Getting a brother

Dabby:

Not that I wanted to be like my mother or anything, but I just desired to be a little similar to her. The cool aura, sexy body, riveting smile, and every charm she possessed.

She could make anyone love her, and she always got whatever she wanted, so far she put her mind to it.

Joanna Sanders was hot. She was like a magnet. And no one would ever believe that she was my Mum, because I was totally different from her. I was Dabby Sanders.

The car that was assigned to pick me up on the last day of the first session in grade twelve drove through the gate, and all my nerdy eyes could catch was the beautiful sight of the guy, that would make every girl in school swoon together with his crew.

He was really hot, handsome, charming, and every good thing one can think of, but he was not just the typical cold and gentle guy.

Damien Anderson wasn't the usual mind-blowing guy you know that was like the ones you would imagine, but he was one of the most popular in high school and kind of the sexiest too. His friends Xavier and Bryan, were not left out.

He had really good looks, was alluring, and has so many girls wrapped around his fingers. He drove one of the nicest cars, led a luxurious life, and had friends that matched up to his standards.

People like that, would never know the nerd girl Dabby who kept to herself, and could not still be by herself. Everyone thought that I was a freak. Probably because of the way I acted, because I was so insecure by the few dots on my face. I hated them and they made me look ugly.

I could never allow Mum to follow me to school, because I was sure that the bullying would get worse, if they saw who she was and how sophisticated she looked. Joanna was close to perfect.

Never could I also tell her that something was wrong at school, else, she would scold me angrily for being too weak and fragile. It was better to portray the slow and clumsy Dabby, who could boldly fight for herself if someone hit her.

I always wondered if she would have probably thought about it a few times, If I was switched at the ward or something when she gave birth to me. We were the total opposite of one another, and the contrast was glaring. But that didn't matter. The striking resemblance was there.

Joanna was feisty and I loved her for it. She never gave anyone the privilege to cheat or trample on her, instead she would be the one to do the trampling. Her way with men was crazy to understand. She always had the best to herself too.

A break from my mother and her flashy lifestyle for a while? Hell yes, I would appreciate it.

I decided to go for the holidays at Aunt Penelope's in New Orleans, and it was really cool because I got to take a break from California and its crappiness. Mum was traveling too, so it was a perfect arrangement.

The holiday break wasn't any different from my usual life at home, because I was always indoors most of the time while my aunt was working at the office. But it was like some kind of protection, against the bad air that I have breathed while in school.

The kids in school were so tough and violent that once you were a weak link, they would definitely pick on you and make your life sadder. And I was a weak link.

The holiday, which was a few weeks to its end, was going nicely, until Joanna ruined it by calling me to inform me of her engagement. She was suddenly getting married. And worst of all was that she was pushing on with the marriage, which was like two weeks away.

'When did they meet? How did they plan it out? Why did she want to get married to someone suddenly, instead of sticking to her usual dating men lifestyle?' I had so many questions to ask her.

I pondered through the night why my mother suddenly wanted a second marriage, because it wasn't really a basic reason that I can understand. If one of her love relationships was getting too clingy, she always backed out before it became messy. That was how she was.

"Mum. You know I do not interfere in your decisions, right? Are you sure you want this?" My timid voice sounded from the other side of her phone call, because I was not the kind of teenager to throw tantrums and rebel, if I didn't want something.

But I honestly wanted to shout at her face, and tell her that I didn't want to be in a suffocated space, of being together with a stepdaddy.

"I've thought it right, darl. We should all meet before the wedding, so come home quickly," she said excitedly, and I didn't want to ruin it for her.

Whatever charms it is that the man had to capture the fierce Joanna Sanders heart into marriage, then I should certainly give him accolades for that and allow her to have her way.

"So, what happens after?" I asked again, instead of the intended question; Are you sure you are not rushing this?

"I don't know. But it is definitely going to be the best experience. I'll tell you about the rest of the information later," she cut the phone immediately, and I lazily dropped mine on the table in weakness also with the feeling of anger. I felt so weak and sick already of what was going to happen.

A week passed and I was still at my aunt's, trying to act all cool about my mother's new marriage plans. Knowing Mum would not have the time to take me to the hospital whenever I got back, Aunt Penelope took me to the hospital instead and got me a pair of glasses.

The meeting Mum talked about was continually postponed, because she told me that her new husband was having some meetings piled up, and that he needed to clear everything before the wedding.

I was not interested in knowing about her plans anyway, because my opinion didn't matter. She did not forget to send his pictures to me though and damn, my nerdy self would not lie that he was hot. My mother was getting married to the right catch with good looks, and he was rich according to her, which was the icing on the cake.

"It is only a week before the wedding, and I have made every necessary preparations. You should travel down here and try on your new dress on, in case it needs any adjustments," she informed me sternly on the phone, when she had called the nth time after I feigned ignorance whenever I saw her call. I really hated that authoritative tone.

"I think I am down with the flu mother," I lied. The thought of resuming back to school again, and attending a wedding in-between really sucked.

"I will ask Penelope for the last time to send you back here. Spencer would be arriving from Singapore in a few days, and his son keeps postponing his own arrival date. Everything should go fine," Mum stated, and I felt like my head was tumbling out of my mind.

