Reconstructing Amelia (unedited)

Chapter 54

December 4th, 2019

It had been a day since I'd done the kit, and so far, Cato and I had managed to keep it a secret from the boys. We'd lied and said I'd had a meeting with my doctor, and I think they'd believed it just fine. I still had mixed feelings about the kit, but it was done and over with, and that was good enough for me. Alan and Eli had both - gently - pestered me about the details of my conversation with Felix, Des, and Emilio, but I'd kept most of it private. The only thing I told them was that we were on good terms now. They'd been slightly outraged at that but hadn't explicitly said it to my face.

It was mid-afternoon now, and I was lounging in my room with Alan. We hadn't spent much time together, and even though we weren't talking, it still felt nice just to be in the same room as him. He still hadn't gone to school today, leaving it just the two of us all day. Eli had been forced to go to school, which he definitely hadn't been happy about. I'd heard he put up a bit of fight about it last night from Alan, who'd found it extremely comical. They'd finally spent the night back at their own house, and even though Javi had stayed with me, it had felt nice to have some time and space to myself.

"Heyyyy," Alan groaned, shifting grumpily. He was draped across the foot of my bed, on top of my legs, and I'd moved, which had moved him too.

"Don't sit on me then," I replied, turning the page of my book.

Alan sat up, sticking out his tongue at me indignantly. "I don't like you when you're sarcastic,"

"Leave then,"

"But then I'd be bored," he whined, sprawling over me dramatically.

I shoved him aside so he didn't accidentally touch my chest tube or my ribs. "You're already bored," I informed him.

"But then I'd be even more bored," he pouted.

"You could read," I offered, gesturing to the few books Xander had brought over when he'd visited this morning.

Alan made a face. "You know I don't read,"

"Stay bored then,"

Alan just sighed irritably, flopping out over my legs again.

"Mia?" a soft voice called from the doorway. I glanced up, seeing a familiar blonde entering my room.

"Janie," I greeted tiredly. "Hi," I tried my best to sit up, wincing as pain shot through my ribs.

"Hey, take it easy," Alan reminded me, sitting up and grabbing my wrist to steady me.

I brushed him off, giving him a look at which he frowned in return.

Janie crossed the room to stand by me, eyeing Alan suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" she asked him confidently.

Before he could answer, the door opened again and the rest of the boys walked in, chattering and arguing loudly, per usual.

Javi immediately brightened as he saw Janie, rushing to hug her.

"Amelia, who is this?" Cato asked.

Janie was staring at them in shock, her mouth partly agape. "Mia," she whispered. "Why are all of the Adams brothers in your room?"

I had no idea how to explain it to her.

"She's our sister," Eli blurted, filling the silence.

Janie blinked in surprise. "You're Amelia Adams?" she asked slowly, her gaze darting back and forth between the boys and me. "Like, the-famous-missing-sister Amelia Adams?"