Chapter 4 "Prank Call"
2170 Words
After helping Elise with her trigonometry lessons, Neil stood up, stretching his arms.
“I’m going to take a shower, Lil sis,” he said, flashing her a casual grin.
“Okay, Big bro!” Elise replied, her eyes still on the math book as she jotted down the last of her notes.
Neil walked into his room, heading toward the bathroom attached to it. Elise continued to sit quietly, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and contentment from their study session.
As she waited for her brother to finish, there was a knock on the door. Elise stood up quickly and went to open it.
It was their housemaid, Yaya Lisa, holding a bouquet of fresh roses.
“Hello, Ma’am Elise,” Yaya Lisa greeted her with a smile. “A delivery, from your brother.”
Elise blinked in surprise, taking the flowers from Yaya Lisa’s hands. “From Kuya Neil? I’ll give it to him.”
She examined the beautiful bouquet, admiring the vibrant colors of the roses, before her eyes fell on the attached card. She opened it with curiosity, but as soon as she read the message, her face flushed with a mix of confusion and irritation.
“I love you, Andrea. I hope you’ll say yes to another proposal. Happy Daysary! – From Neil, your handsome boyfriend.”
Elise’s breath caught in her throat.
Ahem!
She jumped at the sound of Neil pretending to cough. Elise’s heart pounded, and her cheeks turned crimson.
“Has this been here for long?” Neil’s voice came from behind her.
Elise spun around, and there he was, standing in the doorway of his room, wrapped only in a towel. Water droplets trailed down his chest and abs, still wet from the shower.
Elise’s gaze snapped to the roses in her hands, then back to Neil. “H-huh?” she stammered, flustered.
“Come on, Lil sis,” Neil said, his eyebrows raised. “The roses. Have they been here long?”
“Oh! Uh, no, Big brother. Yaya Lisa just gave them to me. By the way, Kuya, what’s with the... uh... pandesal or bread shape on your stomach?” Elise asked, suddenly pointing at his abs in a daze.
Neil couldn’t help but laugh, his shoulders shaking as he straightened up. “That? That’s from all the time I’ve spent at the gym. Gotta stay in shape!” He walked over to his closet, still dripping wet, and began to pick out a shirt.
Elise narrowed her eyes at him, watching his every move. “Gym, huh?” she muttered under her breath, clearly irritated.
“Lil Sister, which is better?” Neil asked, holding up two shirts. “This long-sleeve polo, or this one from Giordano?”
“Both are ugly,” Elise replied, rolling her eyes.
Neil chuckled. “Come on. You’re such a kill joy.”
He took a step closer to her, nudging her playfully, trying to get a reaction. Elise only scowled at him, clearly upset.
“What’s wrong with you? Whats your problem?” Neil asked, now genuinely concerned.
Elise didn’t answer, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Neil raised an eyebrow and decided to lighten the mood. He reached out and tickled her.
“Wait! Stop! Don’t do that! I haven’t even gotten dressed yet!” Neil laughed as he tried to evade her playful retaliation.
But Elise wasn’t backing down. “You started it, so I’m finishing it!” she shot back, grinning mischievously.
They tumbled into a playful chase, just like when they were younger—laughing, teasing, and running around their shared space.
But then, in a split second, Elise’s hand found its way to Neil’s towel. With one swift motion, she yanked it off.
Neil froze.
Elise’s heart dropped, and her face turned beet red as she realized what she had done. She quickly covered her eyes with her hands and turned away, her voice trembling. “Oh my gosh! Sorry, Big brother! I didn’t mean to—! Please, I’m so sorry!”
She dashed out of the room, her face on fire, leaving Neil standing there naked, equally stunned.
It's his first time... Neil thought to himself, his face turning scarlet. He never imagined Elise—his little sister—would be the first to see him naked like that.
-----
Minutes later, Elise sat in her room, replaying the awkward moment in her head. She still couldn’t believe what had just happened stripping her brother accidentally.
The door creaked open, and Neil entered, holding the bouquet of roses in his hand.
“Lil sis,” Neil began, his voice calm but carrying an air of awkwardness, “I’m going out.”
“I—I’m really sorry, Big brother!” Elise stammered, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “I didn’t mean to... you know...”
Neil gave a light chuckle. “It’s okay, Lil sis. Don’t worry about it. We got carried away, I guess. You know how we are—too close and too comfortable to each other sometimes. But it’s probably a good thing that Mama said I should stop coming into your room all the time, now that you’re eating adulthood.”
Elise froze at his words. “I... I didn’t mean to make it weird, Brother,” she whispered, feeling her cheeks flush once again.
Neil shrugged, trying to ease the tension. “It’s alright. Things are changing, I guess. You’re becoming a young lady now, and I’m not just your big brother anymore. But that doesn’t change anything. You’re still my favorite little sister.”
Elise nodded slowly, trying to process what he said. She knew her brother meant well, but it still felt strange. The awkwardness lingered between them like a cloud, neither sure how to move forward.
“But you know,” Neil added with a sly grin, “I think this whole puberty thing is overrated. Maybe I’ll go back to acting like a childish or little kid again, just to make you feel better.”
Elise smiled despite herself, feeling a little lighter. “You’re such a dork, Big bro.”
Neil laughed, a bit of relief finally breaking through the tension. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
As he turned to leave her room, he gave her a final wink. “Take care, Lil sis. And don’t stress too much. It's a changes of grown ups, literally.”
