Chapter 4 A Not-So Starry Night

The sunlight peeking through the curtains, draped over the windows, made me stir in my sleep and my eyes shot up. Immediately, a wave of nausea along with a jolt of headache hit me and I clutched on my temple for my dear life. It seemed as if someone was hammering inside my head constantly. It was unbearable.

     I tried remembering the reason for such aches and nauseousness and then it hit me. The club, the hot arrogant boy, the fight, Taylor.

      Taylor.

     I turned to look where Taylor was sleeping yesterday night and saw her still drifted off into unconsciousness. She looked peaceful, unlike the Taylor I have encountered in the past. But I could see her, she looked conflicted even when asleep. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her temple was creased. She looked like having a hard time. I looked away from her and got out of bed, my head still pounding against my bony cranium. I quietly turned the doorknob not trying to make some noise by slamming the door open or shut, and quickly was out into the hallway. I quietly made my way downstairs not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep, if they had any that is.

     But my plan was soon crumpled as I saw Mark sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen having cereals, without milk that is. He had always liked it that way. Some weird boy he was. Surely. The sound of my footsteps might have got his attention as he looked up from his cereal and raised his brow. Hopefully, he doesn't know anything about Taylor and my rescue mission.

   "So how's Taylor now?" He asks casually as it is the most common thing in the world.

"You knew?!" I half yelled at him and he flinched at the volume and gave me a death glare.

     "Of course I knew. You're not exactly discreet when it comes to sneaking out," he said rolling his eyes while I playfully glared at him. He didn't just go around insulting my sneaking out skills. I know I hadn't snuck out of my house many times, just once or twice when Hailey was upset in order to cheer her up. But that didn't gives him the rights to insult my newly established skills of sneaking out.

    He just bloody laughed when I glared at him. Un-freaking-believable.

     "You know you could have woken me up and I would have accompanied you. But you just went on your little adventure by yourself. I sometimes wonder where did you get this quality of stubbornness," he continued once he stopped laughing as a thoughtful look replaced his playful one.

       "From mom," I replied as I smiled lightly thinking about how stubborn she was. She was by far the most stubborn woman I've ever had the wonders of meeting. She always knew how to get things done the way she wanted them to be.

      Once Mark brought home a girl for dinner, who was to say the least a bitch. She was way too rude and stuck up. My mom didn't like her at all but she tolerated her presence for the sake of Mark. She was rude not only to me but also to my parents. My father didn't let that get to him but my mother was sick of her behavior. So in order to get rid of her from our house, she decided to accidentally on purpose spill the cocktail on her branded pink dress. The girl, embarrassed to say the least left the house being tasted a pill of her own medicine, humiliation. Mark also didn't really like the girl to stop mom from doing something drastic. He was only with her to bed her. Boys.

      "Remember when mom accidentally on purpose spilled cocktail on Tessa's dress because she was being a grade - A bitch to us? That was epic," Mark reminisced chuckling as his eyes looked distant and forlorn. So apparently Mark was also thinking about the same incident as me.

   "How can I forget that? Her face was priceless," I said, joining him, chuckling but soon stopped as the pounding in my head started again. My face contorted in pain as I clutched onto my head for my dear life. Mark noticing this, stood up from his stool and started searching the cabinets for something.

    "What are you searching for?" I asked him but he didn't say anything and continued rummaging through the cabinets until he finally found what he had been looking for. the box where we kept certain tablets and medicines and he fished out some bottle of Advil.

    Oh how smart my brother was!

    Mark held his hand out for me to take the bottle of Advil and just as I was about to take it, he retracted his hand back and glared at me.

    "Next time don't go on rescue missions to save the drunk people by yourself. Call someone over like Hailey or Nick. Anything could have happened. It's way too risky for you to step out of house at such an ungodly hour," he said sternly.

  Geez. So much for trusting me, Mark.

The strict, lecturing Mark is back. That is my brother for you by the way. One moment he is too sweet thinking and reminiscing and the next moment boom! He starts lecturing me.

Un-freaking-believable.

"Yes father," I said as I playfully rolled my eyes at him and snatched the bottle away from him. I quickly made my way to the kitchen and took the medicine after gulping water. I took one bottle from the fridge of water and with the bottle of Advil in my other hand, I quickly started marching towards my room where a hungover Taylor might be grumbling incoherent words. Before I reached the last step, I looked back to see Mark munching back on his cereals while scrolling through his phone. It feels good to know he is not exactly sulking. Not even back to his happy ol' self, but trying to move on. You can't hang on to something that's already happened. We need to get back someday, to our old selves.

