I can’t tell you exactly how it will end, but I can say this: when it begins, it will feel like rain and when it ends, it will feel like the fire, and the truth is we’re all beautifully mad enough to believe that maybe love was meant to save us from ourselves. –r.m. drake
‘That app’le pie was so good,’ Alex said, yawning. I took the plate from her and placed it on the night stand next to mine and then removed her glasses and put them in their case.
‘Yes it really was,’ I said, lifting up the covers for her to settle inside them. ‘Now you sleep, okay? You must be exhausted after all the running you did today.’
‘Nigh’ nigh’,’ she muttered already falling asleep. I smiled and kissed her forehead.
‘Night night,’ I whispered before tucking her in then taking our plates and walking out of her room.
After supper downstairs, Alex and I had gone up stairs to her room to eat the apple pie I had gotten from Mrs Watson while watching an episode of Friends. Mum and Dad were downstairs washing dishes and talking stuff. I could say my parents were a lot of things but I could never say they weren’t in love with each other despite anything and everything that was happening. They didn’t show it openly but it was there for anyone to see.
‘Alex fall asleep?’ Dad asked when I got into the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter facing Mum who was sitting on one of the bar stools.
‘Out like a light,’ I said, placing the plates and forks inside the sink.
‘Yea, I would understand why. She was really hyper in the morning,’ Mum said, a smile on her face. ‘Are you heading to sleep too?’ The caring mother. I am yet to get used to this, I thought to myself.
‘Not really. But I’ll be up in my room,’ I said, turning on my feet.
'Cecelia, wait a second,’ Dad said behind me.
I turned to look at him. He looked a bit...nervous? Why was he nervous all of a sudden?
‘Um...your Mum and I were wondering...If you’d like to come with us on a trip this time...instead of staying behind,’ he said, still nervous but his face hopeful.
I looked at my Mum who also had the same hopeful expression in her eyes.
‘Why?’ I asked, and that seemed to deflate their hopeful expressions.
‘Do we need a reason to bring along our daughter for a family trip?’ Dad asked.
‘As a matter of fact you do,’ I said boldly, although I didn’t know where this boldness was coming from. ‘You’ve never taken me to one and suddenly you’re asking me to tag along so I want to know why.’
They looked at each other, as if talking mentally and then Mum looked at me, ‘Sit down, honey.’
I hesitated before sitting down next to her on the stool.
‘We know...we know we haven’t been the best parents to you,’ Mum started, facing me. ‘We didn’t think we were denying you anything...’
‘But know we always loved and still love you, Cecelia. Even though our way of showing it is not so good,’ Dad said, coming to stand in front of me.
Um...Okay...So this wasn’t in the agenda today. What an emotional rollercoaster it has been today, I thought. From seeing Chris’s girlfriend and seeing Chris himself to this...
‘We’re trying to make things right, Cecelia,’ Mum said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘Please let us...’
‘Soon, you’ll be the only one left for us...we can’t lose you too,’ Dad said, his voice a little rough.
Because it was my nature and because I couldn’t take any more emotions tonight, I said, ‘Okay.’
‘Okay?’ Dad asked, not hiding his excitement.
‘Yea,’ I said with a small smile. That’s when I became sandwiched between both parents. ‘No need to squeeze me to death,’ I said, struggling for air.
‘Thank you for giving us this chance,’ Dad said, letting go.
‘We’ll make sure you have fun,’ Mum said, clasping her hands together, excitement practically emanating from her.
‘Goodnight,’ I said, chuckling and walking away. They said goodnight back in unison and I chuckled again.
My plans were ruined. Completely, I thought as I stared up at the ceiling of my dark room as Beethoven played softly from my iPod.
I covered my face with my palms before letting out a groan and letting them fall back to my sides.
When I had planned my life after high school, my parents didn’t ‘love’ me, I had three friends, I had no crush and no one had a crush on me.
Right now...Right now everything was a mess. Nothing was going according to plan at all. My parents were showing me all these things I’d wanted since I could remember, I had ‘friends’ albeit not really close ones, I had a crush on Chris and Ash thought he liked me.
Yea...Everything is exactly how I wanted it...NOT!
I risked a glance at my phone for the umpteenth time in the past minute. 1.09 am.
It’s not like he said I’d call you tonight...he just told me to pick up my phone. So why on earth I’m I checking my phone every second?
I exhaled loudly and turned on my side. I should just forget about Chris. I should just kill those feelings...I mean he has a girlfriend who he clearly seems to really like.
He doesn’t need me...I’m just his friend...Maybe I should give Ash a chance you know, I thought getting sleepy suddenly. Maybe...
‘Cecelia!’
I was being shaken really hard. I needed more sleep...I didn’t sleep enough last night, I thought pulling the blankets over my head.
‘Cecelia, goddamn it!’ The voice came again, pulling off the blankets away from me. ‘We’re taking Alex to the hospital.’
Alex?
I struggled through my sleep and opened my eyes. A similar pair was looking back at me, a little panic in them.
‘What’s wrong with Alex?’ I jolted up when it sank in what was being said by Dad.
