The Secrets Behind Them

۵{And So It Begins...}۵

I woke up with a tiny note stuffed in my hand this morning, I have yet to read it and it's almost nine A.M.. I've been walking around since seven. I have yet to completely get myself dressed, too. I really should put on pants before Tahai-

"Grayson, jesus christ!"

-n gets up...

I turn around from the kitchen table to find Tahain staring at me, startled and...I think he's disturbed? Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if he was gay or something.

"Yoooo...want something to eat?" I ask, trying to bring his attention away from the fact that I'm half naked right now. Tahain flares his nostrils right as he falls into a chair at the dining table. What's just great about this miserable place is the doorless half-wall that somewhat separates the kitchen and dining room from the massive living room. You can never tell when someone's about to walk in on you sneaking into the cookie jar.

Tahain scoots his chair into the table, huffing out but with what sounds like sorrow or guilt. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to-" I flap my hand, suggesting that I really didn't care. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't really feeling it last night anyways." I reassure him to the best I can. He relaxes his stiff shoulders and then goes back to what I had asked him. "Is there any muffins? I'm feelin' a blueberry muffin right now." I look through the cabinets, finding no muffins. I'll make some.

"Something wrong?" I sneak a look at Tahain, finding the stress in his face and body return. This time, it's clearly worse since he's even thumb wrestling with himself. He almost jumps at the question, as if it's insane that I asked if he was okay. This poor boy, oh my god. He really has no friends. "I'm just...nervous. That's all." He shrugs, refusing to make eye contact. I pull out a bag of flour from the bottom cabinet closest to the fridge and plop it onto the counter. I turn completely around to meet the sight of Tahain. I then take a look around the room to find where I left my pants. Once I spot them hanging off a chair next to Tahain, I make my way to them. I then slide them on and sit down on that same chair.

"What's happening?" I curiously ask, wondering what could be bothering the kid who managed kill off my all-powerful father. Tahain leans back into his chair, pulling his hair back at the same time. He sighs loud enough to make an echo. "That group of people...they're supposed to come over today and I have to do some, um," he grinds his teeth, "things." This is when I really get curious. He hasn't talked to them from what I know, so how would he know they're coming here? And what "things" does he have to do?

Before I could reply or ask anything, Tahain rolls up his sleeves and pulls out a chain necklace from the inside of his shirt. On the necklace, there's a pentagram as the pendant. The pentagram itself has a light blue background with some cloudy hints of yellow. Tahain takes off the necklace along with the silver-starred, black leather bracelet on his wrist. "Have you heard about Apate? The fortune teller, that is." Tahain stares down at the jewelry, then meets my eyes. It's funny because I went to Apate's shop not too long ago, is he supposed to go there today?

I nod, answering him. His eyes go back to the necklace and bracelet. "I got a fortune from her, now I know what's going to happen. Aaron, Arthur, and Lyra are supposed to come to the city today." He huffs and then rests his head on the palms of his hands. He cups his cheeks, slightly squishing his face. "And you know what I did?" Tahain's voice heightens, making him sound like a chipmunk of sorts. I let out a sigh and bring my hands up onto the table. "What?"

"I had a scyra make sure they could come here because I wanted to make sure they would get here, but now I'm getting anxious because I don't know these people and they don't know me and now they're gonna show up here. I don't know how to make friends, Grayson!" He speaks fast, making him almost impossible to understand. I sit in silence for a good thirty seconds to process what I should say. I conjure up something to say, even though it might not make sense for a reply to that nonsense. "Wait, so you really did that?" I almost hesitate to ask, getting a bitter glare back from Tahain. He can tell I'm lost.