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Chapter III - Night Sky

-hello again! My finals are finally over! I'm on a well deserved two week break and hopefully I'll get this story progressing. Oh, and I'm going back to first person POV.

Chapter III - Night Sky

I finally finished unpacking. It had been four days since I'd been in Colorado and not much has happened. Hiru still went out with his friends on a daily basis, and the only heartfelt moment we had was when he hugged me on my first day here. I would usually try to knock some sense into him, but following my dad's advice, I left him alone. For the mean time, that is.

Anyway, I had another thing that seemed odd. I clearly remember my mom saying there were five people in this house, not including me, of course. There was my mom, Hiru, aunt Mari, and Lani. But who was aunt Mari's other child? I was pretty sure it was a boy because I recalled Mari saying something about her son before. I knew that his room was the one across from mine, so then I decided. Today, I would meet this person.

At first, I tried the most obvious approach. I knocked on his door. He didn't open. I knocked again, only to have the same result. I tried opening the door, but of course, it was locked. I had to think of another approach. I went to find Lani.

Lani was in the family room playing tea party, by herself. It had just occurred to me. She didn't really have anyone to play with her, besides our mothers if they weren't busy. Of course Hiru wouldn't be laying with her, and definitely not her own brother.

"Hey, Lani. What are you playing?" Lani didnt even look at me when she replid. "Tea party," Lani hadn't really opened up to me yet. To her, I was still a guest visiting. It's not like I blame her, but it was pretty frustrating whenever I tried to keep her company. I always just end up leaving her alone. Sometimes it seemed like she liked it better that way.

"Hey, Lani. What is your brother like?" This seemed to get her attention. She looked at me, with an adorable expression. "He's the greatest brother in the world!" She even smiled while saying this. 'Ah,' I thought to myself. 'How cute, she loves her brother'. She resumed to pouring tea to her stuffed animals. "Is he a busy person? I haven't seem him at all since I've came here." Lani still paid no attention to me, but answered my question anyway. "It means that he's doing a new project."

Lani was a really cute little kid. She had shoulder length black hair. Some part of me really wanted her to like me. ...but then again, her sassy attitude made me wish otherwise. Knowing I wasn't wanted here, I walked away. If she was no help! I might as well ask Mari.

Mari was in the backyard tending to the pool. Yeah, we had a pool! Anyway, she was busily clearing it of leaves that had fallen in. I walked towards her. "Hey, Mari. Need help?" I honestly did want to help her. Cleaning a pool was tough, especially if you're doing it alone. "Oh, thank you, but I'm almost done anyway." I sat down on the ground near Mari so that we could talk. "Um, Mari you've never talked about, nor have I ever met, your other child." Mari didn't take her time to look at me.

"Oh, really? I'm so sorry. It's just, he's a cinematographer and dabbles in painting, and sketching and sorts. Whenever he's starting a new art project or film, he locks himself in his room until its finished," she took the long poled net out of the water and dumped the leaves on the grass. "The only time when he's out of the house is if he's out filming. I've learned that its best not to disturb him when he's like this." Mari put the net back in the shed and faced me. "Are you hungry? I can make you some lunch." I nodded no, and she walked back into the house.

Ah, so he was a dedicated artsy fellow.

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Later that night, I stayed in the living room with my laptop. I was feeling a bit insomniac. I was editing a few pictures of friends that I had taken back in San Diego. I missed them a lot. I tried not to think about them too much, but during the night, they always found a way into my mind.

I heard someone coming out of their room and walking downstairs. I half expected it to be my mom. It hasn't been the first time that she had told me to go back to bed. However, I didn't hear my mom's warning. I gazed up from my screen. I saw a figure walk into the kitchen. Am I crazy? I followed it to ease my curiosity and my fear.

The figure was getting a glass of water. It was a teenage boy, but it wasn't my brother for sure. He wasn't even home. Mari's son? I was so close to finally meeting him. "Hello?" I said softly. However, he still jumped and turned around quickly, as if he'd been caught breaking the law. I could barely see his face in the darkness, but he seemed familiar.

"Oh, I'm sorry for scaring you." I took a step forward to see his face a little better. "Ah, no it's okay." He replied, getting his water. "We haven't met yet, even though I've been here for almost a week," I chuckled "My name is Ailee." I reached my hand out for him shake. He just walked past me. "I already know," he said in a monotonic voice. "Everyone has been talking about you moving in for a few months." He took a seat on a stool at the counter. I took the seat across from him. "Oh, really? I had no idea that I was moving here until two weeks ago." Although the light was dim, I saw his eyebrow raise in surprise. I also saw more features to him.

He had a unique hair color. It was black with a blue ombré. He had somewhat long hair, it was a bit shaggy as well. He looked pale, so he obviously didn't go out into the sun very much. "I like your hair," he looked up, ruffled his hair, and smiled. Wait. I knew that smile, from somewhere. "Have I ever met you before?" He tilted his face downwards, still looking at me, still smiling. "Hmm, I wonder. Have we?" He stared at me as of he knew something I didn't.

"Why do you keep smiling like that?" I concentrated at his face. I knew I had seen it before. I just knew it. "What's wrong with it? If I didn't, life would just be a pain." Then it clicked. I knew him. His smile. I remembered it. Back when we were eight. That stupid smile. Jian. I stood up in disbelief. He stared back at me, not in shock, but calm and amused.

"So it seems you remember," he drank the last gulp of water in his cup. "Hey. How've you been?" I slowly took a seat back down. I was still confused. How did he end up here with my brother and mom? Is that the reason why he moved back then? "I've been fine. My dad and I live in a small apartment, so it's weird being in a big house. When I move back in with my dad though, I'll have to get used to that small apartment again anyway." I stared off into the darkness. "Well, I'd rather be in a small apartment. Something about small places seems comforting." I looked at him, he seemed sincere. I thought about this for a few seconds. "I'd think that living with you mom and your sister would be enough comfort." 

He stood up and sat right beside me, and moved his face closer to mine. "What would you say if I said that I absolutely hated being here." That caught me off guard. Why would he be telling me this?  Was there something I could do for him? Was it, pehaps,  my fault? I needed to know more. "Why?" was the only question I could give him that would clear my confusions. Jian put his head dow nonto the countertop and his hands crandled it. "Dads are horrible creatures, aren't they? They know their kids are dependent on them from the day they are born. Eventually, they'll leave," Jian got up from the stool and put his cup away. "they dump you and your family in some place far from home," He sat back down on the stool. "and never contact you again. "

"What are you trying to imply?" I tried to keep my voice calm, but my frustration came through and made my voice shake. "Nothing, really. It's just, that's what my dad did. I'm only speaking through experience." I knew my dad would never do that, but it just perked my anger. "Just because your dad did it, doesn't mean mine will." Jian began walking back upstairs. "Believe what you will," he said as he left the room.

After I heard his door close, dashed off into my room, and grabbed my laptop along the way. My mind began to frenzy. Dad? Was this really your intent? You never made me move in with my move before when you had huge game projects, so why now? Come to think of it, he hadn't messaged me ever since I left him at the airport.

Once in my room, I desperately looked for a friend to talk to. The time difference wasn't so bad. There had to be someone online. No one. Not even dad. My mind needed something to keep it sane. "Dad isn't like that," I thought to myself. "He's a better person than that."

I stayed up, writing an email to my dad. It was long, but it had one main point. "I want to come back to San Diego. I want to stay with you." After I sent it, my frustration finally left me. I stared out of my window. The night sky seemed to shine more brilliant without the numerous city lights shrouding them. Under that night sky, something had changed inside of me. Whether it was positive or negative, only time would tell.

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