LOVE AND OBSESSION

Ariella shuts down her laptop, and glances at the digital clock on her bedside table; the neon lights glowing 4.30 in the morning.

Groaning she crawls into bed trying to get some sleep before leaving for school. It’s the beginning of the second term of her final year of high school.

As soon as she hits the bed she’s drawn into a deep sleep.

It only feels like minutes, when a voice coaxes her from her dreamland and into the world of the living.

Ariella turns her head away from the voice and tries to go back to sleep. But it persists, calling out to her.

She groans and grabs her pillow pressing it over her head in an attempt to block it out but to no avail.

Eventually giving up, Ariella turns and slowly tries to peel her eyelids open but they feel like they’ve been sewn shut...

‘Fuck!’

“Miss Ariella, please, you need to get up or you’ll be late for school.” The familiar voice coaxes. Ariella drowsily looks up at the elderly woman standing beside her bed.

The woman is tall, standing about 5’9 with grey hair neatly tied up in a bun. She’s an old woman, but one can see the young girl in her still.

She has kind and gentle brown eyes. And the warmest of smiles.

“Good morning, Miss Ariella” Her eyes wrinkle at the corners when she smiles.

“Morning, Mrs Luis.” She responds despondently. “Thank you. I’m awake now. Will be down in a minute.” She smiles but intends to go back to sleep as soon as the elder leaves.

Mrs Luis, sensing her intention, gives her ‘The Look’ over her glasses. The Look that makes her quail. That says, ‘You better get up now, child. Or I’ll have to tell your brother.’

She always plays the brother card.

“Okay, okay. I’m up. I’m up.” She kicks the sheets off her body in agitation. She scarcely had any sleep and her eyelids feel too heavy to keep open.

“Very well, Miss.” Mrs Luis smiles and leaves the room.

Ariella sighs and rolls her heavy tired body off the bed.

Mrs Luis is the head servant of the Smith family. She oversees the household affairs with her husband. She has taken care of both Ariella and her elder brother since they were young. Ariella has the utmost respect for the woman.

Groaning again, Ariella drags her body through the hall, down the stairs and into the kitchen with a tired shuffle. When she walks into the Kitchen the smell of strawberry waffles invades her nose.

Her big brother moves about gracefully in the kitchen, making breakfast. She doesn’t know why he bothers to cook. They have more than enough servants to do that.

Slowly, she walks behind him and wraps her arms around his waist hugging him from behind. His body tenses for a bit before it relaxes again.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Even without looking at him, she feels his smile. “Did you have a good night?” He asks.

Ariella hums, tightening her hold. It’s been just her and her older brother Shaun for as long as she could remember.

Their parents died in a plane crash when she was a year ago. She doesn’t remember them. Shaun has been her mother, father, and sibling, he’s everything to her... Her only family.

“You seem overly warm today. What do you want?”

Ariella sighs against his back. He knows her too damn well.

“Can’t I give my dear big brother an endearing back hug without being accused of wanting something in return?” she feigns hurt.

Shaun chuckles before wriggling himself free of her grip to look at her. He jumps, startled – rather dramatically – as he takes in her dishevelled appearance.

Ariella rolls her eyes “Ever the drama queen.”

Her long raven hair is uncombed and it covers most of her face. She has dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. To put it she looks like a ghost – not to mention the white sleeping gown she’s rocking.

Shaun moves his hand from his chest as he eyes her up and down. She rolls her eyes again as she slips onto one of the bar stools around the kitchen island.

“What?” As soon as her butt connects with the surface of the stool, she lays her head on the kitchen countertop closing her eyes.

“Why the hell do you look like that?” A plate of food is put beside her. She ignores him and the food. “I’m serious, Ariella. Why aren’t you dressed for school yet? It’s already late. And why do you look like that.”

Ariella sighs opening her eyes. “Can I not go today? I’ll go tomorrow, promise.”

“No. Don’t even think about it.” Shaun says sternly.

“Sheesh! You don’t have to reject me so bluntly.”

Shaun raises his eyebrow in a warning and Ariella slouches in her seat as she picks up the fork and digs into her breakfast.

“I feel fatigued, Shaun. And it feels like I barely slept for an hour.” Ariella isn’t certain but that’s how it felt like. “Just let me sleep in, just for today. I promise I’ll go tomorrow, please,” she whines.

“What do you mean you barely slept? You went to bed earlier than usual last night. What were you doing up all night?” Ariella opens her mouth to answer but he stops her. “And it better be a legitimate reason, Ella.”

“I had to finish up some holiday school assignments,” she mumbles stuffing her mouth full, hoping he didn’t hear that.

“I’m sorry, what?” Shaun pinches the bridge of his nose. “I think I’m getting old and my hearing is failing me. Could you repeat what you said? I didn’t quite hear you.”

Ariella doesn’t respond.

Shaun sighs and looks up. “Ariella you had a whole month to do that. Why did you wait until now?”

“If I had told you about it…would we have gone on vacation?”

“What?” Shaun stares at her incredulously.

“Now that I think about it. It’s all your fault.” She accuses, pointing her fork at him.

“How is it my fault? I most certainly didn’t stop you from doing your assignments.” He defends.

“Yes, you did. You were the one who said ‘family bonding time.’ Taking me to all those nice fun places. Having fun and all that. Because of you, I forgot I had a project to do.”

"You. Told. Me. You weren’t assigned anything during the holiday.” He points a finger at her and then at himself to emphasize his words.

“Did I? It must have slipped my mind. And you should know better than to believe everything I say.” She shrugs.

Shaun sighs again, pinching the bridge of his nose, a calming gesture. “You’re unbelievable. God, what did I raise?” He mumbles throwing his head back and looking up for some sort of divine intervention but it doesn’t come.

“The most loveable little sister ever,” Ariella answers grinning.

“Yeah, but where did I go wrong?”

“Nowhere, I was born this way. Or you probably must have dropped me on my head a few times when I was a baby.”

Shaun snorts before giving her a small smile, he takes off the apron and strides towards her placing a kiss on her temple.

“Fine... But only for today. Tomorrow, I’ll drag you there myself. Got it?” Ariella quickly nods, her grin growing wider. “I’ll be home late. I have a dinner meeting with the senator. Don’t wait up for me.”

Ariella frowns when she sees him grab his jacket, puts it on and buttons the middle button.

“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”

Shaun shakes his head. “Can’t. I’m already running late for another meeting. I’ll have my secretary get me something later.”

“Aren’t you the one who always tells me not to eat junk food for breakfast? Not to eat junk food, period.”

Shaun rolls his eyes. “It’s just coffee and maybe a muffin.”

“Fine... But only for today.” She echoes his words. “I’ll bring you lunch, kay.”

Shaun nods. “I have to go. See you later. Love you.” He says as he walks out the door.

“Love you too.”

Ariella finishes her breakfast and carries her plate to the sink then washes it.

Then walks up the stairs to her bedroom. When she enters the room, she finds her school uniform already set out on her bed. She sighs before picking it up and carefully placing it back into her walking in closet.

She grabs her phone from the bedside table and sets an alarm for eleven o’clock before throwing the covers over her head and falling asleep.