UNEXPECTED SPARKLES AND BUTTERFLIES

Chapter 3

Rebecca couldn't tell whether it was the morning sun that woke her up, or the aroma of something delicious downstairs.

Her eyes still closed and she stayed in bed, she smiled. She knew it was her brother creating the edible magic that heightened her senses with warmth and excitement.

She sighed and sat up on her bed. She covered her eyes from the morning as she stood up to close the blinds. She then took a long stretch and an involuntary yawn followed immediately. She couldn't even tell whether she felt refreshed or if she was more tired than she was last night.

She took herself out of the room and walked downstairs to the kitchen. And just as she thought, her brother was the one cooking.

"Well well well... Who do we have here in the kitchen?", She teased.

He turned back, surprised to see Rebecca standing behind her.

"Becks? I didn't even know you were awake. Was I loud?", He asked as he too his focus back to what he was cooking.

"No no, not at all. Infact, it was the aroma of the food that got me awake. If it isn't the chef himself... Chef Anthony!", She taunted him some more as she took a seat at the dining table.

"Please stop flattering me", he chuckled as he poured some of the food into a clean plate.

"I must say, I'm surprised that you're still at home by this time. Normally, you should be at work by now"

"Today is an exception. Today is for you...", He said as he slid a plate of pancakes on the dining table towards her.

"... Happy birthday, Rebecca", he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Anthony", she returned the smile as she began digging into the meal. "So what are your plans for today?", He asked as he went back to the kitchen.

"My plans?"

"Don't you have anything you plan to do today, as it's your birthday?"

"Nope"

"What do you mean, nope?"

"I just want to stay inside and rest a little bit. All the stress from getting my papers ready for travel in the last week has made me very tired", she said as she continued eating.

"You can't stay at home all day, Becks. You need to have fun. You remember that you're not going to be here for a long time after tomorrow, right? This is also like a send-off for you", he said.

"Why don't we go out take pictures for your I* and then come back with a small cake for us to share together? That's fun, and at the same time, not stressful", he suggested.

"That sounds like good idea. But it's going to be after I finish eating and have another round of beauty sleep"

He raised his hands in the air in surrender.

"I'll leave you to finish your food and go back to bed, even though it's eight in the morning", he teased subtly as he went back into the kitchen.

"Whatever!"

*

For Anthony, the rest of the evening that day was dedicated to making Rebecca happy. They initially went out to take a few pictures for her to post, but then she saw a new clothing store and she begged her brother to let her get some clothes. A couple of gowns turned into a full-on wadrobe changer.

From there, she remembered that her favorite actor just got featured in a new film that she'd been anticipating for the past two years. Anthony had no choice but to watch the movie with her. It wasn't particularly his favorite genre, so he couldn't say he enjoyed it.

From the cinema, she stylishly coyed her brother into taking her to a concert where he has to pay a ridiculous amount of money to hear nothing but an overhyped artist shouting at the top of his lungs and a thousand other people returning the same energy... All in the name of music.

At this point, Anthony was beginning to regret suggesting the outing to his sister. He should've just allowed her rest as she wanted to. He should've gone to the work... Anything apart from this. He hated the noise. He hated how disorganized and chaotic the outside world was.

But he had to it for his kid sister. It was her birthday, and she deserved everything she wanted.

On their way back, they stopped by a cake shop to get a cake.

The mission was simple - she would see a nice cake, and pick it. Then they would wrap it up for her and they would go back home. Or if she already had something in mind before getting to the cake shop, they would make it and in less than an hour, they would be at home.

But Rebecca couldn't have chosen the worst time possible to be indecisive.

She had nothing in mind that she wanted. She didn't know which to pick. She didn't know she wanted the cake to look or taste like. It got to a point, Anthony had to cover her eyes with his hands and make her point at any cake in the section.

She reluctantly gave in and went his took his hands off, she realized she'd pointed at a chocolate cake. Not too bad.

After everything, they finally got back home. They got all the the things they bought on the way and Anthony finally slumped on the sofa. He was exhausted, to say the least.

"Thanks for taking me out, Anthony. I know it took a lot for you", she said.

"Well, it wasn't supposed to. We planned to have a few pictures and a cake. I didn't know you had something else in mind"

"Please. It didn't hurt that much", she laughed.

"I need to freshen up. And get some sleep. Goodnight", he yawned as he took himself off the chair about to go upstairs.

"What about the cake and the wish?" She frowned.

He groaned as he sat back on the sofa.

