The side effect to most arguments is probably the silent treatment that comes after all the possible yelling.

To Alex, Rachel should be declared a queen when it comes to giving silent treatments. She ignored his entire existence, it was like they never met and she was doing just fine which was quite the opposite for Alex. It has been three days since the class drama and she still refused to talk to him. Although he didn't try to talk to her, he had no idea how to, to him, that was totally normal, he was not a talkative but she was, he never thought she could go a day without intentionally talking to someone, him, talk more of three days.

"Alexandre! Please put your game down and help me!" He heard his mum yell as he snapped out of his thoughts, the other players killed his character anyway. He stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen slowly.

"Why can't Sophie help?" He said as he sat on one of the dining seat.

"Your sister is eight Andre."

"She's a girl," he said shrugging and picking an apple from the middle of the table, "she needs to start learning now. She's going to get married one day." He said as bit the apple, earning a glare from his mum.

"Wash the rice cooker and spoon, mix the butter and sugar first," She said ignoring his comment. He stood up and walked to the sink grumbling.

"Are you ok?" His mum asked after awhile. He raised his brows in response, as if asking why she asked.

"Well, you are acting like, you know, not my little cute Andre." She said pinching his cheeks with flour in her hands.

"Ew, please don't do that mum." He said moving his face from her hands.

"But you're just so cute." She said half pouting.

"Gross." He said moving back with furrowed brows.

"So do you want to tell me what's going on? Is it about the biology teacher? I thought we agreed you'll participate in the next class and try to get a better grade?" She asked looking at him with concern. He remembered when she came to pick him from school, she asked the teacher if he could add other punishments to his detention. She then proceeded to give him an earful when they got home, he had never seen her so infuriated.

"No, nothing is wrong mum. I'm serious." He said smiling and whisking the butter and sugar.

"What's wrong then? Don't tell me you yelled at your teacher again." She asked and he shook his head.

"Alexandre Zack Brown!"

"I did not mum, I literally just did this," he said, shaking his head to show her what he did earlier.

"I had no idea your mouth was hurting." She said eyeing him.
He ignored her and continued mixing, he looked up and saw her still glaring at him, he looked away and continued what he was doing.

"Wait! Is this about a girl?" She said moving closer to him a minute later.

"I think I'm done here." He said rinsing his hands and heading towards the stairs.

"Tell your sister, I'm baking!" She shouted.

He got to his room, forgetting to tell his sister their mum was baking. He laid on his bed, looking at the ceiling, he had no idea why the fact that she was not talking to him was affecting him like this. A few weeks back, he was regretting stretching his legs in the hallway, avoiding her and hoping she'll walk away, and here he was.

He knew he had to fix things, it was taking longer than he thought. He got up from his bed and rushed downstairs.

"Mum, I'm going to the opposite street, it's not that far." He announced rushing towards the door with shoes in his hand.

"Yes it is, you can't go today it's 4:37 pm," she said checking the digital clock on the kitchen wall.

"I'll take my bicycle, it's not that far. I promise I'll be back before 6 or 6:30." He went back to the kitchen with his eyes pleading.

"No Andre, wherever you're going can wait till tomorrow."

"Mum." He dragged the word pouting.

"Well, since you're not busy, you can wash the rice."

"I thought you were baking?"

"Dessert." She said using her brows to point at the rice he was supposed to wash.

"I have to study for the biology test." He said walking away slowly.

"You want to study how to interact? I'll help. Wash the rice and we'll talk, I'm not leaving." She said smiling.

He picked the rice and headed to the sink with a frown.

"You know I've always thought you were too quiet. I'm glad your teacher is teaching you how to intera-," she started saying.

"You've got to be kidding me." He muttered under his breath and tuned out everything she was saying. Tomorrow was Sunday, he really hoped she was going to be home.

He woke up earlier than usual on this Sunday, he hardly slept. He got ready for church and sat on the couch the edge of his bed, lost in his thoughts.

"Andre! Wake up, we're leaving in an hour." His mum shouted barging into his room.

"Oh, you're up and ready." She said walking slowly towards him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She said tilting her head as she sat beside him.

"Yes mum, I'm fine, and besides, I'm 14, old enough to take care of myself."

"Are you sure it's not about that girl that had a panic attack? It was not an asthma attack, Andre. I promise." She said trying to reassure him.

"No, it's not about the attack mum and I'm fine." He said smiling.

"Is someone bullying you? I know middle school is rough, so talk to me." She asked brushing his hair with her fingers.

"Seriously? Bullying is no longer a thing." He said shaking his head.

"I'm just saying, if you need someone to talk to." She said rubbing his lap as she stood up.

