Seeing Clearly

Chapter Four

“Now I'm a walking contradiction, so tell me what's wrong with this picture” Temporary (Paramore)

“You’re insane if you think me or Alaya, are going to let you do that Ben!”

Aiden jumped as Lily walked out of the house, a cordless phone was cradled on her shoulder as she brushed a piece of dark hair back from her face. She brought her right hand back up to the phone and turned so she was facing her driveway.

Aiden bent down and placed his hands on his knees, his breathe coming out in short rasps, one of his ear buds was hanging down his front by the other was still blaring Led Zeppelin in his ear. He stood up and stretched, pulling his left elbow over his head and holding it before repeating the motion with his right. A thin stream of sweat trickled down the side of his face and neck.

He opened his zippered track jacket and pulled his I-pod out, checking his running time, four miles in just under an hour. The sound of feet joined his music and Lily’s irritated voice. He looked up to see Danielle running past the house. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail that waved behind her as she ran. Aiden watched as she ran by and frowned.

She had passed him at least twice when he was out, she must have done more than a mile by now, she had been doing that all summer, exercising more then she really needed to; once almost to the point of injury.  She didn’t need to; in his opinion, but he was biased being her brother. She was slender and had the build of the tennis player she was, lightly muscled arms and legs.

Although the Klemin’s siblings looked somewhat alike, they were both adopted. Aiden and Danielle were both sixteen, Aiden being older by three months-a fact he never let Danielle forget. They both had varied shades of blonde hair; his darker, preferring a more brown hue and her’s completely golden blonde. Aiden’s eyes were a deep green whereas Danielle had light blue ones. They had both been adopted when they were about two.

Aiden had to qualms about his birth parents; his mother was a druggie -who as far as he was concerned was right to give him away- and he didn’t know or want to know who his father was. Danielle on the other hand was curious; although she would never voice her questions to her Adopted mom for fear of hurting her feelings.

“Benjamin Liam O’Connor! You listen to me this instant young man”

Aiden started again as Lily’s voice grew louder. O’Connor? That as Alaya’s last name, his mom has told he and Danielle about Alaya coming to live with Lily a few months ago. He remembered laughing at how Irish sounding her last name was. It suited her red hair, he thought ruefully as an image of the girl next door came to mind. Her tan skin was an exact match to Lily’s; she was unique mix of Greek and Irish.

“You are going to stay at that school until break or so help me”

“Eavesdropping?” Danielle’s voice shook Aiden from his thoughts. He quirked an eyebrow at her as she inhaled and exhaled heavily, “What ever gave you that idea?”

Danielle let out a shaky laugh and raised her hand over her head, waving to Lily who had turned around now. Lily raised a hand back in a distracted manner before starting to pace across the small porch.

“I didn’t know Alaya had a brother” Aiden commented, aware that he had just proved Danielle’s point that he had in fact been eavesdropping. Danielle twisted the cap off a water bottle that suddenly appeared in her hand and shook her head.

“Yeah, he goes to the University of British Columbia. He’s nineteen, I think” She said commented quietly before taking a long drink. Aiden waited for her to finish before asking his next question.

“How do you know these things?”

Danielle grinned. “The vent from the kitchen goes right up to my room; I can hear everything when Mom’s on the phone or having a glass of wine with Lily”

Aiden pulled his arms over his head and whistled. “That explains how you always know where Mom’s surprise family bonding days are going to be”

Danielle nodded and took another drink from her water bottle before Aiden swiped it and poured the rest into his mouth. She glared at him as he winked at her and mouthed “Thanks sis”

She smacked him half heartedly as she watched Lily. Alaya walked out of the house as Lily spun on her heel for another round pacing.

“Give me the phone, Lily” Alaya said with a resigned sigh. Her red hair stood out like a light in a dark room. You couldn’t help by notice it.

Lily handed the phone to her and threw her hands over her head with a huff before walking into the house. “Good luck! He’s nearly as stubborn as you!”

Alaya laughed lightly and put the phone up to her ear.  She waited a few seconds before speaking.

“Ben, if you drop your classes this semester to come visit, I’ll show Aunt Lily how much studying you really did last year and I might even tell her about the lovely tattoo you got while you were drunk”

Danielle’s eyes widened as she put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Aiden shook his head as he walked up the front door. “Why do all women resort to blackmail?”

“You really shouldn’t send me pictures; I will use them against you” Alaya said with a small smile on her lips. “And no, I really don’t care if you sent them to me while you were too drunk to know what the hell you were doing”

Danielle smiled and waved at Alaya before lowering her hand quickly. A pang of sympathy shot through her, she couldn’t even fathom what it was like to rely on other people constantly and not be able to see simple things like a neighbour waving at you.

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“Lily”

“Alaya”

“No”

“Yes”

“No”

Lily watched as her niece crossed her arms tightly over her chest and pursed her lips. This conversation was not going to end well for one of them. Lily mirrored Alaya and sighed, before resorting to her last hope.

Bribery.

“One time, go once and if she clears you then you never have to go again”

Alaya snorted. “And what if she doesn’t clear me?”

“Well then you need to be there!” Lily stated. Alaya’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. Lily cringed.

“So you think I need therapy Aunt Lily?”

Strike one, goes to Lily.

Lily threw her hands up in the air. She was twenty-eight years old and arguing with a sixteen year old about going to see a therapist, and not just any sixteen years old. Alaya was probably the single most stubborn teenage girl in the world.

“That’s not what I said Aya, I just think it will help if you talk to someone!”

“If I wanted to talk to someone, I would” Alaya said coldly. Lily’s eyes fell longingly on the wine bottle in the kitchen. This girl was going to turn her into alcoholic.

“You may not want to talk to someone, but you need too!”

“No, I need oxygen, food and water. Talking to shrink is a want, your want actually; not mine”

Strike Two.

Lily bit her lip and eyed the wine bottle again. It was calling to her, she decided. She racked her brain for a way to win this argument.

“If you go to see the shri-therapist, I’ll get a brand new guitar!” Lily tried. It was weak but it was the only thing she had going for her.

“Feel free to buy me a new one, but considering I’m never going to use a guitar every again, it’s going to be waste of your money” Alaya said in a frigid tone.

Strike three and a new problem. Congratulations Lily.