It was already a tradition for him to fulfill one wish from his sister on her birthdays. No matter what she asked, he had to fulfill. Fortunately, his sister was not paranoid, or one who was too excited by luxury, - emphasis on the word "too" - so he didn't have to go all the way to fulfill her birthday wishes so far.

"It can't wait till tomorrow?"

"No. You have to know tonight", she insisted.

"Fine. What do you want me to get you?"

"You're not "getting" me anything"

He looked surprised, and confused at the same time.

"So what's your wish?"

She sat down on the armchair beside him. He was beginning to get worried.

"So there's this friend...", She stared at him to see if he was following

"Go on..."

"Her name is Vivian. I don't think you know her. So she had a disagreement with her family, and she needs my help"

"Who was the disagreement about?", He asked, getting oddly invested in the story.

"Her parents were planning to marry her off to the son of a huge business tycoon in the industry. At first, they dropped it on her as a suggestion, and kept pressuring her to give into the marriage proposal, but she was not having any of it. When her parents were tired and couldn't make her marry the young man, she, they decided to force her, telling her that whether she liked it or not, she was going to get married to the son of the tycoon. She resisted and rebelled so bad, they had to give her an ultimatum. It was either she married him, or they would disown her, and she move out of the house"

"So what happened? Did she move out?"

"Well, she's about to, except that she has nowhere to go", she explained.

Anthony said nothing, hoping that Rebecca wasn't about to ask what his mind was telling him.

She left the armchair and sat right beside.

"Anthony, my brother...", She said in the softest voice possible.

"Mm-hmm?"

"I was thinking... Since I'm not going to be here in for few months, maybe she could stay with you until she'd get a place to live-"

"No no no no!", He got from the chair and retreated.

"You know I hate having people stay over, Rebecca. Doesn't she have other friends? Her parents are rich, right? So doesn't that mean she has money too? Does she have stay here?"

"Her parents seized get card and froze her account, so the only money she has is the little she's been able to get from her small blogging gigs. She wants to relocate to another city entirely, where her parents can't locate her, so she doesn't want to stay with any of her friends. Besides, all her "so-called" friends bailed on her immediately she needed their help. I'm the only friend she has in this city, so I have to help her"

"Can't she use the little cash she has to rent a small apartment around the city?"

"She's already used the money to buy a plane ticket to come here. I kinda told her that she could come before talking to you about it", she mumbled and looked away.

"You did what?! Why would you do that?!"

"I'm sorry, Anthony, but she needs our help so bad, and she's been such a good friend to me. I can't say no to her"

"She can't stay here, Rebecca. Tell her to marry the young man. It may not be so bad after all. I don't want anyone in my space. I love my privacy, and I can't afford to have someone infringe on it. Just make another wish, Rebecca. A new car... Another round of shopping spree tonight... Jewelries... Anything, but that ridiculous wish", he begged.

"Bro...", She stood up and walked to him.

"This young woman needs your help. She needs our help. She has no one else to turn to. Put yourself in her shoes - would you agree to marry someone you don't even know, all because of your parents' selfish plans? Someone you don't even know, talk less of someone you don't love?"

He tried to speak, but he didn't know what to say. Rebecca could see that he was considering her pleas

"If you can't do it for her, do it for me. Remember it's me, your baby sister and your only family. Please, bro?", She pleaded with puppy eyes.

Anthony rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. Whenever Rebecca used that on him, he knew he couldn't say no. Plus, the fact that she was using her birthday wish for help a friend only meant that this Vivian was very important to her.

"Describe the girl. What's she like?", He asked as he sat back on the sofa.

Rebecca giggled with joy.

"Thank you so much, bro-"

He immediately raised a finger in the air, cutting her off.

"I haven't agreed to your wish... I'm only considering it. Now give me my answers"

"Okay... She's a blogger and a photographer. She's actually very talented, and she's very beautiful. She twenty-six, same age as me-"

"I don't want all these unnecessary details, Rebecca. I'm asking you to describe her personality. Does she seem like the kind of person who would give me issues? Is she quiet? Is she troublesome?"

"Well, she's a lively person. She has a lot of energy"

"Oh my god...", Anthony groaned. He knew exactly what that meant.

"Anthony, she not bad, I promise. The fact that she's lively doesn't mean she'll cause you trouble. Plus, it's just for a few months. She won't be here forever"

He sighed again.

"Okay, she can come. Hopefully she's exactly what you describe her to be"

"Yesss!! Thanks bro! This means a lot to me!", She beamed and hugged him.

After bidding him goodnight, she went upstairs to her room.

"A lively person for only a few months. What could possibly go wrong?", He said tiredly as he went to his room.