Troubled Waters (b×b)

Chapter 21 - Ciara Carter

[Ace's POV]

You know that feeling when someone you love suddenly comes into your life, and you have no idea whether to cherish it or not? That's what I was feeling for the past couple of weeks.

Since Ciara moved in, I hadn't talked to her properly. It was just a sentence or two but we barely made any meaningful conversation. But now I had to.

Especially when something that had been haunting me for years has made it way back to me.

School was over and I asked Ciara to meet me at Harvey's. She had a date with Tressa later on, so I had to make it quick. Nevertheless, she actually wore a netural expression on her face and since I was her twin, it didn't take me a lot to figure it out. She looked out of place, but I initiated the conversation as our Cappucino's were placed on the table.

"So...What's up...", I asked. She just shrugged.

"Come on Ci, we can't keep doing this Hey, Bye kinda talk. I gotta lot to catch up on. You didn't visit me since Homecoming last year...Did something happen?"

"No Ace...Nothing happened...I was just hung up on choir and projects."

"You always had choir and projects but you found time to visit me with mom...", she looked  distressed at that sentence as she unclasped her fingers from the cup.

"Times change Ace! I mean, it's not like I didn't want to, we did face-time so..."

"Alright...Alright...It's okay. What about mom? She misses me?"

"Of course Ace...Why wouldn't she. She puts on that cheery little grin while face-timing but after that she is just...I dunno..."

My heart sank a bit. It's been 6 years since Mom and Dad divorced but that void mom left, kept on triggering me since forever. I haven't tasted her bluberry pancakes since I was 11. I remember making a mother's day card for her when I was 12, although it was a bit late, since she had told me she would be coming to visit me but she never turned up. I never questioned her about it but later on I got to know she attended Ciara's Mom-daughter dance-off in her school last minute. So she couldn't make it. I still have the card inside my  memory box.

"Hmm...How is...Uh, how is Joey and Derek treating you?", I said while gulping down the cappucino.

"They are okay...I mean, nothing to complain about honestly..."

"How about Dad?", she asked.

"I dunno Ci. It's more like I'm non-existent to him. But at least he ain't the typical abusive one. The man pays for school and hands me the car keys at the end of the day, so..."

"Right..."

"I'm glad we just live a block away now Ace..."

"Yeah same...", a smile crept on my face but it was shadowed by an unwanted memory.

"Uh, Ciara..."

"I gotta tell you something..."

I felt a chill running down my spine.

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*Next day*
(Noah's POV)

I went to an extent where I jumped into random strangers in the hallway to get a clear picture about this party. But none of them, absolutely no one, uttered a single word about it. It's as if they don't have the slightest of idea about it just as I myself don't. But one blonde guy I inquired looked a bit tense as I questiond him about it and started to stutter something while gluing his eyes at mine. Just right then Rafe, Zach's side-kick pulled him away from me, sliding his arm around his neck.