With that thought in my mind, I quickly reached my room and knocked a few times. When no one answers, I hesitantly turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. I entered the room and looked to see Taylor still sleeping peacefully. But when I went near the bed, to wake her up, she was already groaning and complaining. Her hands clutching her head as she gently massaged her temples.

I smiled lightly at how normal she looked, almost like a great person. But I know better.

"Here," I say as I reached the bed as she shot up and sat straighter and glanced down at the pills and water bottle I was offering her.

She quickly took it from me and mumbled a small 'thanks'.

"Why are you so good to me?" She asks suddenly after taking her pills and gulping down water. I looked at her with my eyes wide and mouth agape.

"What?" I asked her even when I knew what exactly her question meant.

"Why are you so damn good to me? I have always been rude to you and bullied you at every opportunity I could find. But you are like my 'Knight In Shining Armor' and I'm like the 'Damsel in distress'? You always help me and don't just start with the 'you're my sister crap' because it has more reasons than that," she said as she sighed heavily and then looked at me with hopeful eyes. Hopeful with the idea that I'll tell her the actual reason. And I do. My eyes soften and I give a small smile to which she raises her brow.

"Because I know that you are not a bad person. I know that something bad happened to you in the past, mom told me about it and therefore, she asked me to be by your side always. I'm not going to be a nosy person and pester you about your past. But we can at least be civil? At least for mom?" I asked, this time it was my pair of brown eyes that turned hopeful and she smiled at me, giving a small nod.

"I'm sorry," she blurts out suddenly.

I just smile at her and nod.

"You know you won't face any more bullying from me at school or anywhere. I know how much pain you are going through after Aunt Pat and I don't want you to suffer more. You can count on me for that," she said and just at the moment her phone started ringing and some song I don't recall starts blaring. The song's very obscene. I almost scowl at the taste of her music sense, but quickly recover. Taylor picks up the phone and the person on the other side sounds familiar, I guess it's Aunt Becca.

"Yes mom. I'll be there in a few," she said as she sighed softly and ended the call.

"I've to go," she said frowning slightly. Before I can say anything, she continues -

"Sorry but mom needs me right now. She wants to bring back normalcy in our lives. So she's asking me to drop off Cassidy to her piano classes as she's going to her yoga sessions. You know how much of a fitness freak she is," she said chuckling lightly. I nodded and she stood up from the bed and stretched. Quickly taking her clothes from last night, she entered the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, she had donned her outfit from yesterday.

Well this day turned out to be the reconciliation day for me and Taylor. But I bet she doesn't know the meaning of the word 'reconciliation'.

She said her goodbyes and left the house, leaving me, Mark and dad to our thoughts. Dad also got to know about my 'little rescue mission' but let me go with a warning and a lecture. A small one at that but nonetheless one damn lecture.

Dad said that he wants us all to bring out our best for our family before we leave and embark on different paths, dad embarking on his little business trip to Japan, Mark to Manchester for his college and I to Hailey's. He therefore, for trying his best decided to cook his special recipe for us. He cooked mom's favorite Blueberry Pancakes along with maple syrup. She used to love it. This dish was my dad's family's secret. Been in the kitchen for almost a century. And honestly, it was the only dish that he can cook properly without having set the whole house on fire, so yes we do appreciate his efforts and like always his pancakes are marvelous.

"So when are you leaving?"I asked dad as we all were seated on the chairs of dining table, trying to cease the thick silence. No one wanted to say anything to be honest. We were all too consumed in our own thoughts to say anything and we didn't bother to change the peacefulness. It wasn't some awkward silence, where we couldn't find any words to say, we just didn't have any. Dad cleared his throat.

"Tomorrow morning and that's why I want you to go and pack your belongings today. Spend your day with packing your stuff Cade because you're leaving with me tomorrow morning. I'm going to drop you off to Hailey's,"he said as a thoughtful expression replaced his blank one from earlier. I frowned a little but nodded nonetheless. I quickly turned to Mark and asked him the same question.

"Tonight,"he said frowning and I knew exactly why he was frowning. He didn't want to leave me this quick. He wanted to stay for a few days until I get a little back to normal but he can't. His college is conducting exams from Monday and he has to study for them. Today is Saturday and he needs tomorrow to prepare a little.

"Okay. I'll come with you and dad to the airport," I inform him and my tone serious so that leaves no room for him to argue. He narrows his eyes for a fraction of a second but nods reluctantly when I glare at him.

