Chapter 5

   The house was getting torn down. Year's jaw dropped out of disbelife. She walked closer to one of the construction workers.

 "why are you tearing the house down." She asked.

The construction worker looked at her up and down wondering who she was.

  "May i ask who you are?" He asked in a firm tone pushing his eyebrows together.

  "Oh, i'm sorry, a friend of mine used to live here." His frowned face relaxed. 

"The new owner is building a new center."

  "The new owner? What about the old owner?" Year asked almost speaking to herself. The man looked at her in a curious look. She looked at the man and cleared her throat. 

  "Then can i ask who the new owner is?" The man looked at how desperate she was and took a sigh. He turned around and called one if his men and asked for a business card.

  "The new owner gave me this. Here. I hope it helps.

Year took the card and thanked the man for helping her. The business card was from a company in town that produces and sells music instruments under their brand "silk!" Under the card, it says "play your music smooth as silk!" 

She would run over there right now if she could but she didn't have any money and nor was she prepare for this. 

All the hope she had gotten crushed. She turned back and slowly went back to Justins' place. 

Year dragged herself through the living room and up the stairs to the roof top.

She stood there and sighed over and over again out of frustration. How could this happen? She couldn't believe that she missed her chance to find her secret santa.

 She sat over at the wooden table and took out her violin.

Year stoped her movement and breath in some fresh air. She kept her eyes closed until she was calm enough to play. 

Year opened her eyes and looked down at the violin.

She slowly placed the violin between her left shoulder and chin then picked the bow out of the case and collided it with the strings.

  She closed her eyes as she listened to the music. She played a slow version of 'Bluestone alley' that she learned a long time ago.

 She played it over and over again with a graceful movement of her right arm. She sometimes pushed her eyebrows together as she swam with her emotions.

Year let her slow music feel her empty heart until she felt warmth again. And even then, she didn't stop playing.

***

Justine was walking towards his front door when the sound of music filled his ears. 

He looked up to the roof and noticed that was where the music was coming from. He made his way to the roof top and slowly walked out. 

Justin saw her sitting at the table playing her violin. This was the first time he ever saw her play.

 She had her eyes closed so she didn't see him as he slowly drifted in to the music and the emotion on her face.

She looked...beautiful. as she always was.

Her chubby cheeks were flushed and her lips were quivering. Her arm moved with such a grace that made him wonder where she picked up the skill.

She sat with her legs crossed at the ankle and her back was straight. The over sized shirt she wore hang on her shoulders and moved with every strick she made.

 He leaned on the door and watched her play, wishing that she wouldn't stop playing. 

But She suddenly opened her eyes and met his.

  "Justin?" She gasped for air as if she was holding her breath. He felt bad for disturbing her.

  "Sorry. I can come back later." 

  "No, it's fine. What are you doing here, don't you have work or something?" She asked as she carefully placed the violin back in to the case.

  "I work nights." He answered as he tried to hide his disappointment.

  "What exactly do you do?"

  "I'm a bar-tender." He said as he sat in front of her "I have never seen you play before."

  "Well, you are officially the second person to hear me play."

  "Who is the first?" He asked as he playfully puter his lower lip.

  "Mrs. Creek." She answered with a chuckle.

  "Mrs. Creek? That old lady from across the street?"

  "Yup. She gave me lessons for about four years before i left. Three nights a week." She explained then her face turned in a frown as she closed the case.

  "Are you okay?" He asked but she shook her head lightly and answered "am fine." And continued to frown. 

This time he got frustrated. He's her friend. Sure they haven't seen each other in a long time but that doesn't give her any reason not to trust him. He nodded his head and stood up to walk away but then stopped. He sighed very hard and turned around  to her.

  "Why are you like this?" He asked in a disappointed tone.

  "Like what?" She was confused by his sudden anger.

  "Like... you're distant. You were never like this. You used to tell me everthing. But now... I was the last person to know when you left ten years ago, and now after all this years you come back and you're distant. Why?" He waited for an answer.

She was shocked to say anything at first. She never knew he felt this way. Year looked down at her hands and them back at him.

  "Fine." She finally spoke with the decision of telling him everything.

***

She told him about everything. From the day she got the violin to the journy she had looking for the so called secret santa to the torn down house he was supposed to be at. Crossing his arms across his chest, Justin kept asking question after question.

  "Why were you crying at the park bench that night?"

  "Austin got his second Jordan while my gift under the christmas tree was invisable. They didn't get me anything just like the year before and i got upset." He looked at her after snorting laughter.

  "What is so funny?" She asked "Not getting a gift on christmas is a slap yo the face when you're a kid and you know it." He nodded his head in agreement then shoot another question.

