Where My Heart Used To Reside

Chapter 8

   Stomachache. That's what I first felt when I opened my eyes in the morning. Was I hungry because I didn't eat much last night? Maybe. Or was it because I ate junk food before bed? Maybe.

   Whatever the reason was, I still felt sick. I got out of bed and stared at myself in the mirror. My face was contorted as I held the pain in. I washed my face and went downstairs to the kitchen to grab a glass of warm water.

   I sat at the counter table with a mentioned glass of water in my hand. When the pleasantly hot liquid flowed down my throat, I felt a bit better, even though the pain was still lingering. After finishing the drink, I heard voices and footsteps approaching this kitchen. I recognised those voices so well.

   "ーbut I won!"

   "No, you didn't."

   "Just admit that I'm better than you in this game."

   "Nu-uh.."

   "Stubborn."

   "Cheater."

   "What ー"

   Gabriel stopped swinging his hand in mid-air when he spotted me staring at him and Andreas from the countertop. Although I wasn't wearing my glasses right now, I could see their bewildered expression as they didn't expect to see me in the kitchen at this hour.

   "Good morning, Brina," Gabriel said, taking out a carton of orange juice from the fridge. Meanwhile, Andreas grabbed two clean glasses from the cabinet and put them on the counter table. I just stared as Gabriel poured out the sweet, zesty juice into the glasses. The swirling sound was calming that I felt like I was watching a satisfying advertisement for refreshing orange juice. I considered of staying here and talking with my brothers, but the pain in my stomach made an abrupt appearance, making me grimace and softly grunt. My brothers were chatting, so they didn't hear the desperate sound I'd just made, and I felt like I wanted to disappear in my room before breakfast time, thus I got up from my seat and practically slouched all the way towards the staircase.

   As I strode past Andreas, he raised his arm and rumpled my hair, which was already messy and tangled, causing me to growl unhappily. He thought I was not being seriously angry, so he did it again, only to witness me snapping at him.

   "Stop it!"

   I saw how my brothers jump and widen their eyes when I glowered at them, especially Andreas. I ignored their reaction and headed towards my bedroom, huffing like a furious bull. Before completely disappearing from the kitchen, I heard them pondering my unusual behaviour.

   "What's wrong with her? She doesn't usually act like that."

   "You just messed up her hair."

   "So?"

   "You know... Girls, especially a teenager like her..."

   "Huh?"

   Gabriel sighed before I heard him smacking Andreas' head, probably.

   "Why are you so clueless?"

   I rolled my eyes and climbed up the stairs and opened the door to my bedroom. I practically threw myself onto the bed and continued my sleep, despite the painful throbbing in my belly that felt like a hundred of daggers prodding it in every possible angle. Even so, I closed my eyes and tried to drift away.

   But.....

   In the end, I couldn't sleep comfortably because of the stomachache. I was a bit confused. This was not stomachache, considering the abnormal pain I was experiencing right now. It was worse.