Not So Complicated

Chapter eight

Arlo's POV

"Adrian, have you lost it? You're not supposed to do that." I glared at him through the screen.

He pushed Raelyn when she came to sit on his lap and it was a little too harsh for that tiny kid to handle.

"How does it matter, Arlo? How. Just how." He pointlessly argued with me.

"Adrian, what's your point? What are you trying to prove? Why do you have to be rude to those tiny kids? What have they done to you? They don't deserve this, Adrian. They deserve none of this." I told him, for the hundredth time.

"Why do I have to be nice to them? They're not dad's kids or my real siblings anyway. I don't have a reason to be nice to them at all." He justified his actions.

Raelyn and River were tiny little tots. They were our step siblings which Adrian didn't like at all. I wouldn't expect him to understand how things worked that early anyway, since he was just fourteen and I completely got that, but he had to be considerate with them, keeping in mind that he was living with them and he saw them and the stepfather everyday, unlike me.

"Listen, Adrian. I understand you. I get what you're feeling. But they're still kids. Please be kind to them. They won't understand why you're being like that with them. They will obviously want someone to hold on to, when Mom isn't there. You can't just push them away like that." I told him.

"How are you tolerating all these, Arlo? How can you just accept these things so easily?" He looked so conflicted.

"Its just the way it is, brother. You're still young, you don't know how things work in reality. Now tell me, what's the point in getting pissed about things and not accepting the way it is? It is not going to change, will it? Plus, I don't live with them to see their day to day activities which is also why I don't get pissed as quick as you get. When you graduate and move out, you'll have a different life, trust me. You get to focus on yourself and your dreams. Okay?" 

"If you say so. I have to bear with them for the next three years? Oh, holy crap." He groaned.

"Its okay, don't worry. You can visit me anytime you want to and you can stay with me for the whole of your summer break." I cracked a smile.

"That I will, for sure. How did you manage to live alone after Dad-"

"I don't know. I didn't feel like leaving that house. I would still go back to that house during my break. I will go there, any chance I get. No other place feels like home to me, Adrian. That house and our house in Castelldefels. I think Dan's sister is getting married in June, so I'll be going back to Milford and I'll live in that house."

"Oh, okay. Our tiny sand pit is still there in the backyard, I suppose?" 

"Yes. It'll be there, no matter what." I let out a small chuckle.

"Alright, then. I gotta go, I'll call you soon?" 

"Be nice to Raelyn and River. Okay? Bye."

Settling down on my study desk, I noticed Dan entering the living room and plopping on the couch, lost in his thoughts.

"Hello? Are you alive?" I shouted from my room.

"Yeah, why?" He weakly replied.

I straight away went to the living room to spot him almost passed out on the couch.

"Daniel. Daniel. Daniel. Daniel. Daniel. Daniel-"

I continued poking him on his cheek but I stopped once he turned to meet my gaze.

"What do you want now?" He asked in a low voice.

"I want to know what's wrong." I admitted.

"Nothing much, actually. Classes are in full swing and assignments are endless. Basically, typical college." He replied.

It didn't look like it was just that.

"Dan? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, man. Its just that something about Carmen is bothering me lately."

"What about her?" I asked, quietly.

"She's been so off lately in the class. Especially after that day she spent with Flint. Ever since then, they don't sit next to each other or they don't talk to each other. Hell, they don't even see each other's face. I honestly don't know what's going on between them. Whatever it is, it definitely isn't right and its taking a toll on her. Its so evident on her face. She talks to me and it doesn't feel like its Carmen who's talking to me. She is always lost and zones out in seconds. She looks weak, on top of that." 

Well, shit.

"Maybe they hit a rough patch? I don't know man , I don't think it matters to me anymore-"

"What do you mean? Are you out of your mind? If there is something wrong with Carmen, we all care. We all make sure she's okay. Among the four of us, if anyone else is feeling low, we need to lift their spirits up. Remember that?" He seemed furious.

"Yeah, but I'm sure she has Flint for that, so don't worry much about it." I casually remarked.

"Have you gone mental? What is wrong with you, my child?" He patted on my head a little harder then he ever did before.

"Wrong with me? You're asking what's wrong with me? Have you lost it? Its not our business anymore, Dan."  I bluntly replied.

"I know you're hurting on the inside, but you've got to tone it down, yeah?" He tried to snub me down.

"How do you know that I'm hurting and don't you ask me to tone it down, get that?" My voice hit the ceiling.

Shit. I had completely lost it. 

He knew me so well, he exactly understood what was going on with me.

I couldn't help it. I didn't know if I was hurt or numb. At that point, it was all uncertain about how I felt.

It killed me to see her with some other guy. It killed me more to see that she was unhappy and something was bothering her which was because of that guy(that's what Dan had told and I had assumed).

"Arlo! Where are you lost, buddy?" 

I broke out of my thoughts and realized that Dan was talking to me.

"What?"

"Where are you lost?" He asked.

"Nowhere."

If only "nowhere" existed.

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Author's note:

So sorry for the late update, hi to y'all by the way.

I've been extremely busy lately.

I'll update soon, I promise.

Happy reading!

Don't forget to vote, comment and share.

Love,

Peaches;)