CHAPTER 12
*PAST*
“8 YEARS LATER”
Aaron
“Aaron, go to sleep!”
Cassie screamed from her room with Evelyn.
“Yeah! Your lights aren’t letting me sleep!”
Carlo said.
“Okay, I heard you,”
I replied, rising from my chair to close my door. I preferred studying with the door open. I was used to the noise and so much silence didn’t help me focus. Before I could close the door, Cassie was in front of me with her hair in some sort of hairdo and her pink, flowery nightgown on.
“To sleep, Aaron. Not to pull another all-nighter like the last couple of weeks.”
“I need to finish some homework.”
“You had all day to do it.”
I sigh. “I was busy with the chess team, then I had a reunion with the debate one and I spent hours with—”
My sister looked back at me with one eyebrow raised.
“Maybe you should have not signed up for every possible extracurricular activity.”
“Oh, come on. It’s just busy now, but I’m doing amazing.”
“I know! You have a perfect score, and sleeping a couple of hours isn’t going to ruin it.”
I walked right into that one.
“Fine, I’m going to sleep now.”
I’ll just wake up earlier tomorrow. I raised my hands, signaling defeat.
“I hope for your own good you’re not lying.”
I almost rolled my eyes at her. Her eyes narrowed to slits.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, my lovely little sister.”
“Maya and you are going to take me to an early grave,”
she muttered under her breath. The name of my academic rival made my heart skip a beat. I cleared my throat.
“You’re fourteen, Cassie.”
“Almost fifteen.”
“Right, I promise to go to bed now. Goodnight, kid. Goodnight, everybody!”
“Night, Aaron.”
She hugged me sideways and left back to her room.
I closed my door and followed my sister’s advice. I laid on my bed and looked at the ceiling until my eyes were dry.
The moonlight entered from my window, the house was silent, and my mind was running very fast.
I kept repeating the project that I had to present tomorrow in class.
Maya appeared in my mind, with her smart eyes and little smirk, raising her eyebrow, daring me to do it better than her. To show her I was at her level.
I’m sure she had a long list of questions to ask about my project, little details or facts that only the best of the field knew, all so I embarrassed myself in front of our class.
Bring it on, Amery.
I had searched all the possible questions, all the little quirks and fun facts that I could find, and memorized all of them.
I had become an expert.
I smiled at the ceiling. She would have a hard time tomorrow making me sweat.
I felt my cheeks in flames and I couldn’t stop thinking of her face. Her pretty lips, almost always in a stubborn line. It was so hard to make her smile. The black nail polish she used very often, adorning her capable hands. Her voice, soft but demanding. The way her mouth moved while she called me Willow.
I sighed. I refused to give my fantasies a release when I had a long day tomorrow looking at the main character of them again.
Frustrated and hot, I closed my eyes and turned around.
It was going to be a long, long night.
***
I woke up less cheerful than usual, even though I considered myself a morning person. The kitchen’s noise wasn’t helping with my headache, but I was so used to the chaotic morning rituals of my family that a slight annoyance for me because of the headache would be a nightmare for a normal person.
How are mornings in the Amerys’ home? I wondered for the millionth time.
Does she even sleep? Does she ever wake up with a headache, or is it just for us mortals?
“Good morning,”
I said to my family.
My dad was putting some toast on the table, while little Ayla was in his arms, playing with his beard and making adorable noises.
I smiled at her and she threw her arms at me. I grabbed her and played with her, tossing her into the air and catching her.
My little brother, Henry, hugged my leg with more strength than a three-year-old should have. He smiled at me from the ground and I picked him up, kissing his temple while he was making funny faces at Ayla.
“Good morning, Henry.”
“Morning!”
he replied cheerfully.
The main door opened and closed strongly, and a running Lizzy with her chubby pink cheeks and two big blonde ponytails appeared in the kitchen. She looked at the empty chair of Henry and frowned. Without saying a word, she crouched and looked under the seat. Henry made a sound of protest, and I lowered him to the ground. He came barreling to Lizzy.
“Henry, careful!”
I screamed. He stopped short of Lizzy, his best friend, and looked down at her with a big smile.
“I’m here!”
he said matter-of-factly. Lizzy smiled at him and jumped, making both of them fall to the ground, their laughs echoing in the kitchen.
Ayla started to jump in my hands and applaud while looking at the pair of kids laughing on the ground.
My mom got close to them and tried to pull them apart and onto their feet, but they were too busy hugging while laughing hysterically, like they couldn’t believe they had found each other.
Lizzie’s dad came to the kitchen, shaking his head with a smile.
“Elizabeth, did you even say hello? Or even knock on the door?”
“It’s been too long for pleasantries,”
my dad joked. “A whole night.”
“That’s an eternity for a three-year-old.”
