‘The bond that links you to your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life’ –Richard Bach
“Mother!” I yelled, “I’m going over to Adrian’s house, apparently he needs my help for something!” Mother yelled out something in affirmation and I made my way over to Adrian’s house. I still felt kind of strange to have my parents back, even after a few weeks. I knocked twice and he immediately opened the door.
“What do you need help for Game Boy?” I asked.
“Um,” he scratched the back of his neck nervously, “Come inside and I’ll tell you.” I asked no questions and followed him inside. I felt something wrap around my leg as I entered the kitchen and looked down to find Lucy, Adrian’s 4 year old sister, hugging me.
“Hello little Lucy,” I said softly.
“Are you a fairwy?” she asked in awe, “Because you pwetty!”
“Of course I’m a fairy Lucy, do you want me to make you pretty too?”
“Will I be as pwetty as you?”
“You will be more pretty than the most pretty fairy ever!” I reassured her and she giggled before leaving me to follow her up to her room.
“This is what you needed help with isn’t it?” I stated bluntly.
“Yeah, I'm not very good with kids,” Adrian said sheepishly.
“Obviously,” I scoffed and went towards Lucy’ bedroom.
Her room was not filled with pink or purple nor was it filled with fairies or princesses. It was red and had drawings everywhere. Her bed filled out one corner of her room and in the other was a table filled with pencils and paint and half finished pictures that were incredibly good for a four year old. Gently steered her onto a chair and started working on her. Lucy was surprisingly chatty and we talked as I worked on twisting her hair into perfection and painting her nails with a glossy shine. Finally I dressed her in a sky blue dress and placed little white flower clips in her braided hair. When Lucy looked in her full length mirror she squealed so loudly that Adrian came rushing up the stairs in panic.
“Is everything alright?” he demanded.
“Yes Adwian! Ashee made me even prettier than her!” Lucy exclaimed. I laughed a proper laugh and Adrian smiled a real smile. We both stayed behind as she ran downstairs.
“You know, I don’t think I have ever heard laugh properly before. Usually it's kind of forced,” he said.
“Well I don’t think I have ever really seen you smile properly before.”
“I haven’t seen you really smile before either.”
“I don’t have much to smile about,” I muttered.
“You have so much to smile about!” Adrian exclaimed.
“And what would that be, Game Boy?” I said sarcastically.
“Is the fact that I'm your friend not enough?”
“Obviously not. Now come one, Lucy is waiting for us,” I replied, a smile tugging at my lips. As we were walking down the stairs Adrian spoke again.
“Most girls would want more than friendship with me.”
“I'm not anything like other girls Game Boy,” I said. Little did he know that maybe I did want something more than friendship with him but my feelings were one sided. He would never want to be with anything with someone like me. Besides he only saw me as a project to complete and toss when the results came back. And I couldn’t deal with the heartbreak when he inevitably broke up with me even if it ever got that far.
I spent the next few hours entertaining Lucy as well as watching Adrian fail at numerous tasks his sister set for him, such as dress ups and skipping, so I went home ready for some me time.
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I was sitting in my bed and reading my latest book at some ungodly hour of the night. The book was frustrating me to no ends because the characters kept making stupid mistakes and they hurt themselves emotionally as well as physically in the process. The way the chapter ended angered me so much that I threw the 700 page hard backed book across the room. Someone half yelled a curse from the direction that I threw the book and I looked over in curiosity. Adrian was clutching his head in cursing softly in pain, glaring at me in the process.
“What was that for?” he whisper yelled at me.
“Don’t get me started,” I replied as I walked over to my desk and grabbed one of my knives as well as the sharpening tool. “Stupid book characters do stupid things and I get too emotionally attached to them so when something bad happens to them I get easily frustrated.”
“Clearly,” Adrian muttered, “And who knew that hard covered books could be a potential weapon?”
“Now what are you doing in my room at…” I paused to look at the time on my phone, “12:10am without permission?”
“Am I not allowed to see a friend? I could also ask you the same question-what are you doing up at 12:10am reading a book?”
“I don’t sleep very well so when I can't sleep I read, simple as that.”
“Why can't you sleep very well fiammella?” he asked, fishing for clues.
“Nightmares. Now why did you come and see me?” I asked, swiftly changing the subject. He shrugged.
“Like you I couldn’t sleep so I climbed in your window trying to find clues about who you really are,” before I could say anything he held his hand up, “Just let me remind you that you did say I could try and find out but you wouldn’t give me any clues.”
“I have given you more clues than I care to admit Game Boy,” I replied, miffed that he would resort to snooping around my bedroom at midnight. “if you can't see them than your observation skills are sadly lacking the prowess that you claim they have.”
“My observation skills are amazing thank you very much but all I need is a few more clues and I will have you all figured out fiammella.”
“Really?” I said sarcastically as I dropped the knife I was sharpening onto my bed and picked up the book I threw and placed on the top of my very large bookshelf. As I turned around Adrian was much closer than expected and it startled me so much that I took a step backwards and my back hit the bookshelf.
“Oh, I know more about you than you realise fiammella,” he whispered, caressing my cheek with his hand, “The observation skills that you mentioned before really do work to my advantage.”
“How much do you know?” I asked, my voice coming out rather breathlessly for my liking.
“Enough to say that whatever happened to you physically hurt you as well as mentally. That much is obvious from the scar on your back,” he said into my ear as his hand trailed along my back, tracing the hideous scar from top to bottom through my baggy shirt. Why he was doing this I was not quite sure but if this was all I was going to get romantically from him I would take it gladly.
“What two clues do you need?” I asked softly.
“One for each of the events,” he said.
“There is numerous clues inside my bedroom,” I hinted.
“Why are you telling me this?” he said confused.
“Because I think I might be able to trust you. It scares me but I think I really do trust you.”
“Your trust is not something I take lightly,” Adrian said, tipping my chin so that I looked him in his mesmerizing green eyes, “I vow that I shall never willingly betray it.”
“Thank you,” I said so softly that I barely heard myself. Adrian gave me a small smile that lit up his and kissed my cheek. Stunned I didn’t move until he had reached the window. With one last smile he jumped off the window sill and my face started turning pink. Without realising it my fingers brushed the spot where he kissed me and I smiled a real smile.
That night my dreams were without blood coated walls and painful suffering and I didn’t wake up screaming. Maybe Adrian Forsyth was good for me.
I am SO SORRY that I updated late, I just had no time. I just want to thank you all for helping me reach 2.3K READS!!!! You have no idea how fantastic it is to have that many people read a book that started out as just an idea that I thought would go no where. Anyways I have a few good chapters lined up so look out for them! Hope you enjoyed this update because slowly things are moving along!
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