~•*°*•*°*•~
It has been a year since I wrote the chapter where Luna & Demetrius first met.
That is just, wow. I’m punching myself for the fact that it’s taken me so long to write this.
Side note, I’m excited we’re finally getting cats & dogs in the Sims 4. I am disappointed that the number of pets you can have in a family is not independent to the number of sims in the family, though. I was hoping the Seiryuu’s could have a dog and a cat, but since there’s seven people in the family, they only have room for one.
And I refuse to have Alex move back in with his family to make room. I stole that boy from them fair & square. You can’t have your son back, Bella.
This chapter continues from where We can be Disappointments Together left off.
This chapter sees the return of a few sims, the introduction of a new character, and a long awaited reunion.
Enjoy~
~•*°*•*°*•~
Luna’s P.O.V.
The morning after arriving on Earth, I woke to light spilling across the covers of my bed. It had taken a few moments for me to realize that the light was sunlight streaming in through the window. I’d blinked in stunned silence for a few seconds before a smile crept across my face. I’d leapt out of bed and gotten dressed as quickly as possible. It took me a couple tries, because I either had my dress on backwards or I’d tried to put my head through one of the sleeves.
I now walk down the hall of Leon’s house, barely resisting the urge to skip.
I finally get to see him again.
As I walk, I hear the sounds of someone in the kitchen ahead of me. I tilt my head and slow my pace. I peek around the corner curiously, peering into the kitchen. Leon stands by some kind of small machine, wearing a long tank top and low hanging sweatpants. There is a large cup with a handle sitting in an open compartment on the machine, and as I watch, dark liquid slowly spills into the cup, steam rising up.
I recall back to a conversation I’d had with Raine when I was younger. He’d been telling me about different machines that humans liked to use in their daily lives. One machine he’d described seems to fit this little marvel perfectly: a coffee maker.
I step around the corner and walk into the kitchen. Leon leans against the counter, waiting for the coffee maker to finish. He looks up as I approach.
He rubs sleepily at his eye as he smiles at me. “Morning. Sleep okay?”
“I did, thank you,” I say, smiling shyly. “How about you? Raine’s snoring didn’t keep you up?”
Leon snorts. “Trust me. Raine’s snores actually aren’t that loud. My cousin Kasey, on the other hand… His snores could wake the dead. Growing up, I slept at my cousins’ house a lot, meaning I had to sleep through Kasey’s snores. Raine’s are nothing.”
I laugh.
“So,” he continues. “What are your plans for today?”
“Find Demetrius,” I say without hesitation.
“Do you even know where he is?”
I pause, thinking back to when I’d spoken to him. “He said he lives somewhere called Willow Creek?”
“What’s his address?”
“He didn’t say…I figured I’d just wander around and eventually run into him.”
Leon gives me a sympathetic smile. “That’s not the best idea. He could be anywhere. And since it’s the weekend, he might not even be in Willow Creek right now.”
I feel my spirits drop slightly and wrap my fingers around my upper arm, looking away. “What should I do, then?”
Leon stares at the coffee maker for a bit before he speaks. “Can you tell me a little bit more about Demetrius?”
I look back up at him. “Sure, but why?”
“I’ve got some connections in the OPSB, the Intelligence Division specifically. If Demetrius is connected to the OPSB in any way, I might be able to tell you where he is right now.”
“Alright, um…” I think for a bit. “He said he lives with his father and younger brother. His mother passed away when he was little.”
Leon waits silently while I rack my brain for anything else Demetrius told me that might help me find him.
“He also said that the names of his two best friends were Haru and Elliot…” I say, trying to think.
Leon puts up his hand to stop me from continuing. “Okay, I think that’s enough. I think I know where he is now.”
“What?” I ask, my excitement bubbling up again. “How?”
“Well, let’s just say he’s part of a pretty well-known group of friends.” Leon’s smile is secretive, like he knows something I don’t. Which, apparently he does. “I heard about them the other day. It so happens that today he and those two best friends of his are in training to join the OPSB.”
I feel my excitement start to slip away again. “Then does that mean he’s busy right now?”
