The next day I wake up, do my morning routine, and go down for breakfast.
"Good morning honey. How are you feeling?" Raven questions.
"I am fine. Just suffering from jet lag." I reassure her.
"Ok, here have some breakfast." she hands me a plate with bacon and eggs.
I've never had bacon in my life. Well, everyone has a first time.
"Mmmm it tastes so good." This tastes amazing. I have been missing out on this all my life.
"Looks like someone likes bacon." Raven grins.
"Yeah, you have to get more bacon now." I grin back.
"Anyway get ready we will be going to the mall in an hour." Raven reminds me.
I wish morning to Blake. I didn't see the boys as they already left for school. They still have two more weeks of school before winter vacation.
I give a swift nod and go upstairs to get ready. I wear a tie-dye hoodie, skinny black jeans, pair them with my white sneakers and tie my hair into a high ponytail. I don't like makeup very much since it causes dryness in my skin. So, I put on some mascara and lip gloss, take a final look in the mirror and go downstairs to find Raven waiting for me.
We drive to the mall, and I admired the snow on the ground as we drove. We shopped for nearly three hours. My feet hurt like hell. To be frank, I don't like shopping at all, but since it's Christmas, I tagged along. The mall was beautifully decorated. Fairy lights were hanging from the ceiling. There was also a huge Christmas tree decorated with little bells and other Christmas decorations with many presents under the tree.
I thought of snatching some gift boxes. When I told Raven, she started laughing so hard till she had tears in her eyes. I stood there trying to understand why she was laughing. She calmed down after a few minutes and informed me that they are just empty boxes, and I laughed along with her at my stupidity.
This is all new to me. We never give gifts to each other on Christmas. Back there, in India, we buy expensive clothes and attend church early in the morning and then spend the rest of the day with our families. I can't wait to see how they spend Christmas here.
"Just one more shop, it is my favourite and we can go eat after that," Raven tells me when I start getting tired.
"Fine. But just one." I warn her, and she smiles widely at me.
We go to her favourite shop, and Raven looks around and finds a beautiful dress. It was dark blue which was strapless, and with a cute bow on the side.
But unfortunately for her, the dress was a bit tight, and the store did not have a bigger size, and Raven was pretty bummed up about it.
Raven and I unload all the stuff, then I go to Ryder's room to watch a horror movie.
When I enter his room after knocking, I see him struggling with his play station. Looks like it's broken.
"Hey, Ryd you wanna watch a horror movie?" I ask him.
"Yes please, my play station is not working properly and I am feeling bored," he tells me with a pout.
So we went to my room and started watching The Annabelle. Ella entered my room and made herself comfortable on my bed.
"Yeah make yourself comfortable, what's mine is yours Ella." I say sarcastically.
She just barked and gave me a huge doggy grin, and Ryder chuckles. I glare at him, and he raises his hands in surrender. I grin. Looks like I won, woah, what am I thinking? I won? It's not a competition looks like I am going mad. Yeah, that was the only explanation.
Soon Ryder falls asleep as it was getting pretty late. I did not have the heart to wake him up, he looked so adorable sleeping, and Ella was sleeping next to him.
I make my way to Reed's room and knock on the door, I go in after a few seconds, and I find him fixing his earphones with duct tape ..wait? duct tape? I start chuckling.
His head turned so fast at my voice I swear I heard a crack. He went wide-eyed and covered himself. I was confused as to why he was doing that. I think I was too busy laughing at him so, I didn't realize he was only in his boxer, again.
I feel heat run to my cheeks and ears, and I turn. Again.
"Don't you know how to wear a pant?" I question, irritated.
"What are you doing here? and first of all, this is my house so I can wear anything I want." he answers with gritted teeth.
If he grits his teeth anymore, I am afraid he is gonna lose it.
"Anyway what do you want?" he questions.
"Oh yeah, Ryd came to my room and we watched movies and he fell asleep. I need your help to take him back to his room." I say, hoping he would say yes.
Soon I hear shuffling behind me.
"Let's go." I look at him, and he was wearing a pant but not a shirt. I sigh and motion for him to follow me.
We go to my room to find Ryd hugging Ella like a doll, and Ella had a look on her face saying, 'please help me. He is crushing me too hard' I chuckle at the thought, and beside me, Reed has a small smile on his face.
I have to say he looks good when he smiles and does not glare at me all the time like a monster. I still don't know why he hates me so much.
Reed carries Ryder and takes him to his room, and I tuck him in and leave a small kiss on his forehead because he looks adorable. I thank Reed, wish him a good night, and go back to my room. I face time Keith and go to bed with Ella sleeping beside me. I pet her for a while and switch off the night lamp and close my eyes.
