It's Always Been You

one

-serena powers-

I have to start my life someday. I can't stay stuck in this house under my Papa's rules and orders. I'm an adult and I can make my own life choices, dammit. Apollo believes I can. So does Ryder. Then what's holding you back? I hear a little voice in my head asking me. I don't know. Maybe it's the thought of starting living life on my own. Maybe-

I'm broken out of my thoughts when Apollo calls my phone. I reach over to the nightstand and grab the phone, putting it up to my ear.

"Hey, sis. How are you?" I hear his sweet but weak, angelic voice say over the phone. Every-time I talk to Apollo, a piece of my heart breaks. He has horrible cancer and he doesn't have long left. He tries to hide it but you can see the color in his eyes are slowly fading, how his skin is becoming more pale, and how his voice is becoming weaker. I try swallow the huge, fat lump in the back of my throat and clear my voice.

"I'm good, A." I tried to make my voice sound strong, but you can hear it coated in sadness. "How are you? How's my Meredith? And Ariel?" I mention his daughter and wife. It breaks my heart even more that he has a family at home that's soon going to lose him. I blink back the tears that want to spill so badly. He clears his throat but I don't think it helps as his next sentence comes out shaky.

"They're good, Serena. Im good." He makes sure to emphasizes the 'he's good' part. He's lying. He used to be a boy who could play outside and run for hours. His long, bright blonde hair and his emerald eyes glowing under the sun as we played for hours and hours until Papa told us to come back into the house and taught how to kill people. Now he can barely speak without coughing up a storm. "So.. Have you told Mama or Papa about your big move? You're gonna have to tell them sometime, you know?" His voice cuts into the thoughts about our childhood. Shit. I haven't told them yet.

"I will, Apollo, but you know how they are. Mama's going to have a whole heart attack and Papa.. well, I would think he would be relived but probably not because he won't have anyone to torture." I let out a unamused chuckle. I mean, its true. Easton Powers doesn't care or love anyone other than Soleen Powers, our Mama. Apollo is more like our mother is ways I can't even explain. They have most of the same physical features. The blonde hair, the green eyes, the naturally pale skin. They could be twins it if wasn't for the 20 year age gap. My Mama is also the sweetest person I've ever met. A nice, welcoming 45 year old woman. And my brother is just the same. That's exactly why my Papa doesn't claim him. He calls him weak, useless, a mistake. As soon as he spoke those words to my only brother, I officially hated my father from that point on. He only claims me because I have fight in me, unlike Apollo, but that doesn't mean I'll be anything like him. Maybe I will. Shut up.

"Hey, don't think like that. You know you were always his favorite." He lets out a small chuckle at his teasing. But him saying that isn't amusing to me at all. I let out a forced chuckle. Sometimes I dislike my mother for even having kids with a man like my father. But I could never dislike her for too long, she smiles too much for that. "Serena?" Apollo questions hesitantly after I don't answer for a while. I shake my head. Dammit. I need to get my head out of my ass.

"Yes?" I pick myself up off my queen sized bed and walk over to my bathroom, which is connected to my bedroom. Im going to miss this house. Well it's a mansion, but I don't like using that word much. My bathroom is pretty much the size of an average bedroom. My bathroom theme is a white with gold specks here and there. But everything is pretty much packed right now and who knew I had so many things?! There's boxes everywhere like I literally didn't know I had so many things. Maybe I did, but still.

"Still coming over later today?" He asks, hesitantly, like he's afraid I'll say no.

"Of course, A. I'll be there in about 30 minutes, tops. I just need to get dressed." I explain to him as I take out my favorite scent perfume, lotion and bathing soap. What should I wear? I walk over to my walk-in closet and see it completely empty. You're moving, Serena. Oh, yeah. I did put some basic outfits in one specific box though.