Seeing the expression on my face, Leon quickly waves his hand in reassurance. “Oh, it’s not anything like that! The training mission is a pretty simple one. They’re supposed to look after some orphans the OPSB takes care of for today.”
“The OPSB takes care of orphans?” I ask.
“A few,” he explains. “For those of us the Organization protects, as kids, our powers can be somewhat difficult to control. Vampire kids struggle with hiding their dark forms, witches’ magic pops up at strange times. For me, nearly every time I’d sneeze, I’d revert into wolf form or my ears and tail would pop up. And if I had the hiccups? Oh boy. For most of us, we’re taught by our parents how to control these things. But orphans don’t have anyone to teach them, so the OPSB takes care of them and teaches them.”
I smile, trying to imagine Leon as a kid, with fluffy ears and a bushy tail. Somehow, the image fits him very well. I giggle.
He blushes slightly and gives me a sheepish smile, seeming to guess what I’d just imagined. “Anyway, when someone is in training to join the Organization, they’re usually assigned a task like watching one or two of those kids for a short time.”
“So, sort of like babysitting?”
“Yeah. They are usually cooped up inside for long periods of time, so the people assigned to look after them usually take them out to visit a park or something.”
“So,” I say. “Where did Demetrius take them?”
“That group went to San Myshuno’s Central Park.”
I tilt my head. “You mentioned San Myshuno before, but I don’t how to get there.”
“Here.” He turns slightly and reaches behind him, picking up something off the counter. I realize it’s a cellphone, similar to the one Raine used to call him last night. He places it in my hand. “You can use my cellphone’s GPS to get there. You can also borrow it for the time being until we get you your own.”
I listen quietly as he explains how to use the phone to me and nod vigorously whenever he asks if I understand something. He shows me how to use the GPS to navigate to the park he mentioned, and shows me the address for here so I can find my way back.
My excitement builds again as the voice from the GPS chirps at me.
“Thank you so much, Leon!” I quickly turn to bolt down the hall to the front door.
“Ah, wait just a second, Luna!” he calls after me. I stop and peek back around the archway.
“Just a word of caution,” he says. “There’s some unrest in the supernatural community currently, so please be careful out there.”
I shift on my feet. “What kind of unrest?”
Leon scratches the back of his neck. “I can’t say for certain, but there’s a lot of tension right now, and it just seems to get thicker the more time passes. Something’s coming. Something big.”
“Alright, I’ll be careful,” I answer, beginning to head for the door again.
“Also be wary of who you trust. Use your secondary sight to check people before you interact with them.”
I halt and pivot back around to look at him. “My what now?”
“Your secondary sight.” Leon stares at me. “You don’t know? From what I understand, it’s something all Sixamians are born with.”
I stare at him, confusion written all over my face. “What is it?”
“When you look at someone, you should be able to tell what they are, or at least that they’re different, without seeing the usual signs.”
“Different, how?”
“As in not human. When you see someone, try focusing on them and your brain should give you some sign of what they are. Try it on me.”
I do as Leon says and focus all my attention on him. Slowly, a ghostly image appears, floating a little in front of him. It starts as the silhouette of a man and slowly morphs into a wolf. The wolf turns glowing eyes on me and I gasp. My focus breaks and I’m staring into Leon’s golden eyes, the same ones the wolf had.
“That is so strange,” I breathe.
“It’s certainly not a skill most people possess. The only ones I’ve heard of having that skill are those of you from Sixam, and the elves.” The coffee maker suddenly beeps, and Leon strides over to turn it off, removing his mug. He returns to lean against the counter, holding the warm mug between his palms and staring into its steamy contents. “I don’t understand, though. Why didn’t you know about it? As someone from Sixam, aren’t you taught how to use it when you’re little? Raine said it’s like a survival instinct you guys developed to protect yourselves here on Earth.”
I glance down at Leon’s phone clutched in my hand as this info sinks in. Realization slowly begins to dawn on me.
“Because my father and grandfather never intended for me to leave Sixam,” I say. “What use would there be in knowing something that would keep me safe on Earth, if I were never allowed to go in the first place?”
