Ditched
Ditched
He had thought he did something wrong to her when she kept walking away while he called her after class the previous day, or maybe Ellie told her something which was making her a bit distant but when he asked Ellie whether she told her anything the previous evening, Ellie assured him she said nothing even though he suspected she had.
When he went to the mall in the evening, Chloe didn't show up at work and neither did she answer his calls or texts.
Now, he wasn't worried about her not going with him, he was worried about her well being. Perhaps she was sick? He remembered how dull she looked yesterday.
"What's making the loverboy look sad?" He heard a familiar voice beside him and turned to see Katie with her group of 3 friends.
He shot her a warning glance but she pretended not to notice it and stood in front of him with her hands folded in front of her chest.
"Let me guess, you are waiting for a certain someone who isn't going to show up? You want to come with me instead and sit together?" She asked with a wink.
He looked distracted. Katie was the least of his problems. But he still gave her his attention and noticed how her friends were looking at him curiously. One looked like she was flirting with him with her eyes. Merely looking at her, he could tell she wasn't from their school.
"I'll pass." He rejected politely.
"Who's the girl?" The girl who had been eyeing him asked curiously.
"None of your business." Katie said, shooting her a look of disapproval before smiling at Jeremy.
"In case she stands you up, give me a call. We'll sit together." She touched his shoulder before walking away with her friends walking behind her.
He sighed in relief when they left. Girls were too troublesome!
"Maybe I should call Leo?" He wondered. Although, Leo was probably still mad at him for the other time when they played the calling game and Chloe called him first before calling her brother. But this was important and he believed Leo would give him an answer.... right?
He was still uncertain but he took out his phone. He was just about to dial his number when he noticed two people among the crowd heading towards his direction.
Mia looked different from the way he always saw her. She looked pretty, as if she had gone to a 'change my look' kind of show where they transformed her into a real beauty.
She wore make up, a simple rainbow gown and low-heeled shoe with her hair in a pigtail. She looked completely innocent.
Leo was beside her. He kept trying to hold her hand but Mia seemed uncomfortable and continued to pull away while Leo kept trying to hold her with a naughty grin on his face.
Jeremy frowned. Leo can happily hang out and display affection with Mia while he doesn't want any guy to play with his sister like this?
'Just you wait, Leo King!' He said to himself with determination.
"Oh! Jeremy..." Mia called and took the opportunity to increase her pace to meet him. "What are you doing standing here?"
Jeremy locked eyes with Leo. Rather, he was practically glaring at Leo who gave him the "What are you looking at?" stare.
"I'm waiting for someone." Jeremy said, ignoring Leo. 'Stingy!' He cussed him in his head. How can someone be stingy with his sister but wants someone else's sister?
"What did I do to you this time?" Leo asked Jeremy with his hands inside his pocket and his head cocked to the side..
"Did I say you did something wrong?" Jeremy asked with his chin raised.
"You don't have to say it out. It's easy reading you.... Just like a book." He added smugly.
"Alright... let's not start right now." Mia said, standing in between them even though she knew they weren't going to fight. They always bantered whenever they met and she wasn't up for it now.
"What is he even doing here? He's not even a student." Jeremy grumbled in a low voice. Leo's presence was probably going to make Chloe uncomfortable if she knew her brother was there.
"I can hear you." Leo reminded him.
"Alright! Let's go in now." Mia held Leo's hand and pulled him along with her. He took the opportunity to lock their fingers together. When Mia frowned at his slyness, he winked at her causing Jeremy to scoff.
Leo looked at Jeremy and stuck his tongue out in a mocking gesture before saying,
"You are just being jealous." It was Jeremy's time to scoff.
"So childish!" Jeremy murmured. He made sure not to say it out because even though he was mad at Leo, he was still Chloe's older brother.
"Aren't you coming in? Where is Chloe?" Mia turned to ask him, remembering he had mentioned she agreed to come here with him.
"I haven't been able to reach her since last night. Have you heard from her?" He asked Leo, looking concerned now.
Leo's brows furrowed. He also hadn't heard from her. It wasn't like they spoke every single day.
"I... am worried." Jeremy said. He looked really sincere and worried that Leo began to worry also even though he thought she probably just needed time to herself.
Leo sighed before taking out his phone to call Chloe. He couldn't believe he was doing this right now.
Chloe didn't pick up so he called Louis instead who assured him that Chloe was at home and has been in her room all day.
"Did something happen?" Leo asked his twin.
"I'm not sure. I only got home this morning and she's been inside since last night. I don't know whether something happened last night."
Leo didn't want to look worried so when ended the call and tried to look like all was good
"You shouldn't worry too much. She is okay. Just stressed out so she's resting today."
Jeremy looked relieved and disappointed at the same time. He was relieved she was okay but disappointed because she wasn't going with him.
He nodded and followed them inside, but he didn't sit close to them. He had taken tickets for the very last seat at the back since he knew Chloe would have preferred sitting there. Also, he didn't want Leo and Mia to blind him with their public display of affection so he was glad he got to sit far away.
Nothing was interesting to him. He watched people sing, dance, try to be funny and all, but he wasn't interested.
When he felt the presence of someone who sat down on the empty seat beside him, he was about to tell the person the seat was taken but he ignored it. There were a lot of people standing and Chloe wasn't coming so it didn't matter.
But the person's scent....
He turned to look at the person and was surprised to see it was Chloe. She continued looking ahead but when Jeremy continued to look at her in surprise and happiness, she turned to look at him.