The Diary of a Crazy Teenager

Alice closed the door after she watched her parents drive off. They wouldn't be back till late afternoon or evening since they went to pay a visit to a relative.

She put her hair in a bun as she jogged up the stairs to Alex's room to call him. Today was chores day and the sooner they got to it, the better. There was so much to do and so little time besides, she planned to go shopping with the girls and nothing was going to stop her from going.

Upon reaching his room, she opened his door and walked right into it without bothering to knock but his room was surprisingly empty.

"Strange" she whispered. What was he up to now?

Something was amiss. Asides from the fact that his room was perfectly arranged, he wasn't there. Walking around the empty room in case he would suddenly appear she almost missed his phone that was on the dresser. She picked it up and was shocked to see it unlocked. This was her lucky day.

The little voice in her head kept reminding her it was wrong but she kept telling herself that she didn't switch on the phone, afterall it was already on and begging to be used. Finally deciding to do the right thing she was about to drop his phone when a message came in from a person named Eleanor with several heart emoji's beside the name.

That was strange, she didn't know anyone called Eleanor plus, he never told her about a girl called Eleanor and he told her important things when was rather sane. Maybe this girl wasn't important afterall. But she was burning with curiosity.

Who was Eleanor? Where did he meet her? Was she the girl that he was talking to last night? And most importantly why didn't she know? She needed answers, and she needed them now.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a tiny peak" she said.

Clicking on the name, she scrolled through their last messages but before she could read it she stopped. This was wrong. He obviously had his reasons for not telling her and going through his private life wasn't right. But it seemed the devil was at work because her eyes saw the last thing he said to the mystery girl.

"I love you"

Oh no. This couldn't be happening. What the bloody hell was going on? Alex didn't do love. Well, until now.

She was about to read more to get her answers but stopped when she heard his footsteps down the corridor.

She quickly exited his chats, switched off his phone and dropped it back exactly as it was, just in time before he strode into his room.

He was about to take a bite from his banana when he stopped mid track upon seeing her.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" He demanded.

Smiling innocently, she slowly walked to the door.

"I came to call you so we could begin our chores and all. So I'm leaving now" She blurted out.

He looked at her suspiciously as his light brown eyes bore a hole through her head. He was about to continue questioning her before she quickly ran outside of his room.

What a lucky escape.

She quickly walked into her room and shut the door. She had to wear her T-shirt and shorts for chores. As she wore her clothes, she pondered on what she had read. She still hadn't found out who Eleanor was and what was going on between the mystery girl and her brother but she had found out something else.

She smiled evilly as she stepped out of her room, she now had something to use against him.

"You'll never know what hit you, brother."

***

"There's no way I'm doing that"

Alice released a frustrated and looked at her brother in annoyance. She had no time for his behavior for the the sun was at its peak and they had been outside for hours. Wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hands, Alice picked up the big bucket of paint that Alex had refused to carry.

It was quite heavy and weighed her down but she no longer cared, she just wanted to get over with this and go inside for a bowl of ice cream. Besides she had to prepare soon to go shopping with her friends before her parents got back. So if whitewashing the fence all by herself was the way to get things done, then she'd do it without the help of Alex.

Carrying the bucket rather awkwardly, she carried it to the side of the fence and dropped it forcefully, causing the paint to spill at the side. She picked up the brush she had dropped and dipped it into the paint all the time ignoring Alex who had trailed slowly behind her. She began painting one section while hoping that she would get over it in no time.

After few minutes of watching her, Alex released a frustrated breathe and picked up the other brush to join her. They worked for some time in silence and the only sound that could be heard was the barking of their neighbor's dog.

"You're too quiet" Said Alex who decided to break the silence.

Looking at him for a second, she pondered whether to answer him.

"I just don't have the energy, desire or time to argue with you." She replied after some time while turning back to her work.

Alex nodded his hair slowly before dipping his brush into the paint.

"It's just weird. Even if we aren't arguing you're usually blabbing about something and if you're quiet, something is definitely wrong."

Couldn't he just quit? Wasn't it obvious that she didn't want to talk with him? Dropping her brush in anger, she looked at him.

"You really wanna know what's going on? "

"Well, yes?"

"Then I'll tell you. I've been under this hot sun for hours, I'm drenched with sweat and because you just couldn't cooperate in the beginning we still have much to do. I won't be able to go the mall with my friends thanks to you and now, right now the one thing I wish to have so desperately is silence but you just can't just let me have that" She snapped at him.

