Secret Charm

Ch.8 : Understanding

*rrring*rrrring*rrrring*
-A phone suddenly rings. At 4 in the morning?My eyes flutter open and the ringing finally stops. I am facing the other side of the bed so Mags doesn't know I am awake.

The phone is answered.

"Hello?". It was Mags sitting up with the phone.

"Yes this is she," she says with a groggy voice.

I could tell she just woke up now. Leo is still in bed snoring away.

Her conversation continues.

"Say that again?"... "No!" she shouts. The phone then drops.

I could hear the clatter of the phone on the ground.. A clatter.. almost enough.. to destroy it.. I could see her silhouette on the wall from the light of the lamp .. quickly getting up.. walking.

What happened?

I could hear someone sniffling and sobbing on the other side. Really deep.. I could feel the pain she felt.. I just do not know the cause of this.

I decided to get up from my bed. I followed the trail of sobs. Leading to Mags.

One by one, my steps were quiet. Filled with curiosity.
I reached my final step towards her, where she was sitting alone, with her knees held upward, resting her chin. Where she could cry the waters of a river.

I sat next to her.

"What's wrong Mags?" I ask calmly.

She looks around and turns to me but doesn't say anything and just cries in her arms.

"My sister... sh-she is... i-in .. the . hospital.." Her words come out faintly.

My eyes become swollen by the water in them. How could this be happening? Could it really be her little sister? Susie?

I pull her in for a hug and she just sobs on my shoulders. Tears slowly come out from my eyes. She just flew all the way over here. To New York. To have a great time while her sister is over at Seattle.. in the hospital..

"H-How?" I ask stuttering.

"Accid-dent" She says crying harder. I stay silent. After a while, her cry dies down. They get softer. She stops and wipes her tears.

I grab a glass of water and hand it over to her.

"Thanks," she says sniffling as she drank the water.

I nod and hug her. She hugs back.

We both release and stand up going back to the living room area where we slept.

She grabs her suitcase and starts packing. I help her.

"I'm sorry Har, but I need to see my sister," she says putting her clothes in the suitcase.

"I understand," I say nodding fixing her items with care.

I look over at Leo. What about him? How would he feel?

I tap Mags's shoulder.

She looks over to me. "Yea.."

I point over to him and she takes a quick look.

"Ugh.. Crud.." she says placing her head in her hands.
"What do you think I should do? Should-Should I tell him?" She asks me with concern in her eyes.

I shrug. "Do you want to tell him?"

She nods. "It would be fair."

I nod. "What do you think is best?"