TRAG!C

Chapter-25

"What happened?" Aria asked worriedly. "I thought I saw Oliver." He said, still staring at the wall of a house. "Oliver?" "Yeah, the guy Aria introduced in the cafe." He replied to me. I hummed and looked there. "There was no one Aks." Ruby said in a low voice. He looked at her smiling as he talked, "I must be hallucinating. Don't worry." He looked to all of us as we returned the smile. If Oliver was there, we would have seen him due to the fact we were looking there. Maybe he WAS hallucinating. I took a deep breath as we returned to our respective homes.

***

We were invited to Matt's home for the Christmas Eve dinner as Christmas is his favorite celebration and we all thought it would be a good idea to spend a few hours with his family showing our love and support for our friend. My new mother and father had bought me and Ruby new clothes for Christmas and we, sure, were going to wear them.

Ruby was given a red velvet tule dress and a matching jacket to keep her warm. She was also given a new pair of black knee length stockings, Ruby red skirt, black and white turtleneck along with a pair of sneakers.

They bought me a red shirt, white pants and red nike shoes. I was also given a red long sleeved dress, a pair of black stockings and a new coat for the cold weather.

I planned on wearing the long sleeved dress with the stockings and coat while Ruby was wearing the red velvet tule dress. I brushed her hair thoroughly and tied up in a pony tail with the help of a red ribbon she had while she styled my hair in a simple and humble way. We put a bit of make up and dressed in our outfits. We went down after doing a final touch up. I mean, that's what she said.

We saw Damon -ready in a red suit with white t-shirt and white shoes- when we were out of the room. He greeted us with his charming smile as we greeted back saying happy eve.

When we were downstairs, mother and father were already ready- Mother in a long sleeved dress (that looks hella comfy) and dad in white button down shirt and red jeans. Mom was wearing black heels and dad was wearing white shoes. Ruby and I slipped into our shoes and walked out of the house with our parents and Damon, securely locking the door behind.

We got into the car and after a few minutes of staring into the colorful lights that lit up the street, we were at Mathew's home. We all got off and were welcomed by a gorgeous looking Minerva. She was wearing a short red lace dress paired with silver heels. She hugged the women and shook hands with the men as she welcomed us home.

His house looked different. Even though there were glowing bulbs and people pretending to be happy, it was all just an act. Everyone missed him. Everyone truly did. But all had put up a fake smile which was as fake as a three dollar bill.

I was dozed off from my thoughts when somebody hugged me, letting the heat radiating to me. I looked at the person to see Aria looking as beautiful as she has ever been. I hugged her back, inhaling her scented talc as well as receiving her heat. We broke off the hug after a few minutes even though we both didn't wanted to. She hugged Ruby and greeted everyone else in enthusiasm. She was dressed in a cute red knee length dress which had a rose around her waist. She was wearing a pair of knee length red socks and white shoes, her hair in a side braid and a bit of make up lingering her face.

I turned away to see two familiar faces and two not-so-familiar faces which I claimed to be Aria's parents. I made my way over them, closely followed by Ruby, and did our greetings. There was a younger version of Aria, standing next to her mother, who I assume to be her little sister.

"Lia, these are my friends. Janet and Rubedium." Aria gestured to us as she introduced. "I figured," she said as she turned to us, raising her hand as if she was going to shake our hands. I took it and shook as she introduced herself, "Alia Weldon, pleasure meeting you." She was speaking as if she was a royal. She was acting as if she was one. Her posture, her speaking, her swift movement. She was ten years old but her behavior would make the government jealous. I mean, she was perfect. Literally perfect.

I didn't realized she was done with greeting until she passed a comment, "don't study me Jan, you are not going to pass exams." Aria coughed as Ruby stared at her unbelievably. "I doubt anyone would if you are in exam hall as all will be mesmerized by your beauty." I replied to her, in a span of seconds, as I looked at her. Her eyes twinkled in happiness, making it much more beautiful, and her voice was different when she spoke the next few words, "I like her." She was hugging me and, even though I was slightly surprised by that action, I hugged her back.

We soon settled down, talking to each other and joking around when a bell disturbed us. Knowing it was Akshay, we turned in our seats to look at the door which was being opened by Ruby and welcomed a different person. Our eyebrows shot up when the olive green eyes looked at us and gave a toothy smile. "Hey Oliver!" Minnie greeted and hugged him, after which she ruffled his hair. "Oh no, my style." He said, mimicking pain in his voice and acting as if he was setting his messy hair which doesn't seem different after the ruffling.

"Why are you here?" Aria shot him with a question as soon as he settled near us after greeting everyone present there. "I can be friends with whoever I want Aria." As soon as he murmured the reply, he engaged himself in the conversation held by the dads. We looked at each other confusion spreading among us.

***

After an hour of our arrival, the bell rang again. We hoped it would be our little boy Akshay and as soon as the door opened and he stepped in, we three girls hugged him. Surprised by our action but still glad to be welcomed, he hugged us back. I, through the suffocations suffering through the group hug, managed to mumble out, "you won't believe who is here."

"Actually he will," surprised by the sudden voice, we broke from the hug, "or I hope he will." Oliver finished the sentence by coming for hug. Akshay stepped back holding his hand for a shake which the other guy shook. We were confused on how he heard us but we kept it quiet.

"Hey old buddy, how you doin?" We were snapped out of the thoughts by Monica, who was coming to embrace me. As soon as she was as near to me that she can touch me, Ruby broke the greeting. "No no Monica. We will try being friends but that doesn't mean you can come hug her like you own her. Which you don't." She stepped in front of me and in a low voice she spoke, "no body owns her."

Monica pouted but quickly changed her expression to a normal face as she spoke, "well I shouldn't expect to be forgiven that fast. And as long as little Jan got her girlfriend here, I don't think I would be able to talk with her or amend my mistakes." She smirked as she finished. "Oh let me correct you then and there," Ruby spoke up and the color rising to my face would have gone so well with my dress. "Amend is such a soft term, you should use something more strong. And more applicable. Like... Repair the damages you have done with apologizing and making up." She ended by standing in front of Aria.

"Okay Ruby." Monica said, "I am sorry Janet Luv, wait, uhmm. Janet Celsia Luv, for all the mistakes I have done and I know it's hard to mend a broken bond but, eventually, I hope you will forgive me. And I will make sure nobody is going to bully you, especially that freaking Stone boy. And we will remain friends, in school life and beyond it." She ended her apology giving a genuine smile which I haven't seen in a long time, peeping at me (as an attempt to look) through the now-two figures standing in front of me.

"Oh you girls are so dramatic." Commented the Oliver boy as we all looked at him. "And who are you non-dramatic, non-fun gentleman?" Monica directed the question to which he chuckled. "Don't be so quick to judge lil girl." He remarked, giving a toothy smile. Monica rolled her eyes as she walked towards the rest of the family who were already busy with other stuffs, swaying her long red dress as she moved.

"I thought that amend and to repair the damages are kinda same?" I proposed the question towards Ruby to which she smirked. "She is stupid and the time that will be taken by her to figure what I have told will be a little lot." I smiled as I stood leaving a small space between Ruby and me.

Aria linked her arms with me as I held her closer. We took our other two friends as we walked. Realizing where we were heading to Ruby let out a small sigh while Akshay called out loud enough for someone to notice. "We are going to his room." Suddenly everything went silent as we continued walking. There was a quiet okay from Minerva and that was the only response we got as we made our way towards his room. As I told earlier, everyone do miss him.

More or less, everyone liked him.