F I R S T O N E G O N E
P A R T O N E
• AMALIA •
My dad zips my coat all the way up, causing the top of the zipper to touch my chin. I frown as he pulls my hand out, then slips gloves onto both of them before standing from his crouching position.
"Dad, it's summer." I say, looking down at the warm clothes he's made me wear. I thought the jumper was enough, but I look ready to go skiing.
Mason looks up from his phone and lets out a small breath of laughter. "Aw." He says before glancing back down.
My frown deepens.
"I don't want you to get cold, sweetheart." My dad tells me.
"But it's sunny." I whisper.
"I know, but the weather might change." He says.
"It probably won't." I reply quietly.
"But it could." He says. At my reluctant and annoyed expression, he sighs. "Fine, take your coat off."
I smile as I unzip it, putting it into his outstretched hand. "Thanks, dad."
He leans down and kisses my cheek. I lean down and take hold of Petals leash before she has a chance to run away from me. She wags her tail and begins to spin around in an attempt to chase it.
My dad wraps me in a side hug. "I'll see you in an hour or two, baby."
"See ya." I say, smiling as I walk over to Mason. He shoves his phone into his pocket and opens the front door. I say goodbye to my dad again before following my older brother out.
Immediately, he grabs onto my hand, holding it in his bigger one and spreading warmth through it. I'm probably going to look like a baby to anyone watching, but I don't mind.
Petal walks calmly alongside me as Mason leads me down the path, then onto the pavement.
We talk for a few minutes until we get to a shop. Mason pushes the door open, holding it for me as I pull Petal inside.
"Go pick something out." Mason says.
I grin and walk over to the chocolate, tilting my head. What do I pick?
I lift Petal up, and she licks my face. I smile before twisting her toward all the options. "What should I get?"
She stares at me, tail wagging.
"Okay." I say quietly, sighing as I set her back down.
A minute or two passes before Mason walks down the aisle. He furrows his eyebrows as he makes his way over to me. "What's taking you so long?" He asks.
"I don't know what to get." I reply.
"What're your options?" He questions, shoving his phone into his pocket.
"An Oreo Cadbury or Wispa Bites."
"Get both." He says.
I smile. "Really?"
"No."
I frown.
He laughs. "I'm kidding, piccolo orsacchiotto." He says. "Pick whatever you want."
(T—Little teddy bear.)
My lips tilt up as I hug him. He wraps an arm around me, planting a kiss in my hair. "Come on, I wanna leave." He says, taking my free hand back in his before grabbing my chocolate. We walk to the till, and he buys the stuff for me, as well as his own things, before putting them into a bag.
We walk to the dog park, going into our own little gated circle and sitting down. I let Petal off her leash, and she immediately begins to sprint around. I giggle.
"Are you excited to go back to school?" He asks me.
I shake my head.
"Why?"
"Cos'."
He smiles. We continue to talk for another half an hour until my dad calls Mason, and after that we go home.
When we walk through the door, my dad steps outside of his study. He grins at me as I let Petal off her leash, then closes the distance between us, wrapping me up in a hug.
"Did you have a nice time on your walk?" He asks.
"Yeah." I say. I smile. "Mason bought me chocolate."
He sets a hand on my shoulder. "Hopefully you're still hungry, then." He says. "Dinner's ready. Everyone's in the dining room."
"Okay." I say, walking into the dining room. My brothers, all conversing amongst themselves as they eat, don't notice me as I walk in and go to my usual chair, beside my fathers.
I look across from me, frowning at the empty chair. I turn to Grayson. "Where's Xander?"
"Out." He replies.
"Where?" I ask.
"He'll tell you when he gets back." He tells me, expression suddenly full of sorrow.
I furrow my eyebrows. "Why can't you just tell me?"
"Because it's none of my business." He replies.
I look away from him.
•
I'm about to go to sleep when there's a knock at my door. Exhaling a large breath, I shout: "come in!"
Xander opens my door, a smile on his face that I return with an even bigger one. "Hi, Amalia." He says.
"Hi!" I exclaim. I tilt my head as he walks toward me, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Where did you go today? Grayson wouldn't tell me."
He sighs softly. "I went to go look for places to live."
My eyes widen. "We're moving?"
His expression softens. "No, I am."
"What?"
"I'm moving out."
My eyes water. When I talk, my voice breaks. "Why?"
He laughs. "I can't stay here forever."
I nod. "Yes you can."
A tear slips down my cheek.
"Amalia." He says softly. "It's okay. I won't be that far away. I'll come visit you all the time."
He reaches out to hug me, but I back away to the headboard. Why is he moving? How are we supposed to eat dinner normally anymore, if there's an empty chair there? How am I supposed to walk past his room and know that there isn't anyone inside?
"If y-you wanna—wanna leave so b-badly then you can go. Go on, leave!" I exclaim. Then, quieter: "I don't care."
His eyes fill with sadness and regret. "Amalia.."
"Leave, then!"
"Sweetheart—"
"I wanna go to bed! Go!"
"Lia, please—"
I climb out of bed quickly, grabbing his wrist. He lets me pull him up, drag him out of my room and shove him outside. He's about to say something, but I do first, tears upon tears rolling down my cheeks. "Have fun in your new house."
I slam the door in his face, locking it.
And then I break down. I crumble onto the floor, sobbing hysterically. I can hear Xander shouting my name, but I ignore him. If he wants to leave me, then he can. It's his life. I hope he has fun.
That's a lie. I hope every place he goes to see has rats in it.
"Amalia?" His unsure voice shouts from the hall. I blank him again, hiding my head in my knees.
I know I never should've gotten attached to any of my brothers, because they're all going to leave me. This is proof of this. Next Elijah will go, then Mason, then Grayson and Cole. Then I'll have no brothers. They'll say they're going to visit, but they never will. They'll move onto bigger and better things, and forget all about me.
I let out another sob.