CHAPTER 9

Chapter 9

Their pancakes and his fruits juice

DANIELLE

I suddenly open my eyes and I realize that it was only a stupid nightmare. I fell asleep with the books on the legs and I didn’t finish the homework.

Some noises coming from a part of the house make me start. Dishes, glasses, cutlery, pots, it seems that everything is falling down at the same moment, causing a big noise.

Determined but afraid, I stand up, I put on Jackson’s sweatshirt and I walk down the stairs. I stop at the doorstep of the kitchen, where I see three boys which are cooking, laughing, and they have fun. They are preparing the breakfast.

They are really funny, it seems to see Benny Hill in a modern version.

“The eggs first” the first says.

“Stop, do it yourself. The solids first, and the liquids after.” the second replies.

“Boys, stop, haha, these pancakes will never be ready” the third replies.

“Shut up, squeeze well those oranges, you are throwing away too things, she likes to feel the little pieces, otherwise she will spit it. And she will do the right thing” the first mutters, telling the third off.

It is a sight to which I want to be used to. They are happy, and they don’t quarrel. Mark and Jackson are preparing the pancakes and Richard is squeezing the oranges. As house husbands, they are pitiful, but it’s really funny! All three of them have the apron as if they must do a competition at Master Chef.

Jackson has thrown some flour in Mark’s face. He returns first rubbing the wet hand on his face, after with the other hand covered in flour. Two children, literally two children. And I am mad with them. The third boy laughs for their practical jokes.

A flash strikes my eyes, making me squeeze them. A precise vision, identical to what I have seen, it is taking place in the same kitchen. With the difference that the dark-haired boy isn’t Richard.

Richard? Wait a moment. Is he in my kitchen? I shake the head and the vision becomes clear. Oh my God. Richard is here. What is he doing in our kitchen? Oh, he always bothers us. On the other hand, they are having fun, every thing is a heartfelt laugh, I believe that they are tipsy.

“Do you want the caramel, right little monster?” I hear Mark’s voice between a laugh and the other one. I open my eyes wide, incredulous. I didn’t show my face and I didn’t make any noise. How did he do it? A mystery, now I got caught spying on them, and so I come into the light.

“Um, no thank you” I lean the club against the wall and I enter “maybe only the freshly squeezed fruit juice. I don’t trust you two at the stove. But, why are you just awake?” I ask hoping to receive a decent answer.

“Just awake? And who is going to sleep. In any case, we have waffles for an army. You know, our dear brother Markey is good in maths, but he is useless at the quantities. Home economics, register there.” Jackson replies, the other two are laughing.

“Ah, are they waffles now? Aren’t they pancakes?” Mark sniggers.

“Why? Aren’t they the same thing? And I said pancakes. Oh, for crying out loud.” Jay makes clear, bothered.

“And good my big brothers, you are able to get the neighbours’ son into the wrong things. I am amazed at you, you are terrible.” I reply, sarcastic.

But they look at each other, and they burst out laughing, that is worrying to say. They are doubled over in a laugh. I have never seen my boys get along like that and, Richard, I see him so, so different.

I thank God for what it is happening in this kitchen. And if is it thanks to him that the boys are getting along so wonderfully? Well, then I want him always with us.

“Us? Look that he took us to the pub of the town.”

“Wait, it isn’t true.” he springs.

RICHARD

“Come on, little monster, sit down, it is ready.” Mark murmurs in an understandable way. They are both drunk, Jackson a little more. As soon as I see her, I stand up. I trip over my steps, but I am able to take again the equilibrium, and looking in her eyes, I move chair for her. I take advantage of the influence of drink of the brothers to approach to her, whispering “You are beautiful with these shorts and the big sweatshirt.” She is really wonderful, even she was waked up with a jump. To see her blushing, then, it is something wonderful. She bows her head and she does a half smile. Enough not to show it to the boys.

But what the heck am I doing?

“Are you drunk?”

“You know, sometimes it is better to be like a drunk. Also by pretending. You obtain more attentions. Also from whom you don’t expect.” I whisper.

“Go away from her, super star. I feel sorry for you, but you are in the ‘FRIENDZONE’, make sure you don’t go over it, otherwise you finish.” Mark says, scowling.

He takes the cake slice, and he waves it under my nose. But what the heck. His eyes are closed in a split, as if he didn’t like the gallant gesture. And what have I done so serious?

I step back and I raise the hands in surrender. I don’t want to have problems with him. I know his attitude he knows how to make things difficult.

The story of the ‘FRIENDZONE’ is immoral, it is pathetic.

“I had no intention” I reply, trying to be more serious as ever.

