Dreams Apart

Dark Dreams

They were known throughout the country for their companies, and you'd be sure to see them in your school textbooks, mom's magazines, and maybe a naked cover of Diana on your dad's gallery.

It wouldn't take long for me to meet their son.

Austin

The moment I met him, I wished I hadn't.

It's almost as if my heart had forgotten its purpose. Never had I ever felt that way before. I remember it all too well...

I remember waving with an annoyingly squeaky "Hi" as I walked up to him during the time our parents spoke in the other room.

The silence after my greeting was soul-numbing. He only stared into my eyes with his kernel popcorn orbs, which looked uninterested.

I found his gaze quite intense and looked down at his gray pants.

"Hey." He then suddenly replied, making me look up again. I couldn't help but study his features; his jaw carefully clenched each time he allowed himself to chew the gum he had in his mouth. His fingers pressed into his sleek, golden brown hair which fell right back to his olive forehead.

Two words for this fine man :

Greek

god.

He was tall enough to slightly strain my neck as I studied him. I smirked at the memory of my friend' words.

"Tall guys are always better!"

He was beautiful, and so were his almond eyes, which almost resembled the color pumpkin at times. It was quite amusing and questionable how brown could've changed to gold.

Diana was American, whereas Ronald was Italian. Austin barely went to Italy unless Ronald's mother would forcibly take him away since Diana wasn't fond of them.

It's quite easy for one to assume that my parents became best friends with Diana and Ronald. They did until they were not.

My mother would suddenly avoid their calls. I'd ask my father about it, but he'd say it was for the best, so I was bewildered to see Diana and Ronald at our doorstep the day my mother and father's disappearance was announced publicly.

They offered to take us in until the investigators could find them.

It was questionable. Why?

Why would my parents ever just leave? They'd never. It didn't make any sense, but I was scared-scared of change, scared for them, scared for Kimberly, and scared for anything but myself.

Kimberly had her eyes swallown from all the crying with her blue teddy in her arm that father had given her whilst her hand curled in mine. I didn't want to cry; I just didn't.

We arrived at their beautifully designed mansion with many of their family portraits, but none of when Austin was little, just of him as a teen. I wandered around slowly with thoughts of my own missing parents.

"Don't let it get to you." A sudden voice cracked the silence. It was Austin. I kept quiet as I held my head down. I could see his efforts at making me feel better.

He walked up to me slowly and began to ask. "Do you want to get out of here?"

I nodded in amusement as he pulled my wrist.

I could feel myself falling into a pit that would make me fixate on him. The wall he put between us may have shattered with each of his gestures. It was easy like that.

I believe there was that one song that played in my head when we'd run off into the night. His favorite spots became mine, I was thankful for the escape.

Time was quick enough to remind me that something was yet to be found about my mother and father.

Absolutely nothing.

Ronald had several calls with FBI agents, but they still had nothing to share until one evening, when a call reached Diana in her work room.

I remember her whispering during the call. She didn't seem happy nor sad. She rather seemed pleased. Her eyes stared into space as she listened to what the other voice on the call said. I watched her silently, observing the emptiness her eyes resembled and the smug look on her face.

She then ended the call with a very huge "Okay, thank you very much." I ran back to the sitting room, joining everyone else, as if I didn't hear anything more than Diana's loud footsteps.

Diana seemed a bit different now. She had a frown on her face, and her lips parted as they shivered. "Girls, Your parents were-" she randomly broke down in tears.

Ronald walked up to her and said it for her. "I also received a call, and it's been investigated that your parent's ashes were found." I couldn't hear anything more when Ronald was speaking.

Aches?

Everything and more was a blur to me; I couldn't even hear my sister crying. I stood still with nothing more than disbelief. I could see Austin speaking right before me with his hands on my shoulders, but I couldn't hear or feel his touch.

I froze with nothing more than memories of my parents. I couldn't even feel the tears that ran down my face endlessly.

I think that was the drastic change to everything. That is where it all started.

Diana and Ronald would be guardians of Kimberly and me, so we were both enrolled in Austin's school.

I would walk through the hallways alone if Austin wasn't at his father's business meetings. He was constantly there, as Diana didn't take the rumors of Austin and me dating to heart.

Kimberly had friends of her own, which seemed like a good distraction for her, unlike me, who got envied by most girls who believed Austin and I were dating.

Who dares to date the ultimate bad boy who doesn't speak to any of the girls that throw themselves at him ? Me, apparently.

"There's a boy at your school you could try talking to." Diana offered. It was an ultimate move for a rich, well-known CEO who had a son at the school.

Diana could do anything to get her where she wants to be. I've tried escaping her, but sadly not with my sister.