Across the Hall (girlxgirl)

five

• N a y a •

If I had learnt anything in the last 12 hours, it was that I sucked at first impressions when it came to this girl. First, my friend knocked her down and now she was standing in my house while I was dressed in a hoodie, oversized flannel pants and glasses with the worst bedhead of my life.

"I know you must have all sorts of questions Naya but it's been a long night and we're all tired. Tomorrow Aunty Jess is coming over to take the boys and then the four of us can sit down and talk." My mum sniffed and I knew I should look at her, give some indication that I was listening but I couldn't for the life of me take my eyes off of Ember. 

She didn't look at me, her gaze glued to the floor as her posture remained tense, a vice grip on the bag in her hands. I could tell she was terrified and ready to bolt at any given second, and for some reason that hurt me, seeing like that really hurt me. 

"Naya!" My dad's harsh voice came, and I finally managed to tear my gaze away, nodding my head.

"Y-yeah, that's fine," I murmured, clearing my throat before I turned back to her. "I'll go get you something to sleep in." I offered, unsurprised when she didn't respond but when I got a nodding go-ahead from my mum I made my escape, running to my room as soon as I was out of sight.

I wasted no time taming my hair back into a more presentable ponytail before I grabbed a pair of pyjama pants and a plain white shirt that I hadn't worn in a while. For a second I wanted to take my glasses off, but with my contacts in the bathroom and a fear of looking like I was trying too hard, I decided against it, leaving my room as my parents and Ember were walking down the hall.

"Naya's room is across the hall from yours and our sons' rooms are further down. We're downstairs if you need anything." My mum spoke gently as they came to a stop outside the guest room and I waited until they walked in before I followed, standing in the doorway in an attempt not to overwhelm her- her reasoning for being here was still unknown to me but with all the emotional tension around I knew it couldn't have been good.

"Here." I offered, holding out the clothes with a soft smile as she took them wordlessly, seeming to be trapped in a daze. "I'll see you in the morning." I nodded before heading back to my room, giving her the space she so obviously needed.

I sat on my bed, knowing my parents would visit me as soon as they were done with Ember so I wasn't surprised when there was a quiet knock on my door before they came in, looking a few years older than how they looked when they left.

"Hey Naya, do you mind if your father and I talk to you for a bit?" My mum asked, coming to sit next to me with a heavy sigh as my dad joined her on the other side.

"I figured." I smiled, making room for them.

"Well, Naya, when I was in university, I met a girl, her name was Thea and from the second we met we became inseparable, we were best friends and we stayed best friends after we graduated." She gushed, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "You were just born when we found out she was pregnant, a few months along actually, and we were all so excited that our kids were gonna grow up together and become best friends like us or maybe fall in love." She said with a laugh, but she looked like she'd cry at any moment.

"But a few months after she had given birth to her daughter, Ember, her husband, Jeremy, suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while he was at home with Ember and passed away within minutes- Thea was the one who found him. We tried to be there for her, we really did but she never fully recovered from it and a few weeks after the funeral she took off with her daughter and we never saw them again. Before she left, she made me promise to look after her daughter if anything happened to her and even stated your dad and me as Ember's legal guardians in the will. Thea-" She started as her voice broke, the tears finally escaping and I had no idea what to do. "Thea had been living here for the past two years, with her daughter and I had no idea." She cried before my dad wrapped a protective arm around her, rubbing her arm reassuringly as he turned to me.