Hidden Dimples

❀ Chapter 28: The Smell of Ashes

Celestine's POV

The sky was still swirling with different colours as I left the house early this morning to head to the studio. The walk there was peaceful as I tightened the coat around me, shielding myself from the cool autumn wind.

It has been a few months after we came back from the Caribbean. School has reopened which also meant that I have to face another year of hell. I'm also turning seventeen this October, which is amazing, but then it means that I still have another year of school. The worst thing about said year of school? Griffin, Storm and Christian wouldn't be there anymore. I still can't believe they would be graduating this year, it seems like it was just yesterday when I met them, and now they would be completing high school. I know Storm and I have a few classes together, like English and Science, but that was only because he was falling behind slightly for English and they decided to put me in a higher grade for Science.

On the plus side though, I still have Jessyn and Jackson with me, so it wouldn't be a complete bore that year. Christian is still living with us, and I think by now I can consider him as my non-blood related official big brother.

You're probably wondering about where his parents are, and to answer that question his parents had sadly passed on a couple years back and mom has taken him under her wing ever since.

My studio is also now open, and since mom had bought the unit for me as a gift, I invested the money I earned in high quality equipment. In this studio, I'm able to edit, develop and display my photos. It has literally became my second home.

Storm's birthday is coming up in a few days and I had already prepared his gift and I'm really crossing my fingers that he'll like it. Throughout summer, I've been hanging out with everyone a lot. Storm and I have gotten close and sometimes it's suffocating me at how close we are but yet, not close enough. We didn't have the perfect friendship either, there are times when Storm becomes a complete ass and we'll spend a week or two away from each other. Of course, one of us would apologize when we come to our senses, though I'm sure that it will bruise his ego if I tell people that he is the one who caves most of the time.

I had made him a scrapbook of all the pictures we've taken, all the progress we've made within the year, I know it's not an expensive gift but it was a gift with meaning, and besides, at least this way I know that he won't sell my gift for money just to get back at me with the pranks I pulled on him through out summer. Lord knows what the cheeky bastards up to.

Griffin has also been helping me around the studio a lot, he's been spending so much time with me that we're literally stuck to the hip. He and Christian were my big brothers and I couldn't be happier to have them.

Mom has also been going out on dates, which was amazing. But I still haven't met the boyfriend, nor did she tell me who it was. She'd just tell me 'good things will come to those who wait', which is a big help for me to find out who the hell the guy is.

Sense the sarcasm.

But, I am happy for her though. It's been ages since she dated a few men, and it's pretty obvious that none of them was 'the one'.

"Celestine, Celestine, late again." I hear someone scold kiddingly as I opened the door to the studio.

"Hey Griffin, hey Nova." I squealed when Nova came running at me with his leash still hooked onto his collar and tackled me.

I fell to the group with a grunt as I reached for him and ruffled the top of his head. "Wow, you've grown a lot." I chuckled slightly.