To Capture a Heart ✔️

Chapter 6

As I lay in bed a week later, my mind wanders to everything that happened the past week. I had to live with Christina gushing over Ferris. every. Single. Day. Non stop. She talked about how they went on a date (already?) and made out in the car before he dropped her off home. I never thought that Ferris could be so... social with someone. Ah, he still ceases to amaze me.

I blink several times, falling out of my fangirl montage. I can't do this, I can't do this to Christina, she wants Ferris, so I can't run after him. I can't try to be with him. Not if I want to ruin my blooming friendship with Christina.

Blooming friendship with Christina... Like with Jessie? My mind brings back all the frightful memories from when I was 10. I had a best friend... a really close best friend who loved me as much as I loved her. She was only 3 years older than me. And I had an older brother. He was 16. Jessie used to come around to my house everyday after she was done at high school, and we used to play around all the time. Daniel never bothered us, never acknowledged Jessie's existence. She was like a ghost to him. But he wasn't a ghost to her.

One day I walked into Daniel's room because I needed help with my maths homework. And that was when I saw them. Together. Kissing.

It was so wrong. He was 3 years older than her and she was 3 years younger. Neither of them saw me come in and I just stood there. At the doorway to my brother's room. A small gasp left my mouth, as tears pricked down the side of my face. Why was I crying? And to be honest, I don't even know. I was a ten year old girl who had just experienced the first sense of betrayal that came with growing up. But it hit me. As soon as I saw them, it hit me.

It hit me like a bag of rocks. Jessie only came here to see my brother. Even if he was just passing us across the hallway, she still saw him.

And I never felt so humiliated in my life. Jessie couldn't even look at me.
As soon as she left, I confronted Daniel. I told him how I felt about him being with my best friend. But he didn't care. He didn't care about what I had to say. He didn't care that it was wrong. He only cared about Jessie.

So I did what every 10 year old in that situation would do. I told my parents. Surprisingly, when I approached them, they were sitting silently with a cup of tea in their hands. Just like they always did after a heated argument. My mum saw me from the corner of my eye and plastered a huge, fake grin across her face. I told her. I told her everything. And I told my dad as well. But I wish I hadn't. My mum had suggested talking to Daniel but my dad stormed into his bedroom with my mum behind him. I cowered next to the door, witnessing everything.

Dad leaned in close, whispering something into Daniel's ear and I saw him nod his head in shame. Or was it embarrassment? I didn't know what he said to him, and I didn't ask.

But Daniel's admittance sent dad over the edge.

Before I knew it, Daniel was walking out of the house with a suitcase in his hand and a backpack flinged over his shoulder. That was the last time I saw him.

The next day, Jessie flipped out at me, screaming, shouting. And for the second time in a week, someone else walked out of my life. And till this day, I blame myself for ruining my family.

As I lay in bed, I didn't realize that tears were filling up inside my eyes. I closed them, letting the tears flow through me. Why did I have to walk into that room? Why did my stupid brain have to snitch on them? Why did... Why did I have to befriend Jessie? If I didn't... my brother would still be here. Here with me. And maybe mum wouldn't have left. Maybe.

By now, my tears are rapidly evacuating my eyes, red and swollen from crying.
I doubt that I'm going to get any sleep tonight.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

I was reading through the next few chapters of the book and I just noticed how cringey and cliche my younger self was. It's actually embarrassing. But I promise, if you're able to hold on for a few more chapters, it's definitely going to be worth it.

I've actually written about 17 chapters on Wattpad and know we've just got to wait until the next Monday to release the next one.

-H 🤍