All those times I’d gushed about Earth, they’d smiled at me and promptly shared looks with each other when they thought I wasn’t looking. Looks I didn’t understand at the time, but now do. They never intended to let me go to Earth.
Raine seems to have explained my situation to Leon a little more, because he doesn’t question me. He just gives me a sympathetic glance.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I say, plastering on a bright smile. “They can’t very well stop me now, since I’m already here. Thanks for letting me borrow your phone, Leon. I’ll be careful.”
I turn and head out into the hall. As I step outside, I let the morning sunlight wash over me. It feels nice and warm, and I let it wash away my bitter feelings of anger and betrayal towards my father and grandfather. In their place, I feel bubbling excitement and anticipation.
I'm going to see Demetrius today.
I look down at the phone. San Myshuno is five miles from here, so Leon made sure to direct me to the nearest bus stop. I see it marked on the GPS, up the road a little ways from here.
A smile curls across my face. I take a deep breath…
…And start running.
~•*°*•*°*•~
Leon takes a sip of his coffee as Raine pads barefoot into the kitchen, stifling a yawn. All he wears is a pair of black sweatpants that hang low on his hips.
“So how’d the call to your dad go?” Leon asks.
“He was angry, of course,” Raine says, slowly rolling his neck. “He yelled at me to bring my sister back and threatened to disown me. So I explained to him that this whole situation of Luna’s engagement doesn’t help anyone. The civil unrest of the Zones won’t be solved by an arranged marriage and my sister would no longer have any freedom.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that if I didn’t bring her back, then he’d come get her himself.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said, ‘Your relationship with Luna is already strained and to be frank, I don’t think she trusts you anymore. If you drag her back to Sixam to marry Orion, she will more than likely hate you for the rest of her life.’”
Leon taps lightly on his mug. “Isn’t that a little harsh?”
“At this point? I think he deserves it. Ever since our mother passed away, he’s been pretty tough on us kids, especially Luna. He always pushed us to do things that he claimed would’ve made our mother proud. But there is no way I could see her being happy about Luna getting stuck in an arranged marriage.”
“So did he back off, then?” Leon asks.
“Yeah, I think he finally began to realize what he was doing,” Raine says, stepping up to stand directly in front of Leon, placing his hands on either side of his boyfriend’s face. “I just hope this whole situation causes him and Grandfather to seriously rethink how they’ve been doing things.”
“I hope so too,” Leon says, gazing down at the mug in his hands. He lifts it to his lips and takes a sip, closing his eyes and savoring the warmth sliding down his throat. He opens his eyes as he continues to drink his coffee, and he meets Raine’s stare over the rim of the mug. Leon arches an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“How’s the coffee?” Raine asks.
“It’s good. If you’d like, I can make you a cup.” Leon places his own mug on the counter behind him. He moves to step around the counter to the coffee maker, but Raine pulls him back. He places his hands firmly on Leon’s hips and pulls him close. His lips curl into a secretive smile as Leon tilts his head back to look up at him.
“I think I’d like a taste first,” Raine says.
He leans in and captures Leon’s lips with his own.
Raine watches as Leon’s eyes close as he pushes gently against Leon’s lips with his tongue. Leon obliges and parts them, allowing their tongues to connect. He leans against Raine, their bodies pressed tightly to each other.
Leon shifts, and Raine digs his fingers into his hips, pulling his boyfriend closer. A slight shiver goes through Leon’s body as they brush against each other.
Raine pulls back, breathless and smiling. Leon’s eyes are half-lidded and glazed over as he pants for breath.
“You’re right. The coffee does taste good.” Raine lifts Leon off his feet and sits him on the counter. He steps up to him and brushes his lips down Leon’s neck, leaving a trail of kisses that have Leon quivering and gasping.
Raine looks up at Leon's flushed face and smirks. “But I’d have to say, that you taste much better.”
~•*°*•*°*•~
San Myshuno, Central Park
“I’m king of the world!” cries the boy in pink from the top of the tree.
“I’ll steal your throne soon, oh mighty king,” cackles the pink-haired boy dressed all in black.
