Seven

FIVE YEARS LATER

Twenty seven year old Iver stood on the front porch of their house, checking his watch every minute, with his eyes flicking between the road path and his wrist watch.

His jaw clenched when he sighted the familiar motorcycle drive up their house.

Twenty one year old April detached her hand, which had been wrapped tightly around the rider. She got down from the motorcycle and waved bye to the rider, Kylo, her close friend of two years.

She walked up the house with her eyes fixed on her phone, checking the time. She gasped when she saw Iver right in front of the house, looking livid. She pocketed her phone and put on her non-guilty expression.

"What did I tell you last week?" Iver asked.

"Not to hang out with Kylo anymore. But I told you I can't grant your request," April answered.

"It wasn't a request, April! It was an order," Iver seethed.

"You are not my parent," April countered.

She proceed to walk inside the house, walking past Iver, who grabbed her wrist, dragging her back.

"Did you even check the fucking time?" He seethed.

"Let go of me!" April screamed writhing her hand to get her wrist out of his hold.

Mrs Caddel rushed out at the sound of April's voice.

"You will wake the whole neighbourhood shouting like that," She said.

Iver let go of April and stormed inside. Mrs Caddel gave April a strict look and asked her to get inside, which April did.

Mr Caddel was sat in the living room, looking displeased. Iver was now sitting opposite him, he was hunched with his elbows on his laps, hands joined together in front of him, supporting his jaw.

"April, what's the time?" Mr Caddedl asked.

April checked her phone to get the exact time.

"Twenty five minutes past one," April replied.

"In the fucking midnight," Iver added.

"Where were you?" Mr Caddel asked.

"At Kylo's birthday party, I told Mom it's a night party," April answered.

"Yeah, sure didn't remember to let me know you will be there till one in the morning," Mrs Caddel retorted.

"You are a lady, April. What were you even thinking staying out so late with people you know I don't want you hanging out with? And don't think I didn't know that you weren't picking up your brother's calls on purpose. At this point, it's very good to know that I'm disappointed with you, April," Mrs Caddel scolded and walked off angrily into her room.

"When will you start thinking about your future? I told you that whole friend group is no good for you. Tell me, is he the one influencing you to not consider going to university?" Mr Caddela asked.

"I told you it has nothing to do with him!" April replied in frustration.

"I don't even care, I don't want to see you with him again," Iver said.

"Stop trying to order me around. Perhaps, if you were this firm with your girlfriend, she wouldn't be treating you like a rag doll," April said, glaring at him.

Iver's jaw clenched, he stood up and stormed into his room.

"There are things to say and things not to say, April. I don't ever want to see you with that boy again. I wonder where I went wrong with you," Mr Caddel said sadly, shaking his head.

He stood up too and went into the room he shared with his wife. April stood there, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

She hated that her Mom was disappointed with her, she hated that she actually said that to Iver and she hated the the look of defeat her Dad gave her, almost as if he was giving up on her.

She didn't want them to give up on her, she wanted them to see her, see her internal sufferings. Maybe she's selfish but she desperately hoped that they realized how much she needed help without her having to speak it out.

She's far too gone and now, she doesn't know how to stop or turn back. She walked dejectedly to her room and went straight to her wardrobe. She opened it and dug out the apple-shaped carved wood Orion had gifted her years ago.

After she went off the rails and couldn't turn back, she felt so guilty staring at the apple on her desk everyday, a reminder that she had failed him, so she had kept it deep inside her wardrobe years ago.

Back to five years ago, Blue was surfing the internet and had coincidentally came across a video interview of Orion.

They had searched for more of those videos and from watching them, they gathered a lot of information about him which she informed her family about.

Turns out after his flight, he had a fatal accident on his way to his father's house and was in coma for a few months.

The car he was in had blown up, taking with it everything he owned. That made them understood why he couldn't contact them at first.

They also found out the reason why he didn't later try to get in touch with them. In another interview about his life, he had subtly mentioned his life with them, without divulging any important information about them.

The summary was he didn't try to get in contact because he was afraid he wouldn't want to stay in his new country if he did, judging by how much he wanted to go back to them. In contrast to her family, April didn't accept that excuse, it wasn't valid to her.

*

April was with Kylo as usual, they were waiting for their friend group.

His bike was parked by the side of the road. He was sitting on the bike sideways, his back to the road while April was standing in between his legs, her hands on his shoulder pushing him back lightly while giggling, he was trying to kiss her.

"Come on, how long will it take for you to give in. It's been two years already, April," Kylo complained.

"Yes, two years of friendship and you never asked me out but you want me to give you my first kiss," April brought up something that has been eating her up for weeks.

"Don't be old-fashioned, labels don't matter, April. What matters is that I love you," He said and dived his head into her neck.

April giggled, trying to push him away but he didn't succumb as he continued placing soft kisses on her neck, while tickling her sides lightly. April's eyes were on the road while she laughed away feeling ticklish.

A car passed and the cold, angry eyes of the man in the passenger seat met hers. Her laughter ceased and she immediately used her whole strength, jerking away from Kylo.

The car went past them and she turned sharply with her back to the direction it was going in, knowing she could still be seen in the rear-view mirror.

"Why did you pull away like that?" Kylo asked.

By now, the car was out of sight.

"You need to get me home now, Kylo. I think I saw my brother," April said with fear evident in her voice.

"I told you there's no need to fear Iver. He's all talk, no action," Kylo said with a short mocking laugh.

"No!" April exclaimed, "I'm talking about Orion," she panicked.

She wished he didn't recognize her, it's been six years after all.

"What? Your rich brother?" Kylo asked with an excited interest.

April sighed and ignored him, turning on her heels, as she started hurrying her way back to her house. It's much better to go back by herself anyway, Kylo driving her back might cause another trouble for her.

April got to her house and could see an unfamiliar car parked right in front of it. Her heart started pumping faster than the normal rate. She wasn't mistaken, it was the car she had seen earlier.

Orion was really back.