He nodded and looked at her, "Thanks, mum."

"Come downstairs for breakfast, we'll leave soon." She said as she walked out.

He stood up from his bed grudgingly and headed downstairs.

"Andre?"

"Yes, Dad." He replied when he heard his dad's voice from the living room.

"Sit down," he started pausing till Andre sat down, "so your mum told me that you have a girl problem."

"I don't." He said rubbing his forehead.

"I know but when a girl is mad at you, sometimes unnecessarily. All you have to do get them gifts, well some prefer you talk to them but just take gifts in case."

"I don't have a girl problem but gifts? Is that really necessary?"

"Yes, as a man to a... uh, young boy, I know these things, I'm married." He said moving closer to Andre and whispering.

"Thanks, Dad, but I don't have girl problems."

"Oh, I know that, I'm just saying in case you do." He said winking at him.

~•~

"Wait!" Andre said to his dad as they got to the junction of Rachel's street.

"What is it?" His dad asked as he continued driving them home from the church.

"I need to see someone on that street." He said looking back and checking how far they were from the junction.

"Oh, he told me about that yesterday. Let him go before it's too late." His mum said resting her head on the window with her eyes shut.

As his dad reversed back to the junction, his mum handed him 20 dollars as transport fare, not without saying, "Be home before 4 pm, Andre, I'm serious," before she released the money.

"Thanks, mum, thanks, Dad." He said pushing Sophie's sleepy head with his fingers and getting down from the car.

"4 pm Andre!" He heard his mum say before getting down.

He saw a mini shop, before rushing to get sweets and chocolates and ran to her house, he still remembered the route they took to her house the first time he saw her upset. When he got to the front of her house gate, taking a deep breath and looking at the bag on his hand, before he pushed the bell. The gate opened when he tried to press it again.

"Alex?" she said stunned as she opened the gate wider, "come in, what are you doing here?"

"I came to give you this." He said looking around timidly. His house was not really different from hers, her house just had more painting than his did.

"Thanks?" She said snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the class."

"Do you want to sit first?" She asked pointing at the chair.

"Thanks." He said sitting down and rubbing his hand together nervously.

"So..." She said sitting down beside him as she waited for him to say something.

"I'm sorry," he started, closing his eyes as if he was embarrassed, "I don't know what happened, I was just angry," he paused for second before he continued, "I studied really hard for that test and the thought of failing it because I don't interact in class is infuriating, isn't it?" He said pausing and looking at her to which she nodded slowly.

"Then you came along right after he asked me to be more like you and I just," he said tearing his eyes from his folded hands and stared at her, "snapped."

"I really should have stayed out of it, it was not my place to tell you what to do or tell you to calm down." She murmured taking a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

He put his right hand on her folded hands and said, "It is. You're my only friend here and I need someone who keeps me from exploding." He said as she chuckled.

"I promise not to snap at you or hurt you when I'm pissed. Pinky promise?" He said holding his left pinky up.

"Really? Pinky promise?" She said as he chuckled and nodded.

"Alright, pinky promise it is," She said holding her left pinky finger up, "oh and if we're ever pissed or extremely mad at each other, promise we'll talk about it?" She said smiling as they cuffed their fingers.

They stared at their right hands before pulling it away with a small awkward smile.

"What were you doing before I came by." He said standing up to pretend to stretch.

"I was trying this new recipe I saw online. I'm almost done with it." She said dragging him to the kitchen.

"What do you think?" She asked showing him the tray she was about to put in the oven.

"It looks like a dog's poop."

"What?" She said checking it, "no it doesn't, anyhoo, I've not baked it yet. It will come out better." She said placing it in the oven.

"How was detention?" She tried to make a small conversation while waiting for what she was baking.

"It was quiet."

"Oh ok." She said stretching her hands and looking around as the silence enveloped them.

'Ding'

"Finally!" Rachel said tired of the silence, she brought the tray out and showed Alex playing with her eyebrows.

"It still looks like a dog's poop." He said with a straight face.

"Shut up and taste it." She said cutting a small portion for him.

"Lord save my soul." He said crossing his chest.

"Come on." She said with a pout.

"Alright," he put the chip in his mouth and chewed slowly, "ugh, it tastes like it looks." He said spitting the chip out.

"No, it doesn't." She said putting a portion in her mouth, "ok that's a bad taste." She chuckled spitting it into the dustbin like Alex did earlier.

"Do you want to watch Netflix?" She asked walking towards the living room.

"Why not." He shrugged following her.

Don't forget to click that little star and comment 🧡

Song of the chapter: Always I'll care by Jeremy Zucker.