Under Our Care

Chapter 7

"When we're you planning on telling me this?!" I screamed as I showed Maverick his laptop.

"Aliyah, we can talk about this later. Let's not spoil this trip and my birthday." He said closing the laptop lid which I aggressively pushed open again.

"It's already spoiled for me so start speaking and as I see the time, your birthday is over," I said angrily.

"Let's not be selfish, think about everybody else, some of us were actually having fun." He said trying to remain calm, as I saw him controlling his breathing.

"I am being selfish? Are you kidding me? If someone is being selfish, it's you." I could feel my cheeks dampening as angry tears rolled down.

"Calm down, Aliyah and stop crying. This is not the time and place to talk about things like these, we will talk at home."

I wiped my tears harshly but before I could think Isaiah snatched the laptop out of my hand. I saw him reading what was written as his face contoured from shock to anger to sadness. I rarely got to see such a  range of emotions on his face. He was always so neutral that it seemed like nothing fazed him.

"You are moving out?" He asked so softly that it broke my heart. I saw Maverick's face showing a hint of guilt at his voice but he covered it quickly with a stern expression.

I looked at Ezekiel and Chris who looked surprisingly calm which meant they already knew.

"You both knew, right? Why did you hide it from us?" I asked, something like betrayal haunted my mind.

"We weren't hiding, we were going to tell you, just not now." Chris clarified.

"Why do you always hide things like these from us? I am not a little kid anymore, I want to know things like these, no I need to know things like these." I muttered as fresh tears were pooling in my eyes. I didn't even know why I was so emotional. Maybe, I never considered the fact that someday all of us won't stay together, I know it was selfish of me but I couldn't think of us being away, it was always us five against the world. We were a team.

"I know you aren't a kid but we didn't want to tell this before it was final," Maverick said.

I chuckled humorlessly, "So when were you going to tell us? Before a day you moved out? Or why would you even bother us telling, you've already made up your mind, better move out from the mess called your family."

"I think that's enough, Liyah. We'll talk about this at home." Chris said sternly, I glared at him and shook my head.

"Yeah, talk at home, if there is anything left to talk about because I don't think Maverick even has two weeks before he leaves. Enjoy your night, brothers." I said with a fake smile before roughly shoving Maverick in the arms and walking away.

"Liyah wait!" I heard Ezekiel call from behind but anger was currently simmering in my head and I wasn't in any mood to talk more.

"Isaiah where are you going now?"

"I don't feel the need to stay here and I think I am going to call it a night. Happy birthday, brother." Isaiah said calmly but I could hear the hurt behind his words.

Isaiah joined my brisk walk towards our tent as he came beside me his hands gently clasped mine telling me he was with me and my anger wasn't unreasonable.

I slipped inside my sleeping bag sniffling a little. My heart was hammering at a brisk pace, was this how it was going to be from now. Ezekiel might also have planned to move out soon, Isaiah could also do the same after a year leaving me behind to be a liability on Chris's head. I could not help but think how I was just a responsibility on Chris's shoulder, he shouldn't be forced to do this.