“I’d like to see you try, stupid Ryuji.”
“Who you callin’ stupid, stupid Christian?!” Ryuji shoots back, wiggling his way across the tree branch. Christian dances further away across the branch, snickering.
“Honestly, Ryuji,” says the blond boy below him. “You always let him egg you on. You really are stupid.”
“Shaddup, Harley!!”
Christian looks over his shoulder and yells to the brown-haired boy on the ground below him. “C’mon, Nao! Don’t be a chicken and get up here!”
Nao tilts his head and purses his lips, studying the tree. “But I don’t like climbing trees. And there’s no branches to grab on to.”
“Oh c’monnn, Nao,” Christian says, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Don’t be such a baby and just get up here!”
“Christian!” the girl in the pink dress calls. “Help me up!”
Christian sticks his tongue out at her. “No girls allowed, Ann!”
Ann shoots him the stink eye and places her hands on her hips. “Christian you big dumb dummy head! I’m gonna tell your brother you’re being mean!”
Christian scoffs. “Whatever. Do what you want.”
Ann whips around to the three teenage boys standing behind her. “Demetrius! Your brother’s being mean again!”
Demetrius doesn’t even turn around as he calls out to his younger brother. “Christian, you’d better knock it off now, or I’m taking you home early.”
“Ann,” Elliot calls. “You shouldn’t be climbing the tree anyway. Mom won’t be happy if you ruin that dress.”
“But Elliot--!” Ann whines.
“No buts,” Elliot scolds his sister. “You’re the one who chose to wear it, and Mom warned you you’d be in trouble if you got it dirty.”
Ann proceeds to pout and plops down with her back against the tree, her arms crossed.
“We were only supposed to be taking Harley and Ryuji to the park for the OPSB,” Elliot says. “Remind me again why our siblings had to come with?”
“Because Nao was worrying himself restless over Eve, so I decided to get him out of the house,” answers Haru. “And when you guys’ siblings found out Nao was going, they wanted to come with.”
Elliot scratches the back of his neck. “How is Eve by the way? Demi’s been really worried about her.”
Haru smiles sadly. “As far as I know, she’s stopped crying. The only time she comes out of her room is to visit the bathroom or sneak some food from the kitchen at night.”
“She still hasn’t told you guys what happened?” Demetrius asks.
Haru shakes his head. “Nope. She hasn’t even said anything to Lilliana, and I can tell it’s driving Lilli crazy. I know it has something to do with Mikhail since she went to go see him that day, but I don’t know what.”
“You think he said something to her?” Elliot wonders.
“I don’t know, but whatever he did, it was enough to reduce my normally stoic little sister to tears.” Haru curls his hand into a fist and stares at it with a conflicted expression. “I wanna punch him in the face for that, but I also just want to ask why and what happened. I only talked to him briefly over the phone before, but from what Lilliana has said, he’s the type of guy who’d rather allow himself to be hurt than to hurt others.”
Haru sighs. “Plus, there’s also the fact that this is Eve we’re talking about. What could’ve happened that caused her to end up like this?”
The boys stare at the ground quietly.
“Do you think,” Demetrius says, causing Haru and Elliot to look up at him. “Maybe Eve is in love with Mikhail?”
Elliot nods slowly. “If that’s true, then maybe he rejected her.”
Haru’s face takes on a dark look. “That would certainly explain how miserable she seems to be.”
“So then it’s true?” Elliot asks. “You guys are only able to fall in love once?”
Haru nods.
Elliot shakes his head. “Man, what kind of curse is that? Who’s the asshole that would do something like that?”
Haru shrugs his shoulders. “Who knows? It’s been part of our blood for generations. Not even the elves or the vampires know what caused it.”
A breeze dances through the trees and Demetrius looks up as it rustles the leaves. Haru watches him.
“What made you think it was love?” he asks.
Demetrius looks back at him. “What else could it have been?”
Haru taps his chin. “True... But it’s strange to hear you mention love. You’ve never given any thought to love before. What changed?”
Demetrius’s mind immediately flashes to the face of a girl he hasn’t seen in several months. The only girl that he’s ever felt anything more than friendship for.
