Ellora stopped once downstairs. The front door of the house was open. And she was shocked to see Aiden standing on the doorway talking to her Ammi. As if sensing her presence, Aiden looked over Areena's shoulder at her and their eyes met. Why was he here?"
"Ellora," Areena called her, turning around. "Aiden was looking for you."
"What are you doing here?" Ellora asked walking over to them. The words came out rather a bit ruder than she intended.
Beside her, Areena gasped as if she has insulted one of their guests. "Ellora, that's not a way to talk to someone."
Ellora resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her Ammi and instead focused them on Aiden. He gave an awkward laugh at the exchange. "I wanted to talk about the school project. It's due tomorrow, remember?" He gave her a look, telling her to play along.
"Oh, why don't you come inside and seat down?" Areena offered. "I am just making breakfast."
"He isn't hungry," Ellora interrupted just as Aiden was about to answer -- no doubt to say yes. "Are you? We can just talk outside."
Before Areena could say anything, she dragged him out of the house, making sure to close the front door behind.
"Easy there. Don't rip off my arm," Aiden said staggering on his feet awkwardly.
Ellora let go off his hand and winced, remembering how she had actually seen it happen once already. "So, school project, huh?" Ellora said once Aiden steadied himself on his feet. "What was that about?"
Aiden put his hands on his pockets and cocked his head at her, "You would've preferred me tell her the truth?"
Ellora looked at him confused, "What truth?"
"About yesterday night." He said it causally like it wasn't a big deal.
Ellora's stomach gave a twist inside her. Somehow, she knew what he was talking about. Still, doubt clouded her and she asked "What are you talking about?"
"Don't tell me you are really confused."
She put both her hands in her waist & made an annoyed face at him. "Stop beating around the bush and come to the point."
Aiden mimicked her expression, putting his own hands on this pockets. "So, Ellora," he said. "Do you remember the drug incident in school last month?"
Ellora squinted her eyes at him in confusion. She did remember the incident. Last month a couple of boys from their year has been caught doing drugs in the school's Janitor's room by the principal himself. In a clean town like Wyvernland, where you can hardly find anything other than Cigarettes, a news like this has spread even quicker than small towns gossip. But she wasn't sure how this was important right now.
"Yes," she replied, spektically
"Then you must also remember that the Fairland is behind how those guys are getting their drugs from."
Ellora frowned, not sure where he was going with this. "That's the rumour, but, yes."
"And it only happens to be that you have a friend -- a very weird & suspicious friend- who is also happened to be from Fairland."
Ellora closed her eyes feeling completely annoyed and exhausted. She sighed a very long and heavy sigh. "Aiden, are you seriously..."
"Oh, I am not done yet." Aiden held up a hand infront of him stopping Ellora before she could start. "Let me finish first."
Ellora stopped, looking at him with curiosity again.
"You see, for the last couple days, I've been seeing a man walk by our neighborhood after mid-night almost everyday. It's weird because I don't think he is actually from our town."
Ellora's muscle tensed. Her heart beat fastened wondering if Aiden was talking about the same man she feared. "What man?"
"That's what I was trying to find out. So, after waching him - - coming from the direction of the main street and disappearing toward the Wyvernland Restaurent -- for almost two weeks, I decided to follow him." Wyvernland Restaurant, the same way to the Dark House, she realized.
Ellora looked up at him shocked. "You followed him?"
"Well, I was about to yesterday. But something very strange happened that stopped me."
Ellora tensed, knowing very well what was coming next.
"Guess what? He didn't just started walking toward the Restaurant like every night yesterday. At least, not right away. Instead, he stopped; here, in this neighbourhood, right infront of your house."
Ellora didn't know what to say. So, she didn't say anything. She wasn't sure if Aiden would even let her say anything until he is fully finished.
"And he didn't just stopped," he continued. "He stood in your driveway and stared up at your window for atleast 10 whole minutes like some creepy pervert."
This time, Ellora had to stifle her gasp in horror. She didn't know that man have been staring up at her window for that long. He didn't only Follow her and know her address. He had been watching her. For how long? Was it only the first time? The thought gave Ellora goosebumps all over her skin.
"I thought of calling you or maybe your Ammi and Papa to alert them. But then I saw something in the men's hand. Something round like a cricket ball but completely white. I don't know what it was. But he just threw it up at your window and started to walk away."
Ellora knew the rest of the story. Or atleast of her part.
"I tried to go after him after that. I even climbed down of my window but he was already walking far away with long strides. I would have still ran after him but then I saw the lights in my parents room turn on, so, I had to go back to my room."
That must be when Ellora saw him.
"So, you want to say something?"
Again, she yet didn't know what to say. She didn't know what he expected her to say. So, instead, she asked, "What did he look like? The man?"
