The End of The Beginning

Chapter 44

Chapter 44:

            Henry covered his mouth. "Did I just say that?" I nodded my head slowly, at a loss for words. Henry is shaking his head, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. I stood up straight.

            I calmly walked away from the scene, walking towards Grace and her friends. They seem to be doing some form of arts and crafts. I think she's holding a glittering bow and arrow...I don't even want to know. Beaming up at me, she runs her hand through her golden blonde hair, causing a rainbow of sparkled to appear. She shakes her head and I'm showered in sparkles. Smiling at how happy a child can be, I walk away and enter my dystopia world.

            I enter the bedroom that I used when I was here before. Jumping onto the bed, I relax, running thoughts through my head. After a while, sleep envelops me and welcomes me into its arms like the friend I never had. Accepting its invitation gratefully, I drift though waves of dreams and nightmares that I won't ever remember.

            I'm not sure how long I was asleep but I slowly wake up when I hear a door creak open. I keep my eyes closed, not wanting to have to socialize. Someone sits by my bed and begins speaking. I recognize Henry's voice and I fight the urge to punch him.

            "Hey buddy, I know you're asleep. It's been a day already and Rose is beginning to worry. She's fine, don't worry. Gavin used his superhuman powers to fix her and stuff." I dreaded his casualty at a time like this. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for not telling you about my family earlier. I was forced to be your friend and I hated that I had to hang out with such a nerd. You may not know this, though, but when you were gone...I read those books you lent me a few years ago and I really liked them. So I guess I'm a nerd now," I could hear him smiling and I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, Mr. Stone is my dad. Mr. Grey is only a clone or maybe it's the other way around." He closed his eyes. "I only met him after you disappeared. My family is awful, Owen, really awful." I risked opening one eye a little only to catch Henry wipe off a tear. "I want to rebel. Let me join you guys, at least help me. I need to be with Rose, I know you understand. It's like Grace, but Rose is older than I am. So, between you and me...well between me and your sleeping body, I really don't hate you, I just envy you. I've always known you were special, my mom talked about you every second of every damn day." He smiled through tears, making a sound that almost sounded like a laugh.

"I'm not cheating myself in to this, I really want...I...I don't know. I need to be away. I won't let my past define me, that I will promise." He got up and left the room. I tried to memorize his words, rolling them over in my head over and over again. At least we have one thing in common: We both love Rose.

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            I walked out into the living room to find Grace hanging out with a kid who looks so much like Kyle it's uncanny and Gavin is wearing an apron that says 'Kiss the Cook' (nothing doing, mate), Kyle is eyeing his, what I assume is, brother and trying to give him mental messages. At the other side of the room, I see Rose and Henry speaking in hushed tones.

            "Oi, sleeping beauty has awoken," Gavin over enunciated his words to make sure his accent stood out. Winking at me, he put an omelet on a plate and handed it to me. "Eat it, kiddo. You've been out for a day, with all those dreams you had to have worked up an appetite." I looked at him quizzically, how did he know I was dreaming? I gratefully took it, my stomach rumbling at the sight of it.

            I walked over to where Kyle was sitting. "Don't eat that." He hissed.

"Why?" I asked, cutting a bite.