Serenity [Book 2]

Chapter 09: silence is so loud

"Lauren!" Hanna yells, running into the house after her. Lauren forgot her charger when packing, and well, her phone is well and truly dead right now, and Hanna is the only one with the same phone charger because they have Androids instead of iPhones like the rest of us.

"Jesus Christ." Matt rolls his eyes.

I happily walk in with my big grey bear in my arms, not bothered about their drama. I'm so happy with my bear that sadly had no name yet, it's nearly as big as me and is very soft and adorable. It's going to take up my whole bed when I bring him back to college, but at least then I have company and something to cuddle on a night.

Might have to call him Replacement Ethan... but I think he deserves something a little nicer.

I suck at naming things. I once had a fish when I was five or six-year-old, and I called it fish. So imaginable, I know.

I may just call him Bear... it kind of suits him too.

"You're really winning me a bear?" I had asked, smiling up at the guy as he dragged me through the crowds. We were jogging – on several occasions I had to yell 'I'm sorry' back to people.

"I always keep my promises, Francesca." He then laughed at my facial expression when I nearly ran into a child.

"Ethan!" I scolded.

"Come on, it's not too far." He said, leaving my mind wondering. He already knew where he was winning the bear for me.

I had kept up to him, making sure not to run into more children and people, and then he suddenly pulled me to a stop. And I didn't expect anything less from the ego beside me when I saw the game.

"Seriously!?" I laughed.

"Yep, I have a mean punch." He smirked, turning towards the guy in charge of it.

He had chosen a game where he had to punch a bag so hard that it swung completely back, to win a teddy bear of our choosing. I don't think this game was made in intentions of a boxer attempting it though because the man in charge was very shocked when Ethan had done it on the first out of three tries.

And that's how Bear became mine. Well, ours, but mostly mine.

"I'm so tired." I sigh, falling back on the sofa, lying my head on Bear as I cocoon myself into a ball. "I'm so glad I have this medication, but God, it makes me so tired after."

"Nap." Matt says, patting me on the head as he walks past.

"It's nearly six PM now, there's not really any point." I shrug, but suddenly a blanket is draped over me. I look up to see Felix wearing a smile. "Thank you."

"Nap, I'm cooking risotto, you won't be missing much." Felix chuckles.

"Ooh risotto?" I perk up.

"Yep, I'm not promising it'll be perfect, but I'm not exactly the worst cook in the world." He says and I give him another smile before he leaves me be, trailing into the kitchen.

Ethan makes his way over in my direction with two bottles of water, and he picks up my legs before sitting and settling them back down, only now they're over his thighs. He passes me a bottle and I smile, taking it from him. I can't stop smiling at him, so I pull the cover over my head, grinning underneath it.

Somehow I smile further when he starts to massage my feet. He knows how much I love this. I used to hate anyone looking at my feet nevertheless touching them, but these messages are worth it. I painted my toenails white a couple days ago though, but I have socks on still anyway.