Everyone started to eat breakfast. I was eating my toast with peach jam and a big cup of coffee while making sure Ayla was eating her strawberries without any problem.
“What’s planned for today?”
Mom asked. Cassie raised her hand. “Yes, Cassie. “What’s exciting for today?”
“I’m almost finished with the collection. I just have to add some details and all the sketches will be ready.”
“That’s wonderful, baby! Are you proud of yourself?”
“I am. I’m so excited to show you.”
“What’s this collection’s theme, Cassie?”
Lizzie’s dad asked.
“Under the Sea—mostly clothes that I think sirens would wear.”
He nodded curiously.
“Sounds fantastic. I loved the one that you made inspired by old TV shows.”
“Whenever you’re ready, show us,”
my dad replied proudly. “What about you, Evie?”
She raised and lowered her shoulders.
“I finished the saga that I was reading.”
“Awesome. Carlo, you were reading it, too, right?”
“Yes,”
my brother said. My dad kept looking at him to elaborate. Carlo looked back with his head tilted. “Oh, you want me to keep talking?”
“Yes, I would like to know more, and good job for being able to translate my expression.”
“Yeah, yeah, but you could just say it. I don’t like it much, but I’ll finish the saga.”
Dad nodded, knowing that Carlo didn’t like leaving things unfinished.
“Aaron?”
my mom called. I looked at her a moment to acknowledge her and then back to Ayla, who was making funny faces while eating. After five younger siblings, I had learnt that they could choke in less than a second.
“I have to present a project.”
“He makes it sound like it’s not a big deal, but he hardly sleeps because he is studying, Mom,”
Cassie said.
“Aaron, your sister is right. It’s very important to be well-rested.”
“I am.”
“Seems like you spent the night turning around.”
A small reminder of my fantasies invaded my mind and I tried to avoid blushing.
Ayla tried to mimic the little noise I made.
“I always tell Maya the same,”
Cassie declared. I looked at her. She was eating a blueberry muffin and was leaving crumbs everywhere. My mom nodded.
“You’re doing well at reminding her,”
Mom praised. Cassie beamed. “Is she coming today?”
Cassie nodded.
“I need help with my math exam.”
I’m sure Maya thinks I must be a terrible teacher when even my own siblings prefer her to help them with their studies. The group that I help in our Academy has improved significantly since I joined it.
Loud laughter made me look from Ayla to Henry and Lizzie. They were laughing so hard that I was scared they would fall out of their chairs. These two … Attached to the hip since days after being born.
Lizzie’s dad told them it was time to go to kindergarten, and they left saying goodbye with their tiny hands.
I kissed Ayla on the cheek and passed her to Mom, who started to tickle her.
I got ready and waited for my siblings downstairs, cleaning the kitchen.
“We’re ready, Aaron,”
Evie said, and after washing my hands and grabbing my bag, we left in my car.
The Darlington Academy was in front of us less than fifteen minutes later. Its imposing architecture and the cloudy weather made it look like the perfect place to compete with your academic rival. I smiled.
We entered the Academy and I watched as my siblings left for their own classes. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around.
“Here you are!”
Christine said. “Thank Destiny that I found you. I still get lost in these hallways. I can’t believe how little this place has changed and how much I have forgotten it. I taught you in my last year here how to get to class, and now you’re the one helping me.”
I forced a smile. “I brought some coffee.”
She handed me a plastic cup. “Skim milk, right?”
I actually didn’t drink milk. I just said thanks, not knowing how to avoid drinking it. It would be rude after she had gone out of her way to bring me something.
Someone knocked into my side, and the coffee fell to the ground, luckily without spilling over me.
Before looking up, I knew who was the responsible. Her jasmine scent was unmistakable.
“Maya, look where you’re going! You just ruined Aaron’s coffee.”
“My bad. Maybe next time don’t stop in the middle of the hallway to flirt, Willow,”
Maya replied with her back to us. I kept looking until her long, brown hair, beaten-up leather jacket, and long legs with combat boots were out of sight.
“The nerve of that girl! Are you alright, Aaron?”
“Yes, it’s okay. Thanks for the coffee. Let me know how much I owe you.”
“Oh no, it’s a gift.”
I kept looking down the hallway like Maya was going to appear again. “If you insist, you can always invite me for some coffee. I heard there’s a new special flavor at the cafe.”
Christine put herself in front of me, getting in my way of looking down the hallway.
“Earth to Aaron! Did you hear me?”
I was saved from responding when my classmates appeared.
“Aaron, I need your help. Can you teach me math at lunchtime? I heard there’s going to be a surprise test and I don’t know anything.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I forced a smile. Another lunch that I had to spend teaching instead of going to one of my clubs’ activities.
“I owe you,”
he said, sprinting away, and we all went to class.
When we entered, Maya was already seated in her usual place.
