Chapter 3 New Sneakers
When Older Brother came back,
he patted my head. “Still here?”
Before I could answer,
Jiang Huai spoke up. “I asked him to stay longer.”
Older Brother pursed his lips.
On the sofa,
I thought about how long it would take
to save for those sneakers with my parents’ two hundred each time.
I leaned against Older Brother’s shoulder. “Older Brother, I want something. Buy it for me?”
He pushed my face away. “What?”
“Just a pair of sneakers. My roommate has them. They’re awesome.”
He glanced at me. “How much?”
I saw an opening. “Two thousand.”
His eyes widened. “Two thousand? I’ve never spent that much. Get lost.”
I grabbed his arm. “I’ll pay you back. Five hundred from my living expenses every month.”
He shook me off. “No way.”
“I’ll buy it.”
Jiang Huai’s voice came from behind.
I turned. “Really?”
He chuckled lightly. “Really.”
I scooted over to him. “Older Brother, will you be my real Older Brother?”
I hugged him
and rubbed my head against his neck.
“You’re my long-lost real Older Brother!”
When I calmed down,
I noticed Jiang Huai seemed stiff.
I let go.
He quickly crossed his legs
and forced a smile.
Older Brother grabbed the back of my neck. “Since when are you so close with Jiang Huai?”
“Whoever treats me well gets my loyalty. Lin Xu, let go!”
He pinned me to the sofa and hit me. “Calling your Older Brother by his full name? You’ve grown bold.”
He was bigger.
I couldn’t fight back.
I stayed pinned.
Jiang Huai looked at him coldly. “That’s enough. Who bullies their younger brother like that?”
He stood,
pulled Older Brother off,
and helped me up.
Older Brother cursed. “You deserve it!”
I hid behind Jiang Huai. “Older Brother, protect me.”
Jiang Huai’s lips curved upward. “Lin Xu, you’re so childish. Can’t you let him win sometimes? Bullying someone smaller just because you’re bigger—embarrassing.”
Older Brother’s eyes bulged. “Bullying? That’s not bullying!”
I stuck my tongue out at him from over Jiang Huai’s shoulder.
Older Brother lunged.
Jiang Huai pushed him back.
Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door. “Come on. I’ll take you to buy the sneakers.”