The Umbrella Academy: The Numberless Girl DISCONTINUED

Chapter Nine

A/n
Accalia = Ah-Kay-Lee-Ah
Cali = Kay-Lee
Just for your information but if you've adjusted to pronouncing it differently then obviously thats fine cause I know how hard it is to have to change the pronunciation of someone's name halfway through😅
As I was walking down the street on my way to the woods, I heard someone calling my name.
"Accalia!" 
I turned to see Vanya standing next to a taxi.
"Come?" She asked.
I transformed into a girl and walked up to her, suspicious.
"What?" I asked.
"You wanna come back to my place, maybe stay a couple of days?" She asked.
I stared at her in utter confusion.
"Um, why?" I asked.
"Maybe I want to actually get to know you," She said "and it can't be fun sleeping in a forest all the time." She added.
"Just for a few nights?" I asked, unsure.
"Yeah, course, unless you wanna stay longer?"
I narrowed my eyes and searched her face for any signs of a joke.
"I'm being serious." She said.
I nodded slowly and got into the car.
"Ok, I guess."
*****
We got to her flat and walked up the dark hallway. She unlocked her the door and we walked inside.
She turned on the light to reveal Five sitting in a chair.
"Jesus!" She said.
"Nope, not happening." I said and turned to go.
Vanya pulled me back and into the room, taking me by surprise.
"No!" I exclaimed.
She turned and locked the door.
Five stared at me.
"Yes, just stay, I didn't know he'd be here." She said, firmly.
"Since when did you get so confident?" I mumbled, going over to a sofa and sitting down. I ignored Five.
"You should have locks on your windows." Five said.
"I live on the second floor." Vanya answered, taking off her coat.
"Rapists can climb." He said.
I rolled my eyes.
"You are so weird." Vanya said, coming over and sitting next to me.
There was a pause.
"Is that blood?" Vanya asked.
I looked up, sharply. Five's right sleeve was soaked in blood.
"It's nothing." He said.
I glared at him.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"I've decided you're the only one I can trust... for now."
I stared at his sleeve, the blood stain getting bigger.
I cleared my throat.
"Where's the antiseptic?" I asked Vanya.
She looked at me, confused. "In the cupboard over the sink." She said.
I nodded and went over to it.
She turned to Five. "Why me?" She asked.
"Because you're ordinary." I turned and glared at him again.
He noticed my look and continued.
"Because you'll listen."
I came back over with antiseptic, a cotton pad and a bandage.
I sat on the chair's arm, next to Five and he lifted his sleeve. He stared at me in surprise.
"What?" I said.
"Nothing." He answered, not breaking his gaze.
I unravelled his bandage to reveal a small, deep slit. It was bleeding heavily.
"Did you do this?" I asked him, looking up at him.
He ignored me and turned to Vanya.
I gritted my teeth in anger and poured some antiseptic onto a cotton pad.
I bit my lip and began dabbing the wound, gently.
"When I jumped forward and got stuck in the future, do you know what I found?" He asked.
"No." She answered.
"Nothing." I glanced up at him with wide eyes.
"Absolutely nothing." He continued.
"As far as I could tell, I was the last person left alive. I never figured out what killed the human race but I did find something else. The date it happens."
I dabbed his wound slightly.
"The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it."
I gasped as my hand slipped from shock, my nails scratching his wound.
"Ouch!" He said, jumping.
I looked at his wound, as a new trickle of blood emerged.
"Sorry." I mumbled, clearing it up and wrapping round a fresh bandage.
"It's fine." He said gazing at me. It was beginning to annoy me.
Vanya stared at him, still in shock.
"I'll put on a pot of coffee." She said, faintly.
There was silence for a few minutes. I turned to go back to sitting on the sofa but Five grabbed my arm.
I looked back at him, hesitantly.
He gave me a reassuring smile.
I took a deep breath and sat back down on the arm of the chair, staring at the floor. I could feel Five smiling gratefully.
Vanya returned with three mugs of coffee.
She handed one to each of us. I took a long drink.
"I survived on scraps." I looked at the boy as he continued with his story. "Canned food, cockroaches, anything I could find." He chuckled slightly and I stared at him in disbelief. How could he laugh about this?
"You know that rumor that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well it's total bullshit." He added, raising his mug to his mouth and drinking.
"I can't even imagine." Vanya said, shaking her head.
"You do whatever it takes to survive, or you die." He said bluntly.
My eyes clouded over and I looked away.
"So we adapted. Whatever the world threw at us, we found a way to overcome it."
I turned back to look at him, "We?" I asked.
He glanced at me and then looked ahead of him, clearing his throat.
"You got anything stronger?" He asked.
I scoffed, fine. If he was just going to ignore me then fine!
I stood up and moved to stand in a corner.
