Rising Secrets

Chapter 7- Changes Within

     Stunned, he could only stare at his sister in silence.

     "I-it couldn't be." He protested weakly, but the seed of doubt had, inevitably, been planted.

     "We never did see his body, right? It could be him, or, if she was telling the truth, a cadaver. But how do we know she didn't take him? And if so, he could be dead, too. There's no way to tell." Emma looked bewildered for a second, almost as if she had figured something out. In a shaky whisper, she added, "He might even be being tortured right now."

     "That's it, I've had enough. What do you want me to do?!? We can't do anything, in case you haven't noticed, I don't know anything. So do you want to go dig up his grave? Huh? Answer me, Emma!" He snapped. His sudden explosion caused Emma to draw back, as if slapped. She meekly attempted to say something, but Aidan wouldn't let her. He rolled up his window with a last "Bye, Emma", and drove out. Emma stood like a sole, remaining tree in a burnt out forest; immovable, shadowed, and sad.

     As he drove, a million regrets and apologies visited his mind, but all he could sincerely wonder was whether their father had told Emma anything else that he failed to mention to him. He only ever got vague hints and vigorous training lessons, but Emma had gotten stories from their father's past. Why couldn't Dad trust me with those thoughts, too? He was jealous and hurt. Simply, like an angry, immature child. And, with a horrified shock, he realized that he had hurt his sister very badly. Oh, dear God! I left her standing there in the middle of the driveway! He remembered, shame cocooning him into a chrysalis. And if he knew anything, it was that he wasn't turning into a butterfly anytime soon.

***

     "Aidan? Earth to Aidan!" A voice drifted into his muddled, disordered mind.

     He blinked, and replied, although not until after an awkward emptiness dropped onto their group.

     "Sorry, what?" Rosette and Mara, who had also taken to joining their conversations, stared back at him from across their narrow, wooden lunch table.

     "We... were just talking about Mara's relationship with Ana. Don't you think leaving her alone would be dangerous? I mean, Ana looks like she's out to kill." Rosette explained, but although it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, her joke left him feeling unsettled, since it related quite eerily to the issue with his father.

     Soon, Rosette and Mara filled him in on the problem, and reemerged themselves in finding a solution for stopping Ana's bullying tirade.

     That situation should've ended there, but Aidan, lacking sensitivity that day, it seemed, asked if Mara should've gotten some new clothes. Seeing as the dispute had occurred over her unique wardrobe. Rosette took to that quite badly, thinking he was insulting her new friend. Mara, however, unexpectedly agreed with him.

     "I live with my grandparents, because my mom and dad are divorced. If given the opportunity, they like to over pamper me, but I know they've been having financial troubles, so I work part-time to support us. I normally buy used clothes... It's that bad, huh?" She ducked her head lower, and over her figure, Rosette gaped at him. The words, How dare you say something to ruin her mood! written all over her face. He shrugged, unable to do much else.

     "Well, then, as compensation for saying something so rude, Aidan and I will buy you a new outfit. We're going to the mall as soon as school ends!" When the words left her deviously smiling mouth, it was Aidan's turn to gape at her, open mouthed, like a fish.