I hear someone say, "Sly." Hm? Sly? Who?
"Sky!" What about the sky?
That is when I hear my name, "Skyla Styles!" And I shot up from my lying position and my eyes flicker open.
The light shines straight into my eyes and I squeeze it back shut, "Ahh! The light is blinding me!" I yell in agony. I look over to the windows that have been left open. Why are the curtains open?
"You get the hell out of your room this instance."
"Mum?" I blink at my mother a few times, she looks... confused.
"There is someone outside and he's asking for you." She says quickly and points towards the hallway.
"He?" I frown. Who would be looking for me at this time of the day?
Mum confirms, "Yes, he."
"He, who?" I resume my questionnaire.
"He wants you! Get out now!" Mum fumes. I scramble onto my feet and scurry to the door. My hair is a mess and my shirt— my shirt from yesterday, it's so crumpled! The color drains from my face as I remember how I got home.
Alex brought me home! Alex didn't attempt to kiss me or anything! Did he? I just know I didn't go to the room or anything, but the rest was blurred. This is probably one of the side effects of having crazy flashbacks. I am too focused on the past I forget all about the present.
I open the door to reveal Alex's sweet smile.
"Hey." He greets me and I duck my head, blushing. He puts a hand on my chin and tilt my head up to see him.
I reply him with a casual not so casual, "Hi."
"We had unfinished business yesterday, didn't we? And also, sorry to say, but you look like a mess." He jokes and leans his body onto the wall not noticing that he made me remember... I KISSED ALEX! And I did not die. I realize with embarrassment that every single person in my family is behind my back, staring at me as I turn around to face them.
Henryk, thankfully, but foolishly, speaks and I literally give him a mental slap, "Unfinished business, ooh! I am intrigued baby! Talk to ya later, sis." He says and trudges back into his room.
"Come on in." My dad says cheerily towards Alex and I feel like I'm gonna cry.
Mum adds in too, "Skyla, why don't you go and change up while we have a little chat with... what's your name again?" Alex laughs lightly and tells my mum, "Alex, mam'."
"Sure, Alex, come take a seat. Hurry now Skyla, you're not going to let your... friend... here, go out all by himself." My mum offers a seat near mine and Alex walks straight past me into the house while I close the door behind us.
Sure...
I pretend to walk slowly to my room and once I'm out of sight, I run and shut my door behind me. I change out of everything and put on my make up and fresh clothes like there's a timer threatening to blow the house down if I don't hurry. I spend about ten minutes and once I'm out, I run back out like I'm in a marathon.
"... problems would be a small definition of what she faces." I hear Dad speaking. I am staring at Alex's back and my parents are presumably in the kitchen or sitting directly opposite him. I see Alex nod slowly.
"I'll try, no promises though." Alex speaks this time and I hear my mum whisper a soft, "Thank you." It feels like they're talking about a patient who's about to die.
I take in a huge breath and walk back out. Dad sees me first and his expression turns from a solemn one, to a nervous expression then into a smile. Mum is in the kitchen and Alex looks up at me as I walk past. They are suddenly talking about food and I feel a slight betrayal, like they're not telling me something that I'm supposed to know, they were talking about me. All of a sudden, mum drops a cup and all hell breaks loose as the cup shatters below mum.
Mum's scream alerts Henryk and he hurries out as Dad struggles to get a dustpan. Henryk helps out and me and Alex just stands there. I look at Alex and his expression looks just as shocked as mine. "That just happened." Alex mumbles and he quickly stands up. He shakes his head and blinks three times and hurries to help out. I tiptoe over carefully and bend to pick the big shards of plastic just as Alex yells, "No! You'll cut yourself!"
I freeze.
Everyone freezes.
"He's good." Mum compliments Alex and dad nods along while I groan. Alex laughs and Henryk gives me a 'I see it when I see it' look. I shoot him a 'what do you know?' look and he laughs.
"Yes he is." I admit quietly and everyone gives me a wide eye. Even Alex. Alex opens his mouth to say something but I stop him, "Don't." He laughs again and holds his hands up in an 'Yeah, OK' way.
"What are you all looking at? I'm fine! Get back to work!" I glare and my parents form an 'eek' with their mouths. I stand back up and move to a shelf near the door to find something to clear the broken shards. I see a bowl containing all our keys and souvenirs from overseas. I empty the bowl's contents and snatch a tissue on the way back to mum. Mum stands very still and I start by picking up the larger pieces of the broken cup.
When we clear the area around mum, I look up to check if she's alright, and she offers me a smile and pats me on the head as she walks past me.
"Careful there Adeline." Dad warns her, probably afraid that there are shards of hard plastic still hidden in the carpet.
"Will do!" Mum calls back as she disappears into my parent's room.
"When you're both ready, you may take your leave." Dad grins at me and Alex, and I roll my eyes. I take Alex's hand and tug at it, "Let's go," I almost beg through gritted teeth. His eyes widen and he nods laughingly.
Alex walks ahead of me towards his car while Dad waits at the door. I turn back to him, "You're serious?"
"Yup." He smiles and waves me off.
Instead of leaving, I pause a while longer, "So I'm not gonna get scolded? For... dating?" I frown at the word 'dating'.
His expression twists in confusion and he laughs, "What? Of course not! You are twenty already, we've been wanting you to do these type of stuff long ago! Have fun, you've earned it." I'm pretty sure Alex found me, I didn't quite do anything other than talk to Alex to 'earn' him.
"'We', huh. Cool! See you." I wave to my dad and he waves back. My mum hurries down and shouts a, "Bye hunny!" Just in time for me to turn around and watch her blow a kiss to me. I smile and my head ducks inside the car.
"Lovely family you've got there." Alex mentions as soon as I settle down.
I roll my eyes, "And nosy, sometimes annoying."
"I thought they were fine," He starts and then adds quietly, "Plus, they care about you very much."
"Yeah..." I agree silently and he gets the car going. "Where are we going?" I ask, suddenly remembering that he didn't even give me a clue of where we're headed.
"To my house."
"What?" I say a little too loud and he laughs and adds, "For a movie date," just before I scream. I turn to him with a relieved look and ask, "What movie?"
"Mean girls." He smirk. I look at him with sheer horror.
Does he think I'm Regina George?
"No... you're kidding!" I gasp but he only laughs harder and I have to slap his hand and yell, "Drive properly!" Before he actually focuses on the road.
"I spent hours picking that, okay? Do me a favor and appreciate." He teases... I hope.
"Appreciate? Yeah! I mean I do... appreciate you picking a movie especially for me, but it's just... nothing—" I am at a complete lost for words and he laughs at my state.
"You don't think I'd be that kind of guy who watches that sort of drama, do you?" He asks and I shake my head. "I hate 'Countdown' too, you know that horror movie. I'm more of 'The Terminator' sort."
"Yo también!" I agree in spanish. He stares at me for a while before giving me a thumbs up.
"We are watching 'Mission Impossible'." He winks at me, but when he sees my clueless expression he adds, "Cool movie.. lots of sexy ladies... ring a bell?"
"No." I admit just as he pulls into his clean, white driveway.
"You'll see." He tells me, and soon enough, he's already pulling me into his empty house of lovely colors. We move straight to the sofa and I sigh into it.
Damn, I needed this.
He vanishes into the kitchen to grab a drink for the both of us and in a minute, he's clicking into a movie with a cover written 'Tom Cruise' as the headliner, already. "O. M. G! How could you miss out the 'Tom Cruise is inside' information?" I cry and gape at a grinning Alex.
"This is but the first episode! Brace yourself!" His eyes glimmers in the dark and I almost want to kiss him.