“Raven Christopher Perzan.”
He offered his hand. Shinai looked at the base of his palm. She reached for it to accept it. 
“Nice to meet you, Raven.” A bird. She said to herself. A black bird. No wonder blacks seems to love latching on him. His name somewhat managed to make a pact with blackness. “The name is Shinai.” She shook it, confident of her handshake. It’s firm. It’s like her handshake can make a great deal. “Shinai Indigo Fletcher.” She completed her introduction of her name. 
He was nodding his head while his hand was firm holding her hand. He smiled. But it’s a bit constrained. A half-suppressed smile came from him. “Nice to you meet you, Shinai.” He let go before he went back to his bike. 
Shinai waited. He gave her another stare before he smiled. This time it looked real. This time it wasn’t a small smile anymore. He was able to show her that he is capable too of changing his expression contrary to what Nai thought. 
“See you again. Nai” He said. Shinai head the screeching of his tires again and he rode off. 
Flash-Forward: 
“Raven.” He’s still a stranger. But there’s progress too. She finally knew his name and they finally had a fine interaction. It was a captivating brief interaction. She finally gain a motivated enthusiasm to head downstairs. She feels like watching a movie in the much more bigger screen. She stood from her bed and went out of her room. 
Upon her heading down, she sees Erinoi sitting on the sofa. Her eyes went to the television that is turned on. She sees the football game on play. Her eyes went back to his annoying cousin. He was clutching a bucket of popcorn. She smiled happily and went to him. 
“Well, hello there.” She took herself the chance to seat on the empty space beside Erinoi. 
Her cousin handed her the bucket. “I bought this for you. But I ate. Because I thought you were sleeping and I don’t want to wake you up.” 
She took a handful of popcorns and plopped it inside her mouth. She can feel the crunched. She tasted the cheesy puffs. “Sucks that you couldn’t eat it alone.” She joked. 
Erinoi shook his head lightly before he smiled. “Sorry to burst your bubble, sis but I am quite happy you’re down. I finally got company.” 
“You arrived early.” She focused her gaze on the screen before reaching for another. She threw it in her mouth. 
“Mother.” Erinoi stilled. “What I mean is that Aunty text me. She said that she might arrive late and you need company.” He stopped. And his head turned to her again. “It’s dangerous that you’re staying in her alone whenever Aunty is late at night.” 
“There’s a preposition I have been planning to offer, brother!” She smacked his shoulders. Erinoi winced but laughed anyway. “Why not stay here? We got extra room for you. This is your chance to free yourself from her restraining orders and of course from her constant nagging.” 
They both started to burst into laughter. “What a hater!” Erinoi exclaimed. 
Nai shrugged her shoulders at him. “I am just stating facts, big brother. That woman is on full nerves and lashes. Prone to lashing out, prone to madness.” She impish her naughtily playful remark. 
Erinoi smiled at her. “I couldn’t disagree.” 
“I know right.” Nai commented. “You know, she gave me the ick the first time I met her. She was eyeing me up and down. I felt she’s making a scrutinized bad comment. She made me feel that way. And I still can’t get over it.” 
Erinoi reached for the remote control and lowered the volume before he paid her his attention. “She’s just like that. She failed to have character development.” He offered her his drink, he opened the soda can himself. He gave it to Nai. 
Nai took it, and made a gulp. She loved the feeling down her throat. It removed the greasiness as well as the cheese flavour on her tongue. “It’s not to late to change. Anyone can change themselves. But one has to be willing to do the work. 
She can feel the sound of the can that Erinoi opened. He was nodding his head slowly, letting her words sink in to himself. “It’s not easy to change. One has to be brave enough to do something about what needs to be change within.” Erinoi answered. 
“Do you think she still can change?” Nai asked softly. Erinoi stopped chugging the drink. He put the can back to the table. 
“Baby, I am sorry. She’s making it hard for you to get close to her.” He reached for her head, put his hand and patted her head. “You’ve done enough. And if she can’t still appreciate your efforts, then it’s time to stop trying so hard.” He softly breathed the word out to exist, for Nai to be heard. 
“But she’s…” She stopped. She’s feeling the lumped on her throat. 
“Our aunt.” Erinoi continued her sentence. His utterance, soft. “Nai.” 
“She will never like me, right? Because she hated, Mom?” She began frowning. Chewing on her lower lip slowly before she can feel the sadness coming in, she stared at Erinoi. 
A look of sympathy came from him. He pulled her close. Shinai snuggled closer towards him. “You need to try so hard. She will never like us. She hates me too.” There’s sadness in his voice as he said it while consoling his little baby. That woman took her loathing to a level where she passed her hatred to the people who wasn’t even in the feud that happened years ago. 
Erinoi is aware of the truth. He can accept his aunt’s hatred. He grew up with it, receiving that treatment from her where she favoured his siblings more than him. He was excluded. He didn’t feel like he belonged to the family. But what he couldn’t accept is making Nai go through the same treatment that hurt him. 
“Nai.” He softly uttered. He gently caress her hair. “Do not cry okay.” 
“I am not.” But her voice still has the sad tone in it. “I will not cry. I am strong.” She affirmed. Telling herself, that word just to keep herself from feeding her mind into making the act of letting her tears fall. 
Erinoi smiled. “You’re still a baby. My baby sister.” He let it out. He’s tired of keeping something from Nai anymore. He just wanted to tell her. But he still couldn’t bring himself to tell it to her. “Please stay a while just like that, okay? Don’t grow up so fast.” He was the one who’s hugging her close now. 
“Why?” Nai asked. Curiosity peeped in her eyes while Erinoi didn’t answer but hugged her tighter instead.