute’s notice so I did the best I could.” A very handsome man spoke from behind her. Tamara was instantly taken in by his gorgeousness. He was quite tall, probably 5’10”-11”. He had jet black hair and equally black eyes that seemed darker with annoyance. He had a sharp jawline and a sharper nose. He looked quite older than Clara, probably in his late 20’s. He was wearing a full-sleeved white shirt and a pair of brown pants that fitted him a bit too perfectly. The fabric of the shirt hugged his muscular arms and chest that seemed to bulge even more as he crossed his arms. Even with his face slightly scrunched, he looked breath-taking. “Absolutely not, you moron! I told you last night that I’ll be going out with my friends today. And you didn’t even need to come! I do possess a driver’s license, you know? It’s not for decoration, I earned it.” “Yeah, I should definitely let you drive so that you can break the speed limit like last time.” “That was one time and that happened months ago! And it was an emergency! I was getting late for my school play. That was my final performance before I finished high school. Will you, for God’s sake, let that go?” “Not until you earn it, Clara.” “And how exactly am I supposed to do that while being babysat by you?” Criss scowled even more but became quiet. He looked behind Clara and as if suddenly remembered that Jenny and Tamara were there. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a second. Then he straightened his face and looked at them. “I’m extremely sorry for my rudeness. I’m Criss Royale, Clara’s elder brother.” He extends a hand in their general direction.  Jenny and Tamara exchanged a glance for a fraction of a second before looking at Criss, smiling. Jenny took his hand and gave it a shake. “I’m Jenny Jenkins. I was in the same class as Clara in high school but we became friends after coming to college.” “Nice to meet you, Jenny.” He offered his hand to Tamara next, giving her a smile. “I’m Tamara,” she said, grasping the large palm stretched towards her. And then there were sparks.