ALETHA

1-4-3

Hi guyssss
Thanks for coming back>3
Like I said in the last chapter..I promised this chapter will be long so here it is.
Enjoy>3

.....

16 MONTHS LATER

{William and Aletha were together in William's room. Aletha was supposedly helping him pack his things for college the next day.}
WILLIAM: Hey could you pass that T-shirt behind you.
ALETHA: (Grumbles)That sounds like work Will.
WILLIAM: It's literally right behind you Al.
ALETHA: Okay show a quick demo on how I'm meant to pick up the shirt.
WILLIAM: (Glares with frustration in his eyes like he was literally about to scream) You know for a 14yr old, you really act like a psychopath.
ALETHA: I prefer the term creative(Smirks)
WILLIAM: Are you giving me the shirt or not Al.
ALEHTA: Okay fine,I'll give you the shirt only cos you begged (Turns around and picks up the shirt that was in the wardrobe behind her and froze when she found out it was an old t-shirt of her dad's) You still have this?
WILLIAM: (Smiles and reminisces on the day his dad gave him that shirt) Yeah I do.

{Abel had customized that black t-shirt for himself before he handed it down to William when he was about 8 and said he should keep it till whenever he was big enough to wear it or keep it as a form of reminder. On the front part of the shirt was printed "NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE" and on the back was printed "ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS WHAT THEY THINK YOU'VE DONE". Abel used that quote to express how judgmental the world was to his kids. He explained that; No matter the amount of good you do, people will always want to capitalize on the bad rumors and gossips about you, they'll always want to assume all the bad things you've done and ignore all the good you actually do in the open.}
ALETHA: I miss them. (Hands William the shirt)
WILLIAM: (Collects the shirt and looks down at it)I do too Al.
ALETHA: (Sighs)Okay that's enough sentiments for this evening. You're leaving tomorrow, haven't fully taken that in(Laughs)
WILLIAM: (Sighs and looks down as he begins to get lost in thoughts)
ALETHA: Hellloooo(Waves her hands under William's head just so he could see it)
WILLIAM: (Adjusts himself and clears his throat)Sorry I'm with you(Folds the black t-shirt and puts it in his traveling bag)
ALETHA: What have you been worried about lately. Over this past year you just all of a sudden withdrew from everything. In between convos you blank out, and don't get me started on how much you workout lately, like it's a means of to escape from everything. Are you okay??(Puts on a worried face)You're all I have, you can't be dying silently and not tell me what's wrong.
WILLIAM: It's nothing Al. Just added responsibilities I guess. Don't bother yourself too much about it,okay?(Smiles)
ALETHA: (Still in doubt)Okay then.
WILLIAM: Um I got a new number. Get your phone and punch it in, cos I disabled the old one.
ALETHA: Okayyy(Has a confused facial expression while picking up her phone from her thighs)Why'd you change your number tho?
WILLIAM: Had issues with the other one.(Begins to call out the number)
ALETHA: (Types the number)Saved.
WILLIAM: Good.(Continues to pack up)
ALETHA: (Still in confusion about everything and begins to think deeply) 'I wonder what's making William act so strange to be honest. He spoke real fast when he said "HAD ISSUES WITH THE OTHER ONE" and he only speaks that fast when he's lying. What is he hiding from me?'

{Aletha and William finished packing up and bid themselves goodnight.}

THE NEXT MORNING..
WILLIAM: (Puts his last luggage in the trunk of the Uber and then turns towards Aletha) Be good okay?
ALETHA: Yeah I will. Be good too please, stay safe too please.(Wipes off absolutely nothing from William's shoulders)
WILLIAM: Okay that was such a Mom move(Laughs)
ALETHA: (Joins in on the laughter)Yeah yeah(Rolls eyes and then smiles)She'll be so proud of you, they both will. Dad always wanted you to go to Harvard tho,too bad you didn't get in, cos now they just lost the chance to have such a brilliant mind in their school(Smiles)
WILLIAM: (Smiles too but the smile didn't quite look right, it looked as if it was a hesitated smile)Thanks sis.(Looks at Miss Ann who was standing few steps behind Aletha but she could still hear their convo)
ALETHA: (Notices the hesitated smile and gets confused again but waves it off) Now get in before the Uber guy drives off with your luggage in his trunk(Laughs)
WILLIAM: (Smiles and gives Aletha a bear hug)I love you Aletha, please don't ever think otherwise I beg of you. No matter what I do I'll always have your best interest in mind.
ALETHA: (Squeals as his muscles almost pops out her head)Okay but could you please hug me more gently.
WILLIAM: (He then releases his grip and hugs her in a more not so much aggressive way)
ALETHA: I know you miss me already, I mean I would too if I were you(Squeezes his waist)
MISS ANN: (In a tone of irritation) Can you just get into the car William.
ALETHA: (Whispers) Haters gonna hate and po(William cuts her sentence)
WILLIAM: (Completes her sentence) And potatoes gonna potate.
{They both laugh and separate from the hug}
WILLIAM: (Turns and gets into the back seat of the Uber)
ALETHA: And William 1-4-3(Smiles)
{1-4-3 was what Aletha always said when William told her he loved her. It stood for I-LOVE-YOU. Aletha stopped saying those 3 words because those were the last words her mom,Isabella said to her before she died that night. She felt some kind of pain due to rememberance when she said those words to her brother, so she improvised and started saying 1-4-3. William never made a fuss about it and along the line got use to it while still understanding what she meant}.