Elise sat back on her bed, her mind racing. Things were definitely changing, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, growing up didn’t mean they had to stop being family.
Elise stomped her foot in frustration and turned sharply toward Neil. “Why? Just because we’re not allowed to visit each other’s rooms anymore? We’re siblings, Kuya Neil! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that! It’s like Mama’s got a dirty mind! I swear, she’s so annoying!”
Neil raised his eyebrows but remained calm. “Yes, we are siblings, Little one. But maybe it’s because you’ve hit adolescence. You’re thirteen now, and you just got your period, right? Someday, you’ll understand why Mama’s acting that way.”
Before Elise could respond, Neil pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her so hard that she gasped for air. “Argh! Brother! I can’t breathe!”
“You’ll feel suffocated, because you’re such a spoiled, annoying little sister!” Neil teased, grinning. But just as they were caught up in their usual playful bickering, there was a knock on the door.
Patricia, their mother, stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable as she caught them. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
“Well, well. How are you two?” Patricia asked, her voice gentle but with an edge of concern.
“We’re fine, Mama,” Elise answered quickly, flashing a sweet smile. “How about you?”
“I’m good, dear. But Neil?” Patricia raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on her son. “What’s with the sudden fancy outfit? Got somewhere to go?”
Neil grinned and suddenly stood up straight, striking a pose. “Yeah, Ma. How do I look? Handsome?”
“Of course, you do!” Patricia smiled warmly, her eyes softening. “Just like Papa.”
Neil chuckled, his grin widening. “Exactly! You looked like your dad.”
“And what’s with the roses, son?” Patricia asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
“They’re for my girlfriend, Ma,” Neil said, his smile almost smug.
Patricia’s face lit up with pride, and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him. “Congrats, son! So, when are you going to give us a grandchild?” she teased, causing Elise to let out a loud, frustrated shout.
“Mama! Why are you already thinking about grandchildren? That’s too much!” Elise snapped, clearly annoyed.
“Well, it’s true, Elise. Your Kuya Neil’s eighteen now. He’s old enough to start his own family. And you? You should have a boyfriend by now—or at least a crush!” Patricia quipped, clearly in a teasing mood.
“Ma, ew! I hate boys! And if I ever get a boyfriend, I want him to be exactly like Kuya Neil!” Elise declared, crossing her arms.
Patricia froze, her eyes wide with shock, before she quickly recovered. She didn’t know whether to laugh or to be concerned.
Just then, Neil’s phone buzzed. “Excuse me, Ma. Little sis, I gotta take this. Andrea’s calling. I’ll be heading out,” he said quickly. After kissing both of them on the cheek, he dashed out the door.
-----
Hours Later...
Elise tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts racing. She couldn’t sleep. She was worried about Neil. It was already past midnight, and he still hadn’t come home.
“I hate you, Brother!” she muttered under her breath, her hands clenched into fists. “Why did you have to mess with that slut, Andrea? And why did it take you so long to come back home? Ugh, so annoying!”
Her irritation built up as she squirmed in her silk pajama set, restless and unable to find a comfortable position.
With a sudden burst of energy, she threw her blanket off and stood up, determined to find Neil. The house was silent, the darkness creeping in around her as all the lights had been turned off. It was very quiet.
“Huh, so creepy... It’s so dark. My biggest fear... But I’ll do this. I have to disturb Big brother—and that b***h when they get home!” she whispered to herself, gathering her courage.
She walked out of her room, feeling the chill in the air. She crept carefully toward her parents’ room, making sure she didn’t wake anyone. Quietly, she grabbed both of their phones. The first one she reached for was her mom’s phone, but it was out of battery. So, she grabbed her dad’s instead, sneaking into the bathroom to avoid being caught.
Meanwhile, in Andrea’s car, things were heating up. Neil and Andrea were kissing passionately when suddenly, Neil’s phone rang.
He ignored it at first, far too distracted by his girlfriend. But when it rang again, Neil reluctantly pulled away from her lips.
“Hold on, babe,” he said, holding up a finger. “It’s Mama. She’s calling. There’s a bunch of missed calls.”
Andrea pouted. “Ugh, Neil! You’re such a kill joy. Fine, go answer them! I’m even willing to give you my virginity tonight!” she teased.
“Sorry, babe. It’s important,” Neil said with a soft, apologetic smile. “I’ll call you back later.”
He quickly dialed his dad’s number, only to hear Elise’s voice on the other end of the line. She was laughing—probably having a good time with whatever prank she was pulling off.
Before Neil could react, Elise hung up the call and sent a text instead. “Go home now. Or else, Papa will get mad. Better come back before he blows up.”
Neil blinked at his phone, reading the message. “I’m sorry, babe! I really need to go home. Dad’s upset. He doesn’t like me staying out too late.”
Andrea crossed her arms, clearly irritated. “Ugh! Fine! You shouldn’t let them control you like that, Neil. You’re grown up now. It’s killing the mood.”
“I know, I know. Thanks for understanding, babe. I promise, I’ll make it up to you,” Neil said with a grin, still trying to smooth things over.
The tension between the siblings was clear, but so was the complicated relationship that Neil was beginning to navigate with Andrea. As much as he loved his family, he wasn’t sure if it was possible to balance everything.
But for now, he had no choice but to comply with his parents’ wishes. At least, for tonight.
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- Writer
