Chapter 28: Let This Ship Sail
"You're doing what and with who?!" Katherine swiftly looked up at Zeanne who was braiding her hair.
Friday evening, Katherine decided to sleep over at Zeanne's to make up for the weekends that they could not hang out together. Zeanne has been very busy lately with her acting classes. Just two days ago, she buried herself again in another script during lunch break. This had Katherine thinking that if only Zeanne would give half the effort that she put in her acting classes in fixing her grades then there'd be no doubt that she'd at least be in the top ten in class with that memory of hers.
"Modeling. With Craige." Zeanne answered nonchalantly and pushed her head back down to finish the braid.
Katherine found herself frowning. It's not that she's against Zeanne doing modeling. It's just that Zeanne kept doing things that she wouldn't usually do ever since she started becoming close with Craige. And she felt left out. "You've changed a lot."
"What do you mean?" Zeanne peered at her.
"I mean… You hated getting attention. Why would you want to appear in a magazine?" Katherine fumbled with her phone, feeling awkward. She's not used to saying how she really feels. Zeanne was a good reader of her thoughts and mood so she never had to say anything for the other to get it.
"I still don't like it. But I need to start liking it if I want to continue on this path. And this magazine is just the beginning." She explained as she tied up the end of the braid. "Is it weird?"
Katherine looked at herself in the mirror. "It looks fine. It's neat."
Zeanne poked her side which made her jump in surprise. "Ow!"
Zeanne chuckled. "I was talking about me doing this. Is it weird?"
Katherine leaned on her elbow and studied Zeanne for a long time. She liked it whenever Zeanne asked for her opinions. It made her feel that what she thought really mattered to the latter. So before recklessly saying anything, she seriously contemplated between telling Zeanne her honest opinion and being selfish. "What do you want to hear? The truth or the lie?"
Zeanne looked conflicted for a moment then, "Lie!"
Katherine giggled because she didn't expect Zeanne to actually ask her to tell a lie. That only meant that Zeanne was expecting to hear a harsh truth from her. She heaved a sigh and made a face. "It's weird! It's very weird! Modeling doesn't suit you. Acting doesn't suit you. You're just going to make a fool of yourself. It's better for you to just concentrate on studying and go to MedSchool with me."
Zeanne looked surprised by her answer and then pouted like a child, looking hopeful. "The truth?"
Katherine pulled her for a hug and stroked her back. "Go for it. I'll support you no matter what."
Zeanne hugged her back. "I LOVE YOU!"
"I LOVE YOU TOO!" She tightened her hug.
"What kind of show is this? Are you two dating? That's disgusting!" Arthur suddenly appeared by the door and made a gagging sound.
Zeanne sharply turned to him. "I told you to knock!"
*knock*knock*
Arthur banged his knuckles on the door. "I did! But you two were too busy being mushy with each other."
"Just get lost Paige. You're disturbing us." Katherine wearily waved her hand to signal Arthur to go.
But instead of leaving Zeanne's room, he came strutting in with his monkey pyjamas. Then he also sat on the bed and hugged a pillow. "Let me join in. What were you two talking about?"
"That's none of your business." Zeanne stuck her tongue out at Arthur which the other reciprocated in lightning speed.
Katherine watched the two of them with a smile. 'Their chemistry is something else.'
She studied Arthur as he bickered with Zeanne when the latter made fun of his pyjamas and called it a self-portrait of himself. Arthur put his hands on his face dramatically and returned an insult to Zeanne about her snoring like a hippo.
Ever since meeting them in middle school, they've always been like a cat and a dog ready to claw each other out every chance they get. But over time, she noticed that they both actually cared for each other more than what they let the other on. That's why when Katherine learned that they're actually step-siblings, she somehow felt disappointed. She's had her doubts for a long time but she just couldn't find any evidence to support it.
'They liked each other.'
But the ship submerged by the dock before it could dream to sail.
Katherine felt really bad about that.
But, a girl can dream, right?
People fall in love and fall out of love.
Get together and break up.
Get married and divorce.
There's no telling what will happen in the future.
And if this ship finds the chance to resurface, she'll be there to help it sail.
That's when an idea came to Katherine. "We were talking about Zeanne modeling for the magazine tomorrow."
And just as she expected, it seems that Arthur didn't know anything about it. "What modeling?"
His voice sounded really serious. But Zeanne did not even budge. "Look up the dictionary dimwitt and find the definition yourself."
Arthur turned to her instead, knowing that he will not get anything from his sister. "What are you talking about?"
She smiled at him. "You didn't know? And you call yourself family?"
"Just tell me what it is!" He sounded really pissed off.
"Art--" Zeanne was shocked.
But Katherine smiled. Evidence. "She'll be taking pictures tomorrow for a magazine with Craige. Since it's going to be a couple shoots, I'd bet that there will be a lot of skinship."
'Let me see you get jealous, Paige.'
But contrary to her expectation, Arthur relaxed and smiled.
"Oh. Is that so?" Then he patted Zeanne's back.
"What's with that boring reaction?" Katherine said her thoughts out loud.
"If it's Fafa Craige, then I don't really have anything to worry about. I know he'll take care of my sister more than she deserves." Arthur grinned.
