Dear Diary

Chapter Four

Dear Diary,

Isaac and Verina have been here for the past two nights; I’ve managed to keep them a secret from Mom and Dad who are too busy to notice anything anyway. Only Rosa knows – I’ve had her take food up to the attic where I set up two beds for them.

I need to do something for them, and I think I have an idea. Uncle Jacob tells me that he stops by an old storage shed every time he goes hunting. I think it’s large enough to live in. I don’t know how they would survive out there alone though. Verina says that she prefers it if her and Isaac are independent as long as the two of them are together. I don’t think I can do much else for them. I can confide in Uncle Jacob because I’ve always been his favourite niece…but Mom and Dad – they can’t know what I’m up to. Dad’s best friend is chief of police and Isaac and Verina would be turned over in a heartbeat. I can’t let that happen to them. Losing each other would tear them down more than living on the streets would.

How would they survive though? I can’t just give them a place to stay and then bolt. Verina seems to know tons about plants and growing food – she proudly told me about all her experience from when she was younger. I wonder if she can manage growing food and selling it at the Farmer’s market. She would be able to pay back the men she stole from, and manage to feed herself and Isaac.

That’s probably the best I would ever be able to do for the two of them. It’s not much though but I’ll run it by her.

- Aislin.

Sitting in the attic with the two of them emphasized my loneliness as an only child. I watched as Isaac rummaged happily through some of my old toys, looking for something to play with. He pulled out a small white teddy bear – well, it used to be white. It was covered in dirt, its red bow tie barely recognizable, and one of its ears half torn off. Emma had given him to me when I was born. I swallowed back tears again and smiled as Isaac hugged the teddy bear.

“I love him! Does he have a name, Aylin?” He stared at the bear lovingly, his bright blue eyes filled with admiration.

“Teddy.” I wasn’t a very original child.

Isaac giggled. “You’re funny.”

He continued to dig through more of my stuff until he found a black piece of cloth. Taking Teddy, he tied the cloth around the bear’s neck.

“Look, a cape!” he exclaimed. “Now Teddy can fly!”

He ran around the large attic with Teddy high in the air, making ‘whooshing’ noises. Verina sat down next to me.

“I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” she said quietly.

I shook my head. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Of course you have! First at the Farmers’ market, and now you’re going to talk to your uncle about giving up some of his property?” Her eyes, the exact imitation of Isaac’s mimicked his look of admiration.

I shrugged. “It’s a storage place. I promise I’ll look for something better in the meantime.”

Verina furiously shook her head. “You will do no such thing. This arrangement sounds perfect; there are only two of us to live in it. I won’t have it any other way.”

I didn’t respond. They deserved better.

Isaac ran by, still playing with Teddy. “Look Aylin, Teddy’s flying!”

Laughing, I stood up and caught him as he ran by again. I pulled him up and jogged around the attic. “Look Isaac, now you’re flying.”

“Hehehe, I am! Verina, I’m flying!”

Suddenly a voice from downstairs caused me to put Isaac down in an instant.

“What’s going on up there? Aislin? What are you doing in the attic? Whose voices do I hear?”

It was my mom. I heard her footsteps coming up the stairs. Isaac hid behind me.

She appeared in the opening. “What’s going on? Who are these kids?”

“Nothing, Mom,” I said hastily. I didn’t know she’d ever come up to the top floor. She’s never even home during this time of the day.

“Answer me, Aislin. Who are these kids?”

She looked from Verina sitting on the bed with a mask of fear, to Isaac who didn’t budge behind me. There was no amusement on my mom’s face – she just looked tired.

“Uhm, this is Verina, she’s a friend of mine. This is her little brother Isaac.”

My mom crossed her arms. “What are they doing in our attic?”

I couldn’t believe how rude she was being. “Their parents are away for the weekend, so I invited Verina and Isaac to stay here for a few days. I didn’t want you and dad to know because you would have objected. You never let me have friends sleep over.”

My mom’s face turned red, either out of anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. “That’s ridiculous, Aislin, of course you can have friends sleep over. You don’t need to hide it from me…”

Her voice trailed off, and she turned swiftly around, and left before I could say anything more.

“Sorry Aislin, we didn’t mean any trouble…I mean you should have told us—.“

Verina tried to apologize, but I shook my head. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

That's the end of the flashback. Forgive me for the truly shite chapter, and the long delay. I had exams and assignments, and all that fun stuff. Comment on what you think, and vote if you like the chapter! (: I'll try and upload soon.