𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕊𝕀𝕊𝕋𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕐 𝕃𝕆𝕊𝕋

~ Chapter - 28 ~

( About the picture- Saisha )

- I L A R I A - 

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kiara asked plopping down on the bed next to me as I scrolled down on my laptop.

"Just checking some schools in California. The ones who offer art scholarships." I told her, my eyes still fixed on the screen. I want to switch school this year. I want to start fresh and I want to go to California College of the Arts after school. It would be really great if I could go to a school there now. I would get to know my surrounding and people better before I start college. 

"Oh then are you gonna like shift permanently in case you get in?" She asked. I told her a few weeks back that I want to shift to California and she wasn't the happiest about it but she is still supportive. All of them are.

"Yeah. I want to college there only, so it will be best if I shift." I said. She nodded. We sat in comfortable silence and after a while I closed my laptop to lay beside her. It's something we do a lot these days. We lay beside each other, stare at the ceiling and talk. It's comforting and most of the time therapeutic. Sometimes, Carmella joins us as well.

"I was thinking of submitting my essay for the school magazine." She said. 

"I think you should. I am 100% sure they will include yours. It's better than half the rubbish it is full of." I said. Kiara is a wonderful writer. She has a great sense  of understanding on a wide variety of topics. But the thing is she is a little under-confident in her ability. Carmella has to practically force her to submit her works for various competitions and stuff. 

She hummed in response. We started talking about our random future plans. How she wants a dog when she grows up. And I want to go for skydiving at least once in my life. How she wants to dye her hair and I want to go to a Blackpink concert. 

"Dude it would be so nice if we can go to Japan together." She said.

"Yeah, Mount Fuji is beautiful." I said. 

"Yes, y'know Stella from my chemistry class? Her father is from Japan and she went there for holidays and I saw the pics, bro, they were so good and it looked so fun." She said.

"Stella's Dad is Japanese?" I asked. I have talked to her a few times and she is a really nice girl but the topic of family never really came up.

"Mm-hmm. She told me he moved here after he got a job here." She said.

"Oh. Did I tell you Elijah is leaving tomorrow?" I asked her.

"No. Where is he going?" She asked back.

"He and Catherine are going to Hawaii for vacation. It's her sister's wedding next month." I said. 

"Wait, does that mean he will be gone for the whole month?" She asked and I nodded.

"There is no other choice. Cath invited me to come with them but I can't skip school for a whole month." I sighed. It was the main reason I declined but I also didn't want to bother them. Catherine would never ever refuse to take me with them but it should be their own precious vacation. They are always so busy which leaves them with little to no time to spend together.

"I suggest you move with us until then. The twins won't let you breath in peace." She muttered. 

"I know. But Mom and Dad are still here. It shouldn't be that bad." I said even though I didn't really believed that. 

Mom and Dad both leave early in the morning for work and come home late in the evening. Whenever Elijah and Catherine are over, the twins behave decently with me. They behave like humans, I would say. But whenever we are alone, they are all about pranks and stupid plans. They frustrate me to no end. And the worst part is they are such liars. Last week, they broke Mom's vase and blamed it on me. It's a relief she didn't believed them.

"It will be that bad." She said. "Their so-called harmless pranks are no less than torture." I laughed dryly. She sat up on the bed and crossed her legs. 

"I'm serious Aria. You won't be able to study at all for the exams either." She said. 

"Take a chill-pill. It will be fine." I laughed. 

"Take a chill-pill. It will be fine." She mimicked in a super annoying high-pitched voice. "I hate to break it to you Ms. Ilaria Hernandez but you are dumb, like really dumb." 

"Okay Ms. Kiara Garcia, I get it. Now if you allow, can we have some food? I'm starving." She rolled her eyes and pulled me up. 

"You are cooking though. I don't know anything about it." She said as if I didn't know that already. She baked cookies one time for Austin's birthday and they were as hard as rocks. Carmella even tried to cut them with a knife with no success. We walked downstairs and found Xander and Saisha playing Overwatch. 

"Hi Aria!" She smiled when she saw me and got up to hug me. Saisha is Xander's childhood bestfriend and an absolute sweetheart. 

"Hi, how are you?" I asked returning the hug. She was joyful and smiley just like always.

"Great as always. What about you?" She asked. 

"I'm good. This is Kiara, my friend." I said gesturing to Kiara. "And this is Saisha, Xander's friend." I told Kiara. They greeted each other polietly and we talked a bit before I headed to the kitchen, Kiara trailing behind me.

"She is your brother's friend?" She whisper-asked.

"Yes, why?" I whispered back.

"She seems so nice. How is she friends with someone so mean." She muttered.

"They are friends since childhood. He wasn't born mean Kia." I mumbled a bit defensively and took out the pasta from the cupboard. When we were little, Xander was one of the sweetest people ever. Mom still sometimes tell me how he used to read to me every night. 

"Sai! Xander! Do you guys want to have pasta?" I asked.

"Yes please!" 

"Yeah!" 

"Then why did he changed into this jerk of a person? Like there must be a reason behind it, right?" Kiara asked. 

"I don't know." I said and it was the truth. I don't know the reason. I don't know why we changed from being the closest of friends to practically strangers. All while living under the same roof. Things changed so slowly yet so fast. 

"We just drifted away, I guess. And now none of us know how to approach the other person properly. Miscommunication, if that's what you wanna say. I don't really know how he would react to things and maybe he doesn't know that either. I think teenage affected them in the worst way possible. They closed off. And not just with me. With Mom, Dad and even Lijah now." I said. 

As much as I want to scream and yell at them sometimes for their stupid behaviour, I can't brush of the concern I have for them. Everyone goes through so much in their lives and there are many factors that affect our actions and thoughts at a moment. Everybody have their own share of hurt and pain and I can't blame them for everything. Maybe I should have paid more attention too. Mom and Dad and Elijah, everyone should have paid more attention. 

There are always many sides to a story and we have no idea about anyone else's side. No matter how well we think we know someone, there are always things about people we will never know. Things they don't want us to know. 

"Continents drift, and so do hearts."
- Anonymous.

Hi Everyone! 

How are y'all pretty people doing?  I was planning to update this weekend but it got done sooner than I expected. I'm still not back with regular updates. I have one board exam left and then the entrance exams but I'm trying my best to be active.

I had to re-read my book from the start as I had completely lost touch with the plot and some parts in the first few chapters were so cringey. How did y'all still managed to have so much patience for me?

Question of the chapter- What's one thing someone said to you that you can never forget?

- Vote - Comment - Follow - Support -

🧡