˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚
𝟎𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝟐𝟎𝐗𝐗
"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Vian!!
Happy Birthday to you!" Cassandra and Mia wished Vian on his 15th birthday when Vian woke up to the sweetness-filled wishes and lovely faces of his family instead of the sun rays finding its path- crawling from between the blind shields.
"Thank you, Mom, thank you little Mia, I love you the most," Vian said with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
The past few years have been so exhausting for him, rather for Cassandra and Mia as well. The continuous pressure of studies put by his father in the form of vicious taunts along with the everyday unwanted quarrels and fights initiated by his father with his mom whether due to lack of money or just his mood, they knew that they were all screwed by living with John.
Vian and Mia were not small kids, they had grown up, yet they were treated as naive kids, the punishments for them were the same. They all were afraid of John's attitude, as they were ignorant of when he would get angry and get all psycho mad at them.
This shouting became their everyday thing, even they didn't know when they got used to it. But one thing was clear yet ignored- they didn't deserve all of John's bullshit and wrath.
For the past few days, Vian was a little happy. And the reason- was that John and Vian had a fight over some useless issue and his father abandoned him. They were living under one roof, yet they acted as the other person didn't exist.
The idea of not talking to his father and ignoring him on his face like he didn't exist amused Vian with happiness.
Seeing Vian happy with this made Cassandra have ominous feelings. She could guess that it was not good, Vian's careless attitude showed signs of...depression.
Coming back to Vian's birthday, around 7 or so in the evening when Cassandra came back from work, Vian ran with teary eyes towards her.
"What happened Vian? Why are you crying on your special day, huh?" Cassandra asked with a worried expression on her face.
"Mom, Mia and I haven't e-eaten anything s-since morning... Dad said he won't cook anything," Vian responded, catching his breath with sobbing eyes.
"Vian, you should have called me, I would have ordered something," Cassandra replied with a worried expression. She wasn't shocked at the revelation of John not making food, as this was not new for them.
"Dad told Mia if we try to make anything or order something, he would burn all of it. He also said that we should die as early as possible."
"What? How dare he-" Cassandra's heart was filled with sorrow, seeing her children in a helpless condition. She stormed towards her bedroom only to find John sleeping peacefully.
"Don't you have any responsibility towards our kids? Have you even wished Vian for his birthday?" Cassandra shouted.
"This bastard lives or dies, I don't care, and for the world to know, I posted a picture of this filthy child on webgram. What should I do more?" John replied like he didn't even care.
"Why didn't you cook anything?" Cassandra asked, glaring at him while controlling the tears brimming in her eyes, ready to fall.
"Why should I? Am I their slave? They have hands, let them make food themselves."
"Are you in this house just to have fun? You know that kids are studying, and they need a proper diet-"
"Don't speak against me otherwise, I'll cut that mouth of yours," John shouted.
"Don't talk to Mom like that, you are- you are a piece of shit!" Vian snapped with red eyes fuming with anger, tears overflowing down his cheeks directly hitting the ground.
"What did you say?" John was triggered to his max level and the next thing was a tight slap on Cassandra's face with lots of curse words along.
Mia was standing there, witnessing everything. She wanted to raise her voice and stop her dad, but she couldn't, the only thing she did was try to control her emotions which became the cause of a deadly condition.
At night, Vian tried not to whimper in pain, sobbing continuously, after getting uncountable whips from his father, resulting in marks and cuts on his face apparently for his 'mistake'.
Those cuts and marks, which are still visible under his skin.
"I hate him," Vian whispered in the pillow and went into another nightmare.
˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚
"Vian."
"Vian!" Casey lightly shook my shoulder to get me out of that memory. I found myself sitting at the study table and water droplets trying to come from the side of my eyes.
"Hey! How are you feeling? Wait-Did you sleep yesterday? Did you take your medicines?" She asked.
"I couldn't... and I will take them r-right now," I replied, getting together the scattered sheets into a neat pile.
"Here, I knew you wouldn't have taken them," she said and handed me the medicines and a glass of warm water.
Gulping down the medicines with just a sip of water, I sighed heavily. It feels like my life plays with me, I need to take medicines to come out of my worst memories.
