The Cult of Romeo

Epilogue

I stood by the towering gates of Burton Abbey with Khaleel by my side and watched as cars swarmed the area. Students were whisked away by their families while they wished teary farewells to their friends whom they wouldn't see until after the holidays. While it certainly wasn't a warm day today, it wasn't raining either which I felt grateful for. Rain always made leaving the school feel more dreary than it had to be.

Normally at this time of year, my father would have arrived early, far earlier than any other parent, and had Julien and me in his car by the time the sun had risen. That gave him enough time to attend any meetings and finish all work before Christmas dinner. It also left my cousin and me far more tired than we would have preferred.

This year was the first time I had seen the chaos of going home because the sun had most definitely risen, though hidden behind the clouds, and we were still at school.

I watched as Henri took Julien's bag from him and put it in the boot of the taxi along with my luggage, buried under all our books and Christmas reading and revision. My cousin and brother bickered teasingly as Bobby laughed loudly from the front seat of the car, a cigarette in hand and the smoke lifted into the air, as though dancing with the light breeze.

I knew it wouldn't be long until I saw Khaleel again, the Christmas break was only two weeks after all. But still, after everything we'd gone through, I didn't want to leave him. Not only was I reluctant to leave but I was also beginning to sound clingy and desperate. Khaleel had stood and watched my brother pack the car for about half an hour while I babbled along. I never normally babbled and I think this spark of words from me surprised us both.

"Now, remember, this is the telephone number to my parent's house," I pointed to the numbers that I had scribbled onto Khaleel's left forearm with blue ink for the third time over. "Don't phone that since I won't be there."

I grabbed his other arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal the next number on his forearm, also in blue ink. "This is my brother's house telephone number. I'm spending the Christmas holidays with him so if you call this number, I will answer. See how that works? You call, and I'll answer. Right? Do you want to repeat all that?

He rolled his eyes playfully and threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest with a soft laugh.

"Stop worrying about me," he smiled. "You talk too much."

I huffed but still kept my face in the crook of his neck, liking how close we had become. "Fine, don't bother calling me at all. I won't answer."

He pulled away so that I could see his face as it lit with a playful grin. "After everything I've done for you? You know, Charlie, I risked my life for you. I took a dagger to the stomach for you, my love."

I rolled my eyes and threw my arms around his neck, trying to hide a smile. "Oh, a modern-day Romeo."

"And you're my Juliet, yes?"

"You'll have to phone me while we're away to find out, I suppose. So, will you repeat what-"

"Your parent's telephone number is on my left arm, your brother's is on my right arm," he interrupted with a smirk as his brown eyes twinkled. He then chanted the numbers from memory, swaying us back and forth with the wind as the tips of his fingers tickled my sides. "I know it all, Charlie. Don't worry."

The taxi door slammed shut behind us, interrupting the conversation. "Pack it up, love birds! Lottie, we have a train to catch," Julien yelled and I frowned.

"Remember too that Beatrix and I will be coming back to school three days earlier than it starts. If you get here too, then we'll start on your tour," I beamed, unable to hide the radiant glow as I stood on my tippy toes. I kissed his lips swiftly, shutting my eyes for just a second and smiled even more brightly.

"See you next year! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Call me - left arm parents, right arm brother. Farewell!" I sang while rushing to the taxi. I threw myself into the vehicle, climbing across Julien as I settled in the middle between my cousin and brother.

"My mam is going to love you both so much. You're all so skinny, she's just going to keep feeding you all week," Bobby gushed from the front seat as the car set off, waving down the old country roads and rocky paths.

I turned my body and looked through the dirty glass of the back window. Khaleel stood, slightly hunched over from the injury but a goofy grin on his face as he threw his arm side to side in an exaggerated wave. I couldn't help but copy with my own wave and smile so wide I could barely see out of my eyes as they scrunched up.

"I used to imagine us like Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos," Henri began quietly, talking about Greek mythology's three sisters of fate. "Just because we could see the past and future, sometimes I thought us to be close to the divine. But, after everything that's happened, not just this week but our whole lives. Now...well, now I think there's more to life. It's not our job to decide other people's fates, that be Dad or anyone else. We're not gods, we're no sisters of fate. We're just...us, and we can figure this out ourselves."

Henri looked so much older, so much wiser, then. His hazel eyes glowed under the morning light, those eyes I thought I'd never see again. But, here they were; here we were. Together at last, but this time I'd live for me.

Everything had changed as soon as I stepped foot in Burton Abbey this term. When an innocent boy died the night of the theatre. When I caught two golden-brown eyes watching me in the kitchen. When I followed the mysterious clues of a killer. When my dead brother returned. Nothing would ever be the same again.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

[Exeunt.]