Ever After

Chapter Three

It was for that reason that the girl consistenly bugged me with questions about my childhood best friend and the rest of the members of the band, though most of the time I just replied with really short answers which probably made Abbie want to punch me out.

"First of all," I said holding up my index finger. "Watch your language. Second, I never said I hated Vincent, I just said I disliked him. And lastly," I was holding up three fingers now. "It's none of your business, Abbie."

Abbie grinned evilly. "So are you like dating him now?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows (something that she actually learnt from Vincent).

"Yes, Abbie," I replied, sarcastically. "I'm dating the guy who basically said I was ugly on national television almost a year ago."

"Oh, wow," Abbie said as she turned off the television. "You're still holding a grudge on him because of that?" She blew a piece of her brunette hair out of her eyes as she looked at me.

I crossed my arms. My little sister was so nosy that it's still a wonder to me how I haven't slammed her face with a frying pan yet. 

"Shut up, brat," I snapped, turning around.

"Do you like him?!" Abbie shouted after me.

"Nope!" I shouted back.

"Did you use to like him? Like the more than a friend."

I stopped walking, closed my eyes, and grabbed the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"Carson?"

I didn't even hear my sister, I was just trying to block all those stupid memories from grade eight up to the time Vincent and his band left for New York City. I refused to even think about it.

"Hello?!" Abbie persisted.

I turned around and sighed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're an annoying little brat?" I asked.

Abbie smiled. "One or twice," she responded, sarcastically. "But don't try to change the subject. Now, did you or did you not have some sort of crush on Vincent Gray?" She then narrowed her eyes at me at an attempt to break down my walls, but like always, it didn't work.

"No," I lied.

I expected Abbie to see right through me but she just shrugged and turned around. Abbie didn't even say anything, not even a rude remark, as she turned on the television and flipped through the channels again. 

I stared at my little from where I was standing like she had just grown two heads, but I just rolled my eyes and went back into the kitchen.

Little sisters were so weird.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I cleared my throat as I began to strum my acoustic guitar.  "Where are you now? I can't seem to get you off my mind-- "     

"Carson?" My mom said as she opened the door of bedroom and poked her head in. Her eyes widened when she saw that I was holding my guitar. "Oh! Are you writing another song?"

I sighed as I got off from my chair and placed my guitar on the bed. I then looked towards my mom, who was a petite fifty-year-old lady. 

Looking at her, no one would have assumed that she was my mother. After all, she had dirty blonde hair that had a few greys in them and her eyes were a beautiful shade of green. The only thing Abbie and I picked up from her would be her unnaturally pale skin complexion-- everything else, we inherited from our father who was Filipino.

"No," I replied as I scratched my head. "I was just fooling around."

My mother laughed as she walked into my room. "If you say so."                  

"So," I said, sitting on the hard mattress while looking at my mother who looked distressed. "What brings you into my lair?"

It took a moment or so for my mother to realize I had spoken. When she finally did, however, she blinked. "Oh," she finally said. "D-did you say something, Carson?"

I nodded slowly. "I was asking you what you were doing in my room," I repeated slowly just to make sure my mother heard me right. "And that is....?"

"Oh, right!" My mother responded as she sat beside me. She smiled slightly. "I have something to tell you."

"I can get my nose pierced?" I grinned.

My mother rolled her eyes as she flicked my head. "In your dreams," she replied. "But the Gray's have invited us over for dinner tomorrow night. And I want you to come along. Dress nicely, alright?"                           

I frowned. "Oh, that?" I asked. "I already know."

My mom narrowed her eyes at me. "How...?"

I shrugged. "Vincent told me..."

"Oh, right, right!" My mother replied with a grin. "So you saw him today? Did you hang out or something?" She nudged me in the stomach the same way she did when I told her I had my first kiss and I actually blushed a little bit.

I rolled my eyes as I got up. "I'm taking a shower..."

"And oh, you got a letter from University of Toronto--"

I spun around. "Where?" I almost shouted with wide eyes.

My mother was taken back by the tone of my voice. "On the kitchen counter--"

I didn't even let her finish her sentence because I was out of my room within seconds. As I dashed through the tight corridor, I made my way through the small living room and into the kitchen. Searching frantically, my eyes finally came upon a big brown envelope sitting on the kitchen counter. I could see the logo of the University on it and my heart was thumping against my chest. 

University of Toronto was one of the best universities in the world and in that moment, i honestly believed that that letter could ultimately make or break me.

"Open it, already!" Abbie urged, walking into the kitchen.

I bit my lips as I grabbed the envelope.

"For Christ's sake, let me read it," Abbie responded as she grabbed the envelope from my hands and literally ripped it open.

"Hey!"

Abbie rolled her eyes as she pulled out the paper and started to scan through it. Her eyes stopped scanning the paper for a moment as her lips turned into a scowl. Her eyebrows then started to crease in confusion as she scan the paper again making sure she had read it right.

"What does it say?" I asked, slowly.

Abbie sighed as she handed me the paper. "I don't think I should be the one telling you," she looked at me with a meaningful look and heart dropped. "Read it for yourself."

"Oh god," I mumbled as I quickly snatched it out of her hands as I quickly scanned the paper. The minute I finished reading it, my face fell.

"I-I'm sorry, Carson," Abbie said, slowly.

My mother came walking into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "So, did my little star get into University?" She asked, cheerfully.

I looked at her and slammed the piece of paper onto the table . "I got accepted," I replied as I walked around her.  "But I didn't get a scholarship."