But then he remembers Ronan saying that the people of Sixam are forbidden from having romantic relationships with someone from Earth.
He quickly shoves the memory of her away, knowing it isn’t possible to be with her. Besides, it’s not like she could possibly feel anything like that for him, right? She’s probably forgotten all about him by now.
“Nothing,” he says after a moment. He realizes quickly he took too long to answer based on the grins that now begin to spread across Haru and Elliot’s faces.
“Oh~? ‘Nothing,’ huh~?” Haru muses. “Don’t you mean ‘no one?’”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Demetrius mutters.
Elliot plays along with Haru. “Oh, but I think you do know. So? You gonna tell us who the lucky lady is, Demetrius?”
“Th-There’s no such person.” Demetrius is no longer making eye contact.
“A likely story~!” Haru says. He and Elliot step forward with those knowing grins. Demetrius steps back.
“Tell us, DemDem,” Haru hums. “What’s her name~?”
~•*°*•*°*•~
Luna’s P.O.V.
After much trial and error, I somehow make it to the Central Park in San Myshuno. On the bus ride here, I kept moving to get off every time the bus stopped. Eventually, the bus driver, likely irritated with me, told me he’d let me know when we arrived. Which he did, and he seemed to be glad to finally be rid of me.
I wander the park, peeking around corners and through bushes, hoping to catch some sign of Demetrius. Though I have yet to find him.
I sigh, feeling disheartened.
Maybe Leon got it wrong…
As I trudge along, I hear children’s laughter ahead of me. I look up, and sure enough there are some kids playing in a tree. The one little girl sits on the ground glaring up at the boy in pink, while he just sticks his tongue out at her.
Knowing they couldn’t be here alone, I scan off to the right of the kids.
And stop in my tracks.
Three guys are talking on the path in front of me. I don’t recognize the two whose faces I can see.
But I know the one whose face I can’t see. All I can see is his back, but I’d recognize him anywhere.
Demetrius.
A warm, fuzzy feeling begins to build in my chest and there are butterflies in my stomach. There’s a smile on my face and I blink as happy tears fill my eyes. I quickly brush them away and take a deep breath.
I begin walking again, heading right towards Demetrius. As I continue, my pace quickens, and I find myself running to him.
As I approach, I hear his friend with the brown hair ask him a question, but I’m too focused on Demetrius’s back to pay attention.
“Demetrius!” I call.
As if in slow motion, I see his head turn to look behind him. I watch his eyes go wide as he recognizes me right as I collide against him, wrapping my arms around him.
“Demetrius…!” I cry, my voice muffled due to my face being pressed against his back. “I missed you so much…!”
“L-Luna…?” he stammers. “Is it really you…?”
I squeeze my arms around him tighter. “Of course it’s me, you goof! How many Sixam girls do you know?”
He laughs sheepishly. “You’re the only one. But… What are you doing here? I mean… How are you here?”
“I came here through the Gateway with my older brother, just like how you got to Sixam before.”
“Ah, I guess the Gateway makes sense--” Demetrius’s voice trails off.
I raise my head to look at him and see a small blush coloring his cheeks. He’s looking at his friends.
The boy with headphones around his neck chuckles. “So Demetrius likes the forbidden ones, eh?”
The one with brown hair smirks behind the finger he holds to his lips. “Ehhh… DemDem, won’t you introduce us to your lovely lady friend~?”
I tilt my head. “‘DemDem?’ What’s that?”
Demetrius sighs. “It’s my childhood nickname. Because Haru couldn’t pronounce Demetrius, he just called me DemDem.”
The boy with red hair grins. “But for the longest time, Haru couldn’t even pronounce that, so he always called Demetrius ‘DumDum.’”
“That’s because Demetrius was a DumDum,” says the boy with brown hair, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “Anyways! Demetrius! Introductions! Now!”
I let go of Demetrius and we both turn to his friends.
Demetrius gestures to them. “Luna, these two are my best friends, Haru Seiryuu and Elliot Wilsonoff. Guys, this is Luna Chiron. I met her when Ronan, Alex, and I went to Sixam a few months back.”
