"Speech.."

'Thoughts..."

_______________________________________________________________________________

At last, she was down by an hour before she can leave for home. Anna hummed a happy tune, she might be tired, but this was worth it. Coincidentally, today happened to be also her pay day. This is the final pay she needs to finally rent her apartment. She was vibrating with joy at the smell of the pretty green note bills.

Her smile fell of her face when a costumer came in, "Pfft, you are seriously working part-time here!"

Anna's smile was replaced with an ugly scowl, "Oh, are you glaring at me now?"

Her stepbrother leaned against the desk, the corner of his lips quirk upwards, but his eyes were full of malice. The tension between the two was palpable, Anna bit her lips hard to avoid lashing out at the younger boy.

He kept on staring at her, Anna could no longer maintain the eye contact, she avoided the harsh orbs which reminded her so much of those of her step father. 'It is uncanny how similar those eyes are,' She held tightly on her quivering wrist. Why is she surprised, they are related, for god's sake.

"Babe, where did you run off!"

The pregnant silence was disturbed by the blonde barbie that ran inside the convenience store. Anna didn't notice her own mouth gaping, she looked at the class bully and then back at her brother who lost his smirk. For a change, he had an annoyed look on his face. Her eyebrow rose at that, she thought that he liked the spoiled missy.

His fake smile was back on, shining tenfolds brighter than his previous smirk.

'Now, this is entertaining,' Anna hid her grin behind her hand, how did she not notice it, the strained expression on her brother's face, his flinching limbs when she curls her arm around his. The furrow between his eyebrow when she plants a kiss on his cheek.

He absolutely hates her, how could she have missed all these signs?! Her brother's eyes narrowed as he spotted the grin on her face, "The hell you laughing at?!" His scratchy, embarrassed voice didn't recoil her as it usually did.

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"Not at you sir, absolutely not!" She answered without thinking, shoot, blabbing thoughtlessly will only get her in trouble. Before he could vomit out the curses that was rearing to be let go from his trembling mouth. Or maybe that was his weak chin?

"Welcome, how can I help you?" She bowed her head, avoiding the angry looking teen in front of her.

"Oh my god, you work here!" The blonde covered her mouth in shock, taking her attire, "You look different with...that." She pointed her slender finger, at the outfit, her nails were heavily decorated, the pearls looked like they would fall off any time now.

"That?" Both Anna and her brother said at the same time, he shot her a glare and whispered-shouted, "Don't talk at the same time as me!"

Anna wanted to poke those bulging eyes so bad, but she needs to survive, so she rested on mumbling incoherently, "Sorry."

"Yeah, that!" The spoiled princess, "You mean my uniform?" Anna helpfully looked for the word that god forbid, the high schooler was looking for. Her brother had a desperate look that said please don't say that you mean that word.

"Yeah, uniform!"

The younger boy looked defeated, so she spared him the sarcasm on how she makes him look stupid.

"So, why are you working? You are just a loner, who in their right mind will hire a loner?" The blonde blabbered, the noise she was making while chewing the gum was getting on her nerves.

'I should have said that she makes the brat look stupid,' She bitterly thought, as her brother smile revived once again, this shit of a brother, till the end he is planning to torture her, and by what bringing this dumb girl to where I work, but wait how did he know that she works?

Anna threw him a suspicious look, "Why are you not answering? The hell are you working for, I'm sure that your loving family provide everything for you, so why do you work?"

His short silky locks swayed as he threw his arms over his girl, "Right," she answered nonchalantly. You pay me shit, is what she would have liked to say that. Those guys just gave her a roof above her head which she was extremely grateful for, but she had to work her ass off to earn money for her other necessities.

"Oh, you better fess up, before dad figures out," He brought his face close to her ear, she glared at him from his blind spot.

"Babe, why are you flirting with that? " The blonde slapped the boy's chest which was a bad move.

He gave her a glare that shut her up, "Mind your own business,"

She pouted, "You're so mean~"

Anna rolled her eyes at the scene in front of her, "So, why do you need the money, huh?"

Uggh, why does he care?! Anna wanted to hit him so bad, but she had to be polite. Maybe if she outed herself, then he won't be sniffing into her business. He absolutely hates her. If he heard that she was moving away, then her brother might even hand her cash just to get out of his home.

"I'm moving out," There, she said it. Laying it out bare.

"Y-You wha-"

Her step brother gaped at the absurdity, his mouth opened to protest, but thankfully other customers came in which she unfortunately had to tend to.

'Thank you, god. I am forever your faithful follower!'