"Very strange and suspicious, if you ask me. Huge long cloak and big good around his face and all."
"D-did you see his face?" Ellora asked again, starting to stutter a bit out of fear now.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "I said he wore a big hood around his face. Also, considering the dark, no I didn't."
He didn't need to. Ellora knew it was him. Ellora realized that Aiden was looking at her, still waiting for her to say something. She tried not to look worried or guilty. "Is there a reason you are telling me all this?"
Aiden shook his head like he couldn't believe she still doesn't know it.
"That man, I am sure he is from Fairland. And that friend of yours, Ezra, he is working for him. Or they are working together, whatever. And they are the once supplying to the Wyvernland boys. I bet that's the reason he made his contact with you. Because he needed contact with someone from this town."
It took a moment for Ellora to realize what he was saying. And when she did she couldn't believe the mockery of her situation to being forced to deal with this right now. "So, you are saying that Ezra us dealing drugs in here?" She said and she didn't try to hide how ridiculous she thought the theory was in her tone.
Aiden gave her a look that said, 'yup, that's right.' Then he opened his mouth and started saying something. But Ellora Couldn't hear him anymore. Her eyes cought something -- or rather someone -- behind Aiden.
One second, Ezra was on her window peeking outside and looking around at the ground. And the next, he was putting his legs over the edge and starting to climb down. What on earth was he doing?
Ellora resisted the urge to scream out to him and tell him to stop. She tried to hide the look of panic in her eyes as Aiden kept on rambling. Why was Ezra climbing down the window?
He wasn't climbing down in his usual way, expanding his whole metallic hand to the ground. Rather, he was sliding through the pipe like she does. But he was way smoother and gracious than she had ever managed to skill.
It took only a few seconds for his feet to hit the ground as though he might was just flying in a slow motion. And then he was on his feet looking right at her.
Their eyes met. She gave him a look full of panic and confused look. He returned it with a helpless shrug.
Although she tried to hide her expression, she must've failed because when she looked back at Aiden, she cought the slightest glimpse of him looking at her strangely before turning around to see what she was looking at.
Aiden's eyebrows rose up at their highest as his eyes cought Ezra walking up to them.
He walked causally as though it was so normal for him to be here. As though he was just wondering around and hadn't just snuck out of her window. As though he was just like everyone else and not a literal robot shaped of human.
"What is he doing here?" Aiden asked, his eyes fixed on Ezra. Ellora didn't know what to say. Because she didn't know it herself. She didn't know what to do.
"Hey," Ezra said, looking at Aiden in an almost cheerful voice, once he was close enough, standing right infront of the two of them. "We meet again. Did not expect to see you here, though."
Aiden's brow rose up as if supriced to see some stranger telling him where to be on his own town. "Shouldn't I be the one saying this to you?" He asked. His gesture was polite but still a hint of dislike was plain in his voice. "Didn't know you invited your friends over, Ellora." He said turning to her.
Ellora looked at him blankly. "She did not," Ezra replied, sparing her the trouble to say anything. "I was coming back from the hospital. Thought to stop by."
Aiden's face became sympathetic for only a while as he remembered about Ezra's "mother." But soon it vanished and Ellora could see doubt covering his eyes about the truth of the whole thing. "Atleast, you didn't came at mid-night like some criminal this time."
"And didn't catch you sneaking out of your house and walking around," Ezra replied returning Aiden the same mocking sarcasm as him.
Aiden's face hardens. Not being able to reply to Ezra, he turned toward Ellora instead. "Did you know he was coming here?" He asked.
Ellora looked from Ezra to Aiden and back to Ezra again. Like that night, he gave her the same look, urging her to say something. "Not-really," she stuttered.
"Oh," Aiden said with an amused look. "You two must have indeed gotten very close in one month to visit unannounced like this."
"I hardly see how that is a concern to you."
"Not to me. But to her parents, yes. I am pretty sure they would love you to go inside and meet them. On second thought," he added and paused. He scanned Ezra from head to toe, staring at the dirt on the bottom of his white T-shirt, the dried mud on his pants and shoes. "That might not be the best idea."
If only Ezra wasn't a robot and he had real skin instead of fake metal once, Ellora was sure his face would have gone bright red. And Ellora suspect he was even feeling glade for the advantage right then. Because Ellora could see the uncomfortable spreading in his whole body clearly.
The smile from his lips dropped slowly and his expression turned into embarrassment as he looked at Aiden. He looked down at his dirty get-up, which has been ruined by the run from the Dark House the other day and the search of his arm on the bushes. He tugged the end of his T-shirt and rubbed the foot of one shoe over the another.
"My car got stuck in a gutter," he said looking back up at Aiden. "I had to push it to get going. I was busy. Did not have the time to change."