He stood up and grabbed my arm as I went but I shook free, leaving him standing in the middle of the room.
He looked at me with pleading eyes.
"No Five." I said firmly, looking away from him.
Vanya handed him a glass filled with alcohol.
She stared at him for a while, watching him drink it, looking baffled.
Five looked up at her and then he looked around and nodded.
"You think I'm crazy." He said, looking down at his drink and smiling.
"No, it's... it's just... it's a lot to take in." She stuttered.
"Exactly what don't you understand?" Five asked. He sounded annoyed.
"Why didn't you just time travel back?" Vanya asked.
I rolled my eyes at Vanya's stupidity. Obviously he tried. Well, he better have tried.
I looked up at Five, waiting for an answer.
He scoffed and sighed.
"Gee, wish I thought of that." He said, sarcastically.
I sighed, somewhat relieved.
"Time travel is a crapshoot. I went into the ice and never acorn-ed." He said, referring to our Father's warning.
"You think I didn't try to get back to my family?" He asked.
He looked at me in the corner of the room.
"To get back to you..." I blushed slightly and looked away. He noticed Vanya's amused look and added. "You, uh... you guys. You know.. all of you...guys." He coughed and took a long drink of alcohol.
"If you grew old there, you know, in the apocalypse, how come you still look like a kid?" Vanya asked, looking confused again.
He scoffed again and stepped forward past her, placing his glass on the kitchen counter. "I told you already. I must have got the equations wrong." He raised his voice slightly and pouring himself another drink.
"I mean, Dad always used to say that time travel could mess up your mind." She said, gently.
I peered at Five in concern as he drank another glass.
That's a lot of alcohol for a kid.
"Well, maybe that's what's happening?" Vanya continued.
He shook his head.
"This was a mistake. You're too young, too naïve to understand." He grabbed his coat and headed to the door.
"No. Five... Five, wait." She said.
"Five." I said and he sighed, stopping to look at me before turning to Vanya.
She took a deep breath. "I haven't seen you in a long time, and I don't want to lose you again. That's all." Five turned to meet my gaze, his expression inquisitive.
"And you know what, getting late, and I have lessons early, and I need to sleep, and I'm sure you do, too." Vanya continued.
I hesitated before staring at Five, stay, I mouthed.
He nodded slowly.
Vanya walked up to the sofa. "Here," She said, sorting out the cushions and spreading a blanket over it. She looked up at Five. "We'll talk in the morning again, okay? I promise. Good night." She said, turning to go into the other room.
"Night'" Five said.
Vanya looked at me.
"I'll leave you two to talk. Accalia, you can sleep on the couch in my room, yeah?"
I nodded and watched her go, my back to Five.
There was silence for a minute.
Five spoke up. "I really... missed you" he said.
I was quiet.
"I mean, you don't know how much I tried to get back. Everyday I thought of everyone, thought of you."
I walked over to the sofa, sitting down.
"I missed you too." I said.
He poured himself another drink and sat next to me.
"You don't look too good." He said, hesitant.
"Gee, thanks!" I rolled my eyes, sarcastically.
"No, I mean, you look really... young."
I stayed silent.
"How..um...how long have you been a wolf?" He asked.
"Everyday, ever since you left." I replied, looking up at him.
A tear rolled down my face and he moved to wipe it away but I stopped him and wiped it away with my sleeve.
"I'm so sorry. Im so sorry I left, I was young and stupid and naïve and I didn't know..." He stopped and looked down.
I closed my eyes and willed the tears to stay back.
"I'm sorry." He said again, his voice cracking slightly.
I sighed. "It's not your fault...You really tried to get back?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Of... of course! I tried everyday! I would never have chosen to leave you." He said, looking back up at me, alarmed.
"I...I know." I said.
There was silence.
"Do you forgive me?" He asked, quietly.
I sighed and wiped my eyes.
"You..you just scared me so much." I mumbled.
He held out his arms and I hesitated.
He smiled, assuring.
I shuffled closer and hugged him. It was relieving. I tutted into his shoulder and pulled away.
"What?" He asked.
I took his drink out of his hands.
"You're still in a thirteen-year old body." I said, smiling.
He chuckled.
"Yeah, I forgot."
I giggled and went to Vanya's room. I turned back.
"G'night Five." I said softly.
"Goodnight, Cali."
He smirked.
"What?" I asked.
"You're just...beautiful."
"Oh shut up!" I rolled my eyes.
"Hey, I'm telling the truth!" He said.
I giggled again and entered Vanya's room. She was sitting up in bed, her eyes shining.
"That was so sweet!" She said.
I glared at her, "You heard all that!" I exclaimed.
She smirked.
"Oh Five, Oh I how love you Five!" She imitated.
I groaned and went over to the couch, lying down on it.
"Shut up!" I said.
Eventually drifting off to sleep.