Light In The Dark (A Gaurance Fanfic)

Chapter 3: Alone

(Laurance's POV)
I jerked my face away from pillowless matress as the loud sound of shattering wood filled my room, the splinters of what used to be my door mixing with the glass shards sprinkled on the floor. My sister Cadenza stood in the open door frame, her clothes rumpled and her hair frizzy. Her expression was crazed, slightly angry, but the second we made eye contact she softened, her blue eyes going from resembling  blue fire, to more of a clear sky. She walked across the room to me while carefully avoiding the debris strewn across the hardwood (A/N why is it called hardwood? Does that mean there are softwood floors too? Sorry, just curious)
She smoothed my comforter gently, before sitting softly on the edge of my bed, patting the area beside her as an inavation for me to sit. I obliged, scooting over to her side, while wrinkling the comforter for the second time in the process. She didn't seem to mind this time though.
She pressed her lips into a tight line, her way of trying not to cry. She used to make that face all the time, because as the older sibling, she had to be the strong one on the family. Especially since Hayden had to raise us both on his own. Hayden....
I had thought I was beginning to finally calm down, but just thinking of his name made my eyes well up. Lurching forward, I wrapped my arms around Cadenza as sobs once again took me over. Cadenza returned my hug silently, but I could feel my shoulder getting wet with her tears.
At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be six again, when Cadenza could cradle me like a baby and tell me everything would be okay, or Hayden would kneel down and look me with his steely gaze and tell me I needed to be strong. But Cadenza couldn't lie to me anymore. And Hayden was dead.
Eventually, I ran out of tears to shed, my cheeks slowly drying even though my mind screamed at me to cry more. I was left feeling drained and numb, like I used all my energy in just those few minutes.
I pulled away from Cadenza, and she straightened up, wiping her eyes with her finger. She gave me a small smile, as if that would make all the pain go away. Behind her, bright sunlight streamed through my window, giving the illusion that her bright orange hair was on fire.
How can the world be so sunny and bright today? It should look gray and gloomy, not beautiful...
I stood up suddenly, walking to the window and pulling my dark green curtains shut, plunging my room into semi-darkness, the only light coming from the hallway. I would have closed my door, except it was in pieces on my floor. I slid down the wall onto the floor, luckily not sitting on any glass. Cadenza looked like she was about to go over to me, but just as she started to shift positions on the bed, her phone buzzed loudly, the silence amplifying her obnoxious ring tone, Justin Beiber's Boyfriend. Cursing under her breath, she pulled it out, tapping the screen with her pointer finger. From where I was sitting, I could see a cute little orange cat face on the back of her phone, the cartoonish picture serving to decorate her protective case. It had a goofy grin, with its little cat tongue sticking out of its mouth, with one eye closed in a wink. It was a cute case. But it only seemed to make me more upset.
How are things just so happy today?
Cadenza held the phone up to ear, the person on the other end talking too fast for me to understand. I listened to the one-sided conversation with mild curiosity.
"Hello?"
"Yes, I mean-"
"WHAT?! RIGHT NOW?!"
"Darling this isn't the best..."
"Wait, he's coming? Today?!"
"Oh my, I'll be right there!"
"Yes, goodbye."
She hung up, sliding her phone back in her pocket. She gave me a pained expression.
"Laurance dear, I simply must go. My secretary Alexis has just informed me that Maxwell Monroe will be visiting my boutique in a few hours!"
I stared at her blankly. "Max who?"
She sighed, like she couldn't belive I didn't know who he was. "He's only one of the biggest fashion gurus in all time. If he likes what he sees it could be a huge publicity boost for my shop."
"Oh." I said numbly. She pursed her lips.
"Laurance, I promise I'll come back soon and we can properly talk. It's just, this is too good of a chance to pass up."
I shrugged. "I get it, business is business. Good luck."
She ran over, kneeling down and hugging me tightly.
"Thank you little brother." She stood up. "And remember, you have people who care about you. Dante, Travis, Aphmau, Garroth..." She said, putting emphasis on the last name. And with that, she walked out, her heels clicking down the hall and out the front door.
I leaned my head against the wall. I knew on some level she was right.  That they did care. But in my state, I just couldn't will myself to belive that.
If they cared, then why is Hayden dead? I they cared, then why didn't they save him?
And despite having three of my best friends down the hall, I never felt more alone.