Chapter Twenty Five

It's the weekend and after the little quarrel that transpired between Torin and me, we've been avoiding each other like plagues. Well, I have been avoiding him. He just does him.



But so far, life in Seattle has been alright. I just tend to have this feeling that I'm missing something. Or lately, that someone's watching me. But it's probably just a whole lot of paranoia on my end.



Kevin and Kayla are over at our house and are playing a confusing game of cards with John. Well, at least they're trying to. He keeps shouting 'go fish' at the wrong times and when he thinks he's won, he packs up the cards and throws them over his head in excitement. It's adorable. And they have surprisingly been so patient with him, especially Kayla.

Jasper gets home and John automatically abandons the game to hug him. I then realize I have not seen him all day.

"Where have you been?" I ask at the same time Kevin says, "What's up man?"

Jasper looks at me with a goofy smile.

"Hey to you too 'mum'."

I roll my eyes and throw a pillow at him and he catches it. Stupid reflex.

"You do know it's very cold outside right?" I say, taking in his shorts and sleeveless shirt.

"It's just snow." He counters.

"Sure. It won't be just snow when you're shivering like a baby and asking for your 'mummy'." I say mockingly.

"Wait, he cries for his mummy?" Kayla asks amiss a laughing fit.

"No." Jasper says the same time I say, "Yes."

"Okay, seems like you woke up with some beef against your brother Chels," Kevin says to me.

"How do you know I woke up with it?" I snap.

"Cause you definitely haven't seen him this morning and you were in a pretty good mood before he came in."

"Doesn't prove anything," I say adamantly and he raises his arms in mock surrender.

"Sour face," Jasper murmurs on his way to his room.

I have no witty reply so I just stick my tongue out to the back of his head.

I really have no beef against Jasper. I was just a bit worried and didn't want to ask. He usually tells me when he's leaving the house, no matter how early. Yeah. We are that close. And it just pisses me off whenever he deflects from our normal routine. I'm not the best with intimate changes. I'm actually not the best at any type of change at all. The move to Seattle was a major necessity and that's the only reason it sat well with me. I stand up from my seat and follow him to his bedroom. What was he doing out early either way? And with so few layers of clothes in this cold.

I knock at his door and wait for a reply. I'm pissed, not rude. He's still my older brother. He opens the door and his facial expression turns to one of annoyance when he sees me. Okay, I guess I do deserve that.

"I'm sorry," I say.

"For what?" He says and walks over to his closet to get a change of clothes.

"My attitude when you walked in," I murmur under my breath.

"What? I didn't get you." He says, cupping his ears with his hands. "What did you say?" He adds.

I roll my eyes and repeat myself. "I'm sorry for how I acted when you walked in okay?"

I see him fight back a smile and I'm calmer. He feigns seriousness and nods once.

"You're forgiven." He says finally and goes back to his closet. I take this as a sign of a truce and I step into his bedroom properly.

I haven't been here since we moved. And this room is a total contrast to his former room.

Instead of blue-colored walls, this room is gray. And there are no anime or DC posters on the walls. He just has abstract pictures hanging on the wall.

His bed is on the far end of the room and there's a reading table, a couch, and his closet. It's pretty scanty and spacious and it makes me feel like this bankruptcy made him grow up a little too fast. The realization brings tears to my eyes and before I know it, I walk up to him and hug him, and then I'm a sobbing mess.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" He says hugging me back tighter. "I said you're forgiven. I wasn't even mad. I was just teasing."

I don't say a word and I just shake my head. He lets me cry for some time and when I calm down, he sends me to my room and I hear him make up an excuse to Kevin and Kayla concerning why I won't be down for a while. The gesture makes me smile. I love him so much. More than I'll ever admit.

I walk into my bathroom to ease myself and realize why I've been an emotional disaster. My period has come. Great.

I'm changing into clean underwear and a tampon when I hear movement in my room.

"I'm in the bathroom," I shout. "Be out in a minute," I add, but there's no response and the room is quiet again. Weird.

I finish up and peep into the room finding absolutely no one. I could've sworn I heard a noise. I'm about to shrug it off when I notice a little wrapped box on the table. I was at first surprised to see it there but I slowly walked up to it.



Yet, I could not help but approach it.



The box is a little blue one, wrapped with a red and gold ribbon. I unwrap it and open the box. There's a little necklace in it. I pick it up and notice that the pendant is that of a moon.



Okay...



I look into the box and find a little note on the bottom.



'For when we finally get to meet.' It said.



Wait, what?



I immediately panicked when I remembered the parcel from two days ago. Is he a secret admirer? How did he even get in?



That is if 'he' is even a he.



I go to my window and put my head through, looking outside to try and see if someone's there, but no one is. I quickly shut the windows and lock them. My life is playing out like one of those telenovelas mum is so obsessed about.



And I'm a little terrified but like the crazy human being I am, I kinda feel excited.