  "So if you go to the new owners, wouldn't they give you an address or a phone number?"

  "That's the plan.I tried calling them but they kept saying that they are too busy to take any calls so i have to go down there in person. I'm thinking maybe i should go back home. I should prepare for more, like keeping my money and phone in my pocket and not my bag."

The thought of her leaving so soon bothered him for reasons he couldn't explain.

  "Uhh... I don't think you should wait that long. All you have to do is go down there and ask for the number right. It won't take long. If money is the problem i can lend you some. I don't thing you should move the time by going back to Newyork." He kept going on and on trying to convince her not to go back. 

Year leaned beck on her chair and looked to the side.

She shrugged her shoulders "Beats me."

He felt a wave of relief hit his entire body. 

In an upbeat tone he asked her if she wanted to grab lunch out and she said 'yes'. 

He yelled "my treat!" and ran downstairs and she followed him from behind.

After they had lunch, they decided to walk back home and slowly made their way. 

They talked as they walked for hours and didn't even noticed how far they had walked when  they heard someone call justin's name. 

Justin turned around while Year stopped but kept her direction as to not have what ever conversation might begin if they recognized her. 

She knows that voice. She can never forget it. Even though it has changed a bit, she could recognize it in a heart bit. It was Austin, Year's older brother. 

"Austin?" Justin replied. 

Year froze where she stood. She haven't seen her brother since the day she left and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him now. She was not ready yet. 

Justin didn't notice how tense Year's body was as he reached out to fist bumb her brother.

  "What's up, man!" They greeted eachother. They talked for a while but she had blured their voices from her ears until she heard Austin say "Who's your friend?". 

Of course he didn't know her. She was wearing her hoody over her head covering her white hair. 

She panicked inward but managed to make no movement. Justin finally realized her discomfort when she just stood there like a statue giving her back to the two of them. Austin got confused by the sudden silence so he asked again.

Justin wanted to cover for her, make up an excuse to change the subject. But then he asked himself, how long was she going to avoid them? And plus, Austin was not the one who sent her away so she has no reason to hate him what so ever.

  "Wow man, I can't believe you can't recognize your own sister?" Justin said with a chuckel.

'What the hell is he doing?' Year asked herself.

  "Year?" She heard her name but not from Justin. She started around, swearing at him inward, promissing that she was going to kill him when she heard her name from Austin again.

 She slowly turned around to face him. He looked really confused and searched her face to see his sister but her hoody covered her forehead and half her eyes. 

When Justin saw the confussion on Austin's face, he pulled the hoody off of Year's head and revealed her white hair. 

As soon as Austin saw her hair and her eyes, he gasped in surprise. A small part of him didn't want to believe it but she was right there infront of him, his baby sister. 

Her dark eyes, her long white hair, her chubby baby face said it all.

SILENCE. No one moved or said a word after Justin took her hoody off. "You're back!" he finally said. 

There was no excitment in his voice. His body didn't even flinch a little. But she was happy, even if she didn't show it. Her body begged her to go and hug her brother but the tone in his word sent chills running down her spine. She noticed a hint of disappointment in his words. Her look darkened and her eyes looked at him filled with hatred.

'Of course, what did i expect. He was not happy or excited to see me. Non of his body language said he missed me. I should have noticed, like our parents, he has completely erased me out of his life.' Year thought to herself as she glared a hole in to her brother.

Justin noticed that she was getting mad and upset. To be honest, he was getting mad and upset by the lack of reaction on Austin's face.

  "When did you get back?" He asked avoiding her gaze but soon he looked her in her eyes when she chuckled darkly. She was disappointed.

'No how are you? Are you okay? I have really missed you.' She expected at least one affectionate comment from him. She looked at him and parted her lips to talk, but she lost her voice. 

She had so much to say, too much to get off her chest. But her voice just turned into a silent air and left her lips in the form of a little sigh. 

She felt... defeated. It was too cold and her nose felt numb but her eyes were getting heated.

 She felt her face turn red, her tears started pocking her eyes to find their way out. And before she embarrassed herself, she turned around and walked away fast ignoring Justin's call. She put her hoody back on and picked up her pace. And in no time, she was out of sight.

She ran to the house, pushed the door open and locked herself in her room. Now that she was alone, she allowed herself to cry. 

Her tears fail on her face, washing every power she had to stand. She kept herself quite for a while but then her sob escaped out of her throat. 'Great, now my voice is back' she thought to herself as she sat on the bed and burried her face in her hands. She let it all out. 

She didn't care if she woke the entire neighbourhood up for all she cared. She cried herself to sleep, cursing the day she ever came back to this town.