I narrowed my eyes at her, and she removed her eyes from me, like I was nothing more than a fly in her vicinity.
“Aaron, James told me you’re helping him with math. Can I join, too?”
another one of our classmates asked.
“Sure.”
“Cool,”
he replied, and I felt Maya’s gaze on my face.
“What, Amery?”
I asked while opening my history book.
“Nothing, Willow. Just another day where you don’t play chess or join the debate team for lunch. You’re slacking. This is not the behavior of a leader. Maybe you should resign.”
I laughed humorlessly.
“That’s what you would like, Amery, but I was the one chosen.”
“Just because people voted for you, doesn’t mean you’re the right candidate. How many times have we studied about all those mean, cruel, useless leaders?”
“It sounds like what a sore loser would say, Amery.”
“I don’t care, except when I’m the one that has to pick up your slack.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“You don’t have your hands tied, Willow. Say no. Do you even know how to say the word? N-O. You should try sometimes.”
“They think we’ll have a surprise test later. They’ll fail it if I don’t help them.”
“A pity. Maybe it would make them study earlier next time.”
“Didn’t you help Cassie the other day when she was stressed at lunchtime and made you miss our chess play?”
“Completely different.”
“Why?”
The teacher entered the room and started her lesson.
“Yes, Maya?”
answered the teacher after seeing her with her hand raised.
“Why we have two different dates for the beginning of the downfall. Why is that?”
“Good question. Did anyone read the book that I mentioned last Monday?”
“I did,”
I replied.
“Anyone else?”
the teacher asked. A couple of my classmates raised her hands, and the teacher sighed. “I need to see more hands up. Always the same are the only ones interested in what I’m saying. Wait, you didn’t, Maya?”
The class started whispering behind me.
“I forgot,”
Maya said with her head raised.
The teacher looked at her shocked, then to the ground with a frown, like the ground was going to collapse below her. Someone whistled. Maya rolled her eyes, but her shoulders were tense.
The teacher started to talk, then stopped and looked at Maya again. “Well, we can do a little summary. Christine, do you want to explain to the class what it was about?”
Christine started talking and Maya took some notes. When she finished and the teacher turned, I got closer to Maya and whispered, “Who’s the one slacking now?”
“Funny, I’m just following your lead. Turns out you’re a great role model.”
“Aaron, Maya, something to share with the class?”
I looked at the teacher and she just raised her eyebrows, looking between Maya and me. I looked back at Maya and realized how close our faces were. The class was silent, and I felt my cheeks getting warmer.
I looked back at Maya, but she seemed unfazed. It was hard to make Maya Amery blush.
The class continued, and when it was lunchtime, a small group followed me to a study table in a quieter place. I needed to explain it to more people than I was used to, in a fast and efficient way, so they would have a bigger chance to pass the supposed surprise exam.
After almost spending my entire break teaching math, my sandwich was intact. My stomach made a protest sound.
Maya and our chess team passed in front of us and she raised her brows. I loved spending lunchtime playing chess. I sighed. It was what it was.
When we came back to class, they kept asking me questions. My head was in pain and I just needed some peace and quiet, but a loud laugh entered the room.
Nick was grabbing Maya by the shoulders and laughing.
“You destroyed him, Maya,”
he said, our whole chess team behind talking about how unbelievably good the play Maya did was.
“The alum has surpassed the teacher,”
Nick said while moving his arms up and down, like he was praying her. A goddess.
No way Maya won against our teacher and I didn’t see it. Maya was just smiling without talking until she found my eyes on her.
“Hey, Willow, how was teaching?”
she asked smugly.
“Aaron, you should have seen the game between Mr. Black and Maya!”
***
I got out of class after a long day at The Academy, feeling more than ever the weight of my backpack.
How many books did I bring today?
A huddle was forming in the parking lot, whispers, loud sighs, and rosy cheeks between the attendants.
A very known figure was next to his motorcycle, my sisters next to him trying to talk with him without any privacy.
What is my brother Niko doing here?
“He’s so hot!”
said someone close to me.
“He looks like a movie star,”
sighed another classmate dreamily.
I rolled my eyes.
“Jealous, Willow?”
a very well-known voice whispered in my ear. I turned back and found her face just inches away from mine. She lifted her eyebrows, waiting for my comeback. It was hard to think when she was so close. “Cat got your tongue?”
she mocked me. I cleared my throat.
“Why would I?”
My voice was raspy.
“Because he has everyone drooling for him.”
Everyone?!
“You think?”
I tried to ask nonchalantly.
“Everyone loves bad boys with motorcycles,”
she said with the curve of her mouth up just a little. “A pity that you could never be a bad boy or ride a motorcycle, don’t you think?”
she asked, daring me to contradict her.
I looked back at Niko. He was putting on his helmet and leaving with security, being effortlessly cool.
Not having to worry if his crush could ever return his feelings.