He looks at me with hate. As the one he gave when he caught Sarah and me, having a chaste kiss, to say the least. But, I don’t know why he still hadn’t recognized me.

It is different with Jackson, he seems more friendly, more disposed to be my friend.

“We must call Scott! What do you think?” she asks, taking the glass of fruit juice at her mouth. And, now, who the hell is this Scott?

The boy which asked the transfer? Scott Rolss? Oh, my God.

DANIELLE

My brother’s look becomes very serious, while they stare at their eyes, indolent, they turn to look at me and after they look each other again. But, what game is being played?

What are they doing? They are talking with the eyes. I turn towards Richard, which is laughing for the funny attitude of the boys. He looks at them like admired. He turns towards me, and he fixes his hazel brown eyes into mine. I smile and he imitates me.

“It is a wonderful idea. Why haven’t I? You surprise me, little sister. I call him now, so he catches us up.” Jackson answers to me. I stare at him. “Don't call him now, he is probably sleeping. You will also wake up Selly. Do you realize that it is five in the morning?” I answer to him, making one of my faces of a surprised little girl.

“Oh, yes, he must absolutely catch us up. Maybe he joins us only for that secret project. He is a marvel with the high notes. But you must remember it, he finished the school last year.” he talks nonsense, without going along with me, and talking to Richard, which finally looks away from me.

He is delirious again.

“Scott has just finished the school, yes, but at Oxford. But what secret project are you talking about? What are you doing?” I ask, surprised. “Seriously, boys, what are you doing?” I continue to ask, looking at every one of them, trying to understand what they did so secret.

“Ah, don’t look at me. I don’t want to be involved. Jay is thinking to it from the summer, and he dragged Richard with him. I had nothing to do with, and I’m washing my hands.” Mark replies, indicating first Richard and after raising the hands in surrender and shaking the head.

Oh, how he is funny and how much he talks nonsense when he is tipsy.

“In my opinion, if I continue to ask you, you will slowly tell me. Come on, pout with it, Mark” I say, sulking. I take advantage of it until Mark is friendly.

“Funny her when she tries to order. We will say I don’t say anything. So I will have a secret, and not only you.” Jackson answers, amused as if he is hiding something.

Mark smiles, he really is a man-child. Determined to know something at any cost, I turn towards Richard, which is sitting on my right, but also him, as Mark, he raises his hands, and he shakes the head. Damned boy.

“And what type of secrets have I?” I ask, almost offended, trying in some ways to make him feel guilty, and maybe he will say it to me. “I live, closed on the house, with a fanatic of the order and man-child which doesn’t want to grow up. You know all about me, and I know nothing about you. It isn’t right” I continue to complain. I cross the arms, sulking.

It usually works.

“Ah, it will not work, my dear. You, my dear little sister, you have more secrets than all of us combined. For example” Jackson goes around the table, he places behind me, and with a movement, he collects my hairs in a high pony tail uncovering the neck, he suddenly lowers my head, “these bruises here. If you put your hand on them, you discover that they are the marks of someone’s fingers. I feel like I already saw this thing, or rather, someone which was doing this thing, but I don’t remember. Have you another explanation? I don’t know, are they the marks of the buttons of the pillow? Enlighten me, my dear little sister” I am dumbfounded. I didn’t check if there were some bruises. Damned thin skin. My terrified eyes are staring the empty chair in front of me. I don’t know what to say, what to do.

I search for Richard of the corner of my eye, to help me. But, I only see his incomprehensible expression, he stares at my neck, motionless. No, please, help me.

RICHARD

I am breathing in a really correct way. The typical breath that I use to calm down. Self-control level hundred per cent. I am satisfied with me.

It usually works, but this time, the thing is more difficult. I try not to explode, at least. Oh, what the heck. I suddenly get up from the chair. I must go away from here. I can’t see those marks leaving from that shit. He also did with her. I hate this thing, his stupid way to ‘mark the girls'.

Even if I thought ‘to mark her’ as mine, only to protect her from him, but under no circumstances, I would cause the faint as he did. I told him a thousand times not to use the violence on the girls, but it seems that he doesn’t understand.

In a hurry, I enter in the narrow corridor of this stupid house which has not changed one bit. I accidentally murmur ‘I must go’. Everything is getting tight to me, also the clothes. I make out Jackson, leaving his sister’s hair to run after me.

“Hey, brother, what is it happening?” he asks me, succeeding in getting me for the arm.

He is really worried, and I am furious. Fuck, Jackson, let me go. Let me go away.

“N-nothing, I must o-only prepare that thing for this evening. That’s all. Come by later, so you help me.” I say, trying to be as convincing as possible, but I don’t believe it either. Damn, how much I am angry and confused. I must absolutely find that goof.