Aiden clearly seeing his uncomfortableness smirked. "Must be very busy indeed to not be able to change for two days. Since you are wearing the same outfit I have seen you last time in."
"I have multiple outfits of same colour."
"Paying tribute to steve jobs?"
"You seem way too curious about me."
"I am marely looking out for my neighbour."
"Perhaps," Ezra cranned his neck to the side, looking somewhere behind Aiden. "You would want to look at someone else too."
Ellora looked at him confused before turning to look back to see who he was looking at. She sucked in a breath as she saw Jashwa standing there, looking back at all of them with a confused look on his face. She turned to Aiden, wondering if he had brought him with him. But he seemed to be looking back at to Jashwa confused himself.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"What are you doing here?" Jashwa asked back. "And who is he?" He jerked his head toward Ezra, who seemed to be regarding him silently.
Aiden looked at Ellora as if asking for her permission if he should say something. But before she could say anything, she was startled to hear Ezra answer himself.
"I am Ezra."
Ellora turned to look at him wide eyed. But his eyes was focused on Jashwa. He smiled his polite smile and stepped forward in between Aiden and Ellora. He pushed a hand toward Jashwa, whose whole face has lit up with recognition hearing his name.
"Ezra Wyatt," he said again. His words were simple but his tone said, 'you know Ezra Wyatt, the one who is rumoured to be dating your ex-girlfriend.'
Jashwa looked at Ellora once and then back at Ezra. He regarded his offered hand cautiously before shaking it almost reluctantly. "Jashwa," he said a bit uncertainly as if he wasn't sure if he should introduce himself.
Ezra's eyes briefly lit up with something Ellora couldn't tell.
Ellora held her breath as both boys skin made contact and they shook their hand. For a moment she almost expected Jashwa to flinch away from the touch and stare at Ezra alarmed, yelling out that he doesn't feel like human. But he didn't. They both just stared at each other with Ezra a hint of a smug look on his face and Jashwa almost angry. And Ellora suddenly realized that this was the first time Ezra has come in contact with anyone other than herself.
Jasha looked down at their entwined hands, which Ezra seemed to be gripping a bit tighter than necessary. Ellora could tell Jashwa was trying to return the gesture back. But, he, no doubt wasn't a match against Ezra's metallic hand. Despite all his effort he winced just a little. But he still refused to be the one to take back his hand first. Ezra, at last broke the handshake and took back his hand, his polite smile now turned into an evil smirk.
As their hands broke apart, Ellora was horrified seeing Jashwa's hand had turned bright red. That must've hurt all his bones and knuckles. But Jashwa pretending not to notice or be bottered by it, shoved his hand inside his pocket.
"I've heard a lot about you," Ezra said.
"You seem to have heard about everyone," Aiden muttered under his breath.
"You are the guy from Fairland, right?" Jashwa asked ignoring Aiden.
"Looks like you heard about me too."
"You made quite an image here, afterall."
Ezra smiled and leaned his head closer to Jashwa and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, "It's going to be true soon."
Beside him, Aiden started to cough without any reason as Ellora's eyebrows shot up. Jashwa looked even angrier now. Not replying to Ezra, whose smile has stretched even wider, he turned to Ellora instead. "I thought you said there wasn't anything between you two."
Ellora opened her mouth to say that indeed there wasn't. But Ezra spoke up before her, "You did?" He asked looking at her in mock suprice. "How could you deny us so easily?"
Ellora looked at him with a look that said, 'excuse me, bro. What are you even talking about?'
"I wasn't talking to you," Jashwa said.
"What a co-incident. I was not either."
Jashwa turned to Ellora again, ignoring Ezra. "Is it true, then? What all the rumors are saying?"
"What are exactly they saying?" Ezra cut in again just as Ellora was about to answer. "I did not get to hear the whole story from you yet."
"Can you stop interrupting us?" Jashwa said, turning on Ezra once again, annoyed now.
"Interrupt you, you mean? Because I do not see her talking."
"Maybe she will, if you let her."
"If that is the case, I am doing you a favour then. Because you are not going to like what she will say."
"So, I was night wasn't?" Aiden said, speaking up for the first time. He was looking back & forth from Ezra to Ellora with a look that said, 'I knew it.'
"Wait, did you know about all this?" Jashwa now rounded on Aiden. "And didn't tell me anything? I thought we are friends."
Aiden's face paled. "I didn't. Know about anything, I mean."
"What if even he did?" Ezra asked. "From all I know, you two have broken up. You are done with her, right?"
Ellora looked at Jashwa to hear his response. He didn't say yes, neither did he deny it. He just stared intensely at Ezra.
Finding no answer, Ezra shrugged. "Well, you better be. Because she definitely is."
