The Howards

Chapter 3

We spend the five days working on our project piece. I drew the background, Randall drew the cottage, Rick set the colours. During that five days, I spend more time in S.Angel than my own home. With the companion of the Howard kids, I almost forgot the feeling of loneliness.

When we handed up our work, the surprised look on Mrs. Frankton didn't go unnoticed. She pulled me to a side and questioned if I did the painting alone. I had to show her a photo taken by Karina of the three of us putting our heads together, completing the artwork.

Mrs. Frankton promised me an A.

Hanging out with the Howards, attracted unwanted attention. Girls who I walked past for years, began talking to me. Guys who doesn't even look at my way, began double taking me.

I am being held as captive from a group of cheerleaders as they go on and on about me joining cheerleading squad. Usually at this timing, I will be out of school, by my truck and ready to go home.

Instead, I'm being surrounded by overwhelming scent.

When I see Rick walking down the hallway, I quickly shot him a help look. Rick is laughing as he take my hand, rescuing me from the girls, "Ladies, excuse me," Then he began walking me down to the carpark, "How did you even land in their circle?"

"I was heading to the carpark when someone called my name. Rick, I don't even know their names!" I said, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

Someone called me name again, I looked towards the direction. Someone is waving goodbye to me. I gave that someone a friendly wave, and turned back to Rick, "I don't even know that person! Because I'm hanging out with Howard boys, suddenly I'm the centre of attention."

Rick laughed, feeling amazed, "Karina and Randall are going to have a good laugh over this,"

"Speaking of Randall, where is he?"

"Detention," Rick successfully got me to my truck without any stranger kidnapping me into another meaningless conversation. "He caught making out with a girl in the janitors room,"

It is so ridiculous that I cracked up. Rick's lips twitched and started laughing with me. My sides hurt so badly that I lose my balance. Rick caught my arm, and I fell right into his arms. He stared down at me with those piercing green eyes.

There was this fleeting moment that I felt my heart swelled. I felt a blush creeping up on me. He allowed me to compose myself and said, "Let's go, Karina wants a sleep over."

••••

I was greeted by a very excited Karina, "Okay, we are going to call for pizza, have a movie night then a sleepover! This is the first time I'm having sleepover!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm, "It's my first time too!"

Karina is always so welcoming, so eager to share the love she has for everyone. Because of her warmhearted nature, she had a tough time in public and private school. The boys and Karina originally studied in private school, but Karina couldn't blend in well.

So the boys transferred to a public school with her. And again, Karina still trusted the wrong group of friends. Because of that, Karina went into depression. She had suicidal tendency.

Gemma and Ray decided that Karina should be homeschooled instead. Karina is somehow like me. She didn't have much friends. That is why both of us are embracing each other more. We realised all we needed was friends.

That night, Karina made us watched Harry Potter. It's just the four of us having the entire movie theatre all by ourselves. Rick and Randall are having an argument about every single detail in the movie. And their bickering is pissing both Karina and I off.

"Why are they always arguing?" I groaned, throwing popcorns at them.

"Well, I guess this is how they build their brotherly bond. You have no idea, they used to fight a lot. Like those physical fight."

I looked at Karina then back the boys, "Why?"

"Randall used to hate Rick because Rick is adopted,"

The movement of feeding my mouth with popcorn, halted. I stared at the brothers who are still arguing about the material used to create the wand.

"My mum volunteers at the orphanage. Rick was brought in after his parents got into a fatal accident. Rick was seven years old. My mum couldn't bear to leave him in the orphanage because of how broken he was. Our parents began putting more attention on Rick, and Randall didn't like that. Rick by then, was able to hold normal conversation, began to smile and Rick is just so lovable. Rick is a total opposite of Randall. So they get into big fights most of the time."

Karina took a sip of her soda and continued, "When they were ten and I was nine. We went further down the lake behind S.Angel. At that time, S.Angel hasn't fully secured yet. Which means we were sharing the lake with wildlife. We met a cougar,"

I gasped.

Karina smiled, "She was so beautiful, fully in black and with green eyes. But I think we got into her way. Randall was nearer to the cougar. She was afraid and she pounced. Rick pushed Randall away from area, stood his ground and screamed at the cougar at the top of his lungs. The cougar ran away. Rick grew up in the farm and his late dad taught him how to survive in wildlife. He had a little knowledge. He said, one way to escape from a cougar is to look big and be very noisy."

"After he got rid of the cougar, he began pulling us back to the house. Randall and I were still in shock that we didn't realise that Rick was scratched. He bit down the excruciating pain and brought us back home safely before he passed out from the pain. He still has the scar. Anyway, since then, Randall and Rick are inseparable."

I looked at the two brothers, already fast asleep. The credit scene began rolling. Karina switched off the screen and made herself comfortable beside me and said, "Goodnight Eleanor, thanks for sleeping over,"

I took a few minutes absorbing the new information on the brothers. Then I drifted to sleep, my mind swimming around the image of a cougar and the Howards.