The Guarded One ✔

Chapter Nine

My friends and I walk down the hallway slowly, heading towards the parking lot. Tonight aunt Laura and I are going to enjoy a quiet dinner at home for my birthday.

"The Nachos were good" Jess points out.

"Not as good as the crispy chicken" Tyler raises a brow.

"What is your obsession with crispy chicken lately?" Hayden asks him.

"Longest day of my life!" Duncan announces as approaching us.

"So where are we going now?" Jess questions.

"Nowhere my..." Hayden trails off as noticing Ayla walking away from her locker. "Hey look" she points.

No. Don't you dare. It's so obvious what she's about to do next. Hayden's one of those people who like simplicity. When things get too real, she freaks out. That's why she was so interested in the girl, she was simple. She was a simple new project for Hayden.

"Its the new chick" Tyler points.

"Hay-" I warn.

"Hey Ayla" Hayden greets.

But no, she had to go and do it anyway.

"Oh hi," Ayla greets awkwardly.

"I'd like you to meet my friends....this is Tyler...Jess...Duncan and you already know Jason...guys this is Ayla"

I don't bring me into this. Uh, I actually don't have the mental strength to deal with this right now.

"Hi" she waves.

"Thanks, Jason" Duncan wraps his arms around me, with a huge smile upon his lips.

What the hell is this dude doing?

"Get off me" I hiss with firms eyes.

I furrow my brows before realizing that Duncan was referring to earlier when he asked me if we could 'keep her'. I actually can't sometimes.

"So we are heading to the ice-cream place" Duncan starts, "you wanna come"

Don't tell me; Duncan has a thing for the new chick. Wrong move bro.

"Oh no, I-" she starts.

"It'll be our way to apologize for scaring the shit outta you earlier" Duncan smiles.

"If it makes you feel any better we won't be there" Jess starts as pointing to herself and Tyler.

"And neither will we" Hayden points to herself and me.

What's that supposed to mean? If you're trying to set the two of them up, I'm actually so done.

"Sure...then" Ayla agrees "so how long have you guys been together?" She looks at Jess and Tyler.

Duncan begins laughing uncontrollably. If I had a dollar for every time they were asked that, I would be richer than Bill Gates.

"Since birth" Jess announces.

This is cruel but enjoyable to watch. They don't look anything alike. Jess is short compared to Tyler. Her hair is a lot darker and her eyes lighter than his.

"We're cousin's" Tyler informs her.

"Oh...I..." Ayla stutters whilst facepalming.

"This really isn't your day huh?" Hayden smirks.

"I guess not" she sighs.

I'm actually beginning to feel sorry for her. She has Hayden and Duncan to deal with.

***

When I arrive home all the lights are off, preventing me from seeing a thing. I drop my backpack onto the living room floor before walking to the kitchen.

Suddenly a group of voice scream "surprise" just as the lights flick on.

I jump in surprise, to see Sam, Angel, and Aunt Laura.

"I told Aunt Laura to keep the lights on" Angel rolls her eyes but managers to maintain her smile as walking towards me.

"He's fine" Aunt Laura laughs.

Back in New York, both Angel and I had seen some shit. We hate surprises, and dark rooms combined with screams is never a good idea.

Angel wraps her arms around me. "Happy birthday Jas"

"Happy birthday kid" Sam grins as hugging me at the same time as Angel.

"This is what we were talking about when she called me last week" Aunt Laura admits. "Please, sit, sit, sit, I got us some Chinese food"

"It's much nicer then my eighteenth" Angel smirks as we take a seat.

Angel spent her eighteenth birthday in a juvenile prison, waiting to be shipped off to actual prison.

"Your twenty-first is this December" Aunt Laura reminds her, as she pours some noodles into each of the four bowls, "only two and a half months to go"

"True true" Angel nods as eating her noodles.

Suddenly Aunt Laura's cell phone begins buzzing.

She looks down and smiles "it's your grandmothers nursing home, I've got to take this"

Aunt Laura stands up and takes a few steps away from us.

"So how's senior year going?" Sam asks.

"Mine was a mess" Angel laughs.

"It's...Okay, I guess?" I shrug.

"What, No!" Aunt Laura begins to sob, "but I spoke to her...how? Okay thank you"

We all freeze as aunt Laura turns to face us, with tears streaming down her cheeks. I'm the first to run to her side and wrap my arms around her. Angel sat frozen in her seat, with Sam looking at her in shock.

We all immediately know what happened to my grandma.

"Pneumonia" she explains, "she died from pneumonia, Jason"

"It's okay" I assure my aunt as holding her in my arms, "we'll be okay" I look over to my sister, who covers her mouth with her hands.

------------------------

Hi all,

Pneumonia is a COMMON Alzheimer's complication that can result in death. Alzheimer's impairs the part of the brain that controls swallowing. The lack of muscle coordination can cause food and fluid to travel down the windpipe instead of the esophagus (food pipe). This leads to pneumonia.

Their grandmother's death was revealed in PART TWO of 'The Silent One'. So I'm glad that I can now answer when and how.

Thank you