'What was I hearing? His son? A stepbrother.'

"He has a son?!" My voice came out louder than I had expected it to be, and I was sure that Mum was a bit taken aback. She would have probably never expected me to talk out so loudly, considering my usual self.

"I didn't tell you? Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart. He does have a son, and he has a better look than his father. You are probably around the same age or something," she replied plainly and cutely so it would sound normal, but I was not enjoying her wriggling out of her mess. And she always did that.

"I totally hate the idea of that, Mum. You did not even consider me or what I wanted, when you just decided to get me a stepbrother out of the blue. Isn't that so selfish?! You know how much I hate being in the same space with teenage boys. I am not attending your wedding!" I wanted to scream out loud against my mother's face and rant so endlessly as a normal teenager would do, but I just sighed out loud and said some gibberish before hanging up the phone.

I knew that I was going to cry throughout the night, because I hated that I could not say what I wanted to anyone. I never did, and could not just do it. But one thing was for sure. I was not returning back home until the day of the wedding. The thought of getting a new brother was really draining the life out of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh my goodness! Who got you these ugly glasses? You certainly cannot wear these to my wedding," Mum screamed the moment I walked into the dressing room, where she was getting gorgeously made over for the wedding. I looked around to see if her husband was somewhere around.

Aunt Penelope was unable to accompany me because of her working shifts, as she had missed so many working hours due to her sickness, and just sent her wishes and wedding gift to Mum.

"He is on his way already," I heard Mum say, and she was still not looking pleased with the way I was looking. My hair curls were still so thick, and perhaps it was the new glasses that weren't helping matters. Whatever it was, I did not know.

"I just hope your boobs fit into the corset dress I made for you. And for your hair, it's going to take hours to straighten it, so we would leave it the way it is and just style it," Mum said, as she continued to stare at the sandals that I was wearing. I wanted to at least look a bit different than my usual self, but she didn't seem to be even having it at all.

And in a few minutes, the stylists that were still busy fixing her own dress initially, were already all over me in no time.

"Please fit her to perfection," Joanna instructed them, and I knew that I was probably not going to like the outcome of the superfluous efforts they would put in.

A few minutes later, I walked out in the really suffocating purple and black dress looking like a doll, as I stared at the huge mirror before me. I loved the new look of my thick brown hair, and how well it complimented my greyish-green eyes.

The makeup was something I could never have on a normal day, and the heels were too high to even balance in them. But I was glad it covered my spots.

'Joanne Sanders might actually be the end of me.'

"Now you look like Joanne's daughter," Mum said proudly and I sighed again and again.

'How would I even see properly when she said that I could not wear my glasses?'

The formalities of the wedding went on and on for hours, and I watched Mum grin from ear to ear in excitement on the stage. Spencer looked even better in real life than in the pictures as he stood on stage, but I was more curious to see his so-called son. He was nowhere in sight.

There were still so many things to do in only one wedding, that I knew that getting to talk to Mum soon would not be possible till the day ended. It was just a casual wedding.

Sure that my dress would have served its great worth and value of feeding the eyes of appreciation, I struggled to stand up only after drinking a cup of juice, to go and unloosen it in any place I could. I would rather prefer simple and free clothes, than this intestines-twisting dress called a corset or whatever.

It was evening already and the main event had ended with just the after party to enjoy, and that was when I came out of the resort dressing room where the wedding was being hosted too.

I had taken much time to wash off the really sticky makeup, and to get the right clothes to wear from my box. The disappointed look on her face when she sighted me afterward was glaring, as she approached where I was standing with her new husband.

'Dear lord. I hope I was ready for this.'

"Hi, Dabby. It is so nice to meet you. You are really beautiful like your mother," Spencer stretched his hands, and I took them immediately while trying to act normal.

'He was going to be my new family. Let us be good.'

"It is nice to meet you, sir," I sounded so formal as I answered him, which made Mum cringe at my awkwardness.

"And here he finally comes," Mum announced the moment her eyes diverted their attention, and it was a really tall person coming from afar.

"That is your brother," Mum implied with a bright smile, as my heart missed so many beats at the same time.

'My stepbrother?!' I screamed inwardly.

The appearance of the person that was coming from afar seemed intimidating, and I could never even imagine that we were in the same grade or anything.

He was not wearing the usual suit I had envisaged him to be in, but he was wearing a white shirt and black pants with matching leather shoes. He seemed much hotter and really handsome than his dad, and even my faulty eyes could tell.

"This should be the last one, boy. Punctuality really matters," Spencer stated, with a smile on his face when his son got so close, but I could sense the sternness and displeasure in his voice. Mother was just smiling.

"Dabby, this is Damien. Damien meet your sister Dabby," Spencer continued, and I retreated a bit to look at the daunting stepbrother of mine. The aura was too familiar. Too familiar.

My eyes raised up under my glasses to see who it was, and I could feel my head spin in activation to fainting. I wanted to lose my mind or have an attack, so that someone would wake me up and say that it was a dream. It should be. Please.

'Damien Anderson was my stepbrother?! How on earth?'