It felt like a never-ending night. A night where the sun had been extinguished. Hour after hour Oreiha lay restless on her bed listening to the snores of her best friend. The things inside of her made her want to vomit. But there she was lying still on her bed not moving a muscle. The perpetrator long gone.
As the morning sun finally rose after what felt like forever. Oreiha pushed Jecca off her and went towards the bathroom.
Her eyes were sunken and there were red marks across her wrists and neck. The once lively eyes that displayed her vivid emotions had darkened. She couldn't bear looking at herself in the mirror. Her face reminded her of the mistakes she made and what had just happened.
After a shower, she left the bathroom with glass shattered all over the floor with blood dripping from her knuckles.
Oreiha entered her brother's room with dripping hands tainting her brother's pristine room.
Waking up all groggy, Maro asked Oreiha what she was doing up so early and that's when he saw the bloodstained hands of hers.
In a matter of seconds, the hand was bandaged and Maro asked what had happened.
Instead of giving a clear answer, Oreiha just hugged her brother who was finishing up with the tape around her hand.
She tried as best as she could not to express any frustration or emotion. She knew if this came out. It would ruin everything everyone had been building. The relationship of their friend group. Her best friend.
Maro gently tapped her on her back and reassured her that she could tell him anything and he would always be on her side.
His words didn't permeate into her head. It was as if they bounced off her head and landed somewhere else.
Whilst hugging her brother she thought of all the reasons why it happened.
She remembered back a few weeks ago.
It was her and Jecca. They were playing together. Suddenly Jecca had to go grab something. Right after she had left, Oreiha who was all alone saw Gel enter.
She wondered why Gel wasn't with her brother but it wasn't too abnormal. He asked if he could play some matches before Jecca returned.
Oreiha who was already comfortable being around her friends agreed and they played a few matches together. After an intensely fought battle, Oreiha emerged as the sole victor.
Suddenly a hand was extended out and patted her on the head. Gel commended her on her strategy and congratulated her for winning. The only one who had touched her head before was Maro but having someone else her trust wasn't that bad. She didn't budge and let the headpats continue.
Jecca suddenly came barging in with two cups of juice in hand.
She saw her brother headpatting Oreiha and giggled with a sinister expression.
In the days following that incident, Gel would approach Oreiha more often than usual. Initiating conversations and casually touching her. She didn't mind because she enjoyed the headpats and he was a trusted friend of her brother.
Maro who saw that his sister getting closer to people couldn't be happier knowing his sister was going out of her comfort zone to interact with more people.
Jecca on the other hand was a little frustrated after all the times her brother joined in whilst she and Oreiha were playing together.
Oreiha herself didn't mind the extra company and thought nothing more of it. She thought Gel was just being friendly with her.
He would occasionally gift her and give her snacks. He was treating her as if she was his own sister and Jecca got a little jealous of it. Because Gel was treating Oreiha better than her.
One day they were all playing with each other. Everyone was at Oreiha's house for a little celebration. It was Abby's birthday and Maro decided to throw this party. They were playing UNO together after finishing the main course.
"+2!" Jecca proclaimed proudly.
Maro smirked before slamming down a +4 card. Everyone shifted their attention towards Gel who then proceeded to throw +4 as well.
Oreiha seeing 10 cards stacked against her threw the last card onto the board.
"+4 back to Jecca!"
Oreiha UNO'ed out and now it was a showdown between the last 3. Maro UNO'ed out as well and the siblings were the last ones. And as expected Gel who sucked at strategy games lost the match to his little sister.
Jecca danced around her brother like a crazed monkey on fentanyl. Her brother being a sore loser picked her up and slammed her down into the couch.
"Another match then guys?"
Maro hesitated and side-eyed me before looking at Jecca's lifeless corpse on the couch.
"Sure…"
This time Maro was the first one to UNO out. And as the gang watched the epic showdown between Oreiha and Gel. They saw that Oreiha had 10 cards left and Gel had 3.
"I am gonna win this time!"
He placed down a normal card and watched Oreiha's expression.
Oreiha slid a +4 card onto the table.
"HAH, I GOT YOU!"
Gel slammed +4 onto the table expecting Oreiha not to have any more +4s. But as luck had it she calmly placed another +4 on the table. Gel had now 9 cards and it was Oreiha's turn.
Reverse. Reverse. Reverse. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. +4.
Everyone was hysterical, screaming at the top of their lungs after seeing Oreiha wombo combo this guy so badly that he became a dead raccoon on the road.
"Nah bro, you got smoked."
