H2O | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Five : Glass Bottles

WARNING : SH*T IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN. PREPARE YOURSELF. (AKA trigger warning)

"And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand"

Xander

12 weeks after Mesi woke up...

"Cheater! Cheater!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up and letting the play money fall from them, creating a snowfall of rainbow paper.

Mesi glared at me, but I could tell it wasn't serious. "You, Sir, are just a sore loser. I won—fair and square."

I eyed her for a second before falling back onto the ground and cracking up. Mesi followed my lead, her head landing just next to mine as our chests heaved and laughter erupted in the quiet house.

We had been playing one round of Monopoly all day—just. One. Round. And after all that, I lost. Like, come on. Seriously? Regardless, I had a lot of fun and I think Mesi did, too. She smiled. It was good to see her smile.

It brought back so many memories, good and sad. All from before Sam died. Neither of us smiled in the time between Sam's death and Mesi's...complications.

Mesi stood up, brushing off imaginary dust from her pants. "I'm going to, uh, make some popcorn. Want any?"

I nodded fervently, like a child being offered candy. Mesi disappeared into the kitchen with an amused look on her face while I sat up, my shirt bunching at my hips.

I grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, flipping through channels in an attempt to find something that wasn't completely mediocre. Not too much luck there. Giving up, I padded into the kitchen in my socks behind Mesi, who had already gotten out a bag of popcorn and was placing it into the microwave.

"What's up?" she asked, turning to me. I was a bit taken aback. The way she said it was so...serious. Shaking my head, I pushed the thought away—I was reading too much into things.

With a flick of my head, I got my hair out of my eyes. "Nothing. What's up with you?"

Out of nowhere, it seemed like the playful atmosphere from before had banished. Was Mesi upset about something? Was that why she asked me, so I would ask her? Geez, girls are way too complicated.

I heard a ding!, and both of our heads turned to the microwave. I was about to pull it open when Mesi stopped me, putting her hand on my shoulder. There was still time counting down on the clock—the popcorn wasn't ready yet. I furrowed my brow, confused, when the ding! sounded again.

The doorbell.

Who was it? As far as I knew, nobody was supposed to be coming over. I hadn't talked to Gabe or Jake in a while and I didn't think they even knew where I lived. I didn't really like taking people to my house.

Mesi jumped up from where she was leaning on the counter. "I'll get it!" There was something in her voice that I didn't have the time to catch in such a short sentence.

I heard the door open, and I could feel the cold swoosh of air from my place in kitchen.

A third ding! went off, but this time it really was the microwave signaling that the popcorn was finished cooking. I grabbed a bowl from one of the over-counter cabinets and let the contents of the hot popcorn bag spill into it.

As I walked to the front door to see what was up, I popped a couple pieces in my mouth. "Who is i—"

I stopped in my tracks. Mesi was crying. Why was she crying? My eyes traveled over her body, and then over the one next to her and my stomach dropped.