Opened Skies ~ An Auslly Fanfic

Chapter 2

Raleigh arrives late at night, four days after I found out she was coming. 

I'm in my grandparents room. Well, their old room. My grandmother died when I was little, I'm pretty sure before we even lived in the orchard, though I met her a couple of times.

The only thing I remember about her is that once when I visited her, she gave me a goldfish (heaven knows where she got it). On the drive home, my mom made a sudden stop, and the fish fell out on the floor. I'm pretty sure I started crying, and Raleigh scooped the fish back up in my jar, but there was no more water. 

So she tossed it out the car window. 

My grandpa died while I was in Miami. And I try not to think about it. Actually, I'm just not used to the idea that he's...gone. I always have this feeling that one day he'll just come strolling downstairs, the last to the dinner table, as always. Like he was there all along. 

And if I'm not thinking that way about the situation, I'm angry. Angry that no one ever told me anything was wrong until it was too late. Angry I never got to say goodbye; and especially angry that I was stupid enough to let his last memory of me be so horrible. 

I'm sitting in his chair. It smells like overly-sweetened coffee, pine needles, and aftershave, all at the same time. A weird combination, but it kind of suited him. 

Raleigh bursts in, and I nearly shriek, but manage to stifle it so that it comes out as a tiny squeak. I jump up from the chair. She laughs at my surprise, but a few seconds she gives me a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. 

"I thought you weren't coming until next week. With everyone else?" I question.

"I changed my mind. I'm kind of just hoping to lay low; stay out of Mom's way, at least until they get here. Maybe I'll just convince Eli to stick to me at all times, she won't start anything with him around," she jokes. "And I wanted to see you guys before this place is taken over by redhead mayhem." I chuckle.

"Fair enough. How's Miami?" Raleigh shrugs.

"What can I say? Miami is Miami. Nothing new. We've been running the store, just normal things. Although a friend of yours came in a little while ago."

I immediately think of Austin, but then dismiss the thought. She'd be speaking in a different tone if she were talking about Austin, not so carelessly. 

"Who was it?" I ask.

"Reddish hair-not family though. Quiet voiced-"

"Holly?" I cut her off.

"Probably. Anyways, she wanted me to tell you that another one of your Miami friends...um...I can't remember the name...I remember trying to lock it in my brain because it sounded like salami but...forget it, Holly wanted to tell you she moved back to Nepal. It was about two months ago, I forgot to write you about it." This is why you do not let Raleigh play messenger. 

"Sonali?"

"Yeah that sounds accurate," she says indifferently. 

"I wonder why Holly couldn't have just told me herself..." I muse. "Two months...she's sent me two or three letters since then, but she never mentioned it. Strange." 

"Well, don't look at me. Let's go see if Eli is awake," Raleigh suggests. As we walk out the door, Raleigh begins to talk. "I don't understand why you're always so comfortable in their room. I mean...doesn't it creep you out a little bit?"

"Why would it?"

"Well, because they're both dead, ya know?"

"It's not like they died in that room though." I pause. "They didn't, right?" Raleigh snickers.