The last thought in my mind was how good Reed looked when he smiled.
I wake up to Ella licking my face trying to wake me up."I am up, I am up," I reassure her with a laugh. She gives me a doggy grin, if that is possible, and leaves my room.I get ready for the day. I wear a hoodie, legging, pair them with white sneakers, and leave my hair down. I walk downstairs to find the boys ready for school and eating breakfast."Ooh, finally, the queen has awakened." Ryder greets me."At your service." I give him a bow, he chuckles. I greet everyone else and make myself a bowl of cereal."Kia, I have work today, so I won't be home. Will you be fine all alone?" Raven asks me, concerned.She is a housewife but, she is also a substitute doctor. So, she works rarely and, Blake is a CEO of a good marketing company. They are pretty rich."I will be fine. I will probably spend the day talking to my friends or chilling in the pool." I reassure her.She gives me a small smile and gets ready for work. Soon ev
"You are riding with me on my motorcycle." Reed says with a smirk.Reed thinks that I am afraid of motorcycles like some people. You are so wrong, buddy.I love motorcycles and the feeling you get when you ride on streets with the wind blowing on your face. The scenery is an added bonus. I also know how to ride one, my brother taught me.Now it is my time to smirk, "No problemo buddy."He looks a bit taken back but, he quickly covers it up."Fine, let's go." Reed says and, I follow him to the garage.He gets on the bike and hands me a helmet. I take it and take a seat behind him."You can hold onto me if you want," he smirks.God, I wish I could wipe that smirk off his face."No problem dude i can handle myself." I smile sweetly and catch the handle on the back of the bike to hold myself.We take off and, I enjoy the ride and the feel of the wind blowing on my face. I remember Keith used to take me out on long dri
I wake up and realize that it is Sunday morning, and there is only a week left for Christmas. I always go to church back in India on Sundays. I shower and wear a white knee-length dress and pair it with a blue jean jacket. I leave my hair down and apply some mascara and lip gloss.I go downstairs and see only Raven and Blake in the dining room. I guess the boys are still sleeping because it is only 8:30.I greet them good morning, and raven raises a brow, questioning 'why I am all dressed up?'"So do you guys go to church on Sundays?" I ask Raven."No, we don't. But we do go during Christmas and New Year." Blake answers."Can anyone of you
Finally, it's Christmas Eve. This past week I spent time with the family learning more about them. Reed is not acting cold to me anymore. He makes small talk here and there. I would not call us friends yet but, it is progress. I also spend a lot of time with Ryder. We watch horror movies, I play sports with him, and sometimes Reed joins us.I will meet Andrew again today when I go to church. I can't wait to give him the presents I got for him. But I am also scared. What if he doesn't accept? What if he thinks that I am doing it out of pity? I am doing it because I have been through what he is going through. But, I at least had Keith, but he has a stepfather who hates him.I take a shower and straighten my hair. I wear a hoodie and legging.I go downstairs, and a beautiful aroma fills my senses pancakes. Yum. I greet everyone and take a seat beside Ryder. I ruffle his hair a bit, he swats my hands and glares at me. I put my hands up in surrender while he fixes hi
"KIARA ...KIARA WAKE UP IT'S CHRISTMAS," Ryder shouts in my ear, effectively waking me up.I get up so fast that I fall out of my bed with a loud thud, and I groan."Ugh, I am up, I am up." I say, rubbing my butt.When my eyes adjust to the bright light, I see Ryder jumping on my bed shouting, "It's Christmas.","I am gonna wake up Reed," he shouts and runs out of my room.I really don't know where he gets his energy from. That kid's hyperactive even without sugar. I glance at my clock and see it's five minutes past seven. That's early.I hear a loud 'It's Christmas', which is followed by a loud thud. Looks like Reed fell out of bed too.I go out to see an energetic Ryder pulling a sleepy Reed, who is rubbing his butt out of the room. I chuckle at the scene. While Ryder wakes everybody up, I quickly brush my teeth and comb my hair.I go downstairs to see Reed and Ryder sitting around the Christmas tree with presents. I look bac
It's New Year's eve, and currently, I am on a facetime call with my friends."So guys, how was your Christmas dinner with Keith?" I ask them with a smirk.Anna's cheeks go pink just like I expected. Anna has had a crush on him forever. She thinks that I don't know. But I found out a couple of years ago when Anna acted all shy and strange in his presence. Whenever they are together, you can see a faint tint of pink on her cheeks.I don't think Div has noticed it yet."Why are you blushing, Anna?" Div asks with a smirk..... okay, she knows."What I... I ..am..not blushing ..you..you are." Anna stutters, and I mentally facepalm. Nice save, Anna.Looks like we are gonna talk about my best friend's crush."You like him, Anna.""But I don'..""Don't even think about lying." I cut her off."Yeah, Anna. We know about your crush on Keith, so spill the beans." Divya tells her.She sighs, "Fine. What do you gu
