Fuse ✔

Chapter Six

(The end of the chapter!!!)

It had been a few days since the whole party fiasco. Axel spent most of his time sleeping and sitting in the dark. His father had also banned the TV from him, so it was either sleeping or homework. It was homework without music, so it took way longer than normal.

The only reason Axel ever came out of his room was to get food. The whole house also seemed quite. You couldn't hear the music playing from Sophie's studio, or the sounds of Zander and Zaria bickering and playing together, or the sound of Lola aimlessly walking around the house while on the phone to one of her numerous friends. The sound of Monty humming the tune of a Beethoven or 60's song. You couldn't hear the sound of John talking, almost yelling at whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the other end of the business call.

Axel felt something poke his ribs as he was moping. He ignored it to only feel someone climb up on to the bed.

"Ugh, go away." He grumbled as he turned over on to his stomach.

He felt a small finger poke him numerous times on the cheek that had just healed.

"What?" He whined as he opened one eye.

He saw the beady eyes of Zaria staring right back at him.

"Park time!"

"No, I don't."

"Ma sayed Akcle in room too long. Need sunnyshine."

Axel ignored her and buried his head underneath his pillow.

Zaria responded by opening his curtains.

"No, Zaria let me sleep! I don't need sunnyshine!" He whined.

She answered by jumping up and down on his bed, and his back.

"Waakkee uupp!" She jumped.

"Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up! Stop jumping on me! Just let me get some clothes on." Axel whined as he got up.

Zaria smiled and jumped from his bed and closed his door for him.

"Ugh!" He grumbled as he plopped back down into the bed.

"Park time, park time, park time!"

To Axel, it just sounded like bark, bark, bark.

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The park was only a ten-minute drive from their house.

"You can drop us off here, Monty," Axel told him as he tried to hold back the energetic Zaria.

"Very well, I will pick you and miss Zaria up in an hour, as per usual." Monty smiled.

Axel and Zaria walked the rest of the way, as per usual.

"Why no school?" She questioned as she hopped on one foot.

Axel did have school, it was a Wednesday, all he had was Spanish, social studies, mathematics and track training after school. He had taken yesterday and Monday off as his mother feared that Willis was out on the streets, but John had injured him pretty badly. Axel guessed he wouldn't show his ugly freshly scared face for a while.

Zaria saw the playground up ahead and dashed to it.

"Play with on big slide." She begged.

The 'big' slide wasn't very big, Axel was probably twice the size of it.

"Maybe next time."

"Aww."

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Axel was watching Zaria make friends with a boy in the sandpit.

He missed being small, as in the three-year-old small, where all you did was dare each other to eat sand from the sandpit.

"Zaria, don't eat sand from the sandpit!"

You were carefree and didn't care what others think.

"Zaria, don't tell him to eat sand from the sandpit!"

At thirteen a whole lot of new stuff was introduced. Teachers didn't seem to be nice, they expected a lot more. A better understanding of the world was made, new fears; education and the impending future full of uncertainties. It was only the beginning as well, he had barely begun his teenage years.

"Come play swings!" Zaria said as she ran up to Axel.

"Maybe next time."

"Party pooper."

That was the one phrase Zaria could pronounce right.

Axel let Zaria play on the swings a little bit before they had to head back.

"I'll race you." Axel smiled, as he started to speed up.

Axel was barely even running, he was barely even jogging. Zaria ran ahead.

She then stopped a few steps ahead of Axel.

"Tired. Piggyback?" She asked, putting her puppy dog eyes into full effect.

"Fine, hop on." He said as he knelt down.

"Wee!" Zaria said as she held on to Axel's neck a bit too tight.

"Geez Zaria, what did you eat for breakfast?" Axel joked.

"Hey!" She frowned as she smacked him on the head.

"Don't do that, or I'll drop you!"

"Nah."

"Woah!" Axel joked, moving side to side shaking Zaria's legs.

"Ah! No!" She squealed.

"Afternoon Monty." Axel greeted as he closed the car door and helped Zaria do her seatbelt.

"How was the park?" He asked.

Zaria told Monty all about her adventure at the park and the friends she made. Monty just glanced at the rear mirror every few seconds and nodded.

Axel gazed out the window. They had pasted the busy part of the trip, now it was just a quiet and peaceful route.

He hadn't talked to John in days, maybe it was time to sit down and sort everything out. Try to reach an understanding.

From the corner of his eye, Axel noticed a red van racing towards them, with no intent to stop.

Crash!

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All Axel could hear was a vexatious ringing sound. He cracked his eyes open to find that he was sprawled on the roof inside the car. The car had been toppled. He attempted to move his head, but even moving his eyes caused tremors of pain to vibrate all over his body.

Zaria, where was Zaria?

She was cradled in Axel's arms. When he saw the car coming, he must have undone his seatbelt and gone to cover Zaria from the shattered glass. Protective older brother instinct. She only had a few scratches and other than being unconscious, she seemed fine.

Axel was not on the other hand. He couldn't see it, but he could feel blood dripping and seeping into his clothes mixed with shards of glass.

Monty, what about Monty?

Through the loud ringing, he could hear himself calling Monty, or the sound at least sounded a bit like Monty's name.

The ringing drowned out any response and he couldn't move. Every attempt led his body to feel like nails on a chalkboard.

The car door swung open and someone dragged Axel out by the arm. The bright sun blinded him, forcing him to close his eyes.

One thing stuck out about the man.

A fresh scar on the side of his head.