01
I'd always loved the rain. Despite how it greatly interrupts the internet, and how it prevents my brother and my hung clothes from drying—seriously, they had been hung outside the porch for days. Pretty sure they'd smell awful by now. Raindrops hits the roof hard. Dad would be furious about the clothes when he gets back. Really furious. I'm terrified. I'm definitely doomed.
I checked my phone. No messages.
I had weird dreams last night—It's not some fairytale or something romantic, like dreams when you're about to kiss someone and then boom—vanishes—alarm wakes you up. Nope. Definitely not. Ew. I dreamed about being in a different life. I'm not kidding. Then I dreamt that I was having some circle of strangers in it that I felt like I've known for my whole life. Like we're good time friends. People that I don't really know for real. That's strange and at the same time amazing. Those things could actually happen, and what's funny is that they got actual names. Names that I can't recall. Ever.
I tied my hair in a messy bun as I got up to bed. I went straight ahead the living room, cleaned and picked up Nate's toys and drawings that was hanging around the place. Then straight to the kitchen. I started to brew myself a coffee and at same time played music. While waiting for the kettle to whistle, I head outside to check the clothes, having high hopes that they would be dry despite the weather. So much for my luck, they aren't. Thunder claps in disappointment. Wind lets out a big whoosh that made the clothes sway in motion. I'm starting to worry that they might begin to stink. Disgusting.
I head back inside as soon the kettle started screaming hard as ever. As I brew the coffee, I checked my phone to see if Lia texted me already about today's plan about our projects. (Here's a thing, it's not a group project—all right, we all know how things would turn out in group projects. Especially when you are the chosen leader. You're the only one who's doing every members' tasks. An epic fail. I would call it individual projects done together). However, there's no text yet. Perhaps the plans had been canceled. It's raining hard after all. I stir my coffee unconsciously while I view the latest videos and news from my phone. The next song was Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire" as I went on viewing newsfeed. But the rain is still heavy, and I like that. Keep going. Despite after plugging the earphones, raindrops is overpowered. The almost-deafening raindrops makes it sound like people applauding. It somehow reminds me of the baseball game happened months ago I watched with Evan. It was the best day of my life, a good memory. Despite the buffer, I continued watching some cat vines after instead until my phone lets out a soft ding and a message pops on top of the screen.
Where in the world are you?
It's Lia. Crap. Before I can even reply, an invite of video call hovers on the screen. I accept it without thinking.
It takes a moment before I can see Lia. I can hardly make out her face. This is totally stupid. The connection's failing. Her voice is somewhat choppy and late. Her face is terribly distorted on my screen. I can't tell if she's angry or anxious. It's like out-of-coverage-area walkie-talkie. I can barely hear what she's said either. The words are like sh sh shh shh with some muffled ones in between. The grayish background tells me that she is out in the streets. I can make out the neon red and blue lights behind her. She's at a store, perhaps. What is she doing there? The connection's getting worse. I shake my head at her signaling that this isn't a good idea and I ended the call. I decided to send her a message instead.
I'm still having breakfast, dumbass. I'll be there ASAP.
You need to hurry Skye! I'm freezing. Something terrifying happened.
Lia somehow has a quirk of exaggerating things. I can already imagine her sniffling outside the cold. She's very early. Did she really call me for me to see her freezing?
All right. See you.
I quickly put up my oversized jacket as I have the final gulps of my coffee as I head to the bed to wake Nate up.
Make it quick. There is also something you wanna know. It's about Asher.
Probably in movies, when someone hear something unexpected or surprising, They'd be spitting out coffee—or any other drinks in particular from their mouths. Nope, I didn't do that. I can't do that. I can't afford ruining my jacket today, especially when the clothes I would wear next are the stinky ones. I replied with a cool message. Then muted her in my contacts—for awhile.
SYMU Lia. IDC.
After I packed everything I need for the project, I woke up Nate from my bed and changed his pajama pants with a simple red shirt and pair of shorts. He rubs his eyes as I steady him. He doesn't really sleep without me around.
"Me don't wanna go, Nate want sleep!" Nate complained.
"You don't have much of a choice young man,"
He whines about his clothes. In what manner he says things, I always find it adorable. I just smiled at him and kissed his rosy cheeks. This kid has cheeks rosier than a mine. What a shame. To be honest, it's fun to have a three-year-old dreamer around to play chase with and to try some magic tricks on to—I'd always wanted to be a magician when I was a kid but I terribly stink at tricks. But with little gullible minds around, I could actually hold a theater. A dream come true. I could be a magician. I sometimes make him my personal confidant—and to tell you what, he actually listens. His adorable eyes gives me comfort. He kisses me when I cry and hugs me when I'm quiet. He listens better than Lia does. Haha.
We head down the stairs outside as we leave the house. The wind is going on our direction, I opened up my umbrella and hand it to Nate. Dad always wanna make sure that our door is double locked. Looking down the slippery porch from the first floor runs an anxiety through me. Slippery staircase definitely increases my rate of slipping onto my death. Living in a second floor house is so cool—sarcastically.
Heading down the staircase and endangering your safety for your brother from slipping (very specific) is just the easy part—seriously. There would be crossing the streets, tempting candy stores, and heavy foot traffic. There's a lot to consider. This has got to be the best day of my life. It is better having someone to help you. Lesson learned, never start a fight with your boyfriend if you need help the next day.
Finally the rain stopped. After passing all obstacles my brother and I had faced—including not getting lost and crossing streets—we made it out alive and with our mouths filled with candies—all right, we did bought some from a candy store (they were indeed tempting). My brother couldn't help it. I too, couldn't help it.
We passed some stores and the smelly wet and dry market. Nate, who still looked serious since we step out the door, is now satisfied after I gave him sweets. He still got some mess around his mouth, crumbs of candy and chocolate smudge on his cheeks. I didn't mind telling him.
As the streets finally went clear, we can now see Lia from a distance. A loud siren of ambulance echoed around the streets. Red and blue lights flashes around the place.
Wait, something's wrong. Police cars. Those were the ones I saw earlier. What happened? I see Lia's talking to one of the policemen. Her eyes looked terribly scared. Traumatized perhaps. Nate covered his mouth from the belching smoke from a car as we approach her. There was more than that. The one that made my eyes widened in shock. Blood. Ambulance is here too.
"He was running," Lia replied to the police officer. She's stammering.
"I swear he was, it was out of the blue. He just went running towards the street, an-and I-I—."
The officer only gave her an apologetic nod. A woman near her pats her behind the back.
Crap. She wasn't exaggerating at all. That's why she tried to call me instead to see where she was, what she's got herself into.
She looks into my way. I could hug her tight right now, but I'm too frozen in place. Nate's pulling me hard. He tries to call out Lia.
"Iya! Iya!" He shouts as hard as a young boy could.
I feel my knees are weak. I need someone to lean on to right now. I hoped that this was all a dream. It wasn't long enough when the police excused Lia. She ran towards me.
She hugs me tight as ever. Our heads side by side. I didn't bother pulling myself away. Not now. Nate's still holding my hand staring innocently at the officers adding another 'caution' sign on the road. "Thank God you're here," she mutters. I can't seem to utter even a single word. But a question still on my head. What happened?
Then a moment, she finally faces me, her hands holding mine. She tried her best to be calm. I know I don't have to say a word.
"It's Asher."