There is only the weekend left before I start school. The near kiss that happened between Reed and I was never spoken. It was just a spur of the movement thing Reed will never go for a girl like me. I really don't know why he tried to kiss me. I am really thankful that things didn't get awkward between Reed and me. I pet aerial for a while and go downstairs to find only Blake and Raven having breakfast. I greet them morning and make myself cereal."I really wish the boys would wake up early as you do and not wake up at noon to eat breakfast as lunch," Raven complains. On that note, Reed comes down looking hot with his bed hair. Wow, I have gotta get these thoughts out of my head. After the near kiss, I can't stop but find Reed beautiful and handsome."Mom, can you please stop comparing us with Kiara. She wakes up early because she has all those makeup stuff to do before breakfast," Reed grumbles."Honey, if you know Kiara at all, you will know that she doesn't l
Today is my first day of school. I am excited, but I am also very nervous. I take a long shower and wear my outfit for the day. It consists of a white sleeveless shirt and a black skirt that reaches my knee and pair it with a jean jacket and a pair of black sandals and French braid my hair. I take a look at myself in the mirror and feel satisfied. I go downstairs and greet Raven, who is making breakfast. "You look amazing, Kiara. You will have boys at your feet." Raven tells me with a grin. I can't help but blush at her words. "Thanks, Raven." I answer her, and then I see Reed come down the stairs. Calling him hot right now would be an understatement. He is dressed in a tight white t-shirt with skinny black jeans and a black jean jacket. He has that whole bad boy look. He sees me, and his eyes take in my outfit, and he gives me a smirk. I realize that I am openly checking him out. Reed sits beside me, and Raven places a plate full of pancakes in front of him.
Five years later. Here lies beloved An- "Kiara," I hear my brother's voice. He comes to me and pulls me into a side hug. "He is still alive, Kiara, here." He says, motioning to his heart. It's been five years since that dreadful day. Keith said his last goodbye and left me alone in this world. The doctors were able to keep his heart alive and performed Andrew's surgery. His heart did fail during the surgery, and they replaced Andrew's heart with Keith’s. Here Lies Beloved And Loved Keith Tennyson January 6, 1998- June 15, 2019. He is buried near my parent's graves. He will be at peace with them in heaven now. After the heart monitor went flat. I was frozen in place. Somebody dragged me outside the room while the doctors tried to bring him back to life. He lost a lot of blood, and his brain took a lot of damage. I didn't cry.
Trigger for abuse"What happened?" I ask, trying to act rationally. Ryder suddenly comes and hugs me. I sit down on the chair and take him in my lap, and he is sobbing and sniffling."What happened, buddy?" I stroke his hair, trying to calm him down."A...Andrew w..ent downstairs to.. to make some popc..corn for me and.. I.. and.. I.. suddenly heard a loud noise from the kitchen..I.. I ran downstairs and found him unconscious with a broken bowl near his feet," Ryder informs me, his voice breaking.I try to calm him down while Raven takes care of things with Andrew. Ten minutes later, Raven comes with a water bottle."What happened?""He is awake, and the doctors took him to take a CT scan. He told the doctor that he had chest pains. He also told him about what happened during prom. The doctors will inform us what is wrong with him after taking a look at his scan results," I simply nod. This day has really taken a toll on my mental and physic
"- got into a serious accident, and is admitted to the hospital," my heart stops for a moment, and I drop the phone. Raven rushes towards me, and she picks the phone and answers it."Yes, we will be there as soon as possible,""Come on, Kiara. Everything is going to be fine," she assures, pulling me into a hug. My mind is blank, and my heart is numb. I can't cry.Everything that happened after that is a blur. I remember Raven, Reed, and I drove towards the hospital. Reed had me on his lap, and he was mumbling reassuring words to me."He is currently in the ICU, and the doctors are trying their best. We will know about his condition after the surgery,""How?" I question the nurse."A truck went out of control and came at full speed and hit the passenger side. The driver only sustained a few injuries and nothing major,"Three times I had to hear about people close to me getting into an accident. Finally, the tears start falling. I start