Jashwa now turned his eyes to Ellora as if to confirm it. Ellora just stared back at him without saying anything. Something like hurt covered Jashwa's face. "Why did you lie when I asked you about it?" He asked. His voice wasn't high but not completely low either. He spoke with a mixture of hurt and anger.
"Stop blackmailing her like this," Ezra intrude once again.
Jashwa closed his eyes and turned to Ezra with look that a says that he is completely fed up of him now. "What would it take for you to stop interrupting us for two minutes?"
"What would it take for you to realize that she does not want to talk?"
"Well, let her say this herself."
"How will she if you emotional blackmail her like this?"
"I am not blackmailing her. I am talking."
"But, she does no..."
"Shut up!" Ellora's sudden voice startled both Jashwa and Ezra, making him stop talking. Beside her, Aiden jumped a slight and looked at Ellora strangely like he was wondering what has gotten into her.
She turned to Ezra. "Stop talking. I have a mouth, don't I? You don't have to speak on behalf of me.
Ezra looked at her in suprice. He opened his mouth to say someting but this time Jashwa beat him to it. "Exactly," he said, his expression smug. "That's what I've been telling him from the begainning."
"And you shut up, too" Ellora now turned to Jashwa. His smug look fell as he looked at her with the same suprice as Ezra.
"Why are you even here?"
"What?"
"I mean, why are you here anguing with him?"
"I wasn't arguing," Jashwa said defensively. "I came here to talk to you. He is the one trying to pick a fight."
"Pick a fight?__," Ezra began but stopped again upon Ellora's glare."
She turned to Jashwa again. "What did you came to talk about?"
"Well, I came here to talk about us. But looks like there is no use of it now."
"Talk about us? As in how you broke up with me and started going out with your best friend's sister a week later?"
"Well, if you had cared to ask me," Jashwa said. His face was almost red with anger now. "Perhaps, you would know that I hadn't actually gone out with her. And that I was only taking her help to try to make you jealous."
He looked at Ezra one last time before turning around to walk away. He stopped after a few steps and looked back at Aiden. "You coming or not?"
Aiden hesitated. He looked at Ellora. She could tell he wasn't done talking with her yet and wanted to finish their conversation. But then he too turned around and walked away with Jashwa. Ellora watched them both for awhile. Jashwas words were still sinking in on her. What did he just say?
Beside her, she heard a snort. "Really?" Ezra said. "That is like the stupidest way I've ever heard of making someone jealous."
Ellora turned around, remembering him. She looked at him, angry.
Ezra looked liked he has just remembered that he is in trouble.
"What on the whole universe do you think you are even doing here?"
"Don't blame me. I had no choise. I had to. Your brother was knocking at your door. He said, 'Ellora, I am coming,'" Ezra said mimicking Noah's voice perfectly. "So, I had to get out of there."
"Are you kidding me? You could've gone to the bathroom."
"I am sorry that your window is closer than your bathroom."
Ellora wanted to snap back af Ezra's sarcasm. But there, outside in the open field wasn't the place. "Just go to my room. Now. This instant. Quickly. Not through pipe. Go through the back door."
"Where is the back door?"
"In the back, of course."
"Oh right." He didn't need to be told twice. He quickly walked away toward the back of the house.
Ellora wanted to go after him to make sure he finds the door and nothing went wrong. But she had to go through the front door.
"What was all those voices outside?" Areena asked as Ellora entered the living room and closed the door behind her. "I was about to come out to check."
"Oh, nothing." Ellora shrugged. "Some silly teenagers were arguing about sometting. So annoying."
"In our driveway?" Areena asked suspiciously.
"Close enough."
Behind, just beside the stairways that leads up to the upstairs, Ellora saw the knob of the back door starting to twist slowly. And slowly it opened a fraction and Ezra's head peeked from outside. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone in the living room other than Ellora and Areena, who was currently facing her.
"Why didn't you let Aiden stay?" She asked. "He would have loved these waffles."
"He would have finished all of it." Ellora replied, watching nervously behind Areena as Ezra carefully made his way into the living room. He looked at Ellora once, before quickly walking up the stairs without waiting.
He was in the upstairs hallway when Noah came out of one of the rooms. "Ellora," he called walking over to her.
Ellora prayed to God that he wouldn't look up as he walked over to her. "I went to your room to ask you something. You weren't there. I have a question. Why do humans poop?"
Upstairs, Ezra stoped in the of Process opening her bedroom door. He looked down at her and made a face. "Poop?" He mouthed. "Seriously?"
Ellora glared up at him and he quickly made his way inside the room and shut the door silently behind him.
Ellora silently released a sigh of immense relief. To her brother, she said. "Grow up. You will understand."
Noah frowned. "I don't need to grow up to understand poop. Come on, tell me, you are studying science."
"So will you. God, where do you even find these questions," she said back before climbing up the stairs herself and entering her room.