Looking up at the ceiling of my room I've started repeating my name so much that it doesn't even sound like my own.
"Aiden..." I say into the darkness when I have the sudden urge to get out of bed I try to stay in bed until I can't stand another second I throw on a hoodie and my jeans opening up my window I look at the time on my phone 3:00 am my dad won't be up to check on me for another few hours I can probably find something to do for that long I quickly throw a beanie on my bed head I go out into my roof closing my window quietly so I don't wake up my family. Its beautiful out it is dewing and you can watch it in the street lights the sky is the color of ebony. dark enough to get lost in I slide down to the edge of my roof getting a good grip so I can get down I rest my feet on my sisters window sill and move my arms so I'm no longer on the roof but clinging to my sisters window I make a gentle tap and I hear her get up. She opens the window still in her baggy sweatpants and drool dried on her cheek. She smiles when she sees me and opens the window.
"Hey, wanna go on an adventure?" I say getting a better grip on the window its slippery from dew
"But Aiden first day of school is tomorrow your first day back at American school .." She says her smile fading
"So?" I say schools not a big deal for me I rarely used to go between doctor and psychiatrist visits and straight up not wanting to go before my three years abroad. barely anyone knew that the mayor had two kids since I was so quiet and had little attention on me ever.
"Ugh ok gimme a second" she runs into her wardrobe coming out a second later in jeans and a hoodie and her crazy brown hair in a messy bun her brown eyes full of excitement she looks like a happier version on my mom "let's go" I quickly adjust my self so I reach the overhang on the deck I let go of the window dropping a few feet to the overhang I reach up to help my sister down its a little longer reach for her she's only 5"4 while I'm a whopping 6"5 tallest kid in my little town in Maine we jump from the roof of the deck to the decks railing to the deck and walk down the steps walking across the lawn to a missing board in the 7 foot fence separating us from a huge forest we walk along the edge of the wood till we find a path I've never seen before
"Hey manda" I say she's still a good ten feet behind me due to her short legs
"Yeah AJ?" She speeds up to see what I need her older sibling instincts kicking in yeah she's older by two years. She's a senior I'm a smart junior. she was supposed to be an only child then my parents had unprotected birthday sex and I happened. they about aborted me but my grandma convinced them to keep me cause it would look bad if the mayor had an abortion. but now they wish they did considering I have some magical head Shrinker diagnosed disease that causes seizures, night terrors of crazy hatters and smiling cats, and me to hear things that aren't there I've been cleared for about four years but they still think I'm crazy.
"Do you remember this path? " I say turning towards her she looks around me at the path
"No, I don't actually. wanna go down that one tonight?"
"Sure" I say shrugging my broad shoulders we start to walk down the winding path for what seems like forever when manda stops "what is it?" I ask her
"What's that" she points towards a tree a little ways off the path "hanging off the branch there"
I look over and I see it it's a piece of cloth maybe I squint I start to walk over to it she grabs my arm
"I'll be ok it's not a big deal its probably just a jacket someone left there" she loosens her grip and I start to walk over to it again and once I get there I see that it's a raggedy top hat and a rusty colored velvet dress suit jacket with a few colorful patches I put them on "haha perfect fit" I murmur to myself when I hear my sister scream I run over I get there in two seconds scared for what she happened "manda what happened?!" She looks at me terrified
"It was just a bug I'm sorry" I had a feeling she was lying but I didn't question I pull my phone out of my jeans pocket it's already 4:46
"Well we better get going dads gonna wake up soon" I smile at her
"What are you wearing" she says looking me up and down
"You like it? It was what was hanging on that tree. I'm keeping it I look classy" I say striking a pose
"Haha whatever just don't let mom see it she'd flip and yell about how your trying to give her a bad image" she says rolling her eyes
"Yeah I know" the walk back went fast since I carried her most of the way. I helped her slip into her room then climbed into my window climbing into my bed I hear my dad my open the door I could feel him looking at me with his cold eyes he looks at only me with he wouldn't bother looking at me if he hadn't caught me leaving the house a few months ago. He hates me cause I don't continue his legacy of playing football and basketball he hates the fact that I love music. I play violin, cello, saxophone, and piano and I can get into Juilliard if I wanted to but the idea of his son at a "pansy music school" was a disgrace to him he hates that I look like no one else in the family and since I went for three years abroad for school in Scotland I have a thick Scottish accent. I snuggle my head into my pillow and drift off to sleep.
