——Sam

I thought it was part of my dream when I heard two people arguing. But when I slowly half opened my eyes and saw Aaron’s back just a few steps away from my bed, I knew it wasn’t a dream. I wanted to ask him what he was doing in my room, but nothing came out of my mouth. My entire body felt too heavy.

What’s he up to?

I slowly pulled the blanket up my nose and let my hair fall, slightly covering my half-closed eyes. Then, I felt my pulse rose as Aaron casually removed his shirt. I silently puffed. He turned his back on me and checked himself in the mirror and finger-combed his hair.

I couldn’t be quite sure if it was still the fever, but my mind was screaming at the sight before me. With his well-sculpted chest, toned arms and defined abs, he was obviously built to make women drool.

No! Quit it, Sam!

He sighed with an obvious hint of annoyance and picked up the yellow shirt from the study table. He frowned at the shirt before putting it on. I gasped when I saw that it was my break-up shirt, Dora the Explorer. How on Earth did he get that? The shirt stretched right across his chest and his torso. He looked awkward and uncomfortable on so many levels. He looked in pain that I had to pinch myself not to laugh at him.

As I continued to stare at his reflection in my mirror and the hilarity of his situation, my mobile phone rang. Before Aaron could turn around, I shut my eyes closed.

“Please just hang up,” I whispered.

But, the ringing went on followed by Aaron’s heavy footsteps, moving around the room.

“Are they still selling this junk?” I heard him say, obviously ridiculing my old Samsung unit. How could he go through my stuff like that? I cringed at the thought of him going through my bag. I was already thinking of snapping at him and sending him away when another phone suddenly rang. I was sure it wasn’t mine.

“Hey, Nic.”

I clenched my teeth.

“I know. I’m stuck here. I told you I couldn't. Not even tonight. My father’s at home.” He paused. I kept my eyes closed and listened.

“Yes, I know that, but I can’t go to your place now. I’ve stuff.” And he paused again. It was needless to say that Nicole was already fuming from the other line. “I just can’t. I told you I have stuff. Why don’t you just tell me now what you guys did to her?”

A long pause had followed before he said, “You did what? What the fuck, Nic? She could charge you guys with malicious destruction of private property.”

They were clearly talking about me. My heart beat soundly in my chest. I was so tempted to get up and take the phone from Aaron and shout at his psycho of a girlfriend. I was so mad my head started to spin.

“Okay. I know. I’ll call you later.” He was silent for a couple of seconds, and then a long, heavy sigh followed. After a moment, I heard footsteps again, and before I slowly opened my eyes, I felt a soft hand touching my forehead.

“You’ll be okay, Sam.” It was Aaron. And when his fingertips gently touched my cheek, I froze. He fondled it for a couple of seconds. I still couldn’t believe it. And before my mind processed what just happened, I heard his footsteps and followed by my door closing.

* * *

I sprawled across my bed and turned to the right side of the bed. I opened my eyes, and according to my clock on the bedside table, it was 11:05, which only meant one thing—I had overslept again. Who wouldn’t after a bad case of fever? The sun had finally decided to show up that Sunday morning.

I inhaled and smiled at the sun’s warm streaks coming through my window. I felt like Sleeping Beauty. After a long nap, I felt revived, and my entire system had fully recharged.

My door swung open. Christie walked in carrying a glass of beetroot juice—again.

“How are you feeling, Sleeping Beauty?” she asked. “Drink this.” She put the glass beside the clock.

“Christie, I swear to all the gods–old and new, you make me drink one more glass of that hideous thing, I’ll kill myself. You literally made me drink it every 2 hours yesterday,” I complained.

She put her hands on her hips, just like mom. “And thanks to this miracle drink, you now look like you’ll live for a hundred more years. And you should thank him, too.”

“Him?” I asked. Although, I already had an inkling who she was referring to.

“Aaron from your school. He showed me how to make this hideous thing. He educated me about its health benefits.”

“He did?”

Christie nodded. “And he cooked for me before he left.”

“He did?” I couldn’t be sure now if we were talking about the same person. “Are you sure you’re talking about Aaron? Aaron Lanter from my school?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. Aaron. He’s self-centered, and he thinks you’re crushing on him.”

“Yep. That’s him.” I confirmed. I ran my fingers through my hair. It felt even more greasy than usual. I frowned at the image of him inside my room. Aaron invaded my private life. Although, I must admit that it wasn’t his fault, so I couldn’t go on at him about that. As impossible and repulsive as it may sound, he—

“Mom called.” Christie interrupted my thoughts. Eagerly, I sat up and listened to her.

“She said that Aunt Anne and Uncle Ben were two of the passengers aboard that plane that crashed. They died. They didn’t make it. They’re dead.”

“I understand, Christie. You don’t have to say they’re dead again and again, in different ways.” I sighed. “Poor Aunt Anne.”

“And Uncle Ben. Why don’t you include Uncle Ben?” she asked. She looked annoyed.

“Yeah, you’re right. Poor Uncle Ben too.” I corrected myself. “I don’t know Uncle Ben, you know. And neither do you. All we know is that he was eccentric. Maybe that’s why his first wife left him. And Aunt Anne was just a good person.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I think the decision to marry a divorced man was part of her compassionate nature.” I elaborated.

“I think it’s the other way around, Sam. Mom said Uncle Ben left his alcoholic wife. He was the one who filed for divorce. And that’s why full custody of their only son was given to him,” Christie argued.

I looked at her and reminded myself that she was only ten. I smiled and nodded. “Of course.” How could she understand life and its hardships and complexities when she had not experienced real life outside her safety net? Like High School and a day in my shoes.