What's Wrong with Miss Bratty?

Time seemed to slip by unnoticed, and now, a week had passed. It was Saturday, and Yvienna felt a surge of pride as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She had successfully ignored Kyle for the entire week. The last conversation they'd had was on the day she'd met his brother and sister.

She dabbed powder onto her face and examined her reflection. She wore a black racerback tank and a pair of black dolphin shorts, her hair tied up neatly. After putting on her sneakers, she did a few stretches, preparing herself before heading downstairs.

"Hi, my darling! Where are you off to?" her mother called from the kitchen.

"I'm going for a jog, Mommy," Yvienna replied before stepping out the door.

She began jogging, the cool morning air brushing against her skin as her sweat began to trickle down her cheeks, sticky and unpleasant. Thirty minutes into her run, she decided to take a break at the corner. Her legs ached from the effort.

Suddenly, she froze, feeling something sticky brush against her leg. She slowly looked down.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as a dog barked furiously at her. Without thinking, she sprinted forward, her heart racing. The dog was fast, and it was closing in on her. She ran even faster, panic rising in her chest.

Then, out of nowhere, she spotted the shadow of a man. Without a second thought, she rushed toward him, instinctively clinging to him for safety.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" the man snapped, clearly irritated.

"Help me!" she cried out, holding onto him tightly as the dog barked louder.

"Get down!" he commanded firmly.

"I don't want to!" she replied, stubborn despite the fear that gripped her.

"Chow-chow, sit!" His tone was authoritative, and for a brief moment, she wondered if he was speaking to her.

She felt his arms wrap around her, and her heart skipped a beat. There was something oddly comforting about his touch, even though she couldn't understand why.

"You can go down now," he said gently.

"O-okay," she stammered, reluctantly loosening her grip.

As she pulled away, a wave of realization hit her. Why had she clung to him like that? For the past few days, she'd been avoiding him, and yet here she was, standing so close to him, caught up in the moment.

Before she could process her thoughts, the dog barked again, and Yvienna jumped in surprise.

Her gaze shifted, and she saw Kyle carrying the dog. Was he the owner? Why was he here? Her heart pounded, and she quickly composed herself, trying to walk away without acknowledging him.

"Where are you going?" Kyle called out, his voice stopping her in her tracks.

She bit her lower lip, unsure of what to say. He walked toward her, and she instinctively lowered her head, but he reached out and gently cupped her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze.

"Why have you been ignoring me these past few days?" he asked, his expression unreadable.

"I-I didn't ignore you," she lied, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Oh? Is that so?" Kyle's voice had a teasing edge, and Yvienna couldn't help but feel irritated by his playful tone.

"Could you please get out of my way? I'm going home," she said, her patience wearing thin.

"I'll follow you," he said, smirking as if daring her to stop him.

Yvienna's frustration grew. Why was he here? She didn't understand what Kyle was doing or why he was always showing up when she least expected him.

Ignoring him, she started walking, picking up the pace as she neared her house. But it was no use—she could still feel his presence behind her.

"Why are you here?" she finally demanded, spinning to face him.

"Why would I answer your question?" he responded, his smirk never fading.

Yvienna rolled her eyes and turned away, walking faster.

You can ignore him, Yvienna. Just focus on getting home.

As she reached the front of her house, she spotted a familiar car parked outside. A man stepped out, his features sharp and handsome. He removed his sunglasses, running a hand through his hair before glancing in her direction. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Dashylle!" she called out, her face lighting up as she sprinted toward him.

Before she could stop herself, Dashylle lifted her off the ground, laughing as she squealed.

"Hey! Put me down!" she laughed, pulling at his hair playfully.

"Why did you touch my hair?" he grumbled, clearly irritated, though he was still smiling.

"Oh, Dashylle! Come inside!" her mother's voice called out from the door.

Dashylle grabbed a box from his car, and they both went inside.

Once inside, Dashylle mentioned that he'd forgotten his wallet in the car. He handed Yvienna the key to his car ordering her to get it for him. 

As she stepped out, she noticed Kyle standing at the front of her house, his expression unreadable, his jaw tight. He ran a hand through his hair, a clear sign of his frustration. Without saying a word, he walked away, the dog in tow.

Is he mad? Yvienna wondered, but she shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it.

She climbed into the car, slamming the door shut, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions.

Why was he always like that? And why did she always feel compelled to obey him whenever he came around?

Inside, she threw Dashylle's wallet at him as he entered. He glared at her, clearly annoyed.

"You brat," he muttered, but she simply stuck out her tongue.

He chased after her, and she ran upstairs, laughing despite herself.

"Don't chase me!" she screamed, laughing as he caught up to her.

"Got you!" he chuckled, lifting her off the ground again.

"Mom said the food's ready," he said, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

Yvienna groaned. "You two are so silly," her mother said, laughing at the sight of them.

"I'm not silly. I'm pretty," Yvienna responded, teasing Dashylle as she chewed her food.

"Pfft," he kicked her foot under the table.

"Why are you even here?" she muttered. "Go back to America."

"I will not give you your gift if you keep acting like that," Dashylle replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Yvienna's eyes widened. "What gift? Give it to me now!" she demanded.

"Be nice to me first," he said, smirking.

"Okay, older brother," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Pfft," Dashylle laughed.

"Are you teasing me?" she gritted her teeth.

"Of course not! It's just rare to see you so polite," he chuckled.

"I'm only being polite because of the gift," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.