“And since you already did your math homework, I guess we can just play video games,” I said, giving in.
It wasn’t a full smile, but for a second he stretched his lips, and that was enough to reveal the same dimples that his brother had.
We sat down on the couch. As he set up the game and controllers, I tried to explain what I couldn’t tell him yesterday.
“Sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to say that I have to come here. Sometimes I say things without thinking.”
Jasper turned around to look at me.
The resemblance was uncanny at first glance. The cheekbones and thin nose were the same as James’s. Jasper’s lips were a bit thinner, and his eyes were round, unlike his brother’s, which were narrower.
“And I’m sorry that I fought with your brother. I didn’t want to raise my voice, but he’s so—”
Jasper clenched his jaw and sulked. I made it right by saying the first thing that came to mind.
“I mean, it was also my fault. I started it.” Jasper nodded when he heard me change my tune.
Right, never mind your family members, it was my fault.With that, we spent over an hour playing video games until we heard a thud at the front door.
My back stiffened just like Jasper’s.
Luckily, James ignored me. He walked down the hallway without even going through the living room. I breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no longer any trace of the expression that I’d worked so hard to put on Jasper’s face.
“Do you wanna keep playing?”
He looked at the stairs.
“Wanna eat something? It’s past seven.” I was trying anything to put him in a good mood.
Jasper looked pleased with my suggestion, so we went to the kitchen and he grabbed a bag of microwavable popcorn.
“Do you know how to do it?”
He lowered his chin, then glanced hopefully at the stairs again.
“Jasper, what is it?”
I couldn’t pretend any longer when he looked to the side. I understood.
“Do you want me to talk to him about it? Really?”
It would’ve been easy to ignore the imperceptible gestures that Jasper was making, just like his facial microexpressions, but I saw him nod so resolutely that I didn’t have any way out. “Obviously homework’s so easy for you,” I pretended to whine, pointing at the popcorn.
A shadow of a smile crept across his face when he saw me walk upstairs.
I walked up the steps in an exaggeratedly slow way, as if I was wishing to come back to my senses from one moment to the next.
A loud thud reverberated in the silence, startling me.
“James! What’s going on?”
“God fucking damn it!”
I saw him hopping around his room like an imbecile.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Damn it, I hit my elbow on the desk!”
