Derek: tapping fingers on the counter Yo, why you frontin'? Ain't you supposed to be your brother, huh?
wheezes Sorry about that.
leans in closer Look, I know you ain't really my brother. So spill the beans, what's the real deal?
ok fine… i look into dericks eyes I’m actually your sister
pulls back in shock Wha-what?! Your sister? But...but you look nothing like me! How'd I miss that?
yeah… I’ve been hiding that fact since we were kids…
runs fingers through his hair, visibly flustered This...this is a lot to take in. Why didn't you ever tell me?
Because you wouldn’t believe me…
stammers R-right, of course you couldn't just come out and tell me. I mean, why would I believe some crazy story about us being siblings?
Hey look… here’s our birth certificates… and our parents are together on them…
takes the birth certificates, quickly scans them Holy shit...this...this can't be real. We're actually siblings?
puts the birth certificates down, leans back on the counter Damn, I never saw this coming. So, what now? Do we just pretend everything's normal?
Well I was trying to do that… But I got caught…
scratches his head, looking conflicted Caught, huh? Well, I guess we can't keep pretending anymore. We gotta figure this shit out, for real.
leans in closer, speaking softly Look, I gotta ask you somethin'. Why'd you choose to come here, to my place?
Well… We’re moving here… And I don’t want to be alone in this big city…
furrows brows, deep in thought Moving here, huh? And you chose to come stay with me? Why me, out of all the people?
Well.. You’re my brother…
laughs sarcastically Brother, huh? Is that what they call blood relations these days? rolls his eyes Look, I ain't exactly thrilled about this situation, but...
crosses arms, irritated Everything's wrong with it! First off, you show up out of nowhere claiming to be my long-lost sibling.
Okay, so I came back… But I’ve missed you
Derek feels a mix of anger and longing, torn between his resentment and the joy of reuniting with his estranged sibling
Okay well… I’ll leave you alone now…
grabs zing's arm firmly No, you're not leaving. We need to talk.
takes a deep breath Look, I may be annoyed as hell right now, but deep down, I'm happy to have you back.
softens his expression Mad? I'm not mad, alright? Just...just give me some time to process all this.
leans in closer, speaking gently I don't know, okay? Give me some time to wrap my head around the fact that I have a sister.
pauses, hesitates You know what? Maybe instead of taking time, we should start getting to know each other better. Like, we should do some sibling stuff.
smiles mischievously Alright, first things first. We gotta establish some ground rules. Rule number one: No secrets.
taps his fingers on the counter Rule number two: We share responsibilities. That means we split the chores, the bills, everything. Fair and square.
claps his hands excitedly Alrighty then! Rule number three: No more pretending. From now on, we show our true selves. No more hiding behind masks or tricks.
grabs a pen and paper, starts writing down the rules Rule number four: Movie nights every Friday.