Status: On hold, indefinite
Taking Back That Which Is Mine
Surprise
I was back wandering the streets, now in the housing estates. It was a little weird how all the houses looked the same and so did all the roads. It felt like I was going in more circles or through a never ending maze, but I knew I wasn’t. The pull of my heart was getting stronger with each step I took.
I finally arrived at the house, at the front door. I didn’t really have a plan, my feet had just wandered here and I let them. I was about to knock when the door opened. It was the girl from before with the long white hair. She looked as if she was going out somewhere.
“Hi,” she smiled. “Are you looking for Crosby?”
“Yes.” I smiled back. Something about her was very calming.
“He’s in the shower, I could wait with you for him, I’m not in a hurry.”
She put her bag down and held the door open. “Thanks,” I said walking in through the door. She closed it behind me and then led me into what was the living room. It was simple enough with two sofas facing the fireplace. She was about to sit down but then changed her mind.
“Would you like a drink while you’re waiting?” she asked.
“I’m fine thanks.” I just sat down on the couch and she sat next to me.
“So, how do you know Crosby?” she asked.
“I don’t really know him, he just has something of mine which I need back.”
“Oh.” She sighed, looking into her clenched hands.
“Are you related?” I asked. Thinking about it, they didn’t look alike at all, even though she did look familiar.
“Not by blood. My grandpa looked after his mom when she was little so they were really close. Then my grandpa died and so they adopted me because I had no other family.”
I could see that she was editing as she was speaking, so there was something important that she was missing out.
“What is it that you need from him?” she asked.
“It’s just something very precious.”
“Well I’m sure whatever it is, he’ll give it back.”
My lips curled into a smile; I would be getting it back whether he gave it to me or not.
There was just us and awkward silence for a moment where we just stared in opposite directions. All I could really think about was my beating heart less than twenty metres away.
“Do you want to come see my room?” the girl asked.
“Sure,” I said not really thinking about it and followed her up the stairs. I could feel the heart drumming louder and louder but then it faded away as we turned away from it on the landing.
The door of her room had a sign saying ‘Ella’. Inside it was silver blue full of posters of mystical creatures and fairies on the walls. Her bed was full of stuffed animals and toys which spilled onto the floor.
“How old are you Ella?” I asked. She looked our age or maybe a little younger, say 17, but all the toys and posters made me wonder.
“12.” She smiled at me.
“12?” I asked not bothering to mask the shock in my voice.
“Ella, I thought you were going out.” I heard Crosby call. He was coming this way. “And who’s that with you?” he said before he appeared at the door.
“Hey Crosby,” Ella smiled, “it’s Aria!”
Crosby looked very surprised to see me and once again, his face went scarlet. I wanted to laugh, at the fact that he was in nothing but a towel, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stare at his fully toned abs and the wet look he was modelling with the water dripping from his hair and down his sides.
“Hey,” I said once I’d snapped out of it, “I told you I’d see you later.”
I finally arrived at the house, at the front door. I didn’t really have a plan, my feet had just wandered here and I let them. I was about to knock when the door opened. It was the girl from before with the long white hair. She looked as if she was going out somewhere.
“Hi,” she smiled. “Are you looking for Crosby?”
“Yes.” I smiled back. Something about her was very calming.
“He’s in the shower, I could wait with you for him, I’m not in a hurry.”
She put her bag down and held the door open. “Thanks,” I said walking in through the door. She closed it behind me and then led me into what was the living room. It was simple enough with two sofas facing the fireplace. She was about to sit down but then changed her mind.
“Would you like a drink while you’re waiting?” she asked.
“I’m fine thanks.” I just sat down on the couch and she sat next to me.
“So, how do you know Crosby?” she asked.
“I don’t really know him, he just has something of mine which I need back.”
“Oh.” She sighed, looking into her clenched hands.
“Are you related?” I asked. Thinking about it, they didn’t look alike at all, even though she did look familiar.
“Not by blood. My grandpa looked after his mom when she was little so they were really close. Then my grandpa died and so they adopted me because I had no other family.”
I could see that she was editing as she was speaking, so there was something important that she was missing out.
“What is it that you need from him?” she asked.
“It’s just something very precious.”
“Well I’m sure whatever it is, he’ll give it back.”
My lips curled into a smile; I would be getting it back whether he gave it to me or not.
There was just us and awkward silence for a moment where we just stared in opposite directions. All I could really think about was my beating heart less than twenty metres away.
“Do you want to come see my room?” the girl asked.
“Sure,” I said not really thinking about it and followed her up the stairs. I could feel the heart drumming louder and louder but then it faded away as we turned away from it on the landing.
The door of her room had a sign saying ‘Ella’. Inside it was silver blue full of posters of mystical creatures and fairies on the walls. Her bed was full of stuffed animals and toys which spilled onto the floor.
“How old are you Ella?” I asked. She looked our age or maybe a little younger, say 17, but all the toys and posters made me wonder.
“12.” She smiled at me.
“12?” I asked not bothering to mask the shock in my voice.
“Ella, I thought you were going out.” I heard Crosby call. He was coming this way. “And who’s that with you?” he said before he appeared at the door.
“Hey Crosby,” Ella smiled, “it’s Aria!”
Crosby looked very surprised to see me and once again, his face went scarlet. I wanted to laugh, at the fact that he was in nothing but a towel, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stare at his fully toned abs and the wet look he was modelling with the water dripping from his hair and down his sides.
“Hey,” I said once I’d snapped out of it, “I told you I’d see you later.”