"Could you be a doll and pass me the marshmallows?"
It takes a while before the sound of smooching that has been invading my ears, making me super uncomfortable, finally stops. "Can you see I'm busy, Cameron."
Cameron pouts at Chasity. "But you can never be busy for your great friend, right?"
Chasity groans but moves away from Reece's arms to pass Cameron the marshmallows who eagerly snatches them and begins putting a few on his stick.
Chasity shivers slightly as she glances around. "Who's dumb idea was this," she asks while pulling the blanket she's sharing with Reece up to her neck. Reece just rolls his eyes, unaffected by the cold, and wraps his arm around his freezing girlfriend.
I wish he could wrap his arm around me but nope, I only have my Lion King blanket to snuggle into on my one person lawn chair. Reece and Chasity occupy the only lawn couch on the other side of the bonfire.
"Cameron was the one who wanted to make s'mores" Reece states and we all turn to glare at the big guy who is fully concentrated on not burning his marshmallows.
It takes some time before Cameron notices our stares and looks up in surprise, "I remember all you guys being up for it."
"Yah, but we all thought we'd be making them inside," Chasity grumbles and leans into Reece for more warmth. I ignore the two love birds by putting all my attention on my marshmallow that I'm holding over the fire with a stick. Thankfully I'm wearing my mitts otherwise I'm sure I'm fingers would be blue by now.
From the larger couch, built to hold four people, my parents and Reece's dad and step mom chuckles at all the bickering happening around them. Surprisingly, they were fine with the idea of roasting marshmallows over our bonfire. It is built in the middle of a deck beside the pond therefore we get a beautiful view of the moon light reflecting off the ice. If anyone witnessed this site, they would definitely think of us as crazy because its not everyday you see people making s'mores outside during the freezing winter time.
"Chasity, it wouldn't be as exciting if we were inside." Mr. Castellano grins and then takes a bite out of his newly made s'mores. His second wife, Elena, cringes at the messy sight being the clean freak that she is. A trait she shares with my mom. It's how the two of them have become close friends.
"You call being out here in the cold exciting?" Chasity frowns but her sour mood disappears instantly when Reece offers her his s'mores which she takes without complain. From the corner of my eye, I see Mr. Castellano roll his eyes.
"I think this was a great idea Cameron," my dad beams while my mom smiles up at him adoringly. "We're all always so busy with life that we never get a change to get together and just relax."
I had to agree with my dad on that one. Him and Mr. Castellano are always consumed with their ongoing work for the government. My mom, being a dietitian, always needs to give her time to her patients while Elena, being a famous fashion designer, is constantly travelling the world to show her work or is hibernating in her office, designing new dresses. Cameron, Chasity, and Reece are obviously busy with the heroic work and I'm, well, I'm just surviving through my last high school year.
All in all, it is extremely rare to have the eight of us spending time together. The last time this happened had to be last Christmas. We did try to have a few get-togethers this last past year but either one of the parents were caught up with work or the world needed the Super Trio.
"Thank you Mr. Porter. It's good to know that someone here appreciates my successful attempt at bringing the gang together." Cameron directs that towards Chasity but she just proceeds to giving him the cold shoulder.
"Could you pass the cookies, Cameron?" I ask and he humbly hands me two cookies. For us, we're two lazy to have separate crackers and chocolate so we buy cookies with a layer of chocolate already attached to them. This way, it spares us the extra work and mess. I pull the stick away from the fire and settle the stick in between my legs. I then surround the marshmallow with the cookies on either side in order to remove it from the stick and bam, I got myself a delicious looking s'mores.
I pay no attention to the conversations circling around the fire as I hungrily eye the food in my hand. Without a second though, I take my first bite, closing my eyes in order to relish in the sticky, sweet sensation. The warm taste transports me to a memory of the time Reece and I had our first ever s'mores.
