she was untouchable.

3 | explanation.

"So whose first?" Alira asks as we all sit down.

"Me." Alaina sits up straighter holding her hand above her head. I laugh at her behaviour while Zeke just ropes his eyes.

"This is lame as shit." He mumbles under his breath however Alira catches it.

"You're lame as shit." She bites back.

"Do you guys always fight like this?" I ask looking between the two.

"Hey I thought I said I was first!" Alaina sulks.

"Yeah. All the time." Alira confirms my question whilst giving her sister a little bump on the shoulder.

"So is this like an permanent move or part time?" Alaina looks to me. Twenty one questions more like grill Eloise about everything.

"Part time. We will probably be gone buy the end of the month." I reply nicely.

"Shame." Alina comments back.

"Gonna get a boyfriend while you're here?" Alaina asks fiddling with the pillow she was sitting on.

"They wouldn't even like me. I can't even touch them." I snort. What a stupid concept really.

"Maybe you could...try to get over your fear?" Alaina looks up from the pillow as Zeke says this.

"It's not that easy." I shrug.

"Why don't you like to touch people?" He pushes. I sigh. I knew this was coming.

"You saw me before. It scares me." I shrug again looking and my hands now. Why can't I just be normal.

"So, if I tried to hold your hand right now, what would happen? I mean I know what just happened but like..." he leans forward ever so slightly. I watch him like a hawk.

"You wouldn't be able to because I'd run to my house before you could even get close." I clarify. I move back a little from them all suddenly feeling unsettled.

"Your mum said it was hereditary?" Alaina asks now.

"Some people are born with haphephobia, while others may develop it, most likely after a bad experience. More rarely, it is caused by heredity and genetic factors. I have a default personality trait of getting scared and anxious easily. Any small distressful event related with touch may trigger the phobia instantly. In this case my father had it and when he died the fear arose within me." I breathe out. I had said that a lot over the past year. No one I had ever met knew about my condition. They either told me to get over it or it was all for attention.

"You sound like you've said that a lot." Alira speaks up now. A sullen look crosses her face as if almost knowing how much I've been through.

"I've moved around a lot. Not a lot of people understand my condition. It's really rare." I shrug again.

"Sorry if we're being too nosey." Alaina says after a small silence. This comes as a surprise.

"No it's fine. It's easier if I explain this now rather than later." I nod.

As if she could sense my unease she turns to her sister, an unspoken message between the two and they both then turns to their brother who was still lounged out in the corner.