After having our breakfast that consisted of the heavenly Blueberry Pancakes, we went to our respected rooms in order to pack our stuff. Mark didn't have much stuff to pack as he was here for only two days but I and dad had to pack our stuff for two damn months and that is going to take a lot more time. Mark used his extra time to study for his upcoming test as he brought along books with him. He might have been the jock of our school in the past, but now he knew his goal very well and was working hard on it. He wants to become a software engineer and he won't sop until he has reached his goal. His goal to create softwares and applications. He has been working on making them since last year.

I quickly went to the bathroom and had one hot shower. I needed it after these few stressful days. It was heavenly perfect for me, relaxing my already tensed muscles and giving me some good time to think.

I entered my room with my towel wrapped around me and I changed into some comfort clothes. I looked around my room. I sure as hell was going to miss my room. The familiar mint blue colored walls along with white colored furniture. Hell, I was also going to miss my comforter that my mother had got for me from some weirdly expensive stores that I forgot the name of. I frowned and made my way to the walk in closet transformed into my personal walk in library. I smiled at the memories I have in my library and started rummaging through the book shelves. The familiar scent of books hitting my nostrils and I sniffed the air as it smelled like heaven for me. I took out at least fifteen books that I was going to read while my stay at the Lewis'. Quickly taking the stash of books I held onto them as my life depended on them and went inside my bedroom. I stood near the edge of my bed and lowered the stash of books on the bed. I took one of the suitcases of the two, and quickly started stuffing the books into the suitcase. After I was done with packing my novels, I stuffed my school books and textbooks into the same bag. Some necessary books and pens, I stuffed into my backpack that I will use for my school hours. School. I haven't been to school this whole week since my mom's accident. I don't know what it going on in school. I will hopefully make up for the loss of my studies.

After packing my school stuff and novels, I move onto my clothes and personal belongings. I take at least dozen shirts and some denims, some khaki pants, a whole lot of my comfort clothes and pack them neatly inside my bag, not forgetting my inner clothes and lingerie.

By this time, it was almost lunch time. I made my way downstairs and the heavenly scent of chicken steak hit my nostrils. My first thought? I'm way too hungry. My second thought? It's Mark. He's cooking this steak. He knows how to cook a few stuff and chicken steak being one of them.

After having our lunch, that I must mention was bliss, Mark outdid himself this time I must say, I cleaned the dishes and decided to have a nap. I was tired from all rummaging around in my room and I was in desperate need of some sleep. My muscles aching from all dancing around the room.

I fell onto my bed and just a few minutes later, deep sleep engulfed me.

"Cadence!" I heard my mother shouting from downstairs. Urgh! I was tired a lot today. Today our gym teacher had punished us because we were not following her orders and ordered us to do extra ten laps around the gym and that made my limbs sore. These goddamn teachers are unbelievable. And not only physically exhausted, I was mentally too. The next week some Biology tests are coming up and I have been preparing for it since the past four hours. Today was one heck of a long day.

I quickly rolled over my bed, and shot up from my sleeping position. I had dinner some more that four hours ago nearly at seven and now it is almost eleven in the night. Because of my exhaustion, I didn't have any energy spared to face anyone right now. I got out of my bed and stretched.

"Cadence!" I heard her shouting again.

"What is it mom?" I yelled back and started making my way down.

"Honey what do you want to have for breakfast tomorrow?" She asks me once I am down as she folds the newspaper in her hand neatly and places it on the coffee table.

"Scrambled eggs and toasts," I say without any hesitation. I loved scrambled eggs.

"Okay but first let me check if we have eggs or not," she said as she stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later, I heard her voice again saying there are no eggs available and I sighed loudly.

"Why don't you go to the store around the block and get them?" She asks and I groan.

"Mom, I'm not going anywhere. You know how much tired I'm today and I don't want to go anywhere,"I said, my voice whiny.

"Okay Cadence, I'll go and I must say you are turning into one heck of a lazy bum," she said chuckling lightly as she went to her bedroom to get her handbag.

Before leaving she went to the music room, where my father was quietly listening to some old Vinyl records of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and informed him about her little trip to the grocery store and left the house.

I quickly went inside my bedroom and was having some peaceful time when the door to my room burst open and my dad entered the room, his face panicked and pale.

"It's Pat, something's happened to her,"he said in a panicky voice and I quickly shot up in my bed as tears trickled down my face.

I woke up gasping for air, panting heavily and after a few minutes, I calmed down. Just then realization hit my like a car and my eyes widened as I wiped the beads of newly formed sweat on my forehead.

Taylor was right. I was responsible for my mom's death. If it weren't for me, mom wouldn't have been dead. I should have

died instead of her. I was the one to be blamed.