Sophia by Marisa Redhead16 (different ereaders .TXT) 📕

l did my homework, and stared at the ceiling in my bedroom. "Toby?" It was my brother. "Toby, l...why are you staring at my chest?" "Uh..." "Anyway, Spring and l want to go have dinner and see another movie. Want to tag along? She has to bring her ten year old sister." "Sure." l had nothing better to do. Besides, l like Spring. And ten year olds can be a handful.

Dinner was good. Medium-well steak with potato wedges. Spring's sister batted her eyelashes at me. The movie was even better. It was about a girl who asked a popular girl to give her a makeover and get her cooler friends and a boyfriend. The only problem was a boyfriend. The unpopular girl was needy and jealous. Guys couldn't even look at their own sister or cousin. A guy asked her out eventually. "Pocketful of Sunshine" and "If l Had You" at the end

I felt stressed. l kept thinking She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me. l kept seeing colors. l talked to Dad about the colors. He just said adolescence was the cause. "Do you know where Tony is? l need to ask him a question." "l think he's upstairs, son." l went upstairs. "Tony?" l asked, walking in his room. "l'm taking a nap. Spring and her best friend got into a fight about me." What Tony did not know was that Mom was eavesdropping around the corner. "Victoria called me a chubby player. Victoria Wets." My heart skipped three beats. "Victoria Wets? That's Ruth Wets sister! Ruth Wets is crazy about me and wants to be my girlfriend." "Why don't you date her?" Tony asked. "Because she's weird and ugly and talks too much and..." l told Tony all of Ruth's issues. "Bullshiz. Bullshiz. No wonder Victoria's crazy." "Careful of the language." Dad said as he walked past. Tony rolled his eyes. He was lying on his back with his fingers laced over his belly. "Sup, alec?" Alec is Spanish for "little brother". Or at least it's close enough. "l was wondering if you've ever been in love." "l'm in love right now.True love." He moved a piece of hair out of his eyes. "l really want to impress Spring's family and make her ex jealous. But her family doesn't like me." He sat up. "Why doesn't Mom call her parents and invite them for dinner?" Mom bounced into the room."Tony, that's a wonderful idea! l'll cook and convince them you helped. l know how much you hate cooking." "Actually, l think l'll help." Tony said. Jazz and Girlfriend barked. "They agree." Mom said, bending down to scratch Girlfriend. "Tobias? Why don't you invite Nina and her sister?" Mom asked. "Okay. l'll text her right now. When is it?" "Saturday's best." l texted Nina. 'Cool.See u then.Sophia said she'd go.' Nina texted back.

School went by fast. l sat on the bench. l was wearing a button down shirt tucked under my belly. l also sprayed extra cologne on. l wanted to look good for Sophia. "Wait until Chloe,Ruth, and your crush see you. You look amazing." Nina had told me earlier. Sophia even blushed a little every time we saw each other. Her crimson cheeks turned me on. "Hey dude." l turned around. Logan. He stopped and looked me up and down. He rubbed his eyes. "Is it me or are you a flirt?" he teased. Micheal was beside him. "Tobias, you look hot. Like, super amazing." He sat down beside me. His eyes were red. "Have you been crying, Mr. Popular?" l asked him. He rubbed his eye. "It's nothing." He turned red. "Please don't tell Nina! l don't want to hurt her. l love her." "What do you mean?" l asked him. "I was so caught up in lust. l didn't want to." Suddenly, l knew what he'd done. "Micheal, who was it? Why'd you do it? I can't keep this a secret." "Neither can l." That was Sophia. Micheal hopped up. "Sophia! Don't tell her!" "She's my sister. l love her even though she grinds my nerves sometimes." "What if it was switched? Would you want Nina to tell you Billy cheated on you?" Score. Micheal had won that round. Sophia chewed on some hair. The bad news is, a big gossiper and her boyfriend were close by. They watched us closely. "Okay. l won't tell her." "Hey, baby." My rival held my love close. They kissed. "I don't think I can stand losing Nina. l'll kill myself." Micheal said. "That's a little graphic." l told him. "She's Psyche, and l'm Cupid." he said. Micheal's family is half Greek. "Except she's not psycho. l feel so bad." Just then, his dad pulled up. "Son, what do you feel bad about?" He had a Greek accent, and is a little stocky. His hair is jet black, and his eyes are big and brown. You can tell he's Micheal's dad in a heartbeat. "l'll tell you in the car, Dad." Micheal said. He and Logan shook hands, then l shook with him. "Please don't tell her." he whispered. He got into his dad's car and they drove off.

"l wonder who it was. Probably a slut or confused chick desperate for a boyfriend." Logan said. l agreed with him. Our school is very cliqued. Tony drove me home again. "Sup, little bubby?" he asked."What do you mean?" l asked him. "l can tell if something's wrong with my own brother. Better than Mom and Dad can. l love you, Tobias. You can always call or text me or talk to me. And if you tell anyone l said this, l'll kill you." His words touched me so much l had to write it down. "l love you too, Tony. The same thing applies to you." He choked up and moved closer to me. l told him everything Micheal had said. "Who can l tell?" he asked. "No one." "Can l tell Spring?" "As you swear her to secrecy."