DANIELLE

“Why did he react like this?” Mark asks, I shrug and I shake the head. How I can know what Richard ‘IamTooCoolToSeeWhatMyToughFriendDidToYouMaybeMoreThanMeButIAmAbleToCommand’ Breenly is thinking.

Three up for me, my dear young master ‘IamTooCool’.

“He will be a vampire.” I say, joking in whispers. I snigger alone.

“He realized that he must do something. He didn’t say what, but only that it concerns this evening.” Jackson grumbles, returning in the kitchen and sitting.

“What a strange boy he is. I always knew, and what do you do? You invite him to the pub, and you drink a lot of pints, getting drunk, you invite him to our house, and he is silly with your sister. I always knew that we can’t trust in him. I saw him somewhere, but I don’t remember where” Mark says, reprimanding Jackson as usual.

Yeah, Mark is like that, or you do as he wants or if it will go bad, he constantly casts it up at you.

“But, f-u-c-k y-o-u” Jay pronounces clearly every syllable.

With anger, he throws the dishcloth on Mark’s face, and he gets out of the kitchen.

“Well. The story of the farmhouse kitchen is finished. Yuhuu” I whisper, biting into the little piece of pancake. They are very good.

“Finish eating. Ah, the headmaster called last night, he wants back the dossier that you took from his office. Here is another secret.” he whispers between his teeth.

He is really angry, as usual, besides, he is like that. First, playful and funny, and he suddenly becomes the more serious and peevish person of the world. “The school is open, take back the loot in the secretarial offices”.

“Okay boss” I dare to murmur in a playful way.

He looks up to me, and he literally looks daggers at me. Just till I bite those pancakes, and he looks again his bowl of cereal. “Mark” I call him with my mouth full. He doesn’t look at me, but he mutters “Is John our father? Is the same John, which finances the school?” he coughs. It seems that the air goes down the wrong way to him.

“Of course and unfortunately, he isn’t the only one” and he goes out of the kitchen.

But, what did I say that was wrong? I finish eating the breakfast in a hurry, and I run in the bedroom to prepare me.

I enter in the bathroom with the clean clothes in the hand. I lean them against the stool and I open the tap to fill the bath. I jump into the water and I let myself cuddle by the steaming water, almost scalding. The mind takes me back to the past, with an unwanted flashback.

I try to breath, but I can’t. I lack air. I shake the arms, searching for a hold which seems not to be here. The lungs hurt for the lack of oxygen. My hand touches something that it can grasp. Something soft and hot.

My lungs suddenly are able to fill with air. I cough and an enormous force pushes me down again. The same force pulls me up.

“You are a beyotch” I hear someone saying this through his teeth. I have the strength of raising my head, and I can see a boy with dark hair which holds me for the hair. I don’t react, I don’t understand and I haven’t the strength. My hand, which is anchored to the boy’s forearm, grips and scratches him deeply. “Dirty beyotch”. A fist hits my face, breaking my nose. I close the eyes and I sink into the dark.

I open my eyes wide and they start to sting. Everything around me is muffled and I can’t understand anything. I am not able to breath. I search for a hold and when I find it, I hold onto it, trying to pull me up. Only when the air invades my lungs, I realized that I slipped on the water. I can’t believe this. I put the hands on my face to remove the drops which are going down the hair. I organize the ideas and I try to wash me. It is only an illusion.

When I finish, I go out of the bath, I quickly dry me, trying not to think what has just happened. I tie up my wet hair in a bun and I dress. I stop to look at myself in the mirror. I try to look at my neck to see where those damned bruises are.

Uh! They are very small, how can he see them?

Damned Lucas, if he will continue to bother me, I swear that a knee in the sack, no one can take away.

“Well, I will not see him for two days” I think aloud.

I am happy for this evening. I will spend the night outside, with the girl who seems to become my best friend and her family.

I run into the bedroom, I put on a large sweatshirt and I pull the hood avoiding showing the dripping hair and I grasp the gym bag. Obviously, the music doesn’t abandon me. I put the earphones and I select one of my favourite songs.

Eminem with Lose Yourself is perfect.

I take a deep breath, and as soon as Eminem starts to sing, I open the door. I haven’t even put a foot driveway, I see Richard across the street, at his home, intent on doing something to a car that I haven’t seen before.

I beat the door and I stop to look at him.

I am petrified. He sees me. It is impossible not to do it, I closed the door so strong that someone could hear it in China. His face is amazing, maybe because I am here, motionless, vacant as a little girl of 13 years old when she sees his idol.

He has the sweatpants visibly larger and a white tight-fitting vest, lightly stained with black. Also at this moment, he has that cap. Maybe he has it on when he sleeps.

