Midnight Summers

FIVE

It's been exactly twelve hours since I last talked to anyone. Ares had come to my door last night, but I wasn't ready to talk to anyone. Whenever I'm feeling uneasy, Ares always finds a way to make me feel better. I felt horrible for icing him out, so I texted him I needed some time to myself. I also thanked him for everything he helped me with during our years together at the summer house. But I must learn to be independent, and if Ares can't understand that, then maybe he isn't the one.

The clock on the beige nightstand read 9:00 a.m., and the bright sun peaks between my floral curtains. Though it is bright and sunny outside, my room is quite the opposite. Everything around me is dull and murky; this exactly expresses what it feels like to be in my head right now. I've never felt this upset ever. My heart feels as if someone has gotten a sledgehammer and chopped it up into pieces. I move from the bed and look at myself in the full-body mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, and all the crying exhausted me, yet I couldn't sleep. My stomach grumbled, telling me to feed it, but I only wanted to stay in my room forever.

"Rat-tat-tat," someone knocks at my bedroom door.

"Who is it?" I softly ask. My voice is quiet and raspy after crying for almost twelve hours straight.

"Honey, it's your dad and me," Mom called through the door. I make myself look mildly decent before opening the door.

"Moring," I say, walking back to my bed, snuggling with the fluffy blanket and Mr. Hopps. Dad is the first to walk in, and Mom follows in immediately. She sits on the reading chair across from my bed, and Dad moves to the edge of my bed.

"Honey, we just want to make sure you're okay," Mom is the first to speak up. I honestly don't know what they could do to make me feel okay. To be fine, I need to come to Kelowna every summer, but the Aetos' are selling the house. It's impossible to do anything about it. They are moving, which will end my Kelowna life.

"How will I be okay when my family has lied to me all summer?" I ask. My parents lying to me about this could be justified, but why the hell did my twin keep this from me?

"We didn't tell you soon about the Aetos' family moving because we know how close you are with Athena and Ares," Mom said.

"I don't care. The fact that you lied to me hurts more than Ares leaving," I say, my eyes overflowing with tears.

"Clarrissa, we thought it would be best to have our summer end positively like every year. We knew if you found out, you would be an emotional wreck, like right now," Mom said.

"Jeez, thanks, Mom, but lying to me made me feel worse," I say, hugging Mr. Hopps close.

"Ares told me you have panic attacks?" Dad catches me by surprise with his out-of-the-blue question.

"What do you mean? What did he say" I ask, beginning to get worried. Yes, my anxiety can get scarily bad, but my parents are always jam-packed with work; I don't want them worrying about me too.

"After you left, He told us how anxious you can get, which causes you to have anxiety attacks. He also went on and on about how much coming to Kelowna helps relieve your anxiety," Mom said sombrely. I've never seen my mom look so hurt yet worried at the same time.

"He said all that?" I asked with a ghostly smile.

"Yeah, he seems to care about you; I've never seen him this serious," Mom says, giving me a knowing look that something is going on between us.

"Well, I have panic attacks, but I'm fine. I need to learn to control my breathing independently," I say, fidgeting with Mr. Hopps's ears.

"Do you maybe want to share your complexed feeling?" Dad asks.

"Talking helps, but I'm not sure if I feel comfortable telling you guys everything yet," I say. I honestly don't want to burden my parents with this. Even though they want to help, I'm not sure this is the right way.

"Would you feel more comfortable with counselling or therapy?" Mom asks. I think, for a moment, all the possible outcomes could help heal my anxiety triggers and cope with stress.

"Therapy sounds good for now," I say, smiling at my parents. I feel grateful for having such amazing parents who are workaholics yet also present in my and Jake's lives.

"I also wanted to give you some positive news," Dad said. I could use some positive news after a horrible night. "I'm thinking of buying this house from Mr. Hidalgo."

"Wait, what!" I spring off the bed. My miserable mood is now vanished, replaced by shock and wonder.

"After the speech Ares gave yesterday, your father and I thought, why don't we just buy the house," Mom says, walking towards me.

"We could continue to come every summer, and the Aetos' are always welcome to join!" Dad says. He gets up from his seat and walks to Mom and me. "And I've become attached to this house, too," he ruffles my hair and gives me a long warm hug. Mom joins in, and we stand there, embracing each other; I needed this hug badly.

***

It's the last night before the summer is over and I'll have to go back to my old, boring, stress filled life. However, I'm looking forward to what's to come in the fall, winter and spring. Now that Ares and I have officially began dating, he's going to fly out every break to spend more time with me. I made sure to make Athena and Apollo pinky promise the same. We all made a pact that no matter what the circumstance may be, we must always find our way back to Kelowna. But it's not like my anxiety will cure by being in this house, or with Ares. I must heal within myself before I let others try healing me. Which is why in two days I will be going to my first therapy session and get the support I need. Not only will I be starting therapy, but in two days we will officially be the new owners of the Kelowna house. The night after mom and dad came to my room, they made an offer to Mr. Aetos to buy the house. Mr. Aetos was ecstatic hearing that we were interested in buying the house, he even mentioned how he also couldn't let go of our summers here, together. But it occurred to me that I was going to have to make the most of my summers here. Really make it count. In case, there wasn't another one quite like it. After all, things couldn't stay the same forever.

Well, besties, this is the end of my first Wattpad story!!

There MIGHT be a possibility where I write a story about Jake and Athena (I tried to set it up in this story how they don't like each other, but there might be more to their story... wink wink.) Although this will be written in the summer since I'm slumped with schoolwork. Athena and Jake's story will be completed and published, possibly in the fall or by the end of summer. Let me know what you'd like in their story; it will be enemies/rivals to lovers, but if there are any side plots you'd like me to add, I'd love your suggestions!

Until next time! 

- Love HKL<3