THE BROWN'S MANSION
Mrs. Audrey Brown, Rubin's mother was at the hall, her head buried in a magazine with Annabella, his 8years old sister watching Frozen– her favorite Disney film when Rubin barged in. Their attention was deftly drawn to the door with the rate in which the door was shut closed as if to pull the whole mansion down. A sheepish grin dazzled on his lips at the fixed eyes that met his. Annabel chuckled and giggled at the sight of her brother. She sprung to her feet and sped towards him ,"Ru–bin....", she shouted–giggling and hugged him.
He laughed as he gently brushed his hand through her hair, "Hey, miss you so much, Anna. How was school today?".
"Great, just miss the time we schooled together. It's kind of empty without you during break", she ended with a chuckle.
Rubin remained silent for a second as he just furrowed his brows and studied his sister's face, caressing her cheeks. The sight of Laura and Alixes at the hospital kept flashing back in his mind.
He sighed with quite a moody and faint smile, "Same here, Anna." Audrey noticed the sad, worried look in her son's eyes.
"Hey, honey, are you okay?", she called. He nodded with chuckle at the sound of her mother's voice. He approached her direction with Anna pacing behind him. He pecked his mother on the cheeks, "Good evening, mum".
"Good evening, love. You don't look cheerful on your first day from your new school. Is something bothering you? Or you don't like your new school – should I find another school?"
He sharply cuts in,"No, no, mum...Um, I'm perfectly okay. I had a lot of fun and met new friends. They are lovely people".
She stared worriedly at him, searching through him as if to find a hidden treasure. He wiggled a quizzical eye brow with a smile which made Audrey chuckle.
"Alright, okay, dear. I'll allow you stay for now but whenever you get uncomfortable let me know so we can get a new school for you, okay?".
He nodded with a smile and hugged her. "I LOVE YOU, MUM".
She chuckled and patted his back. " I love you too dear", she whispered, as tears dropped down her checks. She quickly dried her eyes to prevent her kids from seeing them.
"Hey, enough for now. Go in and get changed, your food is getting cold".
"Okay, mum. I'll be right back", he chuckled and rushed up the stairs. Audrey gazed at his back and sighed as she turned back to Anna who was already back to her movie. She smiled and gently brushed her hands over her hair.
Mrs. Audrey had both acted as a mother and father to her kids after the death of their father in a plane crush when Rubin was just 3years. It was really a hard time for her. She tried her very best to make sure they never felt his absence. That was when Rubin started seeing ghost. His father's spirit kept visiting from time to time but not anymore. His presence around his son drew dark spirits to him which almost caused his(Rubin)life. Before, Mr. Brown left, he made Rubin made a promise to him. A promise to stop helping ghost when they approach him for help and to play blind to them even when he sees them. That was why he changed schools from his old school to Laura's school. But Audrey never knew Rubin could see ghost even now and the reason he wanted a change of school. She thought because her son was been bullied at his previous school.
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
Unknowingly, Laura followed Rubin home without his notice. She quietly settled on a mango tree outside Rubin's window, patiently waiting for him to get into his room. Her eyes fixed on the window like a hunter targeting it's pry not to miss a chance.
************
Rubin got to his room, switched on the light and dropped dead tired on the bed with his bag on the floor near his study table. He let out a loud stressed sigh and sat up, "Gosh, it's been such a long day today. Thought the day may never end. So refreshing to be back home again."
Laura saw Rubin's light on, she sprung down the tree cheerfully. " Here we go, Laura Robert's. Time to persuade him". She chuckled with a smirk and disappeared.
Rubin wearily got up from the bed and trod into the bathroom. Within a sec, the sound of the shower raining down its droplets on the tails were heard.
Few minutes later, he came out in his summer shorts, topless and refreshed– exhibiting his six packs with a towel over his shoulder. He strolled towards his study table and turned on his PC, settling down in the chair as he dried hair with the towel. Within a short time, a beep sound was heard from the PC and it was on. He threw the towel over his head onto the bed.
"I need to finish up this research work before mum comes up to call for dinner. I'll feel so lazy to finish this after dinner", he mumbled. In no time, he was already immersed in his research. Just then, he heard a loud sound from behind. He jolted and deftly turned to find out what that was but got startled at the sight of a strange fingure staring at him from his bed.
" Oh, my God!" He hastily muttered, quiet startled but instinctively let out a sigh of relief after realizing who it was. "Damn," he ruffled his hair "You startled me, Laura." He turned back to what he was doing.
Laura chuckled softly with a shrug, "Sorry– didn't mean to but boy," She giggled as she sprang up. "You should have seen your face." She made weird funny faces. "You looked like you have seen a ghost."
Rubin snickered, typing something on his laptop "Of course you're a ghost."
"Woah–" Laura rushed to Rubin's side with the speed of lightening, startling him in the process as he wasn't expecting that. "That was rude you know?" She played a deadpan look which made Rubin's face flashed with guilt then she suddenly chortled, making his guilty face swiftly turned into a surprised look. "Got you over there." she muttered and he scoffed, slightly smiling.
Laura gasped, quite surprised to see him smile. "You smiled."
***********
It's been an hour now since Rubin went up his room to change up but still no sign of him coming down for dinner. Audrey kept glancing up the stairs from the dinning table, endlessly from time to time.
"Why is he still up there? Hope he's alright", she wondered in her thoughts with her eyes fixed on the stairs. Annabella gazed up from her plate at her mother, worriedly.
"I'll go bring him if you like, mum", she exuded, drawing her attention.
"Huh!, oh, no don't worry dear. Eat up, I'll go bring him here myself, okay".
Anna nodded with a faint smile. Audrey glanced at her with a smile and sped off towards the stairs. "I'll be right back".