Our indelible pasts|✔

eleven - kiana

AS BRYSON SMILES at Kim and I awkwardly, his eyes linger on me a bit longer. I think he actually recalls seeing me the yesterday. I honestly hope he doesn't because he'd probably think I was purposefully eavesdropping on his conversation. I mean...I was...but he doesn't need to know that.

"Why do you guys desperately need Sandra anyways?" Thankfully, Noah shifts my attention to him before I make it obvious to Bryson that I was in fact eavesdropping and, that my mind was starting to wonder back to his outburst yesterday.

"I have this project I need to do and so does she, and we both figured it would be easier if we collaborated." Nia answers. "And these two..." she points at Kim and I "...are our models."

Nia is doing a major in photography and Sandra a major in fashion design, so they occasionally work together when possible. And having known Nia my whole life, I'm mostly always being dragged into her projects–not that I mind though.

"You never come here because you miss me."

"Noah, I could never miss you." Nia gags and I laugh as Kim, Mason and Bryson engage in conversation.

Noah looks at me and rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me you feel the same way."

I grin at him. "You want me to lie to you?"

"Wow. 15 years of friendship means nothing to you huh?" He stalks towards the fridge as I settle on one of the couches in the small living room.

"Don't complain about me, the person you actually share blood with said it too." I laugh.

"I didn't need to say it, he already knows it." Nia says before joining me on the couch.

"I hate you both."

"Liar." Nia and I say together, our laughter filling the apartment.

He throws me a tonic water from the fridge and a bottle of orange juice at Nia, intentionally trying to hurt us.

"Ow."

I glare at him as I watch him kindly hand Kim her drink.

Mason plays some music and I find my eyes wandering to Bryson.

"Does Bryson live here too?" I ask Nia who nods.

I find it strange that throughout the year we've all been here, we've never met him. With Nia and Noah being twins and my lifelong best friends, I've seen Noah plenty of times and I've seen Mason a couple of times. But not Bryson.

"Why have Kim and I never seen him then?"

Nia lies down and places her head on my laps. "I guess every time we'd see Mason or Noah, he was busy or something. And we mostly just chill with Noah anyways."

"Yeah, and that's not cool." Mason complains over the music settling on the sofa next to us.

"What?" Nia laughs.

"You guys hang out with Noah and forget about me and Bryce."

"Well first of all, we don't tell Noah to come alone and we didn't know Bryson existed." I defend.

"Well now you know he exists and Noah's just rude."

"Rude how?" Noah quickly interjects the moment he hears his name.

"You leave to go see the girls and don't tell Bryce and I to come with."

Noah just shakes his head and brushes Mason off, turning back to his conversation with Kim and Bryson who appears to be on edge, mind seeming to be far away–he's been like that since we walked in. I wonder if it's about whatever that lady from the human services agency told him, or well, didn't tell him rather.

"That's why Ashley's my favourite. She's the only one who ever invites me. Where is she anyway?" Mason says, pulling me back to reality, reminding me to mind my own business.

"She has a paper on Monday so she's studying with a friend from that class." I answer Mason.

Mason opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by the door opening. I turn my head to see Sandra walk in.

"Sandra! Finally, you're here!" Nia exclaims, sitting up.

Sandra looks around the room and smiles while waving at us. "Hey guys. Sorry I'm late. I'm here now though so...we can get started."

She proceeds to hug Bryson from the back but he just stands still. My prying eyes watch as she moves to stand in front of him. They exchange a few words, although I notice that Sandra does most of the talking and Bryson responds mostly with shrugs or a nod of the head.

She quickly hides her disappointment from their little conversation when she greets everyone else in the room with a smile on her face.

Or maybe it's about Sandra...

"We can go work from Bryson's room." She says to Kim, Nia and I. "I have my sketchbook there as well as a tape measure we can use."

I can tell that she's worried. From the few times I've been with Sandra, she's always smiling and happy. It's obvious something's wrong with her and Bryson.But since I barely know any of them, I decide to stop poking my nose in their business. I'm sure they'll sort it out anyway.