It was in the middle of summer. We were both dreading going back to school to start our sixth and final year of elementary because that meant we'd be going to Junior High soon. In an attempt to diminish our fears, we decided to make s'mores. We've never done anything cooking related before and both agreed that making s'mores would be the easiest to do.
I still don't understand why we believed that because easy was far from what it actually was. The only simple thing about our impossible task was finding the ingredients. We just had to explore through the full pantry until we finally found what we were looking for.
A bag of marshmallows and a Kit Kat bar. Yah, we didn't realize we needed crackers. That summer, we spent it here at the grand cottage so we marched over to the fire pit and contemplated what our fathers did to produce fire.
Dancing around the pit, singing repeatedly 'fire, fire' didn't seem to work.
Commanding didn't either.
Reece even tried sticking his butt out and farting at the pit to spontaneously produce fire but that didn't work. It only made me fall on the ground from laughing hysterically.
Finally, with grave disappointment, Reece and I headed back up the hill to the our home with a new plan. We marched to the kitchen and places our marshmallows in between the Kit Kat chocolates into the microwave.
Reece accidentally pressed the ten minute button instead of the one minute. In the end, our fathers had to put out the fire while our mothers lectured us. After that, my mom made it her sole mission to teach me the ways of the kitchen. Reece's mom didn't bother for reasons unknown. That was the last summer Reece's mom was at the cottage. It was also the summer that Reece mistakenly drank the experimental super solider liquid our father's were in the process of perfecting.
We never did end up going back to that elementary school.
"Zada, honey?" I am brought back to reality by my concerned father. I open my eyes to see all eyes on me.
I pull up my blanket in an attempt to hide away from the sudden attention. "Sorry, dad, I got lost in the delicious taste." I hold up my half eaten s'mores and my pops immediately understands because he also raises his half eaten s'more as if we're making some sort of toast.
"As I was saying, what do the three of you plan to do after you graduate from high school?" Elena diverts the attention to the Super Trio.
Cameron, Chasity, and Reece all seem to speculate, unsure if the adults want to hear the truth. The grown ups, especially the dads, expect the three heroes to give their full attention to saving lives but I know that the three of them have other dreams and goals they'd love to fulfill.
For instance, I know that Chasity wants to study fashion in hopes of following behind Elena's amazing line of work. Cameron wishes to go into acting, no surprise there and then there's Reece. I have known the guy for my entire time and I can honestly say through all the memories and adventures, I have no clue what he wants to do after high school. I presumed he'd like to go into something English related like maybe a writer but whenever I'd bring the topic up, he'd shut it down almost instantly.
The adults patiently wait for the heroes to give them an answer until the heroes themselves realize they actually have to give them one. As usual, it's the leader who takes the lead. "Obviously we're going to be fighting along side justice," Cameron chuckles as if there's no other answer and soon, the adults join him on the laugh, clearly satisfied with the answer.
I'm the only one who sighs disappointingly under my breath. I know that Cameron and Chasity do not want to be heroes for the rest of their lives. They want to be normal but they don't know how to explain it to Reece's and my fathers in order for them to understand.
"Wonderful," my mother declares after the laughter has subsided, "I don't think the world is ready yet to say farewell to the Super Trio."
"The world will never be ready," Mr. Castellano correct and I can swear on my life that I saw all three heroes cringe.
I realized that this was my moment to escape. From this moment on, I know that whatever conversations we'd have, it either be about the Super Trio's health or congratulating them on their bravery on previous missions. I have no point in part taking in the convos so I throw the last bit of my s'mores into my mouth, collect my blanket, and stand up off my chair.
"Zada, leaving so soon?" My mom asks me, wanting me to stay.
I swallow the s'mores before answering, "I'm feeling a bit tired." Besides, it's probably nearing midnight so she can't possibly force me to stay up. My mom is keen on making sure I get plenty of rest each night so I know she'll be fine with letting me leave.
And I'm right. My mom nods her head, giving me permission to head back to the gigantic house. "Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Goodnight Ma," I tell her then look around the fire, "goodnight everyone."