Jecca who was watching from the sofa had to be the one to roast her salty brother.
"Yeah bro, you got cooked so bad you turned black."
Gel sat there all silent. Staring at the cards on the table.
"I quit."
He then clung onto Maro asking for comfort. Oreiha and Jecca gave each other a high five and afterwards everyone went and ate cake.
Leto who was sitting on the couch alone secretly took out his camera and snapped some pictures of Abby sitting at the table filled with confetti blowing out the candles.
Abby who was sitting at the table swinging her feet saw Leto who was sitting all alone on the couch went over and brought him to the table.
There Leto set up his camera and took a snapshot of everyone together.
After the party Abby and Leto left but Jecca and her brother stayed for a little bit longer. Oreiha decided to go and shower. She had gotten confetti all over her hair and she felt a little sweaty.
So without saying anything she sneaked away into the bathroom. She was humming the birthday song over and over again and completely forgot to lock the door. She was in a state of such bliss and happiness that she just immediately jumped into the bath.
She sat there with her eyes closed humming "Happy birthday to you… happy birthday to Abby".
Maro and Gel were chatting in the living room when Gel said that those sugary drinks really made him need to use the bathroom.
He then rushed towards the bathroom and seeing it unlocked he immediately opened the door. Inside he saw something he was never meant to see. But it didn't seem like Oreiha noticed his presence at all. He quickly closed the door, standing quietly in front of the bathroom door.
"What's wrong Gel?"
Maro went upstairs to go to his room and saw his friend standing there randomly in the hallway.
"It's occupied."
Maro then told Oreiha to hurry up. Oreiha hearing her brother shout immediately got out of the bath she had been sitting in for over 20 minutes.
Wrapped in a towel Oreiha exited the bathroom.
"You needed me?"
Maro then pointed at the bathroom and told Gel to go ahead. Oreiha walked past Gel her lingering shampoo smell ingrained into his mind. She walked into her room and closed the door.
Gel felt a little uncomfortable walking into the bathroom but quickly locked the door after entering. The hot mist condensed onto his skin as he used the bathroom. Some of Oreiha's used clothes were still lying on the floor. She had forgotten to pick them up. Usually, Maro picks them up for her and puts them into the laundry so she usually forgets to do it herself.
As the fleeting days continued Gel continued to hang out with Oreiha more often. To the point of Maro wondering why Gel was visiting them so often. But he didn't think much more of it because Gel would always bring Jecca over.
The gang went out several times on trips. One time to the mall. Another to the beach. But the latest was a trip to the aquarium.
There was this one time everyone got separated. Oreiha was sitting all alone on a bench waiting for Maro to show up. But after a while of waiting, she decided to search for Maro herself. She got even more lost and found herself in some weird alley with cold ventilation. She felt hopeless and was about to just sit down and cry but then suddenly a familiar figure called out to her. It was Jecca's brother.
He helped her up and told her that he had also gotten lost and ended up here. He reassured Oreiha that they would find the rest of their friends.
They went around searching for everybody. After a bit of searching, they decided to take a small little break. They stopped in front of a tank and watched as sharks swam amongst the small fish.
Oreiha's eyes glittered like stars in the night sky as she watched the sharks.
"Look, look! Gel look! The shark!"
She pointed towards the aquarium. Just seeing Oreiha being all excited made him feel this warmth deep down inside his body. He couldn't help himself but just smile towards her brimming energy.
"Look that fish looks like you."
Gel pointed at a small fish in the corner of the tank.
Oreiha slapped Gel on the back telling him that she wasn't that small.
"But you are small, look at you."
A hand extended out and started to pat her head. Oreiha blushed and tilted her head down.
This was the chance Gel needed, with a surge of confidence his hand went down towards her cheek down to her chin. Her face glowed red as Gel stared down into her eyes.
He tilted her head up and stopped to admire that glow in her eyes. Oreiha felt this thump inside her body and her heart was beating irregularly. She then closed her eyes accepting what would come next.
"You are just too cute to resist."
Gel's face came closer and connected with Oreiha's. Their mouths interlocked. He started to rub the back of her head as he continued to kiss her.
Her heart continued to race even when Gel had pulled away. She wiped her lips with a finger and told Gel that it wasn't that bad.
She felt this exhilarating feeling that she had never experienced before in her life. It was a feeling, unlike the ones she had felt before. It wasn't a feeling that could be achieved with her brother or Jecca.
"Gosh, you are so cheeky."
Oreiha playfully scruffed Gel's hair whilst standing on her tippy toes.