Arguing could be heard from the foyer. "I'm telling you, Anne Rachel Grass! I don't care! Even if l did, would l keep this a secret from my boys?" "They are our SONS!" "l don't care!" l followed my brother upstairs. "l've never seen them fight that bad." Tony said. He brought out a stethoscope from his old spying and lock picking kit, and put it against the wall in his room. He brought the rest of the kit in his room. "l can't believe Mom never threw this out." he said. She threatened to throw it out after he heard them in the bedroom. l followed him. He gave me another stethoscope, but l decided l didn't want it. l heard more shouting and barking. Eventually l heard a door slam.

When l went downstairs after an hour of messing around on my laptop. Dad was drinking red wine and watching a romantic movie. His eyes were as red as the wine. "Where's Mom?" l asked. He didn't look at me. "She's at a hotel. I'm sorry you and Tony heard that, Tobias." A door opened. It was Mom. Her eyes were also red. She hugged me and Dad. "I'm so sorry." she whispered. When she saw Tony she hugged him."I'm so sorry." she repeated. Tony and l went upstairs. We listened through the stethoscopes. "I'm so sorry Anne. You want what's best for them and l threw the rug right out from under them. They are my sons. l can't believe l said that about them." "I'm sorry too, Joseph. l want them to know we'll be fine. You tried, Joseph." Soft crying. Dad trying to calm Mom down. Kissing and sucking. Taking clothes off and shutting blinds.

l cuddled with Girlfriend on my bed.l thought about what l needed. Sophia, a skinny belly, Billy leaving me alone. The skinny belly l could get on my own. Sophia needs to love me back.Billy needs to leave me alone, but also leave Sophia alone.

My stomach started to growl after a while. l glanced at the clock on my desk. It wasn't even time to feed Girlfriend and Jazz yet. l went onto a chat log.


Redboy: Hi
Hotcheer: Hey Redboy sup? u like red?
Redboy: kinda my favorite color is brown
Hotcheer: why brown?
Redboy: my crush's eyes and hair
Hotcheer: oh that's so sweet!!! ;) good luck
Redboy: thanx

l pulled up a picture of Hotcheer. She did the same. She had black hair, plump lips, pale skin, and full eyelashes. She lived up to her online name. She pulled up a picture of me.

Hotcheer: hey ur good looking luv the shirt
Redboy: thanx

l wondered why anyone would call me good looking. Suddenly a picture of Sophia went up. Her eyes went wide. All three of us stared at each other for a minute.

Cherriesandpepsi: tobias!!!!!!!!
Redboy: sophia
Hotcheer: whats goin on?
Cherriesandpepsi: hes my sisters bff
Redboy: bff?
Cherriesandpepsi: best friend forever
Redboy: o :
Hotcheer: tobias is my boyfriends name.!!.
Cherriesandpepsi: cool
Hotcheer: im loggin off
Redboy: k
Cherriesandpepsi: k

Sophia switched to video log. l did the same. "I'm excited." Sophia said. "Yeah, l am too." "TOBIAS! Dinner!" Dad called. "Listen. l've got to go. See you tomorrow." "Okay. Bye." We logged off.

We ate pork and cooked carrots. The pork was better than the carrots. l looked at the calender. "Mom, when is Girlfriend's next vet appointment?" l asked. "Next Saturday. She needs her shots and teeth cleaned." Mom answered. l heard the song 'Battlefield' by Jordin Sparks on the radio. Great song. l showered and put on fresh boxers and a tight shirt. l didn't feel good, so l wanted to lie down. l laid down on my bed and started to watch a movie. l heard a knock at the door. "Come in." l said. Dad walked in. "Son, we're watching The Ultimate Test. You look hot." He felt my forehead. "Anne!" he called. Mom rushed in. She took my temperature. She gasped. "One hundred and four degrees! Joseph, get him some juice or water. He needs a cool drink." Dad walked out. Mom looked directly at me. "Tobias, tell me the truth. Do you have a bellyache or headache?" "Bellyache. Both, actually. My belly feels worse than my head, but they both hurt a lot." Dad came back with orange juice. "Why is Tobias hogging the attention?" my brother asked, coming in. "He has a fever,Tony." Dad told him. "Do you want privacy, Tobias?" Mom asked, setting aspirin on my nightstand. "Yeah." My family left and Dad closed the door. l began to feel better an hour later. The movie was over. l decided l didn't like it. It was Tony's anyway. l read the newspaper. A new Nazarene Church, a skeleton and evidence of ghosts found in an abandoned warehouse. l do believe in ghosts. A Senator broke her leg, a story about a link to Alzheimer's.

Not much else. l read the school newspaper. A boy who hands out socks and shoes and backpacks at a homeless shelter. That was the only thing that wasn't boring. l read one of Dad's old magazines. Sex and woman tips. A workout that was supposed to help you lose fifteen pounds in one week. But that's not possible. Money tips. l have over one hundred dollars in my wallet. A gorgeous new car.

My body was in pain. One of Nelly Furtado's songs played. l suppose l fell asleep, because Dad was shaking me. "Tobias, son, wake up." He felt my forehead. He shivered a little. "Never mind." he said. Then he closed the door.l heard him talking to Mom. "Anne, he's still sick. He's burning up. l think he'll have to stay home again. He's...l'm worried about