‘Morning, Mrs Watson,’ I greeted the elderly woman who was getting her morning paper, wearing a robe and holding her favourite orange mug in her hand. Typical Mrs Watson, I thought with a smile.
She turned to me and gave me a smile, ‘Morning dear,’ she said sweetly as I crossed her yard to meet her.
I gave her a quick hug. ‘I have a question, Mrs Watson,’ I asked tentatively, not sure how should approach this.
She smiled, ‘It’s about Chris, isn’t it? I’ve been expecting you because of that.’
I sighed, ‘So he is your grandson, right?’ She nodded, her golden eyes dancing in the morning light. ‘You never told me you had a grandson.’
She looked toward the streets, her smile a bit sad, ‘How would I, when I just found out on Friday?’ She looked at me, ‘You should run along to school now. Whatever questions you have about that ask him, okay? I need to bake some chocolate chip cookies for your sister.’
I smiled, ‘Save some for me, Mrs. Watson.’ Her cookies were the best and she always said her secret ingredient was love. She said she would and after telling me to say hello to Chris, she entered her house, leaving me outside while I thought about what she said.
How couldn’t she have known she had a grandson? I thought as I entered my car and started for school. She’d told me once that one of her daughters had gone her own way and had only heard from her seven years later, before she died. Could it be…But how could that be? Chris’ parents were very much alive. I had seen them around during school functions or when Chris got in trouble.
I parked into the school’s parking lot, just in time to see Chris get out of his Jeep. I got out quickly, grabbing my things before catching up with him.
‘Edwards!’
He turned and when he saw me, he grinned widely, ‘Chubbs! How’s it going?’
I cringed at the nickname of my nickname but I ignored it, ‘Turns out you were saying the truth about being Mrs Watson’s grandson,’ I said when I caught up with him.
He put a hand on his chest dramatically and said, ‘Ouch! How could I lie about something like that, Chubbs!’
I shrugged, ‘I don’t know…maybe it’s the fact that she never told me about you, What puzzles me though,’ I say when we enter through the double doors of the school, ‘Is that she only just found out and apparently you did too. How come?’
I may have imagined it, but I saw Chris stiffen from the apple of my eye, ‘I don’t know.’ Then he turned to me, ‘You don’t really want to know, Chubby. It’s ugly and dark. So don’t worry your pretty head about it.’ His hazel eyes were cold and his jaw set as he said that that I almost took a step back. But then his whole appearance changed and he smiled at me, the smile not really reaching his eyes as he said to me, ‘Have a great day, Chubbs.’ He patted my back and walked away as I stood there looking at his retreating back wondering what had just happened. The warning bell rang and snapped me back to reality as I rushed to my locker to get my books. I was never late and I didn’t plan on starting now because of trying to solve the new puzzle that was Christian Bradley Edwards.
‘I’m craving for some sour Skittles, how about you, Alex?’ I said, removing one earbud from her ears. She was listening to her music from her iPod, humming along silently as she smiled, looking at her surroundings.
We were currently passing the grocery store near our place since Alex decided she wanted to get out of bed as it was ‘depressing and boring’. I understood her. I’d go insane if I was cooped up in my bed in my room all day and night. So I pulled out her wheelchair and I walked her around the block.
It was Thursday afternoon and I hadn’t talked to Chris at all since Tuesday. I had a feeling he was avoiding me even though he was still annoying me by calling me Chubbs. I was still curious but I had currently fallen into one of my ‘moods; again so I haven’t really thought about him and whatever was going on. My dad had come home on Tuesday earlier than usual and surprised Alex with news that they would be going to New York since he was going on a business trip there this weekend. Mum was also going so that she could look after Alex while Dad was at his meetings and then later, they would go exploring. I couldn’t come because they couldn’t afford the extra person and the company only allowed for Mum to go given Alex’s situation.
‘It’s no big deal, Dad. I’ll be fine,’ I’d said with the brightest smile I could afford while I felt my insides burn. ‘I understand.’ He’d nodded and thanked me for understanding. Well, at least he thanked me, I’d thought then descended into my moods. I was almost out of it today anyway. When I saw the grocery shop, I immediately thought of my crazy obsession, Skittles. The perfect thing that would lift me out of this mood I was in. I would buy about seven, I decided, because I know I would also be in a sullen mood when they left also.
She quickly nodded, smiling at me, ‘M&M’s please,’ she said. She always preferred those to Skittles. I wheeled her into the shop and went directly to the candy section. Of course people stared and while I stared back at them, Alex, as usual, smiled at them and waved if someone stared for too long. Both expressions usually made them uncomfortable and they’d quickly go back to what they were doing. And with the sight we were I wouldn’t be surprised. My ‘size’ plus the grey sweats I had on and the way my amber hair was messily tied into a pony, I wouldn’t be surprised if I looked ‘intimidating’. Alex had on a purple sweatshirt with her black sweats and a matching purple beanie covering her thinning blonde hair. Most of her clothes were purple so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that her favourite colour is purple.
We quickly got what we wanted, paid at the counter and left. But as we just exited, Alex turned, ‘Wait.’
I stopped moving wondering why she’d stopped us. She smiled brightly at me and said, ‘Can my ado’wable baby shishter get me Oweos? Pwease?’
I gave her a blank stare and she battered her eyelashes, trying to pout. I shook my head, already giving in, ‘You are too spoilt, you know that, right? And you had to pull the baby sister card?’
A grin broke on her face as she turned to face forward, ‘You wuff me, an’way.’
I gave her a short laugh, ‘Unfortunately,’ I joked. ‘Stay right here, okay? I’ll be right back,’ I said, situating her chair where she’d get a bit of sun. She loved the sun and right now she felt a bit cold so I hoped it would warm her up some. She nodded and I walked back into the store. I got a box of them and while I was standing at the counter to pay for them, I saw someone talking with Alex. The store had glass throughout its whole front so I could see Alex from where I’d left her.
I couldn’t see the person well so I rushed out quickly when I was done and when I got out of the store to see who it was, I stood frozen for a second. The person talking to Alex was no stranger. His dark hair swept across his forehead messily and I watched as he said something that made Alex laugh, as he squatted in front of her so that they were level.
I slowly walked towards them and Alex turned to me, her smile bright as she said, ‘Look, Gwace!’ She said, enthusiastically, usng my second name.(She called me Grace because she liked it more than Cecilia). ‘I made a new fwend!’
The ‘new friend’ straightened and when he turned to look at me, I could see shock written all over his face, along with confusion in his eyes.
‘His name is-‘
‘Chris,’ I said, slowly still looking at Chris, ‘I know.’ I turned to Alex with a smile that felt forced. ‘We go to school together.’
She looked happy as she looked at Chris, who still looked really confused. I sighed in resignation, deciding to tell him, ‘Chris, meet Alexandra Nicole Hastings. My big sister.’
If Chris wasn’t shocked before, he was now, I decided with a small smile as he looked back and forth between me and Alex, his eyes as wide as saucers.
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