Alice turned back to her work and ignored the shocked look that was on his face. She never snapped or got angry. Yes she had her moments of being annoyed but she always laughed it off. But right now, she was pissed and she didn't care. She was tired and exhausted and he wouldn't leave her alone.

Alice dropped her brush and loosened the scarf on her hair. Her long black curls tumbled down freely as the soft breeze blew. She picked up the brush and moved to an unpainted section of the fence to resume her work, not bothering to put her curls back in the scarf. Or the fact that she might have paint in her hair.

If they continued at this pace, hopefully she's be able to still go the mall and get back before her parents came back. If only she had snapped at Alex earlier they would have probably finished–

"There's this girl..."

But that'll be– wait, what?!!!

Turning her head sharply towards Alex, she looked at him in disbelief. Maybe she didn't hear him correctly but he looked dead serious.

"... There's this girl I met..."

Oh no!

"...She's new in my school, same grade as you" He continued rather nonchalantly.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was why they should both be going to the same school but her parents thought it was best like this since he was in a grade higher than her. She was yet to find the logic behind that. But sometimes she did, she didn't have to see his annoying face every second.

"I'm surprised" She managed to say.

Looking at her he rolled his eyes and dropped his brush.

Her eyes followed him as he covered the bucket of paint and pushed it aside. He stopped for a split second to smile at her and then laid on the grass, gesturing for her to do the same.

She looked at Alex weirdly, wondering what had suddenly come over him but then decided to lay besides him. The sun was beginning to set and the weather was cool. The perfect time. She watched the trees move with the wind and wondered what was going on in Alex's mind.

"We still have to finish painting"

"Do you want to hear my story or not?"

Alice sighed but kept quiet, gesturing for him to continue talking

"She's funny, intelligent and downright stubborn." He said while chuckling.

She guessed it was the girl on his phone that, he was talking about. She was taken aback by the manner at which he spoke, and she concluded that he was either under a spell or he had hit his head on a rock. She preferred the latter.

"...She's not really good with figures and hates the silence." He pushed a stary lock of black curls off his face and continued. "She reminds me of you... "

"Wrong! I don't hate figures and I don't hate silence." She said as she interrupted him annoyed that he was comparing her to some girl.

Ignoring her, he continued. "...There's just something about her that makes me wonder. She's not complicated and that's weird. Normally I don't care much but with her I do. Almost like how I care about you and that freaks me out"

Did he just say he cared about her? He definitely hit his head on a rock.

Alice turned her face towards Alex and realized that his eyes were closed.

Releasing a breath, she laid back on the grass.

"You must really like her" she said.

Alex opened his eyes and stared at her in amusement.

"Like her? Now you're wrong "

What the hell was wrong with this guy? One minute he was making sense and the next...

"But you said you liked her" she said with a confused expression.

"Did I really say I like her?"

"Well...not exactly but... "

"But what?"

"The way you spoke"

Alex threw his head back in laughter at her confused expression.

"What were you expecting dear sister? That I was in love with some girl? "

For a second, she had thought so but now, It sounded stupid.

Shaking his head in amusement he continued. "I said I cared about her not that I was in love with her. "

"But the manner in which you spoke." She said stubbornly.

"Did you expect that I'd fall in love and become smitten over some girl?Don't worry Ali my heart is still intact" winking at her.

Gosh, he was so annoying. Couldn't he just behave like a normal human being? But no, he just had to make a joke out of everything.

"You're so annoying. "

"Someone has been reading too many love poems." He said, trying to rile her up.

"They're called sonnets" snapping at him.

If he was trying to annoy her, then it was definitely working.

He smirked at her and sat up.

"Aren't you still going to the mall?"

"Well someone was telling me a stupid story and behaved like a spoilt brat so I decided not to go since its already late."

"You can always go now"

She gave him a deadpan look and sat up.

"Or maybe not since our parents will soon be back" Replying himself.

"No shit Sherlock"

Alex looked at her apologetically and stood up "Sorry for keeping you, I'll make it up to you"

Like that would ever happen. If she had a penny for every apology he said and every promise he made, she would be rich by now.

"Where are you going to Alex?"

"I have a date to prepare for"

"And who's going to help me finish this?"

Alex stopped and looked back at her. "You're the genius, figure it out "

Her mouth hung wide open as she watched him walk into the house.

"That scoundrel!. That Ignoramus!" She cussed.

She envisioned several ways that she would kill him and when she thought she had found the right one, she heard an inhuman scream come from the house.

"Alice!!!!!"

She wondered what she had done this time until she remembered. She smiled in bliss as she continued to paint the fence. Painting the fence all alone wasn't so bad anymore, not when she was content.

Sweet sweet revenge.

***