ENERGY

Chapter 26

Frostina was done washing herself, but she did not get out of the shower. She just sat there thinking as the warm water sprinkled all over her.

What was she thinking about? she was thinking about the past. As you know, she lost all of her siblings in a robbery. Thinking back on that moment and imagining it made her sad, and made her wanna cry. The fact that her big brothers tried to protect her but failed and got themselves killed, and the fact that she tried to protect her little sister but failed and got her killed. It felt like their deaths were her fault, and that pained her even more. She missed her siblings everyday, and imagined what it would be like it if they were still alive. Her big brothers would tease her about John, and Oliver would have a little friend to play with: her little sister.

But they weren't alive. They were gone, and they were never coming back.

Frostina realized that she had been sitting in the shower for way too long, so she turned off the shower, and got out.

When she got into her clothes, she forced a smile on her face so she doesn't look sad when John sees her.

She opened the bathroom door, and walked out.

"Are you okay?" John asked her as soon as she walked out. "You were uh, In there for a while."

"Oh, sorry about that." Frostina said. "I uh, was washing my hair?"

John smiled and stood up from the couch.

"Well, how about we go in the kitchen and make something?" He said.

"We?" Frostina said.

John nodded. "Yup, we." He said. "You've been cooking by yourself a lot, so this time I want to help you."

Frostina nervously grabbed her pajama pants, and looked to the side.

"Uh...o-ok?" She said nervously. "You can help, but I don't know what to make yet."

Yes, she was nervous because John was going to help her. She was already trying so hard to hold back the tears that wanted to come flooding out of her eyes. And she did not want John to see her cry.

"Well, I'm ready when you are." John said.

Frostina nodded, and walked towards the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, and looked in it for an idea for dinner.

"Hm, hm, hmm..." she hummed to herself. "John..can you look in the cabinets? And try to suggest something for us to make?"

"Yeah." John said, and searched through the cabinets. "Hmm..there's macaroni in here.."

"I have an idea." Frostina said, and grabbed a pack of meat that was in the refrigerator. "I'll make steak, mashed potatoes, and macaroni."

She walked towards John and smiled at him.

"You know how to make macaroni, John?" She said. "If so, can you make it?"

John nodded, and grabbed the box of macaroni.

"Frostina, I'm not saying this to be rude, but," he said. "You seem a bit different today."

Frostina heated up the stove and smiled fakely at him.

"Oh, I am?" She said. "Maybe I'm just tired? Haha.."

John walked towards her with a serious look on his face.

"Did something else happen?" He asked. "Or is there something bothering
You?"

A lump started to form in Frostina's throat and she sighed. She decided that she would tell everything to him. It would make her feel better.

"Well.. something is bothering me.." she said. "I was thinking about siblings."

John frowned. "Oh, Frostina.." he said sadly.

"John, I miss them. I really do. It has been years, but I cannot get over it. Their deaths don't feel real to me..like I feel like they're still out there..alive.."

Frostina looked down.

"And the fact I couldn't save my little sister," shesaid. "That is what hurts me the most.."

Tears started to flood out of her eyes. She couldn't help it. They just kept coming out.

John stood there, looking at her with a sad look.

Frostina wiped her tears away.

"Sorry John..." she said. "I started crying all of a sudden. I really needed to get that out.."

She turned towards the oven, and felt John grab her shoulder.

"You can cook another time." He said. "So look at me."

Frostina slowly turned around.

"You know it's okay to cry, right? Especially in front of me. You don't need to hold it back." John said. "And I'm pretty sure you tried your very best to protect your little sister. Don't blame yourself, because you were a child too."

Frostina could feel the tears coming back.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." John said. "Especially as a child.."

John pulled her into a tight, warm, hug. She has had a couple hugs in her life, but this hug was different. Was it because it was John?

And there it was. The tears came flooding out of her eyes again. She just stood there, hugging John, and cried.

'You okay?" John asked her.

"Yeah.." Frostina said. She had stopped crying, and they were sitting on the couch. "I'm just really tired now, but I don't want to sleep."

John sighed. "You're going to have to get some rest, Frostina." He said. "But for now, why don't we talk about a few things?"

Frostina smiled for real this time. "Yeah, sure," she said. "But what about?"

"Well, this is a question." John said. "Have you ever had any, uh, crushes?"

"And what's this question for?" She said while smirking. "But crushes? Uh..let's see.. nope. I wasn't really around any boys during my life. Except for Alexander, But he's a friend to me."

"Oh," John said. "Now I feel like that was a stupid question to ask."

Frostina shook her head.

"No, it's fine!" She said. "I should really thank you for making me..feel better."

Frostina looked John in his golden yellow eyes and softly smiled. John turned red a bit, and smiled at her back.

"You're welcome." He said. "Now, go get some rest."

"Fine, but you have to get some rest too." She said.

"Okay, okay.." John said and laughed. He stood up.

"Have some nice dreams, okay?" He said. He rubbed her hair, ruffling it, and walked away.

Frostina stood there for a bit smiling to herself, then she walked to her room and got into her bed.

Yes, she lost her loved ones. Yes, she misses them everyday. But she cannot forget that she has friends. She has people to talk to and hang out with. She is not alone.