"Let's watch a movie tomorrow?" She asked in an unusual tone while caressing my hair.
"I don't know if I would come, as I have somewhere to go," I stated and cleared my throat.
"Let me guess, finally you are going to ask her out!" She clapped her hands in excitement.
"It's not that, I was just thinking of going, you know?"
"I absolutely know! The way you got jealous yesterday after seeing her with Xavier, I knew it! Just admit that you like her!" She exclaimed.
"I was not jealous, and I don't like anyone, I- I just feel...feel comfortable with her...like I trust her for I don't know what reason, she's...she's so-"
"Okay, Mr. Lover boy, I completely got your point," she laughed as all the words came out of my mouth as a mere whisper.
"And for the record, I was just asking you for the movie to see how I sound when I ask someone," she said and dramatically flipped her hair.
I gave her a small smile and didn't say anything. "Now get ready, we have to be at the university, okay?" She said and left my room.
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
I dropped Casey at the university gate and drove the car towards the dormitory, which was just 5 minutes away from the university.
Just as I reached there and parked my car, I saw Pri-... I mean Josephine coming out of the main gates like a kangaroo hopping in mini. Seeing her childish nature always aroused a positive feeling in me.
"H-hey!!" I waved my hand at her.
"Hey!! Let me guess, you were passing by~" she said with big eyes and squinted them while laughing.
I was nearly exposed. "Uh-yeah, actually I-" I started to blabber when she stopped me.
"Let's walk and talk, then?"
"Yeah, sure," I said and kept the car keys in my back pocket with an unknown smallest smile on my face enough for her not to notice.
"Uh- sorry, my phone's battery died yesterday, that's why I didn't reply-"
"It's fine, I'm glad that we talk normally now? Wait- I sounded rude, sorry," she replied to me and then to herself.
"I- uh, umm... I want to ask you something!" I gathered the courage and went for it.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Are you free tomorrow? Like after college? Or maybe before?" I asked and internally cringed at how I was speaking.
"Yeah, I will come to the library," she said, nodding her head.
I can't talk more than this.
"Huh? No, not the library, like somewhere else..."
"Oh!" She said and continued after a silent pause, "... yeah, sure," she spoke turning her head towards the other side, but I could see a small smile forming on her face.
"You can smile openly, I like it when you smile," I said bluntly. I need to keep my mouth shut.
"I'm not smiling, it's just my face has a charm," she replied and laughed.
"Yeah, right!... does anyone ever tell you that your cheek muscles move drastically whenever you smile even a little. I can easily tell when you smile. Uh-no offense to you, my sister had a similar smile, and it's cute."
"Huh? Yeah...don't pick on me!" she said and gave me two tiny punches playfully on my shoulder.
I found myself laughing openly...rather freely. And It would be so unfair to my destiny to say that... I was feeling...happy.
"Your sister?"
"Yeah, that's a talk for some other day.
Any place you have in mind? Like you always wanted to go?" I asked, changing the topic quickly.
"Umm... I don't know Xavier and me-"
"Umm, I am asking you..." I said after clearing my throat at his name. I am not jealous, by the way.
"Hmm...bungee jumping?" She asked with a playful smirk, to which I choked on my saliva and took a big gulp.
The look on her face said that she was enjoying my misery. Honestly, I didn't know if I was scared of heights or not as I never experienced any of it but since she suggested the place for the very first time, I couldn't deny it.
"Wait- I was just kidding-" she said, seeing my face.
"I'll plan all out, don't worry," I said.
Shit, I sounded like it's a date. She smiled with wide eyes and whispered an inaudible okay.
We reached the university and went for our classroom. I was standing behind her when she got startled.
"Do you need anything?" She asked.
"Slide towards the other side," I gestured for her to move, and I sat down beside her.
She smiled in confusion, reminding me of Mia. I was glad that it didn't trigger any memory.
I wondered if it was the medicines I took or her presence.
"Why is he acting like a jajdbfjsjjs" she whispered something to herself which I couldn't understand.
"Like?"
─•❉᯽❉•─
🦋Thoughts?