Little stump

CHAPTER 1

     I clicked the doorbell with anxiety, nervousness was an understatement for what I was feeling at the moment. I hadn't been here in six years, would they even still live here? Would they want to talk to me even if they did? There were a lot of questions flowing through my head, but I wouldn't get an answer if I didn't come now.

      I heard footsteps approaching the door, indicating that someone was coming, anxiety gripped me again, and I had to hold the railing really tight to make sure I didn't bolt away. The door opened, and a young girl I didn't recognise stood at the other side. She seemed to be in her teenage years.

     "Can I help you?" She asked, examining my face to find out whether she knew me, I was sure she didn't, because I didn't know her.

      For a moment, I was convinced that they didn't live here anymore, but then the mop of blonde hair that emerged from behind the girl, which belonged to a very familiar face, proved to me that they did.

     "Madeline?" I hadn't heard my best friend's voice in six years, when I'd been forced to leave without saying goodbye to anyone. "Is that you?" The shock in her voice was clear, she did not expect to see me here. She did not expect to see me anywhere, after practically disappearing for 6 years, she'd thought she'd never see me again.

    "Hello?" My voice was low, I was not confident talking to her, I was scared. Scared of how she would react to seeing me. She should be angry, I knew I would be.

     "Listen, I don't know the kind of explanation I can give to you for disappearing but............" she rushed to me and wrapped her arms around me before I could finish the sentence.

      "I do wanna hear your explanation, but you're crazy if you think that's gonna stop me from hugging you after not seeing you for 6 years" she replied, tightening the hug. I leaned into it and wrapped my hands around her, tears stinging my eyes. She really was the best friend ever.

      She released me from the hug and cupped my cheeks. "Wow, you've changed so much. I almost didn't recognise you" she said, smiling, her excitement very obvious.

     "Mom and dad are gonna die when they see you" she continued, dragging my hand to pull me into the house. I followed willingly, everything seemed so strange. I hadn't been here in 6 years, there had obviously been some changes to the house. I was personally very surprised they still lived here.

     Immediately I got back to the neighbourhood, their house was the first place I came to. I'd come with low expectations, I knew there was a probability that they'd moved, but I'd hoped they'd be here, prayed even, and my prayer was answered because here they were.

     Diana dragged me into the dining room where her father, mother and littlest brother were having tea. The girl who came to open the door for me seemed to be cooking something in the kitchen. I smiled, this was a scene I did not imagine I would be seeing in a long time.

     "Dad, mom, look what the wind blew to our doors today" Diana announced as she entered the room. Her mother's face instantly lifted from the book she was reading and her eyes widened.

      "Is that Madeline Corvette?" She shouts standing up to give me a big hug, I return the gesture happily. We hug for awhile, long enough to compensate for 6 years of no physical contact.

      Her father also stands, giving me the same gesture, laughing as he ran his eyes up and down my figure. "How long has it been? I honestly never thought we'd see you again" he said, his voice full of surprise. Diana's littlest brother didn't know who I was, he was only two when I travelled 6 years ago.  However, I remembered that his name was Ivan.

    I smile at him. "Hey, Ivan" I said, waving to his small figure. He approached me timidly, rubbing his palms together. "I just can't believe you're here" Diana said. "It's been six years" she finished.

      The guilt ate at me in that moment, I owed her an explanation, I'd practically disappeared from her life without explanation or warning. The night I'd left to study abroad was a horrible one. I'd been forced to leave everything behind and I wasn't allowed to contact anyone from my past. Dad always had been strict, but what he made me do to my best friend was unforgivable. There was no excuse, I was an horrible friend.

      "I know I owe you an explanation, Diana......."

      "Forget about that now..........I'm just glad you're back" she said, pulling me into another hug. I suddenly noticed that I had not seen someone, someone I was supposed to have seen immediately I walked in. Little stump, Diana's younger brother.

        I was about to ask of him, when suddenly, Diana dragged me, she pulled me down the hall and up the stairs to her room. "You won't believe how much my bedroom's changed" she said as she dragged me away from her parents.

       We walked into the bedroom and I had to say, it had changed a lot. The once completely pink room, that used to have barbies and cute pictures all around, had morphed into a space that perfectly fit a young woman of her age. Tiled walls, floor to ceiling windows and a walk in wardrobe. The Woodsworth house had always been an expensive resort. Fancy and extravagant.

       I walk towards Diana's windows. "Wow" I muttered. "It really has changed a lot". The windows granted me a perfect view of the backyard, letting me see the pool at the back. I noticed there was someone in the yard.

     Whoever it was was shirtless, and they seemed to be working out. I realised it was a man, a very attractive one. He had blonde, almost white shoulder length hair, tied in a perfect ponytail. His skin was so pale it looked like it was glowing in the sun's rays, and he had the most handsome Face I'd ever seen, which was saying something because I'd seen a lot of handsome guys.

      He lifted the dumbbells with ease, bringing them close to his chest as sweat dripped down his pale, white skin. I had to admit, my mouth watered at the sight.

     "Who is that?" I asked Diana as she joined me at the window. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

     "What are you talking about, it's just Damien." She replied as if he was completely normal. My jaw dropped, did she just call the sex stick in her backyard her little brother.

     Little stump, the tiny boy who had to jump up to get items from my hand whenever I raised them up, had grown almost an entire foot taller. The figure I was looking at stood around 6"2, and he was bulky and packed with muscles. Two qualities little stump never possessed, hence the nickname I gave him.

     "Oh wait that's right, he hasn't seen you yet. Let's go meet him" Diana said as she practically dragged me down again, she needed to stop doing that.

     We walked to the backyard and approached the figure I'd been sexually harassing in my mind. "Hey, Damien" Diana called out to him, the figure turned around, my heart stopped.

     "Look who's here". That definitely couldn't be little stump.

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