Fly High, Fly Low [ON-HOLD]

Chapter 1

FLY HIGH, FLY LOW
By GinoongONEGANI

A/N: This is not so much an author's note as an author's reminder of what was written in the first page: Everything in this book is fictitious.

CHAPTER ONE

"FOR HOW long?" says Jay, not even bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. He crouches down to tie his shoelaces, first the right then left, stomping his feet against the floor to see if adjustments are needed. He does it a little extra today, as though he wants to say something. When he doesn't hear a reply, he raises a brow at his mother, demanding an answer. The other doesn't move, clearly not having any of his rudeness. He knows his mother. He knows she won't respond unless he asks nicely.

He sighs, secretly rolling his eyes. "Fine," he says, then tries his best to be as polite as he can. It's a success. Sort of. Let's just say he succeeds at the first five words, but as he goes on, especially when he mentions his grandparents, it becomes harder for him to prevent his disgust from dripping in his words. He has to repeat it again. He's close to storming out the room, and pretends this never happens. No matter how much he is tempted to do so, he just can't, the fear of disappointing his mother keeps his feet planted to where it is.

"How long will I have to stay with them?" This time, he realizes it's better to make it short.

The disgust is gone, but not quite good in the ears still. Because he sounds so dejected, like he's forced, well in fact he is, and he has no choice. Shoulders slumped down, he averted his gaze.

"Say," says his mother whose hand is propped against her hip, "what's wrong with you?"

Jay isn't very discrete about his animosity towards his grandparents. In fact, he makes it very obvious when his family visits them. He doesn't talk to them when not prompted to. When asked, he gives nothing more than clipped answers. At dinner, the food on his plate is literally the world. It doesn't matter how awfully unattractive they are, so long as they will provide a fair reason for him not to meet their eyes.

He isn't really a social person. During their family gathering, a once-in-a-year torture for him, he will do everything even if it means singing, well in his case it's more like shouting (because he really has no future for singing), before the actual day so he would lose his voice, and would not have the need to talk to his cousins. He knows it's silly --- no, crazy --- but in his mind he knows there's nothing he can do about it. It's even crazier to think that he only has three cousins. Yes, three. Numbers don't matter, he will argue. It might look like a joke, but those three, when put in the same place, can literally blast your eardrums away.

Fate seems to have taken sides of him that Christmas two years ago. Does he mention the gathering happens every Christmas? So, that time, he's about to tire his voice out again, standing and holding a hairbrush in his bed, when suddenly the ground shakes. The chandelier in the living room isn't moving, he observes, nor the star perched regally atop the Christmas tree. Disappointed, feet pad towards the stairs. He's just reached the landing when it happens again --- the ground shakes again. The ground melts beneath his feet, and dances.  He wanders his gaze, not just the landing, but everything is dancing in a weird rhythm, until it gets totally distorted in his eyes.

He seeks support on the railings, realizing his body is heavier than it is earlier, so heavy his legs can't practically bear its weight. Excited hand claps over the forehead, and with a triumphant smile, he announces, his starting-to-get-raspy voice echoing throughout the house, "I have a fever!"

His parents are at the company, taking care of the things they will leave behind for the gathering, thank goodness. No one will call him out for crazily cheering because he is sick. In his defense, he doesn't ask for this. He would love to ditch the event completely, yes, but doesn't he choose to just come voiceless? He doesn't ask for this, but that doesn't mean he won't take advantage of it.