Muse

Fifteen ~ Aesthetic

Aesthetic  |es'THetik | (also esthetic) adjective; concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty: the pictures give great aesthetic pleasure. – New Oxford American Dictionary.

Chapter fifteen; aesthetic

By the time I walked through my front door it was eerily quiet both outside and inside, the air conditioning chilling my bare legs and my sun burnt cheeks. I glance around the living room, looking for any signs of life.

            "Mom?" I call. "I'm home."

            No answer.

            I shrug and trudge up to my room, the scent of chlorine clinging to me making my skin itchy and my eyes water. But that doesn't bother me too much. It's been a great day.

            I think about what Arthur said as I take a warm shower. Maybe I do need to lighten up a little more. Seeing his outlook on life and his love for all things art kind of reminds me of the way I used to be...when my dad was alive.

            I hum to myself, taking my time under the water and wondering what Lila has been up to today. Maybe I'll check up on her when I'm finished.

            After rubbing an excessive amount of lotion on my skin and moisturizer on my face I flop onto my bed, feeling comfortable in a pair of cotton shorts and a silk pajama top.

            After shooting Lila a short text enquiring about her day I decide now would be a great time to check up on Ray. It seems I haven't seen him all day and I'm a little worried about the little squirt...no matter how moody he can be he'll always be my little brother.

            So after grabbing a banana from downstairs I run up to his room, skipping a step every once in a while.

            I raise my hand to knock on his door but the pinging of my phone catches my attention.

            Lila:

            Hey! I've just been chilling with a friend. Hope you're having fun with Arthur<3

            I smile at her text before sending a reply, reassuring her that I had fun and actually let go for once.

            For once Ray responds right away to the knock on his door. This is the first strange occurrence. Then he actually gives me permission to come in...without grunting and/or throwing things. This is the second.

            The third is by far the most strange and I find myself frozen in the doorway, unable to form a coherent sentence. My tongue is frozen. I am astonished.

            Ray is...wait for it...smiling. Hard.

            And guess who else is smiling. Not me. Not my mom. Not one of Ray's deadbeat friends.

            Lila. My Lila.

            Not that I'm one of those controlling friends who doesn't want her girlfriends anywhere near her weird smelly brothers but...what is happing here?

            "I must be in an alternate universe." I mutter, watching Ray pause the movie on his laptop, the glowing apple on the front glaring at me mockingly. Lila waves at me and pops a potato chip in her mouth as she sits comfortably next to Ray (again, let's establish that Ray is a very moody, very fifteen, and very my brother boy) their legs crossed over each other's in the middle in order to fit on the twin sized mattress.

            "No...it's much worse. I'm in an alternative alternate universe."

            "Hey sis. Back so soon?" Ray chirps, about giving me a heart attack with how much he's not wanting to kill me.