An Unfathomable Life

five

a/n i forgot the rest of the numbers in Spanish bc im a great student

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courage
ˈkʌrɪdʒ/
noun
the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.
example
"she called on all her courage to face the ordeal"
strength in the face of pain or grief.
"he fought his illness with great courage"
synonyms
bravery, braveness, courageousness, pluck, pluckiness, valour, fearlessness, intrepidity, intrepidness, nerve, daring, audacity, boldness
antonyms
cowardice, timidity

My day started off with the sound of the shower tap turning on and hitting the cold shower floor. My mother was back in London, and unfortunately - the smell of cinnamon and vanity following her back.

There was, is, no way to describe my mother - who has yet to fully grasp the concept of politics, poverty, and looking after a child. She had always reminded me of a Calla Lily, beautiful and delicate, but poisonous on the inside.

It seemed that anything that was unlucky enough to be caught under my mother's fleeting touch, wilted and burned out.

She was like a fire, beautiful and magical, destroying all that came in contact with her.

Exhibit A: my father - a small and fragile man, who still gazed upon her like she was the sun - but if she was the sun, then her world was a dark one because she was never around to glow.

But my mum wasn't my problem right now, because it was ten o'clock and in an hour I would be far, far away from her - in a place where she would never dream of finding me.

(Exhibit B: me)

Getting ready took ten minutes in total, and my mother was still in the shower. Quietly, I crept downstairs and outside. "Mandy? Is that you, darling?" A voice called out just as I slammed the front door shut and jumped onto my bicycle (imported from Holland) and cycled to our meeting point.

"me? help you 'save the world'?"

A nod. Then a shake of the head, "not exactly - just, try to help save it."

"and how do you plan on doing that, Mandy?" the red embers in his hair hurt my eyes.

"I'm not asking you, I'm asking him." A finger, pointed in the direction of a confused looking boy with the weather in his eyes.

I flew out of the clutches of my small neighbourhood, escaping the corrupt aristocracy that only allowed clones, not people. Everyone there was the same. Same ideas, same clothes, same pretentious personalities.

"I don't know, Michael, but I need to start - and that's why I need your help. I'm kidding myself thinking that I know what real shit is like." An innocent perfect girl, tarnishing her image with a curse. Ruining the fantasy with reality. "reading about it, reading about all of the awful and terrible things people go through, isn't the same as actually going through it."

"and where do I come in?"

"you have a better concept of reality."

"Mandy! You made it!" Isaac called out as I halted my bike by jutting out my leg and stepping on the ground. I locked my bike around the park fence and turned to see Michael and Isaac by the entrance of the small park.

"well if michael's in, then I'm in." A pause. "Michael? You in?"

A stare. "I'm in."

"so where are we going?" I asked as i neared them and we started walking through the small park. It wasn't really a park, just a large mass of grass with a pathway leading to the other side. But it was beautiful, with willow trees surrounding the walkway.

"first, to go see a friend of ours. I know you're all about eradicating poverty, and so are we, but first we want to show you other parts of life that are still not quite accepted," Michael said.

"and then, we're going to show you what real London is like," Isaac grinned. "and it will blow your freaking mind."

"real London? I've lived in London my whole life - what're you talking about?"

"you'll see, Mandy," and Michael's smile made him more beautiful than he already was.

(and Isaac's stride was more bounce than step)

(and my eyes were bright with the glow of something new)

And it felt like it was all going to fall into place but it didn't, not yet.

"okay, so who're we going to see first?"

"patience!" Isaac called out and bounced ahead until we reached the edge of the park and Michael and I pushed the small picket fence that led to the even smaller front garden that led to the tiny house with an unfinished second floor.

(note: a brush of fingers, an electrical storm.)

There wasn't a doorbell, so Isaac called out through the small mail flap, opening it first: "Brandon! Are you home?" He yelled.

I heard him before I saw him, "friends! How art thou?" The door flung open to reveal a tall and gangly boy - but not as tall as Isaac - kind of in between. His skin was as smooth as chocolate and his hair was black, flipping over his forehead. But his eyes were light, hazel with flecks of gold.

(Aladdin?)

"Oh, children - I've been in utter refinement for too long, far, far too long. What's changed? Has the iPhone 8 come out yet? Have we won the lottery?"

"Two, two weeks," Michael whispered in my ear.

I stifled a giggle. "Why's he been in refinement?" I whisper back.

"His boyfriend broke up with him or something. It happens every month or so."

"Oh," I said and the boys eyes landed on me. "Who's she? Where's Luke? Has she replaced him?"

Isaac pulled me forward and pushed us onto the front steps. "Mandy, Brandon." He introduced us. "Luke's at his sisters art show. We might see him later."

(Luke?)

"Now," Isaac rubbed his hands together. "Let's get started.

I watched them as they explained to Brandon everything, all of us still standing on the three steps leading up to the house.

I didn't get to say much in the ten minute exchange, but it was nice seeing the three of them talking. They were like mismatched brothers - familiar with each other's words and actions.

"okay, that sounds like fun," Brandon's voice cut through my thoughts and he stepped forward, closing the door and pushing past us to reach the picket fence. "you coming?"

And so we walked through the park and got my bike, and Michael and I each held one handle and walked on either side of it, rolling it through the streets while Isaac walked in front and Brandon next to me talking to me and talking to Isaac and talking to Michael. Just talking.

Isaac turned and started walking backwards, "and welcome, Mandy, to London," he said.

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a/n sorry for not updating in ages but it was a bit hard to write and thank you for like 100 reads or something it's rly cool of you guys bc im only on my fifth chapter :) sooo yeah, don't forget to vote and comment feedback or whatever