Secret Silver | hiatus

ix. for my mother

When I awoke, it was not to the usual alarm I'd set for myself, but to the unmistakable aroma of coffee overwhelming my senses. Sunlight poured through a small window in the wall, the bright rays kissing my face and illuminating the small studio room. I brought my arms over my head and stretched, letting my body soak in the sweet warmth of the sun. 

What am I doing?

I jolted up and pulled the curtains down, drowning the room in darkness. Placing one hand on my throbbing head, and another on the journal that I'd held to my chest in the night, I searched the room until I spotted Silas standing across the room, leaned against the wall. His left hand was wrapped around a cup of coffee and his right held up a comic book, in which he was deeply immersed.

He was dressed head to toe in clean clothing, his hair lacking any sign of grease and a backpack laid on the ground by his feet. Another cup of coffee sat next to where I slept.

With one hand on my throbbing head, I cursed myself for getting up so quickly.

"Good Morning." Silas smiled when he saw that I was awake. He folded his comic book in half and tucked it inside his backpack, walking towards me. In my haste to get up, I hadn't thought to throw my pants on before, causing his cheeks to burn a bright crimson at the sight of my bare legs.

"Where did you go?" I narrowed my eyes, swiping my pants off of the floor and stepping into them, followed by my jacket.

His smile faltered and he picked up the coffee that was on the ground, holding it out for me to take.

No matter how angry I wanted to be at Silas in that moment, my body betrayed my thoughts. I hadn't drank coffee in weeks, simply because I didn't want to spend money on it, but now, the cup in his hands was too tempting not to take. Annoyance still on my features, I accepted the cup holding its warmth close to my chest. The last time I drank coffee had been with my mother, and every time I was reminded of her, I felt vulnerable.

Sipping the bittersweet drink, I enjoyed the way that it spread warmth across my body, awakening my senses, and then snapped back to reality.

"I needed a shower." He shrugged, gulping when he saw that my eyes narrowed even more. "I needed some things from home and I didn't want to wake you..."

I was such a light sleeper that even the sound of the floor creaking would wake me up, so I was shocked and annoyed that I'd slept through him sneaking out.

"You're not allowed to go anywhere until I say so, got it?"

My words squeezed their way through my gritted teeth as I gathered up my belongings into my own backpack. 

"But I couldn't sleep, so—"

"Do you see where you're standing right now? Do you not remember what happened last night?"

I stepped closer to him with each word, my voice growing out of anger at his carelessness. If he did get hurt, his blood would be on my hands. And I couldn't stand the thought of that.

"This isn't a joke, Silas." I was standing close to him now, almost chest-to-chest, peering up at his unreadable face.

"If G.O.L.D. catches you again, they will kill you."

His eyebrows scrunched together, face contorting in confusion. He blinked down at me. 

"Gold?"

I sighed, and instead of answering his question, walked over to the door.

"Let's go."

I swung my backpack over my shoulder and opened the door, holding it for Silas to follow. When I took a step forward, my foot hit what seemed to be a paper envelope. I picked it up cautiously, breathing in relief when I saw the word "Callisto" written in the corner, along with a drawn smiley face.