Author: What would you say is the closest path to happiness?
Hope: Being at peace. When you're not at peace you're worried, always on your toes. But the thing is sometimes we just have to pause our hectic lives, find beauty in things we thought were common, take a deep breath, then carry on with our day.
~Hope Manchester.
••
"Oh gosh, how are we going to get home?!" Hope asked a worried look painted on her features.
I shrugged. "Um. . . Our feet?" I offered unsure of what would reassure her. Honestly, I had walked here, not only was it great exercise but with my music, it had helped me relax.
We walked out of the woods and her clothes were luckily not wet, just a bit sandy. The same as mine. She dusted underneath her feet before wearing on her sandals again.
"Like I knew you would say that!" She muttered not so quietly under her breath. "Lacey is going to kill me, dang it! Dad's still home! He's going to think that I don't even care about him! I mean, what type of daughter leaves when her Dad just comes home! I'm a terrible one, oh my gosh. Maybe he's going to—" I put a hand over her mouth and I felt her take a breath in.
"You talk a lot," I observed. "Anyway, who's Lacey?" I removed my hand from its former position.
Hope looked flushed. Not from talking a lot, but from worrying too much. She was too busy worrying to pay attention to other things around her.
I mean, she could just walk. It would help blow off some heat.
"My Stepmom,"
"Evil stepmother type? With the evil stepsisters cliché?" I asked her genuinely curious and she giggled softly.
"No, she's not evil. A little protective maybe," she told me, then added. "Besides, I don't have a stepsister or stepbrother. I do have a half-brother though." She concluded and I didn't want to pry anymore into her personal life when she unexpectedly asked. "What about you and your parents? I know you have brothers but you barely ever talk about your parents,"
"Neither do you,"
"You never asked." Fair point.
I wanted to run a hand through my hair but I refrained from doing so. "My parents and I have not and probably will never be close. I pretty much grew up without them, they were more active in my brother's lives than mine." I was being so honest that I hardly recognised myself. Just like earlier today. The honesty was making me feel weird. I was more of a reserved closed person, who liked having my personal space and hated people who loved bursting my bubble.
Hope's eyes widened and her lips parted. "Yikes, I didn't know. Sorry." She apologised to me as she dusted off her clothes, making sure there wasn't a trace of sand left.
I found it amusing though. She could care so much about a little sand being on her. She didn't know anything about life. Or how cruel it could be when it wanted to.
I soon found myself drowning in a memory I wanted to forget.
••
I couldn't get a wink of sleep that night. When I did fall asleep I was woken up because of my dream. Or nightmare rather.
I sighed as I drank my coffee scrunching my nose in disgust. Here I was, in the middle of the night drinking my least favourite drink. Coffee.
I would take tea but I planned on staying awake for a while.
I took another gulp out of the coffee, it was not doing anything. Was this decaffeinated?
As I was about to take another sip of my drink. The door opened and I froze.
It was nearly one am. Why was the door even open in the first place?
I looked behind me to find Aiden. He looked exhausted. His golden-brown hair was shades darker, meaning it was or at least had been wet. I couldn't ignore the hideous bags under his icy blue eyes and his olive skin looked pale, making him look sick.
As we both stared at each other we made a silent agreement when we both nodded.
I did not ask why he was coming in so late or where he had been, in return he did not ask where I had been or why I was not yet asleep.
It was as easy as that.
He dropped the backpack he had been carrying on the living room couch and came into the kitchen, aware I was watching him intensely.
"Long time no talk brother," I told him dryly. I might as well try and make things less awkward.
He nodded then sat on the stool opposite mine. "I could say the same—" he cut himself off. "You're drinking coffee?" He asked baffled and even dared to lean in closer to see the contents of my cup. "Aren't you allergic to caffeine or something?" He questioned me and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not allergic to caffeine, idiot. If I was you would be seeing the side effects by now," I stated.
He scoffed. "Well I'm sorry, moron, I didn't know that. You should try being a lot nicer you know?"
"Shut up, stupid."
"Bleh," he concluded. After watching me forcefully try to drink the rest of my coffee he took the cup from me. "It's too late for caffeine, Faith. Besides, aren't you doing something tomorrow? Anything?" He sounded like he was desperate for me to leave.
I mean, he was the same person who thought I needed a break from everything.
"It isn't. It's not like the coffee is even working, I feel the same," he just hummed in response and drank my cup of coffee. He scrunched his face.
"What is this? You don't know how to make a cup of coffee, do you?" The look of horror on his face made me roll my lower lip into my mouth and suck on it.
I watched him pour the contents of the cup into the sink. "I don't drink it. How am I supposed to know how to make it?"
"It's pretty common. So if you have to work in a coffee shop for some extra cash, this—lord knows I can't even call it coffee— is what you would make? Damn Faith, you need to learn how to make a decent cup of coffee!"
At this point, he was no longer scolding me. I was sure he was mourning the life of the coffee he had lost.
I watched him exaggerate as he washed the cup. Over and over again. Like if he only washed it once the memory of my coffee would still be in it.
I sighed as he kept on lecturing me and I zoned out. I barely had any time left with him or any of my brothers. Or even Hope.
Hope knew nothing about me yet she was always there. Would she always be there even after she finds out about Melody and I's complicated friendship? Not to talk about her father. . .
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Aiden gently passed me a cup of cold tea.
I whispered him a thank you and sighed in contentment when the soothing liquid touched my tongue. It was more familiar to me than any cup filled with coffee.
Aiden left to go take a shower and I was left alone with my thoughts, another deadly thing. The worst company on earth was your mind, especially when it's one place you usually run away from.
One thing was for sure though, when my mind drifted back to Hope, I was not going to be the one to tell her. I would rather not.
Besides, I was not going to be here long enough for her to find out anyway.
The turning of my stomach reminded me why.
••
Well, I've updated! This is going to be one hella short author's note.
What are your thoughts on Hope and Faith's friendship? Or Faith in general?
Scroll up to the next update!
~Mimi x