Skyglide (discontinued?)

Chapter XIV- Reunited

Chapter XIV- Reunited

"Thank goodness you're alive," Hayley began, placing her bags on the couches. She took off her leather jacket and placed it neatly on a couch. She was wearing a plain black short-sleeved shirt underneath. "I've got so many important things to tell you, since you've been gone."

I heard Coralia clear her throat. "Ahem."

"Oops, I almost forgot. This is Coralia, one of my teammates," I said, turning my head towards her. Hayley scrutinized her, then walked to her and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Coralia said, elated. "I've heard many good things about you from your brother here."

Hayley returned her greetings with a warm smile. "Oh yes! I've seen you in the news. Nice to meet you too. You fly pretty well for the races."

Hayley turned towards me, picking up where she left off. "When the news spread that you apparently died after the attack at Xanadu Canyon, I couldn't accept the fact that you were gone. I went totally bonkers and broke down just there. I skipped wingsuit training classes, just staying at home in remorse. When people found you and Coralia alive and sent both of you to this hospital, I packed up and took the train all the way from Iphyria Sector to here in Arkydes City. It was a long boring ride."

"What about mother? Who's taking care of her, then?" I asked, concerned.

"Don't you worry, uncle is taking care of her at the hospital. I told him not to tell mother anything about what happened to you or me leaving," she replied as she sat on the edge of my bed, reassuring me that everything was going to be alright by placing her hand on my lap.

I exhaled deeply, examining her face. There seemed to be a big bruise on the left side of her forehead, hidden by her hair. "What happened to you?" I questioned, brushing her hair aside, revealing the bruise.

Hayley spoke in a tone that was full of hatred. "Haytham. Our dear, dear brother."

"Alright, what did he do to you this time?" I said, aroused with a tinge of anger.

"Haytham returned to our house one day when I was alone at home and uncle was at the local hospital visiting mother. He asked me that he 'desperately' needed cash, but I refused."

"He came back for money again, like he always does," I muttered, trying to contain my anger towards our elder brother, the one who was supposed to watch over us, but went astray .

"Yes. Haytham got mad and tried to fight his way inside, with me holding him back. He finally had it with me. He grabbed me by the hair and hit me hard against the wall, causing me to bleed and get this ugly bruise. Before I passed out I managed to see him run away with the last of the money. I don't know where he is now."

Coralia simply sat in silence on her bed, clearly stunned by what Hayley just mentioned.

"How could he do this to you. Father shouldn't have spoilt him when we were younger," I said in angry silence. "I'm really sorry this happened to you. I could've been there to stop him."

"It's alright. It happened already," Hayley said, looking down while rubbing her forehead. "As long as you are still around, our family's gonna be okay."

Hayley stood up and hurriedly walked towards her bags. "I almost forgot! There's something for you. Another reason why I came all the way here." She placed a bag on the floor between the beds and unzipped it. Coralia and I sat up and peered down, wondering what was in store for us in that bag.

"Hayden, here's a gift from the wingsuit manufacturers back in our sector. They knew your current wingsuit is now trash, so they made another one," Hayley said, placing a neatly folded wingsuit on my hospital bed. I slowly unfolded it, spreading the wingsuit on top of the bed. I stared at it in silence.