"Hi," I said as we reached the living room. Everybody's head turned towards me and Niles. Even Soph had arrived.
"Where the hell do you think you guys were?"
"We were worried sick, guys."
"Do you have any kind of sense?"
"You cannot just walk on us like that."
"Have you lost your mind?" Everybody was throwing questions at us except for Cal, Sophie, Soph and Dan.
"I am sorry," Niles said. I squeezed his hand to let him know I am here. "I am sorry for everything I did. For ruining our trip. For punching Chloe. For getting angry. For walking out on you guys. For everything I did. I am really sorry." He said. Everybody softened for a second and looked at Aaron. And he, well he came forward and hugged Niles. He left my hand to hug him properly. And I glanced at Cal because he looked hurt. After Niles and Aaron exchanged their apologies, a new storm developed. When I tried to say something, Cal just fled to his room. And he was not angry. It was something else in his eyes. My head lowered itself when Dan spoke for the first time, "Pump, I really think you should go and talk to him."
"Yeah, Coles. You do." Aaron spoke this time.
"Yeah, I think so." I looked at Lauren in the corner smiling, Wilson beside him with the same face, Soph and Dan standing beside each other with unreadable looks, Soph, my dear bestie with a look that said you need to talk, Aaron beside Niles who smiled at them and finally at Niles who looked as if he wanted to let me know that he was there. I smiled and went to Cal's room. I knocked at his door and back came the reply, "Get lost, Chloe. I don't want to talk to anyone." I pushed his door but it was locked which gave me the clue that he was hurt a lot more this time because he never locked his door. The only way to his room was the tree in the backyard. As kids, we loved to sneak out. So we grew a tree near everyone's window from which we snuck out. I climbed the tree not so easy considering the fact that I had one book in my hand. It was a scrapbook.
I, Dan and Cal had this tradition that we used to make scrapbooks for everyone in the house. And then when we were together or someone was sad, we gave them this book. It contained memories, records and stuff like that of everyone's life. I made for Dan and Cal. Dan did for me and Cal. And Cal did for Dan and me. I opened the window to find myself in a messed up room. Cal was always the one to be the organized one in the family. You would never ever look at his stuff lying around or scattered. But the scenario in front of me can't be ever associated with Cal. The last time his room was messy was when Papa and Ma died. It was never messy then. I looked around the room and then landed my eyes on him. His eyes were red and his face was buried in his hands. I went near him and as he heard my footsteps, he lifted his face.
"Chloe, go." He said, his eyes emotionless.
"No, Cal. I am sorry, Cal. I didn't mean to run out on you guys. I swear I didn't." I said settling beside him. I didn't even need to know what happened cause I already knew.
"But you did, Chloe." I felt a knife stabbing my heart when he called me Chloe.
"Cal, I really am sorry. The fight was getting worse and no one looked like they were going to stop them so I did. And I ran after him because you know that Niles would do anything when he is furious and he was angry, Cal. I couldn't risk it. No one went after him. And I didn't care that I got punched or something. He could have done anything, Cal." I said attempting to hold his hands. But he jerked back every time.
"You had a concussion, Chloe. You had a freaking concussion. What if something would have happened to you? How could you do something this stupid?" He shrieked and I felt tears stinging the surface of my eyes.
"I didn't know what to do except for that, Cal."
"Chloe, you don't un-"
"Please don't call me that, Cal. It hurts. It freaking hurts." I said allowing the tears to flow.
"Okay." He sat back down beside me. "See, it was really dumb of you to do that. But please, when we tell you something, just do that. I was going to go after him. Even if you had a concussion. But sometimes please just listen to us.....Lemon." He said.
"I won't, Cal. I promise."
"I guess that we are fine then. And I know that you and Niles did something in those hours but I am letting you free this time. It is your life but just tells me if something goes wrong. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid ever again and would tell me if something went wrong between you two."
"I promise, Cal. I swear to everyone." He smiled at me and I gave him the scrapbook which he took and started to look through.
"Woah, you noted the day I and Mia broke up."
"Yeah, had to. Couldn't relax more." I smiled as he looked through everything.
After a few minutes, he spoke, "Dan don't eavesdrop." He went to the doors and opened them revealing a Dan looking sheepishly.
"Eavesdropping is a bad manner," I said standing up taking the scrapbook.
"Well, I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just passing by and I happened to overhear your conversation." He said.
"Sure you weren't," Cal said and we proceeded downstairs where the snacks were lying on the table. I put the scrapbook in my room before joining them.
"Hey, you showed him the book," Dan whined.
"Yep and you are not going to see yours until Christmas." I beamed at Dan pouting like a small boy.
"The crew is back." Soph declared acknowledging our presence.
"Yeah with all my glory," I said. I sat beside Soph as I peeked at what was in for the snacks.
"What happened between you two?" Soph asked wiggling her eyebrows at me and Niles.
"Oh nothing much, we just talked."
"Just talked as in talking or intimate talks?" God, fuck Soph. "Just talk, Soph," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Okay." She acted like she was sad when she was not and I swear that she was cackling inside.
After that, we ate snacks and saw a movie. By the time, the first movie was over, it was time for dinner.
"It's eight. We got to eat." Cal declared.
"I already made some." Sophie, Dan's friend spoke. Everybody looked at her while she just shrugged it off.
"When you guys were solving that mess, I slipped out and made some food for us. It is in the fridge. We just have to heat it." She said.
"Soph, it was not at all necessary."
"No, it was. It was the only way I could return your favour and letting me stay here and bringing me with you guys to your Aunt's."
I gasped then muttered a thank you. "Okay. What is it that you have prepared?" Aaron asked.
"I thought you guys would like Tacos and Lasagna."
"How did you even know where the stuff was?" I asked. As a reply, she just pointed to the person sitting beside her. Dannon. Sure he would do that.
"Okay, considering everybody is hungry, could we please just eat? You guys could talk later." Niles exclaimed sighing as his stomach growled with Aaron, Wilson and Lauren nodding their heads.
"Fine. You guys rinse your hands and we will assemble the dinner." I said standing up and trudging towards the kitchen with both the Sophies heading behind me. Sophie as in Dan's friend and Sophie as in my friend.
After fifteen minutes, everything was set and we sat down to eat.
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Until then,
Nishi.