Wilted

Chapter 1

"I'm sorry I am late. It was Lily's first day of middle school and she was a total mess." He chuckles as he slowly settles down by the desk. I inwardly smile at the love and affection he has towards his family. Jayden Black has a sweet family of six people which comprises his parents, a little sister, and a set of twin boys. I've been to his house many times now, provided that I've been friends with Jayden for over 6 years. Not once did I feel unwelcome in that house.

"She had been fretting about it for over a week. 'What if other people don't like me? What do I do if I get bullied? What if people play dirty pranks on me?' God, are these the things a 10-year-old should worry about these days? Anyways, I told her that if anyone ever bullied her, she better let me know because I'm gonna whoop their sorry asses." He says flamboyantly. This adorable rant of his earned him a soft chuckle from my side. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You think I can't whoop their asses?"

'You wouldn't hurt a fly even if you wanted to. Forget about whooping a bunch of kids.' I laugh.

" I can be a meanie too, alright?" He scoffs. I hold a gentle smile as I shake my head at the nonsense he blabbered. It's really hard to get on Jayden's bad books. He just loves people in general. Every kid in this school is friends with him. It's just so easy for him to blend into the crowd. Effortless. It's a God-given gift. I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of his personality. I could never in a million years be anywhere close to being like him. If being mute wasn't worse, then being a wallflower definitely is.

"Hey" he softly whispers to me and taps on my shoulder.

"Mom was asking about you. It's been a few weeks since you've come over. Lily and the twins really miss you." He smiles.

'Me? Why would they miss me when they have the best big brother anyone could ever ask for?' I nudge him. He rolls eyes and ruffles my hair with an adoring smile.

****

I securely wrap my arms around Jayden's torso as he brings his death machine of a motorbike to life. I was never a fan of motorbikes. But for some reason, having Jayden this close to me gives me a sense of feeling protected, a blanket of warmth covers me. I take a deep breath in and hold on to him tight till we finally reach his home. He helps me get off and we head to the door.

"HAYDON! HUNTER! GET YOUR TINY BUTTS RIGHT HERE BEFORE I COME THERE!" I hear Mrs Black screaming at the top of her lungs as soon as we get inside.

"Mom, what the hell is going on?" Jayden perplexedly asks his mother.

"Oh, Jay I don't know what to say! These twins are driving me crazy, they released a dozen of gross looking beetles onto Mrs Hopper's garden to scare her cats away. And now she's really pissed and expects them to apologise to her for rattling her cats." Mrs Black retorts lifelessly.

"Ugh her cats do annoy the shit out of us." He rolls his eyes.

"Jayden! They are just 7, they shouldn't be such a pain in the butt at such a young age. I don't know where I went wrong. How did they get so mischievous?"

"Don't worry mom I'll go see what they're up to," Jayden says as he swiftly climbs up the stairs to check on his siblings.

Mrs Black sighs leaning against the railing of the staircase, holding her head in her hand. She lets a deep breath out before moving her gaze towards me.

"Oh, my Daisy! I didn't see you there dear." She rushes to my side and engulfs me in a warm, motherly hug. She kisses both my cheeks and cups my face.

"How's my girl doing today?"

'I am good Mrs Black. I am really sorry that the twins are giving you a hard time.' I sign.

"Oh, Daisy how many times do I tell you? Please call me Rose! Mrs Black makes me feel really old. Moreover, I was never a big fan of the surname 'Black'."

"What'd you say there, sweetheart?" A deep voice interjects our conversation. I turn back to see Jayden's father, Jackson making his way towards us.

"If I clearly remember, you were the one who was desperate enough to get married so that you could change your name 13 years ago." He smirks as he slides his hands across Rose's waist. I've always admired their pair. Rose is a sweet, short, chubby woman who adores her family while Mr Black is a grumpy looking giant who is actually a total teddy bear on the inside.

"Well, I do have certain regrets." Rose sighs dramatically before leaning towards her husband tantalisingly. He shakes his head amusingly before acknowledging my presence.

"Heyy sweetheart. How are you doing?" He ruffles my hair before giving me one of his best smiles.

'I am good Mr Black, I was just talking to Rose about how hard your twins are driving her crazy.'

"What? What'd the boys do now?" He inquires and patiently listens to his wife go on about their sons' implausible behaviour. Mr. Black holds an adoring smile as he sees his wife ranting.

I would die to be a part of this family. Jayden is very blessed that he's got such loving parents. I've just known these people for a couple of years and they are already like my own parents to me. They've even gone out of their way to learn the sign language....

Just so that I don't feel left out at this home.