Puppeteer

Chapter 33-Time for a prank!..Or not

Floating gracefully, I went back into the living room. Dad caught sight of me immediately, but he decided to stay silent, his teal eyes gleaming.

Roy was trying to convince Nina to become a pilot, all of a sudden. "What do you think, princess? Don't you think it'll be cool?" "Dad, I'm wearing glasses." Nina retorted, not wavering from her own resolution. "So?" Nia stared at her dad like he was an idiot. "Dad, pilots need good eyesight." Nina patiently explained. "Then how about you, Nia?" Roy excitedly turned to Nia. "No thanks." Roy was left looking sullen at his daughters, which made Theo and Ana near itching to laugh.

Then there was a knock at the door. "Ah! That must be Ast!" My dad joyfully went to open the door. However, as he saw what I was preparing, stopped and waited for the new entertainment.

A pure white ball of string appeared in my palm. Grasping it, I made a knot, then threw it cowboy-style. The string looped nicely around the doorknob, and I swung the door wide open for my dear friend, Astley.

"Hello!" Ever cheerful, Astley looked around to see who was kind enough to open the door for him. However, I was floating mid-air, and even if Ast was like a dog, he couldn't literally sniff me out.

"Huh?" Ast looked startled, but soon glared in beside him. Damn. I wasn't even in that way. Way to go, dude. I causally stole Ast's black hat, and tossed it to Nia, who looked rather surprised at the guest on her head.

Hmmm.....Talking about hair, Roy's seems like it needs a new style....

The reaction I received from Joy when she finally left the kitchen was priceless.

She happily poked around the new antenna growing out of her husband's hair, while Nina and Nia were taking photos.

"DINNER'S READY!" Oh Gosh. Like my mother's voice was a signal, I flew to my bedroom as Roy frantically pulled out the string from his head.

Swish

Returning to my body, I marched out to the dining room, pretending I didn't do anything. Looking around, Ast's hat was on the couch, Nina, Nia, Ast, Theo and Ana were seated on the floor, around the small wooden table. There were so many plates that I thought that the table would positively break.

"Thank you for the food!" We chanted and began to eat.

"Hey Ast" "Hmm?" "Where did you get that hat?" "Fron ma cousin" "Your cousin?" "Ya"

No matter how many times I persisted in making Ast talk, he was too interested in devouring every dish. My mother's eyes were literally sparkling while she looked at Ast eating. "Evan, you should also eat a lot." "But..I'm so full mum.." "You too Nina!" Nina was positively drained by just eating. I swear this was a new way of torture.

"Ast, if you want to eat anything, you must tell me. I'll make anything for you!" My mum firmly said, a steady hand on Ast's shoulders. That was when the red circle on the calendar came into my view.

Oh crap.

How could I forget?

Ast broke down, whether it was the food, the warmth from my mum's hands, or her words, I don't know.

But Ast, who always conducted himself as if nothing was wrong, was breaking down.

Tears dropped on his black clothes.

Black clothes.

Black is not Ast's choice of clothes, unless this season comes around...

The calendar clearly indicated that there were 3days left till the anniversary of Ast's dad's death.

I'm such a crap of a friend

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Whoa things got dark all of a sudden!

Although Ast's backstory was planned, I never intended it to actually come into the main story.

What do you guys think? Should I keep going with it?

(Ast is slowly becoming more of a favourite..)