"What are you talking about?" Zeanne frowned at Arthur as well.
And Katherine also asked. "Aren't you even the slightest worried that he might take advantage of Zee during the shoot?"
"Pfft!" Arthur put a hand in his mouth and suppressed his laughter, which just made him look more annoying. "Why would Craige take advantage of her? Craige's head over heels for Ameera."
Katherine's eyes shot to Zeanne who, for a fleeting moment, looked hurt. Then she glared back at Arthur. 'This bastard.'
"What makes you so sure that Craige likes Ameera?" She challenged Arthur's words.
"She's pretty. She's smart. And her smile is charming." Arthur smugly folded his arms over his chest.
Zeanne frowned and so did Katherine. But it was Katherine who voiced out the question in their heads. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"That's what Craige told us when we asked him what he liked about Ameera." Arthur dumped the pillow that he was hugging back on the bed and tapped Katherine's shoulder "And when a guy compliments a girl's smile, it's Game Over girls."
***
The next morning, after dropping Zeanne to the station, Katherine and Arthur stopped by Waggy's Diner to have breakfast.
Katherine was still bothered by how Zeanne reacted last night after Arthur left her room. So when Arthur came back to their table after ordering, she kicked his shoe from under the table.
"What?!" He looked under the table and grumbled. "Can you please learn to get my attention without using your feet? I just bought this yesterday."
"Sorry." She quickly apologized then leaned over. "About what you said last night. About Craige liking Ameera, is that true?"
Arthur frowned, looking displeased. "Don't tell me that you like him too?"
"What?! No!" Then she stilled. "What do you mean by 'too'?"
He smiled. Their order arrived and Arthur opened her sandwich before giving it to her. "You think I'm blind? Zeanne obviously likes Craige. She's glued to her phone at home, exchanging messages with him till late at night."
Katherine's question was supposed to be, 'And are you okay with that?'
But instead, she asked, "If you know that already, then why would you tell her that he likes someone else?"
"So that she can wake up quickly."
"Are you making her give up on him?" Not that she was against that idea. If Craige really liked Ameera then all the more reason that she wouldn't want Zeanne to continue liking him. Katherine strongly believes that Zeanne deserved so much more than that.
Arthur also slowly opened his sandwich. "I'm making her see the reality that if she's not going to do anything about her feelings for him, then she might as well give up on him."
It took a couple of seconds before Katherine was able to understand what he was trying to say. And when she did, her eyes rounded in bewilderment. "No way! Are you trying to push her to make a move on him?"
Arthur smirked as he removed the olives from his sandwich one by one. "Things are about to get fun."
She looked at him doubtfully then shook her head before taking the olives that he removed and stuffed it in her sandwich. Despite not being blood-related, Arthur and Zeanne have a lot in common and being picky with their vegetables was just one of the many. And the only reason why she's not reprimanding him about that, like she would've done so with Zeanne, was because she loved olives. "You sound so sure that Zeanne will be making her move. What if she decided to give up after what you said last night?"
"I've known her far longer than you do. Zeanne is the type that would easily let go of something if she thinks that there's no use holding onto it." Arthur took a mouthful of sandwich and leisurely chewed it before he grinned at her. "But in our family, the word surrender does not exist without a proper fight."
That made Katherine chuckle. "For a moment there, you really sounded like an older brother."
"What's with you, Kitty? I AM her older brother." Arthur smiled then gave her tissues. "You have something on the left side of your lips."
She took the tissues from him and wiped her lips. "I don't know. I just can't get used to the idea that you're related to each other."
"You call that wiping? That's just tapping and it didn't help a single bit." He leaned over and with another tissue he wiped her lips. "Also, you have to get used to that idea soon."
She felt embarrassed but she tried to conceal it with a frown. "Why?"
"Secret~" He whispered then chuckled and took a sip from his coffee. "You look better like that, by the way."
Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"No make-up." He finished his coffee and studied her face. "I don't understand why you even use it when you look prettier like this."
Katherine blushed by the sudden attack. "You need something from me, don't you? What's with that compliment?"
Arthur shook his head with a smile. "You got me. But later. I'm not saying it now. I still have my hands full so I can't request for it now."
"What is it? It's not anything weird right?" Katherine was suddenly nervous.
Then he smiled. "It's weird. That's why I told you that I will ask for it later."
She didn't like it when Arthur was being secretive.
From her experience, it only meant trouble. And with the way that he was just looking at her, it definitely meant a lot of trouble. He's just like the male version of Zeanne. And despite knowing the two of them for years, it's still difficult for Katherine to predict what they'd be doing next. They're both so spontaneous.
That's why she believed Arthur when he suggested the probability of Zeanne making a move. Even though she's really against the idea, it sounded like something that Zeanne would do.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
HarpGrand
HarpGrand Osu!
Seriously, you can just ignore my TMI section. Just skip these parts and go to the next chapter.
TMI:
The term "skinship" (スキンシップ, sukinshippu) originated as a pseudo-English Japanese word (wasei-eigo), which was coined to describe the intimacy, or closeness, between a mother and a child. But these days, we generally use it to describe physical contact/intimacy between two people.
Credits to Wikipedia for this information. I only learned this word through Korean Dramas.
Thanks for reading!
#NeverLettingGo
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