“Wait, you mean that time when you went to Sixam and made Alex late for our date?” Haru tilts his head and arches his eyebrow.
Demetrius rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah.”
“I still need to kick your ass for that.”
“Damn it.”
I giggle and glance at Elliot. He’s staring at me with intense curiosity. Demetrius seems to notice as well.
“What is it, Elliot?” he asks.
Elliot scratches his cheek and shakes his head. “Sorry, it’s just… You remind me a lot of Demi for some reason.”
I glance at Demetrius. “Demi is…?”
“You remember Ronan, one of the guys who came with me to Sixam?” I nod. “Demi is his twin sister. And Elliot’s girlfriend.”
I look back at Elliot. “I remind you of your girlfriend? How?”
The guys exchange looks. The kind of looks that mean they’re debating whether they should tell me something. Then it clicks when I remember Ronan’s blue hair.
“She’s from Sixam, isn’t she?” I ask.
Elliot’s eyes go wide, but he shakes his head. “She isn’t. But… Her dad is.”
That would explain his hesitation. His girlfriend’s father is a Sixamian that broke the ‘No Intimate Relations with Earthlings’ law.
There is a look of worry in Elliot’s eyes. “You’re not going too…”
Now my eyes go wide. “No, I wouldn’t report them! I wouldn’t even be here if I still cared about that law. Hell, I just found out yesterday that my older brother has been seeing someone from Earth.”
Elliot heaves a sigh of relief. Haru grins.
“And I’m guessing you also just found out he’s gay, right?” he chuckles.
I stare at him. “How did you--?!”
“I’ve got a seventh sense for this kind of thing,” he declares, puffing out his chest with pride.
Demetrius rolls his eyes. “Seventh sense? What happened to the sixth?”
“My sixth sense is being able to locate where Alex is at all times. Like, right now he’s currently at home, sleeping. Here, I’ve got a picture of his sleeping face on my phone…” Haru begins digging in his pocket.
“Haru, you seriously sound like a stalker right now.” Elliot facepalms.
“Zip it, Wilsonoff,” Haru says. “I don’t wanna hear that from you, when you gazed after Demi from a distance for so long before she finally asked you out.”
Elliot throws a punch at him, his face turning red from embarrassment, but Haru dodges out of the way, grinning. He’s got his phone in his hand, and I watch as a flash goes off.
“Oooh that’s a good shot~!” Haru snickers. “Your blushing face is so clear. I think I’ll send that one to Demi~”
Elliot’s face becomes even redder as he reaches for the phone. Haru dances away, and soon Elliot is chasing Haru, trying to get the phone.
I giggle at their theatrical display. Demetrius glances over at me and offers a sheepish smile.
“Sorry about them,” he says. “They can’t really stay serious for very long. Or at least, Haru can’t.”
“That’s alright.” I smile back at him. “My two best friends are the same way.” In fact, this seems exactly like something Nayeli would do to Regan.
We both stand awkwardly watching Elliot chase Haru around the tree the kids are playing on. I fidget nervously before finally sliding over and quickly wrapping my arms around him again.
He jumps slightly when he feels my arms wrap around him and he turns his head to look at me in surprise. I rest my chin on his shoulder and smile happily.
“I really missed you, Demetrius,” I say.
He smiles shyly, that little blush rising in his cheeks again. “I missed you, too. I’m really happy you’re here. To be honest, I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”
“I don’t think I could ever forget about you,” I laugh.
He glances away, that blush steadily creeping across his face. “I would never forget you, either.”
Oh lord, help me. I think I’m really falling for this boy.
~•*°*•*°*•~
????’s P.O.V.
I wake to the sound of my phone going off. I recognize the ringtone and choose to let it continue ringing. I stare blearily at the sky above me for a moment before I close my eyes again, wishing to slip back into the park nap I’d just been enjoying.
My phone rings again. I don’t even bother opening my eyes this time. It stops ringing.
I wait for a moment before sighing contentedly. I slowly begin to sink back into my nap.
It rings once again.
Irritated, I yank it out of my pocket and put it to my ear.