"Wait Z-lee, I'll come with you," Reece calls out, about to get up but I stop him by shaking my head.
"No worries, I'm fine besides, I don't think Chasity would be happy if I took her personal furnace." I joke to which Chasity nods in agreement, tightening her hold on Reece.
I see Reece waver a bit before he sinks back into the couch and swings his arm around his girlfriend, "goodnight, Z-lee. Don't let the bed bugs bite!"
I smirk and give everyone one last wave of goodbye. I then begin my long trek of one hundred and twenty five steps. The house is located on top of a miniature size valley with the pond and camp pit located at the bottom of the valley. The climb up the stairs isn't overly steep but it sure is a work out. When I was younger, my parents would always pester me about being too lazy, spending too much time on video games. To show them I wasn't unfit, I would climb down and up the stairs.
I'd only do that once because like I said, it's quite the workout.
The entire time up, I use one hand to hold my folded up blanket while the other hand grips the rail for motivation. To buy pass the time, I mentally count the steps.
Nine, ten, this isn't so bad!
Sixty, sixty one, man I am so out of shape because my thighs are already burning. Maybe it was the s'mores.
Ninety nine, one hundred. I wish my parents installed an escalator. That would be convenient.
Almost there! One hundred twenty four, and finally, the last step until I reach the upper deck that overlooks our private small valley. This terrain is excellent for when the Super Trio do their training and in the day time, it's a magnificent view.
Now, in the nighttime, I don't bother turning back to admire the surrounds and instead, quickly make my way to the nearest french doors. I quietly open one and slip off my shoes before stepping onto the light grey tiled floor.
Being out in the cold doesn't help when I step onto the cold floor of the house. I immediately shut the door behind me and speed walk to the white carpet. The warm soft feeling is a lot more preferable than the hard one.
I throw my Lion King blanket on the nearest couch and head to the entrance hall. That's where the double staircase is located that will take me to my soft bed. I smile to myself as I think about my comfortable queen size bed. I can't wait to snuggle under all my blankets. That's a reason why I love winter. It's incredibly easy to fall asleep because all I need is a lot of blankets to surround myself in in order to warm myself up and then, I'm out.
I'm so eager to go to bed that I don't bother turning on any lights.
I approach the arc that leads into the entrance hall but just before I'm about to step onto the nearest white carpeted, curved staircase, I freeze on the spot.
Light for the moon is pouring into the hall because one of the front french doors is widely open. My heart skips a beat when I notice that the lock is broken.
This isn't good.
The smart thing to do would be to trace my steps cautiously and go back to the fire pit, where the super heroes are located. They are the ones who are capable to investigate what's going on and they're the ones who can stand up against whomever has gotten in.
But the fear prevents me from going back. What if I run into the person, or people, who broke in? I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to hold my ground in a fight. The only thing I'm good at is screaming. I need a way to contact the heroes and that is why I am silently creeping up the stairs to my original destination because my cell phone is in my room. All I'd have to do is send a quick SOS text to Reece and hide underneath my bed until it be safe to come out of hiding.
My plan seems flawless. That is what I repeat in my head to myself in order to motivate myself to continue up the stairs. Otherwise, I would stay frozen on the spot from fear. Nonetheless, I can still feel my heart madly drumming in my chest with every step I take. Each time, I am grateful that the stairs haven't creaked under my weight.
I don't want whoever else is in the mansion to know I'm here.
Judging by the fact that the mansion is so quiet, I can hear my own breathing, they don't want me to know their here either.
I only realize that I've made the stupidest mistake in my entire life when I finally reach the top of the stairs.
Not even ten feet away from me, standing outside the entrance to my parent's bedroom, is a muscular man wearing a ski mask. If I was standing right beside him, he would tower over me by a lot. I'd be lucky if my head reached his shoulders.
The only thing visible other than his black attire are my mother's jewelry in his hand and his bright hazel eyes watching me.
