Just in Case.. [Short story]

The phone.

“Alison are you ready, it's graduation. You don't want to miss that.” My brother called out from downstairs. I sighed lightly and trailed down the stairs slowly again, closing my eyes and letting my fingers linger on the banister, just wanting to feel him again. I was turning 21 this year and I was graduated at the University of Manchester. I couldn't believe it either, trust me.

It was only now that I had been realizing how much he had changed, now my youth was over. If I hadn't met him I probably would have quit school back when I was sixteen, I would definitely not have made it to one the biggest universities of the country. I wouldn't have become the neat lady I was now.

Once I used to love in trees, because it would make me feel big, important. Like I was on top of the world. Now I looked down to my tanned legs and all the marks the branches had left were permanently visible.

Once I used to make disgusted faces at girls with make-up, now I wouldn't go out without it.

But most likely I had been getting fears over the years. As kid I had been fearless, if my brother didn't dare something than I would do it. As kid I never cried. If I fell, I laughed it off and claimed it as 'that was awesome.' As I grew older I learned to cry more often, but lately I had been crying all the time.

I describe it as if he opened my heart. He showed me that it was alright if you were afraid, or that it was alright to show your true feeling. He brought out the best of me, and I lost it all.

I gave each my parents a quick hug, knowing I would see them this evening at the official graduation.

“Honey.” My dad spoke softly in my ear. It was weird how only when I grew up, I started to become his little girl. “What do we have to do with your room.”

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. It was a huge descision, but maybe this was the start of something new. Maybe I should learn to move on. I shot him a small smile. “Do whatever you want, it's yours now.”

I entered the car, where my brother and Tiff were waiting for me. From when we got into uni, she broke up with her boyfriend and only in a matter of time I found out she was dating my brother. I had found it quite disgusting, but having her more around was a great distraction beside school.

“You could check your phone sometime, I called you quite a lot.” She turned around from the passenger seat to face me. “You look really pretty. He's proud of you Ali.”

I could feel my heart sinking in my chest as she said that. He didn't only pass my mind, he passed all of ours minds. Even my brother, Leon had also been a brother to him from the very first day. I took my phone from my black leather purse. I hated this, like I always hated technology. It was this small high-tech object that destroyed me, changed me the most without of knowing it. Yet everyday I stared at it, rereading all the messages he once sent me. I deleted all the missed calls and right when I wanted to drop it back in my purse it vibrated. One new message from an unknown number. Out of curiousity I opened it. Two simple words I was dying to hear or read for years, were finally written down when I let everything go.

“I'm sorry – Leon.”