“What, Elena?” I growl.
“Someone’s moody today. You’re napping in the park again, aren’t you,” says the voice on the other end of the line.
“I was enjoying a nice nap, yes.”
“Why don’t you sleep in your own bed?”
“Just get to the reason you called before I hang up.”
Elena sighs. “Why does it seem like the only sibling that doesn’t hate me right now is Amari?”
Way to lay on the guilt trip, sis.
I rub my eyes. “Sorry, sis. I just didn’t get much sleep last night. What did you call me for?”
“It’s been decided what to do about Araceli.”
“It’s about damn time,” I say. “I’ve gotten sick of trying to tell her to stop. She doesn’t listen anymore. She claims to love Mikhail, but she’s got a funny way of showing it. So? What’s the verdict?”
“Zion is going to be staying with you guys at the house for a while and will be watching over Araceli.”
I blink. “Zion. Zion Voss. The kid we grew up with. The crybaby that Araceli used to pick on until he cried. That Zion?”
“Yes, that Zion. He’s not a crybaby anymore. In fact, I think he could really set Araceli back on the right track.”
“Sis, she’s made four girls disappear and it sounds like she’s planning a fifth. Amari hasn’t even been able to convince her to stop. Do you really think Zion can bring her back to the straight and narrow?”
“As her siblings, we have to have faith that she’ll come to her senses,” Elena says. She sounds tired. “And I think if anyone can get her to stop, it’s Zion.”
I place my arm over my eyes. “How’s the concert prep going?”
“It’s going good,” she says, sounding a little surprised I asked. “Aliya is currently rehearsing her solo. Daria is gonna be out doing some modeling work later this week, so we’re getting in as much practice as we can.”
“How are the guys?”
“Goofing off.” I hear a crash and then a pair of male voices laughing in the background. Elena’s voice sounds a little distant as she yells at someone on the other end. “Oi! Raiden! Theo! You’re distracting Aliya! Knock it off before I find people to replace you! Xander, please go stop them.”
“What was that?”
“You don’t wanna know. Honestly, if they weren’t so serious about our music, I’d kick them.”
I snicker. “I doubt it. The five of you have been friends for years. It’d take a lot for you to just drop them.”
“I suppose that’s true,” she agrees. “Anyways, I just called to update you on the situation. I really need to get back to practice.”
“Alright,” I say. “Take care, sis.”
“You too, Deon.” Before she hangs up, I hear her yelling again. “Theo, if you break that speaker, so help me--!”
I grin as I hang up and put the phone back in my pocket. My arm still lays across my eyes and my grin slowly fades as I think about what my sister said.
Can Zion really stop Araceli before she reaches the point of no return?
I wonder on this as a small shadow falls across my face.
“Hey mister, why are you sleeping here?”
My arm slides off my face and I open my eyes. A little boy leans over me. He kneels just above my head and as I watch, he tilts his own head, his brown hair swaying slightly as he stares at me with curiosity.
My mouth drops open as I look at him. I didn’t even hear him approach.
His blue eyes go wide in wonder. I realize he’s likely looking at the fangs in my mouth. He points at them.
“Hey mister, your teeth are so cool!” he says. “Are you a vampire?”
I stare at him. There’s no trace of fear in his eyes, just wonder and curiosity.
“You have no sense of danger, do you kid?” I ask.
He stares at me, confused. “But I don’t think you’re dangerous. And my family always tells me I’m a pretty good judge of… ‘carrots?’”
I raise an eyebrow. “‘Character?’”
His entire face lights up in a brilliant smile. “Yes! I’m a good judge of ‘character!’ My name’s Nao! What’s yours?”
I don’t know if it’s that smile he gave me or his honest personality, but I find myself answering him. “Deon.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Deon!”
I sit up and turn so I’m leaning against the tree I was previously napping by. To my surprise, Nao crawls around and plops down next to me. He pulls his legs up to his chest and looks up at me.
“Hey Deon, why did you look so sad just now?” he asks.
“Huh?”
“Before I talked to you, you had a sad look on your face,” Nao says, leaning forward. “Why? Were you thinking of something sad?”
