The Mind Games

Epilougue

"So you're parents moved to Britain, eh?" I ask slyly, I'm not really sure what to feel right now. It's my only defense as my world crumbles.

"Yeah," Cole chuckles, "With me just about dead and gone with no sign of any return, and my brother off in college, they decided to take their teacher salary savings and move to Britain. I remember them joking about it when I was little but I never really thought they would."

I throw my hands up dramatically, "How do you move to Britain with the salary of a teacher?!"

"Right?" Cole shakes his head, as he leans back on his hands on the carpet of the living room as we wait for his brother to come and pick him up, "I don't think they're living in London or anything though. That would be way too expensive."

"You think they'll come home to see you?" Not like my parents.

"I think they're planning to come back when the semester ends for Alexander."

"What color car was it again?"

"Red hybrid."

"Right," I confirm, falling pray to the awkward silence between us, "Do you ever call him Alex or like Xander or something?"

Cole presses his lips into a straight line, and I find myself mirroring his motions. I stop to make sure it doesn't seem like I'm watching him closely.

"Not really... I think I may have called him "'Lex" when I was younger because I couldn't get the 'Ah' sound right, but besides that I don't really think so."

Crash!

"Kayla!" Naomi's voice scolds.

"Hey!" My little sister giggles, "You gave me the idea!"

"Is everyone okay?" Maddie's tired voice calls as she drags herself into the kitchen. With her back facing us, she pokes her head in, but I can see just from her posture she's struggling a lot, "The glass didn't cut you, did it?"

"No," The girls reply in unison, and I care her the mischievous giggles hidden poorly within their tones.

"Okay, just try not to break anymore."

"We won't!"

With that, Maddie walks back through the living room back to the room where she has been locking herself up in.

I lay down on the rough carpet as we wait in painful silence to be greeted by Alexander.

A short eternity later, a tall fit boy with dark hair like Cole's approaches the door cautiously. I think he checked the mail box three or four times before walking down the drive way.

He didn't even have to ring the doorbell before Cole was on his feet. The door swung open suddenly, and Cole was on top of, who I assume to be Alexander, in a tackle hug. I marvel to the grand gesture, because I've never seen Cole do something so emotional.

When Cole finally releases his brother, I see a few small tear stains on Alexander's dark salmon colored shirt, and his eyes are a tad swollen and puffy from crying. I- I don't know what to do.

I feel like a stranger, watching what's supposed to be a private personal moment.

"You wanna introduce me to your friends, Cole?" Alexander says, clearly seeing me feel uncomfortable, and I shift my gaze around the room in embarrassment.

"Ooh is Cole's brother he-" Kayla starts but leaves her sentence unfinished as she enters the room.

"I'm guessing that's probably him, yeah," Naomi retorts with a good-hearted eye roll.