I'm paralyzed on the spot with one foot on the last step, the other on the second floor, and my hand on the rail. My mouth falls open but I can't seem to utter a word. It feels as if a force is pushing down the scream that wants to come out and warn my loved ones as well as Chasity and Cameron.
The robber notices my struggle and doesn't hesitate to use it to his advantage. Very carefully, to not scare me even more, the bulky man reaches behind him. I have no idea what he is reaching for until I witness the moonlight reflecting off the metal object.
The robber doesn't give me time to react now that I know his plan.
My eardrums threaten to explode as the raging blast of the gun shot surrounds me. My vision then alters from the robber to the ceiling as the force from the bullet pushes me over the stairs.
Gravity is no longer at my side as the invisible force thrusts me down the curved stair case. My body resembles a rag doll as I don't struggle and allow my body to tumble to the bottom.
I come to a complete halt when my head smacks against the tiled floor of the entrance hall. The corners of my vision begin to morph into darkness as I finally register the pain.
It starts of slowly as I become aware of what just happened, a dull ache in my left shoulder blade but in the span of seconds, the ache erupts into burning pain. My blade feels as if the robber is standing over me with a torch, with the flame tearing away at my skin.
My body is numb as my mind can only concentrate on the horrid suffering of my shoulder. Not even the pain of my head from hitting the hard tiled floor or the ache of my arms and legs from the fall can grab my attention. All my focus is directed at my left shoulder blade that feels like its on fire.
The darkness, at this time, is taking control of my vision, coming from every corner and shifting to the center. My breathing becomes rigid as it gets more difficult for me to catch some air.
The last thing I remember is hearing the most fiercest, menacing roar in my life, sending cold chills down my spine.
Then, I let the darkness take over.
=====* * *=====
I'm one hundred percent positive that I'm dreaming. How else can I explain what I'm seeing in front of my very own, shocked, eyes. Even the feeling I have, a state where I have no control of my body, indicates that I must be dreaming.
The colour white is dominant in the room my mind has envisioned. From the ceiling to the walls, even the floor has the innocent colour but the bed positioned in the middle of the room proves that the situation is anything but innocent.
I stare, wide eye, at the two figures before me. One lays on the bed with pain written all over his young face as he struggles with his changing body. The second figure, a lot smaller then him, stands by his side, hold a firm grip in his hand. I can instantly recognize her pigtails and SpongeBob t-shirt. I always wore it when I was by his side because it always cheered him up.
That's when I realize that not only am I dreaming, but I'm reliving a memory.
"What's happening to me?" The eleven year old boy's voice is hoarse. Right when he finishes his sentence, he begins to cough uncontrollably.
The little girl frantically hovers over the sick boy, annoyed with herself that she can't do anything to ease his pain but not once does she let go of his hand. Once his coughing subsides, she informs him of what she was told, the words that changed our lives forever. "Daddy said that it wasn't water you drank."
The young Reece's eyebrows scrunch up in confusion, "then what was it?" he immediately asks, wanting to know what is causing him great pain. I can see the younger version of me wince. I can remember how confused I was then. I still wasn't completely sure what was going on.
"Daddy said it was something your dad and him were working on. A prototype he called it." My eleven year old self tries hard to explain to him without causing a lot of stress on his weak state. Reece's eyes widen in panic at realizing his mistake but once again, he becomes overwhelmed in pain. This time, he closes his eyes and leans forward so that he is hiding his face in the bed sheets.
"Reece? Reece!" The little girl urgently yells, trying to get through to her best friend. Regret is evident in her large eyes as she curses herself for convincing Reece to play hide and seek with her in their father's basement. They were both aware that that floor was where their father's constructed experiment but she thought it would be fun to hide in uncharted area. I remember how I thought it was a fantastic idea, thinking the two of us would have another adventure to add to our memories but I was gravely wrong.
