Asphyxiate

.6

"I'm okay, Q. I'm okay." I tell Quentin to reassure him, but I'm not really sure if I'm trying to reassure him or me. I stand myself up and compose myself.

"Unless you've been crying secretly these past few months, I believe this is the first time you've actually released your tears." Quentin says behind me. "I'm going to go get water." He makes his way towards the door.

"Hey, Q. Can you not tell mom and dad about this? I wouldn't want them to worry. I promise I am fine. Just. Struggling a bit." I smile weakly at him. He returns an equally weak smile.

"Sure." Then he shuts the door.

I sit back down on my desk and open up my laptop. I immediately dislodge the disk and break it into two. Can't have him plaguing my mind now that I'm starting to get better.

Quentin soon comes back into the room with a glass of water and a cupcake.

"Ohhh. That cupcake is looking really delish Q. Give me." I say as I forgot about the previous encounter.

"Uh-uh. Water's for you. Cupcake for me." He said as he shoved the cake in his mouth. Pig. I laugh at my mental comment.

"It's nice that you don't treat me differently despite the circumstances, you pig." I stick my tongue out at him and take the water.

"If I did, what kind of big brother would I be? Not tormenting my little sister." He said as he sat himself down on my bed. I noticed that the bottle of sleeping pills was still lying on the floor beside his feet.

"Q, will you mind getting me that bottle please? I kind of want to get some shut eye right now. It's beside your foot." I asked him plainly while typing away on some work stuff on my laptop. Quentin takes the bottle and examines it.

"I don't think you still need this H. I don't want you to be reliant on these things, you know?" He tells me but hands me the bottle anyways.

"I'll stop using them when I don't need them. Don't worry." I scoff at him and pop two pills. Just as I was about to throw them into my mouth, he stops me.

"Woah! Take it easy sis. One's enough." He says as he takes the other one from my hand and takes the bottle too. "You're starting to make me think you actually plan on overdosing instead of just sleeping." He chuckles nervously. I respond with a poker face which instantly worries him.

I immediately change my façade and smile.

"Q, You think too much." I tell him as I take the pill in my mouth and drink the water.

***

CHRISTMAS DAY

"Harper! Get your butt down here so we can open the presents!" Quentin calls out to me from downstairs. I rush into wearing my jumper as fast as I can.

"Coming!" I shout to him. I hurriedly make my way downstairs, almost tripping in the process by the way, I am greeted with the smell of milk, cookies and cake. "Wow. Mommy, that smells good." I tell my mom as I hug her, and dad.

Quentin sits right next to the gifts looking like a little 10 year old kid who can't wait to open his present. "Come on! Let's open them!" He announces enthusiastically. I can't help but be infected with his mood.

I take a second to appreciate the scene in front of me. My mom laughing carelessly as she brings the food to the room.

Dad, also laughing carelessly as he watches Quentin act like a ten year old.

And Quentin, of course. The 10-year old kid stuck in a 23-year old man's body.

It transported me back to before all of this dilemma happened. Got me thinking, I don't really need Morgan in my life as long as I have them. I smile at the thought.

I sit beside Quentin and join him in his childish endeavors.

Soon enough, mom says we could finally open up our gifts. Of course, since me and Quentin are now working adults, we got them gifts too. But, we always saved up for Christmas even before we started working though.

To sum up all our gifts, I'll just skip to the important ones.

Mom and Dad surprised Quentin when they showed him that they paid a full semester of his med school and announced that he doesn't need to worry about his funds at school.

To say that Quentin was happy would be an understatement.

Quentin got me one of the best gifts in the world too, a new iPod filled with soothing songs and relaxing sounds, a bunch of sweet-smelling candles and aromas intended to keep a person relaxed.

"Now you don't need those damn pills H." He told me when I opened up his gift for me, I engulfed him in a hug soon after."

And the other gift I got was a brand new Honda Civic from my mom and dad. They say that even though they did not disapprove of my healthy choice of walking, they at least wanted me to have the choice not to.

I am so wonderfully graced to have been gifted with such amazing people in my life.

And for that, I am a thousand times thankful.