❝Kid, don't do that!❞ It was as if I could almost feel him smile-Hear it in his voice, let the warmth of it deluge my heart.
❝Why not?❞
❝It tickles, Allan.❞ I looked into his eyes as he chuckled. Just then i noticed a strange spark of uncertainty a...
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He did not come. I was strangely curious. I asked Cole where he was only to get side-eyed by him. A few neighbors were invited too. The house was really chaotic so I walked out to the porch. But it didn't help much as I was busy waiting for him.
"Dad's asking us to come in and play something on the piano." Jessica said from behind me as I stood across the porch.
"Yeah!" I replied absentmindedly.
"Allan, we have to go inside." I looked at her. She felt sorry for me, I could see it in her eyes.
"Alright." I agreed.
It was lively inside. Aunt Nelly grabbed my arm and pulled me to the living room where the piano was kept. "You have to play!" She said. I hesitantly sat on the bench in front of the piano and placed my fingers on the keys. Suddenly, everyone had gathered in the living room. Some sitting, but most of them standing.
I looked at Carli in her white and red flow gown. Our eyes met as she slightly raised the small glass of Champaign in her hands towards me.
Jess laid a hand on my shoulders and then looked at me and nodded. I launched right into Silent Night and hit every note and key right for the carol. Duy walked into the living room and behind her was Jace's mom in a gorgeous green dress. A sudden rush of adrenaline ran through my body as she stood there at the edge of the living room entrance leaning against the wall with a hat filled glass in her hand.
I had seen her in pictures. Sometimes. Jace never really talked much about her. It was somehow awkward to meet her at this point, when both of us were in a fight. Of sorts.
Aunt Olivia stood next to Emily, Jace's mom. Emily smiled at me and I had no choice but to smile back as I shifted my fingers between keys and Jess sang.
The carol was just about to end when I suddenly decided that singing along the last few lines wouldn't do much of a harm. I suddenly felt conscious. Like I suddenly had people to impress.
---❁---
I was sitting in the kitchen. Staring at my phone. At our texts.
I scrolled up till September.
It was agonizing. It was relentless and agonizing.
"You've been distracted." Aunt Nelly entered the kitchen.
"Huh?" I didn't understand.
"You've been somewhere else. I've noticed. Ever since the day I stepped into this house. You aren't here. You are thinking about something. You're acting different Allan." She launched at me like bullets leaving a gun. Quick and hurtful.
She was right nonetheless. I was indeed somewhere else. I've been thinking about him. I've been wondering why did he actually do it.
"I'm sorry." I spoke. I had no clue what else was to be said instead.
"What are you sorry about?" Nelly asked. "I asked Audrey."
Mom.
I have no clue what mom has in her mind about what happened between me and Jace. But I'm sure Jessica handled whatever she was worried about. She would've handled dad too. Hopefully.
"That boyfriend of yours—" Nelly tried remembering his name. She must've noticed the dead look on my face I've been carrying around for the entire evening. "Justin. No wait. Jonathan. Jesus what was Emily's son's name.Jellyfish."
I strangely let out a chuckle. "Jace." I said his name out loud and she gave off a smile.
"Yes. Jace. So. Him." She walked around and took out a bottle of wine. "Want some?" I nodded and she poured it out into two glasses with equal amount of wine and slid the glass to me.
"So your boyfriend. Jace. Who kissed Kelly's daughter." She was right. Jace did kiss Ashley. I had forgotten Aunt Nelly had studied here too. Most of our parents had studied here. Even Jace's mom and her sister, Emily and Olivia. All at Hamden High.
"Let me tell you one thing Kid. Kelly was always a slut." I couldn't control it and so I let out a laugh. "And I'm more than sure Kelly passed that whoring out habit to her daughters too." She laughed too. "Poor Clide!" She was talking about Mr. Bennett.
"Aunty, how did you meet Uncle Dean?" The question was sudden.
"Oh Dean?" She giggled a little. "It's a funny story. We met on a freaking airplane Allan. We had our seats next to each other when I was flying from Philadelphia to New Haven. We started talking cus of a crying baby in the seat behind us." She was smiling. "It was frustrating at the moment but we got used to kids crying somehow. Carli cried too much when she was a kid. Jess and Duy were both normal somehow. But you... You were a silent little devil. You never cried."
I let out a smile at that. It was strange but fun to know. "You were quiet and Audrey was really scared about it. But you used to hit the others. Maybe even bite at times. I remember Carli growing sick of you and running into my room crying on top of her lungs when you were barely even 2." We laughed together and drank wine sitting there.
"Well those things we can always talk about. But Allan on a serious note. Have you talked to him? Why did he do it?"
I was half expecting the question and yet it hit me hard. I still didn't know why he did it. And there was no point in lying. "No." I spoke, voice barely coming out.
"Then hear him out kid. Sometime's explanations can really save relationships. I can assure you that." She talked like Grandma. I could see it very clearly.
"But don't let that son of a bitch manipulate you. You get it?" I nodded and we both smiled.
"Who are we talking about?" I turned around to look at Jace's mom who just walked into the kitchen. "Hello Allan!"
I was hesitant. But her smile was welcoming. "Hello Mr. Gray!"
"Could I talk to him for a second, Nelly?" Aunt Nelly picked her glass from the marble top and started walking out.
"Listen Allan. I don't know what's up with you two but I can see both of you are super crazy about each other. And It's killing me how stupid he can be. My son is really stupid so please.. talk to him. Just once." I was surprised. And to an extent even Mrs. Gray was.
"And don't call me Mrs. Gray. Feels absurd. Emily works." She blurted. I could suddenly see where Jace got all his bubbliness from. It was his mom. She was equally energizing and hyped about everything.
Suddenly my phone vibrated. It was a text. I took out my phone real quick and jumped out of my seat.
Come outside!
"Uhh..." I spoke in a rush. " I really have to go. Jace is waiting outside." I heard the words as they slipped out of my mouth.
"Okay that was... quick!" His mom looked confused but she was also smiling.