I’m not even sure why I’m talking to this kid, but something in his expression makes me answer.
“I was thinking of my little sister,” I admit.
“Your sister?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Araceli, and she’s done some bad things. I’m worried what effects her actions are causing, but she won’t listen.”
“Are her actions hurting people?” Nao asks.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Nao looks at his knees. “Maybe… she’s lonely.”
I stare at him. “Lonely? What makes you say that?”
He taps his feet together. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have in my tummy.”
He rests his chin on his arms over his knees, a sad look rising in his eyes.
Seeing that look, I can’t help but ask. “What’s your sad look for?”
“When you mentioned your sister, I started thinking of my big sis,” he says, staring at his feet. “She seems really lonely. She’s been really sad and crying a lot, and I don’t know why. I want to help her, but I’m just a kid and she’d probably think I’m being a pain.”
I stare at him. This kid is definitely a few years younger than me, but he sounds more mature than most kids my age.
He looks like he’s about to cry himself, though. Before I can rethink it, I place my hand on his head and gently ruffle his hair. He looks up at me with dewy eyes.
“I don’t think she’d think you’re a pain,” I say, offering him a warm smile. “I’m sure she appreciates you worrying about her. It sounds like maybe she just needs some time, though. So try to be patient with her.”
He sniffles. “So I gotta wait?”
I nod. Nao takes a deep breath and smiles at me.
“Okay,” he says.
I ruffle his hair again and stand up. He stands up as well and grabs the bottom of my shirt.
“Hey Deon, do you wanna be my friend?” he asks. It’s like his earlier sadness has been forgotten.
I look at him. “Why do you wanna be friends with me? Surely you’ve got friends who’re much more fun to be around. I’m rather boring in comparison.”
He puffs out his cheeks and there’s a determined look in his eye.
“I don’t think you’re boring,” he says. “I wanna be friends with you. Can I come talk with you again?”
I think about it for a moment. I know that I should probably tell him no.
“Naooo!” I hear someone call for him around the tree.
“You should probably go,” I tell him. I begin to turn away.
Nao’s cheeks puff out again and he wraps his arms around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
I stare at him in surprise. “Nao--”
“Not until you agree to be my friend,” he says, his mouth a determined frown.
Based on his grip around my waist, he likely won’t let go until I’ve said yes. I sigh, but I also feel kind of happy.
A part of me wants to be his friend, but another is wary because I’m bad at keeping friends. And even with only this short interaction with Nao, I’m already afraid of hurting him.
“Naooo!” the voice calls again, closer this time. His grip around my waist tightens.
“Alright,” I finally say.
He looks up at me, his face lighting up again.
“Really?!” he asks, his eyes practically sparkling. “You’ll really be my friend?!”
I can’t help it. I laugh. “Yes, really.”
He loosens his grip and pulls his arms away. There’s a huge smile on his face.
I hold up my finger. “On one condition, though.”
He nods his head excitedly.
I poke him in the forehead. “You gotta promise to be more careful when approaching someone from now on. I may not have been dangerous, but I can’t say the same for others. Be more cautious, okay?”
He puts his hands over his forehead and bobs his head up and down enthusiastically. “I promise!”
I grin. “Then I guess that makes us friends, now.”
Nao smiles happily. The voice calls for him again, sounding a little more worried than before.
“My brother’s calling me,” he says, glancing over his shoulder. “I’d better go.”
He turns to go, but turns and waves at me. I wave back and he disappears around the tree. I let my hand fall back to my side.
“Friends, huh,” I say to myself. I smile.
I guess it would be nice to have a friend again.
~•*°*•*°*•~
Please grow up soon, Nao.
When did I make it so Deon has no friends like wow I’m a terrible person.
Anyways~! This will be the last chapter focusing on Luna & Demetrius for a while. From here, we will be returning to see how some of the other characters are doing, as well as meeting new ones.
The next couple chapters will be focusing on entirely new characters, but they play important roles in the lives of some of the characters you haven’t seen in a while.
I hope you look forward to meeting them!
~•*°*•*°*•~
No comments:
Post a Comment