‘We’re taking her to the hospital...She has a headache and a bit of a fever,’ Dad said.
‘Oh...Lemme come,’ I said starting to get out of bed.
‘No...It’s okay...You sleep. We’ll be back soon...It’s probably nothing,’ he said, but even then I saw the fear flash in his eyes. ‘I’ll bring you...A tub of Ben and Jerry’s?’ He said as he walked away.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘She’ll be okay, Dad.’ I said as he was at the door. He smiled back at me before he closed the door. A few seconds later I heard the front door close and the car speed off.
God, please...I still need a little more time with her...
I looked at the time from my phone. It was 5.24am. No wonder it was a little hard for me to get up. I fell back into my pillows and sighed. Alex will be fine...She still has time left...She still has time...
I woke up with a start, sweat making my PJs cling to my body and the sun burning my eyes. What time was it? And why had I woken up so abruptly?
The doorbell rang like three times consecutively. Maybe that’s what woke me up, I thought getting up to go answer the door.
‘Finally! I thought you’d never wake up...Isn’t anyone home?’
I must have stood there for a long time since he waved a hand over my face. ‘Hello?’
‘Um...W-what are you doing here?’ I said, holding the door tightly as if to shield me. Oh my God, I’m in my pyjamas, probably smelling like a sweaty Llama, my hair facing every direction and my mouth...Oh my God, I probably have toxic morning breath!
‘Are you okay?’ he asked worriedly. No...no I’m not. You’re standing at my front door and I probably look like something out of a horror movie and you’re standing there looking like some Greek demi-god!
‘What time is it?’ I asked looking at the clear sky, running a hand through my unruly hair, trying to calm it.
’11.30 maybe,’ he said, still looking at me, concerned. Damn! I’ve never slept in so late.
‘Cecelia? Are you okay?’ I looked at him, tilting my head. What was he really doing here?
‘You were going to call?’ I asked. May be he wasn’t but he told me to pick up my phone which implied he was going to call.
He sighed, ‘Can I come in?’
‘No!’ I said quickly. Too quickly. He looked at me as if I had grown a third head. ‘I just woke up and I look...’
‘Okay,’ he said giving me a smile and walking past me. I closed the door and looked at him. ‘What?’ He asked chuckling. ‘I’m serious.’
‘Wait here,’ I said, heading for the stairs ‘I’ll be a minute.’
‘Sure,’ he said, walking into the living room.
I practically tore up the stairs and went into my room. Chris...What I’m I going to do with you? I thought opening the windows since it was a little stuffy and quickly making my bed.
I went into the bathroom and showered quickly, wondering what I was going to say. I’d been avoiding him all week and now he was here. What to say...
I wrapped myself with my blue towel and tried to hurriedly dry my hair with another towel before stepping out of my room.
‘Chris!’ I shrieked, holding my towel tighter. ‘I told you stay downstairs!’
‘Chill, Cecelia,’ he said smiling from where he sat on my bed holding my guitar. ‘I got a bit bored so I came up here...’
‘Get out, please,’ I begged and I bet my face was the colour of tomatoes right now. I was just lucky my towel was really long otherwise I’d have been a puddle right now because of this...embarrassment.
‘I won’t peek,’ he said, a hand on his heart.
It took all of my will to walk to my door and open it, ‘Out, Edwards!’
He shook his head and laughed, but walked out nonetheless, my guitar in his hand. ‘Don’t take too long or I’ll get too bored.’
I shut the door behind him and even locked it just to be safe and then relaxed a bit. The boy is a maniac...
But you like him, my mind screamed. I ignored it and walked to my closet. Approximately 7 minutes later, I walked downstairs in a long cream sweater and black tights.
Strumming. That’s the first thing I heard when I reached the bottom of the stairs. I walked slowly to the living room to find Chris, who was facing away from me, strumming a familiar tune.
Then he started singing. And I could swear I fell a bit more for him.
‘Here I am waiting, I’ll have to leave soon, why I’m I holding on? We knew this day would come, we knew it all along, how did it, some so fast?’
He started humming a bit as he tuned the guitar a little before he sang again.
‘And when the daylight comes I’ll have to go, but tonight I’m gonna hold you so close, cause in the daylight we’ll be on our own, but tonight I need to hold you so close.’
Why on earth is this guy so perfect? I thought in awe, and in a little frustration.
He continued to strum, without singing but occasionally humming a bit, and when he was at the end of the song, he sang the last bit softly and slowly, ‘Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.’
‘Where did you learn how to strum like that?’
I must have scared him because he jumped up to face me, a stupefied look on his face. ‘Um...I didn’t think you’d ...hear...’
‘And you can sing too!’ I said, walking towards him.
‘Back at you, Hastings,’ he said, a bit bashful as he set the guitar next to him.
‘So...’ I said, awkwardly, ‘Why are you here?’
He sighed and sat down, ‘So, I guess we need to talk, huh?’ He said with a small smile on his face.
I returned it although mine felt really faked; all the while my heart beating so hard, I feared it would jump out of my chest.
Don't hate me...I don't know what they'll talk abou yet...still planning it in my head.
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