The Lost Four

Unspoken Feelings

Waking up to a minor headache was not at the top of my to-do list today, but it's manageable. Stretching slightly, I open my eyes to see Ri still sleeping beside me. Better me waking up than her; she's going to have the biggest headache ever. Finally getting out of bed, I realized I was still in my clothes from the night before. I swiftly change into the clothes I initially brought to sleep in; they're just an oversized shirt and Star Wars pants. My stomach starts rumbling, and although I usually wait for Ri to get up to go together, she's not waking up any time soon. I figured I would bring some water and medicine after I ate.

I head downstairs, making a beeline towards the kitchen. Alex is already sitting on one of the stools on the kitchen island, eating a bowl of cereal. "Good morning," his voice said, piercing the silence. "Good morning", I usually don't reply briefly. I try to spark conversation, but there is just nothing I can find to talk about. I've been over enough to know where everything is stored, so I just make myself a bowl of cereal.

"So how was yesterday?" The silence broke once again, but for some reason the silence was deafening immediately after. "It was fine; she tried to get me to dye my hair half black, half red." Coming up with a quick lie was all I could do. I don't want to break our cover. "So that's why you guys got picked up in the middle of the night." My head snaps to his instantly. He's already looking at me with intensity, almost daring me to lie again. I mean, what's the point? He already knows. "Please don't tell Ms.Irene," I start begging, dropping my spoon into the bowl of cereal. I look at him with pleading eyes, hoping that it will help convince him not to tell.

"I don't mind that you guys snuck out; what I do mind is me coming out here to find you guys at 3 in the morning just for you to pass me in a car with a guy driving." His voice gets louder, and I look in the doorway of the kitchen, hoping their mom isn't close enough to hear. "Don't worry, mom isn't here; she went to work this morning," almost read my thoughts, and I feel a small relief in that. I get up to put my dish in the sink to rinse it. "I'm sorry, okay, we were excited to start our senior year off with some fun; what's wrong with that?" I can't face him face-to-face knowing he has a look of disappointment on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with it, but having a guy I don't know drop you and my sister off is a problem." I understand his concerns; hell, even I was concerned for us, but after a while I knew he meant no harm towards us. "I had it under control; I was out of options, but I would do my best to protect her." I started getting slightly irritated, although he had a point and I can't deny it. I turned around quickly but was met with him already close to me. "I know you would try your hardest to keep Rihanna safe, but what about who's going to keep you safe?" His voice was soft, and I couldn't answer him. He was so close that I was trapped between the sink and his body.

I stood there in shock. What should I do? This is too intense. I hear a yawn coming from the kitchen door, and that's enough for him to take a step away. I turn back around and turn the water on, rinsing my bowl like I originally planned. "Good morning, people," she scratches her head, and her eyes are read. Luckily, she's too hungover to see the awkwardness between me and Alex. I place my dish in the dishwasher and turn it on. "Good morning, Ri." I put on a smile and stole a glance at Alex, but he was already looking at me. I divert my eyes and fully focus on Ri, knowing he's watching me.

I get her some pain relief for her headache and hand it to her along with some water. "Take this; it should help," I quietly say to her, and she just nods her head, taking the medicine. "I'm hungry. Can we go out to eat?" I know what she's suggesting; she's been obsessed with this diner that just opened. It's a small one, but the food is really good. "I guess we can after we take showers," she says, causing her to smile, and she runs upstairs to the bathroom to get ready. I smile as I go to follow her. "I'll join you guys; I'll drive." He goes to leave the room, passing me. I stopped in my tracks for a moment before continuing upstairs to get ready.