They Called Me a Simp. The School Heartthrob Is My Brother Chapter 01

They Called Me a Simp. The School Heartthrob Is My Brother Chapter 01

The whole school thought I was Nate’s ultimate simp.

He ran in the morning. I brought breakfast.

He played ball. I handed him water and towels.

If he texted “hungry” at midnight, I’d walk three blocks in the freezing cold to get him the hurricane fries he wanted.

People looked at me with pity.

“Still no title after all that simping. Dedication, I guess.”

Then Eden confessed to Nate.

And I, his “simp,” finally got in her way.

While Nate was away at a competition, she cornered me and kicked over the breakfast I’d just bought for myself.

Coffee splashed all over me.

She covered her mouth, all innocence, “Oops, sorry.”

“I thought it was more trash for Nate.”

Then she pulled out her phone and projected Nate’s contact name for me onto the classroom screen.

[Pest]

The whole class burst out laughing.

Eden smiled at me. “See? He finds you annoying.”

“Stalking him, delivering stuff—don’t you feel cheap?”

Her little sidekick, Evan, let out a cold laugh.

Eden slapped a piece of paper onto my face.

[I, the undersigned, voluntarily give up on Nate.]

[No more meals. No more water. No more stalking. No more clinging.]

“Or you can not sign it.” She waved her phone, smiling sweetly,

“Then I’ll post the picture of you stealing Nate’s underwear on the school forum.”

I stared at the photo of men’s underwear I’d taken off my own balcony.

Not to be dramatic, but—

Helping my brother collect laundry isn’t exactly theft.

—

Nate has my dad’s last name. I have my mom’s.

Dad loves Mom, so he wanted her name to live on too.

No one at school knows this.

Not because my family is complicated.

It’s because on the first day of school, Nate cornered me at the gate and made a rule:

“Don’t call me ‘bro’ at school.”

“Why?”

“It ruins my image.”

I looked him up and down. “You have one?”

We fought. After that, we acted like strangers at school.

As for delivering meals, water, and notes—my mom made me do it.

She said Nate was stressed about college applications and needed looking after.

Twenty dollars per favor. A thousand if I made it through the month.

For the money, I endured it.

Now Eden wanted me to quit for free.

A deal like that? Sign me up.

I grabbed the pen and signed.

Eden looked confused.

She probably didn’t expect me to give up Nate that easily.

“You’re not going to back out?”

“Relax.” I handed her the letter with both hands, “I’m not fighting you over a guy.”

She finally smiled, victorious.

She had Evan post the letter on the bulletin board and on the school forum.

Caption: [Some people finally know their place. Even simps need self-awareness.]

I liked the post.

And commented:

[Good luck with your confession.]

Ten minutes later, my comment got three hundred laughing reactions.

Eden thought I was forcing a smile.

She patted my shoulder, “It’s okay to cry. No one will laugh.”

I shook my head, “I’m fine.”

My mom had given me a thousand dollars this month for Nate’s three meals a day.

I’d only done five days.

If a third party was forcing me to stop, I probably didn’t have to refund the rest, right?

I was looking up labor laws when the dean, Mrs. Smith, walked in.

She saw the coffee on the floor and frowned.

Eden’s eyes welled up instantly,

“Mrs. Smith, Zoe spilled coffee on herself and blamed me because she likes Nate.”

I looked up. Weren’t we done?

Mrs. Smith looked at me.

“Zoe, you’ve been hanging around Nate long enough.”

“It’s homecoming tomorrow. Eden and Nate are co-hosting.”

“Don’t go backstage. Don’t interrupt their rehearsal.”

Eden bit her lip, “Mrs. Smith, I’m scared she might steal Nate’s clothes again.”

Mrs. Smith’s face went darker.

She took my backstage pass and told me to clean up.

I looked down at my new shirt.

We fight a lot. But I’m still his only sister.

This didn’t feel right.

I pulled out my phone and texted Mom.

[Mom, I signed a pledge. Can’t deliver Nate’s meals anymore.]

[Breaking it would hurt the school’s reputation. Important stuff.]

[Better let him fend for himself starting tomorrow night.]

She was typing when the bell rang.

Mrs. Smith took my phone and locked it in the desk.

“Phone’s confiscated for two days. Pick it up after morning reading.”

Before the screen went dark, I saw the first few words of her reply.

[Good…]

I sat back down. Perfect.

My mom already approved.

Nate didn’t know yet.

When he gets back from the competition tomorrow night, there won’t be any food waiting for him.

Worse—there’ll be a pledge.

An official “No More Simping” pledge.

Signed by his own sister.

Hope he’s strong.

Being ditched by your own sister?

Most people don’t survive that.