Xavier

29

Xaviers POV

Despite my original plan to stay in the states I found myself on my fathers private jet to Spain right after my last class before break started. I would much rather be in my own home right now but I pushed the feeling aside because I knew my grandmother needed her family around.

My grandmothers condition had worsened seemingly over a matter of days. It didn't seem like she'd make it through the next week, so I needed to be there. It may very well be the last time I see her.

I left her room with my hands tucked into my pocket and my head hung low. It was sickening to see her the way she was. I knew how sad this situation was and I felt horrible.

But I couldn't help but feel like I should've felt worse. I wasn't emotional about it the way Aria was. Maybe that's because I've already accepted that it won't be long now.

As I passed her small living room I got a glimpse of my mother consoling my father. My heart clenched just from the three seconds I had to witness it. I sighed heavily and decided to take a walk.

My grandmother lived in a small cottage in a rather secluded area. The next home was more than two miles away but she loved it. Her yard was huge and a few feet away from the home was an orange tree. When I was younger we would come here and even though my grandmother was suffering health wise then she would sit me on her shoulders so I could pull oranges off the tree.

I smiled at the memory as I grabbed the basket from the chair on the porch and made my way over to the tree. I stood by the tree picking out the best looking oranges I could find. I dramatically wiped a bead of sweat off of my forehead as I plucked the last one.

I set the basket down beside my leg, rested my hands on my hip, and looked up through the branches to the sky. Thirty-two years old and I still looked in the sky wondering why God took people away from the people that loved them. It would never cease to be a thought that crossed my mind.

I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes. When I opened them the first thing to catch my eye was  a perfectly plump orange on one of the highest branches.

I looked at the sky, then at the house, and back to the tree. A new found sense of determination took over me. I felt like a kid for the first time in forever. With the determination I had I began the climb.

I didn't expect it to be very hard considering my height. Being 6'3 definitely had It's advantages. I was sadly mistaken. My height absolutely helps but i hadn't considered my weight and the branches were not very thick. It wasn't like climbing a regular tree. I jumped back down from my position and sighed with furrowed eyebrows. I was going to get that orange.

:::

The sun had begun to set...

I still hadn't gotten the orange.

I laid on my back on the ground staring up at the damned thing. I'd been laying like this since I fell more than ten minutes ago.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

I sighed as Aria's face came into view. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Well if you're done playing around, Abuela is awake and she's asking for you." She huffed.

I sighed heavily but nodded anyway and stood with a grunt. I held my side begrudgingly and limped behind her back to the house. I think I broke something.

Upon arriving in Abuela's room I sat the basket of oranges on her night stand beside her medications and medication schedule. "Aye Javier, mijo." She cooed in a broken voice.

Because of the stroke she suffered a while back she wasn't able to speak very well. She couldn't remember a single thing in English and even after intensive therapy only managed to retain very few words. She could say our names, mijo, mija, and cariño.

"Abuela, yo te quiero mucho." I told her. "Yo estoy feliz que escucho tu voz."

She extended a trembling hand and placed it in mine as I sat down on the edge of her bed. I talked to her briefly about the oranges and all she could do was sit there with a weak smile and mumble, "mijo".

When she fell back to sleep I left her room with a frustrated sigh. I needed something to get my mind off of the sadness that Is this situation.

I scrolled through my phone as I made my way back outside. I found myself staring down at Luna's number. I wanted to call her so badly. Her voice would allow me at least five minutes to focus on something other than this. I needed that but I wasn't going to do it. I instead decided to call Jordan.

The idea was thrown out the window though when my phone started vibrating and Paris' name came across my screen. I'd almost forgotten that I wasn't completely on a vacation.

I clicked the green button and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey! I hope you're break is good, I'm sorry about your grandmother I hope she heals, and I have finished my final paper. Now that I've got that out of the way...I have an important question to ask. For a friend I mean. A friend of mine had an important question to ask."

"Okay, whats up?"

"How do you go about getting a restraining order?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What friend of hers could possibly need a restraining order?

"Well i mean their lawyer could just do it for them. But if they don't have one they can go to the court of common pleas and file a petition, a prothonotary can help fill the forms out, after it's done a judge will review it and they may sign off on it."

"Wait what do you mean they May sign off on it?" She questioned.

"It's not always a sure thing."

"Right of course, okay." She sighed. "Who do you know that needs a restraining order?" I questioned.

As I did so I took a glance towards the house in hopes of seeing Aria. I prayed that she wasn't asking for her or really asking for herself.

"Just my buddy that I met at the studio. I just noticed that her girlfriend is psycho so I figured I'd ask you." She replied quickly. She was lying.

"Paris—"

Before I could call her out she was cutting me off. "Oh would you look at the time. I've gotta go. Thanks Xavier. I'll call you tomorrow."

I sighed heavily and shook my head. "What are you doing hermano?"

"Just finished talking to Paris. Anything you want to tell me?" I questioned.

"Mmm no." She shrugged. "How are things with that boyfriend of yours?"

"Really good...why are you asking me that?" She asked as she side eyed me. "Paris was asking me about a restraining order for a friend."

"Oh for that girl she met? She told me about that too and now that I think of it, it was rather odd." She mused thoughtfully.

"I don't think this friend exists."