Chapter 9: So he's your brother? Cool.
"Look who it is," Hannah called as she smiled, turning to see who it was. To her surprise, it was Andrew.
"Andrew," she said, eyes narrowing playfully. "Are you stalking me?"
Andrew raised a brow. "Yes, and I was gonna murder you."
"Cute," Hannah replied, flashing a grin. Her gaze dropped to his outfit—an armless top, black shorts, and a surfboard tucked under one arm.
"I love your shirt," she said. "Did it come with a bag of granola and a matching pair of Tevas?"
Andrew smirked. "Wow, I didn't realize you also did the Peace Corps summer program."
He gave her a teasing glance. "I should've known. Your vibes are very 'save-the-world'."
Stephen, watching from nearby, chimed in. "Ooh, solid burn."
Hannah chuckled and pointed at his board. "So, are you planning on catching big waves in Miami?"
"Oh, this?" He glanced at the surfboard. "It's actually Priea's."
Hannah turned and noticed Priea sitting nearby on a sheet spread over the grass.
"Hey girl," she called, waving. Priea raised her glasses, squinted, then returned the wave without smiling.
Turning back to Andrew, Hannah whispered, "She hates me."
Andrew shook his head. "Nah. She just thinks you don't care about the farm."
"What? How could she think that?" Hannah gasped. "I love that farm, okay? Those root veggies are like my children now."
"Shit... I ate some of your kids yesterday," Andrew said with mock guilt.
"No!" Hannah exclaimed.
He smiled. "They were delicious." He kissed his fingertips dramatically.
"Even the carrots?"
He nodded solemnly.
"Heartbreaker," Hannah muttered, placing her hand over her chest as she reclined theatrically in her seat.
They laughed.
"So nice seeing you outside the farm," Andrew said as he started to walk away. Then he paused and looked back. "Bye, Anna."
She smiled after him, then whispered to herself, Our chemistry is kind of incredible. Thank God I was sitting on a towel.
But she snapped back to reality. I had a job to do. She picked up a microscope and focused. As she adjusted it, something glinted in her peripheral vision.
There it was—tied to Priea's bag.
A key.
"Bingo," Hannah murmured, placing the microscope down.
---
Meanwhile, Stephen had just stepped into NK's house. It was sleek and strangely quiet.
As she wandered into the kitchen, she nearly dropped her bag when she saw Ria sitting at the counter eating fruit.
"What are you doing here?" Stephen asked, wide-eyed.
Ria looked up, her cheeks full. "Oh no," she said with a grin, struggling to chew. "Mmmph. I live here."
Stephen blinked. "So NK is—"
"My brother," Ria said, rolling her eyes. "Unfortunately."
Stephen laughed. "You kinda left that part out during the school tour."
"I prefer 'playfully omitted,'" Ria replied, smirking.
Stephen moved closer, folding her robe tighter around her. Ria glanced at her.
"Hmm. Three weeks at Sara's High, and you've got a whole new look."
Stephen tilted her head. "You're not a fan?"
"No, I think it's hot. As long as you did it for you, and not for them."
Stephen's smile softened. "Do I seem like that?"
Ria shrugged. "I don't know. That's the exciting part about getting to know someone—you're a mystery until you're not."
She hopped off the stool and stepped closer.
"I was gonna hole up in the screening room, catch a Godard flick. You could ditch the suck fest and join me."
Stephen hesitated. "Maybe I do want to. But... I shouldn't."
Ria raised a brow. "Suit yourself." She turned to leave, then paused. "The urge usually starts by sundown."
"Really?"
"No," Ria replied with a small laugh. "My brother's not that fun."
Stephen chuckled. "Good to know you're down, though."
"Enjoy the cool kids," Ria said, walking off with a playful smile.
---
As Stephen headed upstairs, the house seemed to grow bigger and quieter.
She stepped into a side lounge—no TV, but a couch, soft lighting, and artfully scattered family photos. She scanned the room. Nothing out of place.
A cupboard caught her eye. She opened it. Nothing suspicious—just some board games and photo albums.
But then she spotted it.
A tablet. Sitting on a table, unlocked.
Curiosity kicked in.
She tapped the screen.
No password.
It opened directly to a messaging app.
Stephen leaned in.
The name on the chat froze her breath.
She stared, her heart pounding. Her fingers trembled.
As she read the conversation, her eyes widened.
Her lips parted slightly.
And for a second, she forgot why she'd even come.
---