Fifteen excruciatingly long seconds pass before Reece finally reacts to the younger me. His head unnaturally whips up in her direction with different eyes. Instead the warm brown eyes the younger me was used to, she was starring into the eyes of a predator. Pupils of a wild cat, like a tiger, starred back at her, eyeing her as if she was his prey. Then, if things couldn't get worse, a low rumble came from his chest, sounding like an inhumane growl.
The twelve year old me instantly backed away from Reece after seeing a side of him see thought was impossible to be. "Reece?" Her quiet voice squeaked out in fear. The unfamiliar, scary version, of Reece tilted his head to the side and blinked a few times until his pupils changed back to their original shape.
"Z-lee?" He asked confused, "did I fall asleep?"
This is the part where I contemplated hard whether or not I should tell him the truth. I knew that this information would not help with his healing process because then, I strongly believed that our father's would turn Reece back to normal. I figured if Reece wasn't aware what was happening to his body then it would be easier for him to forget about it when everything would go back to normal.
I didn't know that there was no possible way for our father's to cure him. The only thing they were capable of doing was making him stronger in order for him to control his new ability.
I didn't know therefore I decided, for the first time ever, to lie to my best friend. "Yes," my younger self quietly answered, "are you feeling any better now?"
Reece nodded his head and squeezed my hand gently. He thought it was a gentle squeeze but with his new strength that he didn't yet know he had, I was trying hard not to wince. "I'm getting better because you're by my side, Z-lee." The bright smile he gave me then still makes my heart melt now.
How I badly wish that things were different. That I stopped him from drinking that glass. That I didn't come up with that stupid idea of hide and seek in our father's working zone.
The girl gave Reece her toothless smile since her front teeth had not yet grown in. I lost all my baby teeth pretty late than most kids. "I'll always be at your side, Reece."
The young Reece caressed my small hand carefully, as if I would actually leave anytime. "That's why I love you, Z-lee."
Observing this scene, my heart drums in an overjoyed rhythm after hearing those words that I heard five years ago. Back then, I wasn't aware of my feelings for Reece. I was only twelve and the thought of romance repulsed me. That is why the twelve year old girl holding Reece's hand rolls her eyes, already expecting his words, "of course you love me, silly. We're practically siblings, the best of buddies."
My younger self was too focused on making sure Reece wouldn't fall back to his coughing tantrum that she didn't notice the obvious disappointment displayed not only in Reece's eyes but his face.
"Right...best friends," Reece mumbles more so to himself than to the oblivious girl.
Witnessing his reaction, the reaction I never noticed five years ago, has my heart threatening to beat out of my chest from its rampaging. How couldn't I have seen his evident reaction then? He practically had disappointment written on his face! Does this mean what I think it means?
Knowing Reece, probably not. He must have not liked the fact that I referred to us as siblings or buddies. There is definitely a simple explanation for his reaction then. I don't want to misinterpret what happened five years ago because it still doesn't change the present.
Reece is still a player. Well, he is now someone who is taken by an extremely beautiful cheerleader and part-time superhero. A guy can't have a better girlfriend than Chasity.
"Zada!" Reece's voice yells out from behind me. Yet, this voice seems lot more older, deeper. I turn my gaze away from memory lane and look behind me expecting to see the entrance to the white infirmary room located in the mansion's sub basement. Instead, I am can see that I'm only a step away from pitch black darkness.
"Zada! Please, Zada!" The same voice calls out to me from within the darkness.
"Reece?" I ask, recognizing the identity of the voice as the present Reece, my Reece.
I expect to hear his voice again but I get nothing back, only darkness. I look over my shoulder to see the younger versions of Reece and me smiling at one another, laughing together at some joke that I can't remember anymore. As much as I loved our childhood, I know the events that wait the young kids.
That's the reason why I don't go back to continue watching that memory. This is why I bring my attention back to the darkness and jump right into it.
Pic of Zada aka Shailene Woodley! And yes, Zada has short hair! I figured it's about time there's a heroine without the whole 'magnificent flowing long' hair cliche! ~~~~>
Thoughts on the chapter?
~Till Next Time!