"That is amazing, Reed,” Blake breaks the silence.“Yeah, you will have our full support if that is what you want,” Raven informs, hugging her son."Those love birds need to talk, so come on, everyone," Raven leaves the room, pulling all the others along with her. Keith points his fingers towards Reed to make sure that we know that he is watching us. I roll my eyes."Are you mad, Kiara?" Reed asks me once everyone leaves."No, I am not mad. Not mad. Not mad at all, Nuh-uh. You don't think I am mad, do you? Because I am not. Don't think that I am mad,""So, I will take it that you are mad," Reed concludes."No. Not mad at you. Just at our fates," I sigh and sit down on the couch. He sits beside me and pulls me into a side hug. I lay my head on his chest."If you don't want me to go, I won't sparkle," he tells me, stroking my hair."This is your life, Reed. Don't think about me. Do what you want to. I will accep
“Kia, come on, honey, we are going to be late,” I hear Raven’s voice outside my bedroom.“Coming,” I shout, applying some finishing touches to my outfit. I grab my graduation cap and gown and rush outside.“You look lovely,” Raven compliments my outfit. I am wearing a light blue dress with flower decorations, and I braided my hair into two french braids.I thank her and take a seat beside Keith. He frowns. I raise my eyebrows in a questioning manner."Here, your dress is missing this," he says and pins a brooch."This is moms favourite brooch," I say, trying not to cry."Yeah, I figured you might need it for your special day," he smiles. I hug him and admire the brooch."Everyone here? I need answers from four boys and a girl," Blake shouts from the driver's seat."Here," we all shout, laughing.We soon reach school, and Reed, Andrew and I head towards our assigned seats. We meet
"What the hell are you guys doing here?""What? we are her best friends, so obviously, we will be here to wish her when she becomes an adult,""Mom, it was a big mistake to give them the keys,""Hey, that was rude,""No one asked you,""I wanted it to be only the two of us,""Just because you guys are dating doesn't mean you get special privileges,""Of course I do,""She will choose us over you any day,""You wanna bet?""The loser has to be the winner's slave for a whole day,""SHHHHHHHHHHH, she is waking up,"I cover my ears with my pillow to stop the whispers."Sparkle, wake up," someone whispers near my ear. I throw a pillow at that person to stop the voices."Oof, I forgot she is grumpy w
"ANDREW," I shout over the sound of the music and run to him. Reed follows behind.Noah, Luke, and Reed help carry Andrew outside. We place him on a bench, and I sprinkle water on his face. After three more times, he slowly wakes up."What happened?" he asks groggily. I release a breath I didn't know I had been holding."You fainted," Kate informs, hugging him. I sit down, feeling relieved. Reed comes and hugs me. I hug him back, holding him tight."Andrew, why did you clutch your chest. Do you feel any pain?" I ask him, worried."No, Kiara. I was too excited, so I didn't eat the whole day. I also have a gastric problem. If I don't eat for a long period, I will faint. Nothing new" he smiles sheepishly."Don't ever scare us like that," I hug him."Come on, they are announcing prom king and queen," Andrew says excitedly and goes to leave when Kate stops him."Where do you think you are going? You sit here and get some air.
“Kate, I will cut off your limbs if you take me to another store to look for a dress that I don’t even need,” I warn Kate.“But Kiara. What if you accidentally spill juice on the dress? What if someone steps on your dress, and it rips? What if a crow decides to dirty your dress? What if there is an alien invasion, and you get caught because you cannot run in that dress? What if som-”“What the heck are you even talking about?” I look at my best friend incredulously.“All of that might come true. I can’t lose you to an alien. What if you get eaten?” she cries.“I think you are spending too much time with Noah,” Ava pipes in, taking a bite of her ice cream.“Kate, all that you mentioned is not going to happen. I will be extra careful if that makes you happy, ok?” I assure her.“Come on. We still need to buy you heels,” Ava drags me.
I wake up to bright sunlight entering my room. Why has my alarm not gone off yet? The sleep I am getting is really suspicious. I take a look at my clock and see it’s thirty minutes past six.Ah. I can sleep some more. I doze off again.'Don't you think it’s quite unusual to be this bright at six-thirty in the morning?' I hear winter's sleepy voice.'It's too early to hear your voice. Let me sleep,' I cover my ears with my pillow.'I can say the same about you but, I think the clock is not working because the sun is too bright to be this early in the morning,''Fine, stop nagging. I will check my phone,' I roll over my bed and accidentally fall.I open my phone to see that the time is 8:10. I rub my eyes thoroughly to see if I am mistaken. But the time still shows 8:10. School starts at 8."AHHHHH, I am terribly late," I shriek, trying to stand up. My legs get tangled in my blanket, and I fall again."Could this day