More I look at him, and more I am angry and afraid above all. His black hairs remember me those of that memory. And if is he the boy of the memory? If did he keep my head under water? Oh, shit.

I decide not to stay there, and I step forward along the driveway, towards the road, towards him, always looking at him, and he doesn’t look away from me.

Four up for me, my dear.

RICHARD

From her look and from her movements, it seemed that she was angry with me. What has this to do with me?

It isn’t my fault if Lucas did what he did. It isn’t my fault if I was late and I wasn’t able to prevent that he stopped to pester her. Won’t she hate me because of Lucas? Well, deep down, who cares about this. Everything is good for me. But, want I hate her? Want I that she will hate me? There is nothing to clarify for those bruises, at last.

“Why is this car in my driveway?”

I jump. My father’s voice takes me back down to earth. I make a face before to turn towards him. I smile to his furious look. And what the heck. “I’m waiting an answer”.

“It’s… It is of Lucas. We must repair it” I lie. He looks it in every its detail. He frowns and he shakes the head.

“I don’t understand how you are able to figure it out. For me, it is a tangle of cables, tubes and iron.” he says, standing up.

“A little bit like me with the medicine, that you insist to make me study” I smile, triumphant, considering that he didn’t criticize about why it is here.

“Of course, it will be a dream if you will embark on the same career. But, it doesn’t detract from the fact that I want that it will be away from here before that your mother will return. You know that she will enrage.”

“Are you afraid of mum?”

“What? No.” he rolls his eyes and he snorts.

I know that it is like that, but he doesn’t show it. Andreas Breenly is really afraid of his wife.

I smile for his negation. “Okay, a little bit. Are you happy now?”.

“You don’t know how I am” I snigger.

I look down and I close the eyes to taste this amusing moment.

“What the hell did you do to your knuckles?” he asks without moving.

I shut up because he must know what causes the breaking of the skin on the knuckles. “Richard, who the hell did you punch now?”

“Nobody. I only inserted the hands in the engine too quickly".

Yes, yes, yes, but it is a lot better than telling him that I had a burning squabble with Lucas. He nods, staring at me, he cheers up, and he goes towards his car.

“Ah, mum returns at 6 pm” he screams before to get into the car. I snort and I turn towards the car.

Dad takes a little time to get into the SUV, perpetually polished, and to back out of the driveway. I snort again.

“I don’t think he buys it”.

“Don’t bother me and help me” I complain with Lucas, which was hidden behind the corner without reasons.

“It’s funny to know that your father is frightened of that terrific mother that you have” he sniggers, amused for his words. His continuous citations about the physical appearance of my mother horrify me. I never let myself to refer to his mother. “Come on, let us get to work before she is back, also if I would like to see her angry”.

“But, shut up, it’s better” I reprimand him.

There isn’t a better thing of oiling the hands with the thick oil, which lubricates every gear of the engine.

I am satisfied for what I am doing and I don’t repent to have spent a big amount of my fees and for doing thousands of calls and for promising as much favours to obtain this car.

I smile without being seen because I know that he will make fun of me. I roll the eyes and I sigh, triumphant, when I look down, I see Danielle walking home. Fuck.

Lucas is here and is she returning home now? If he will realize that she lives in the house in front of mine, he certainly will put the curtains in my garden.

How funny she is, I smile to myself while I see her, which is awkwardly messing with the keys, she is trying to enter into the house in a hurry, but she is only able to prolong her stay in the hall.

She stoops to take the keys which are fallen, she turns to see if we heard her. Why does she stay there motionless, as vacant? What is she doing? I hope that Lucas will not look up, over the bonnet. I stare at her, with the head tilted to make it appear that I’m having fun, but it isn’t like that.

Hurry up to open that door and enter into that house. She takes the keys, she suddenly stands up, and she tries to put the key into the lock. Finally, she is able to do it, and she enters, quickly closing the door behind her. She is safe, for the moment.

“Hey, what are you doing there? Do you want to buy a house?” Lucas screams behind the bonnet.

“Uh, no, sometimes I think whatever happened to the neighbours. They disappeared overnight”. God, what stupid thing.

“It’s clear, considering what you did with Jennifer, my Jennifer. But, what do you care? Now, some old people live there, right? Come on, help me here, on the contrary, this old wreck to which you wanted to put the *pop-off, it will not start” he continues.

“Old wreck? It is a BMW M4 gts six-cylinder engine, a three litres twin turbo 500 horsepower brand new, what’s wrong with you to call it old wreck? There are only 700” I answer, bothered.

“Exactly, you have plenty of money and you buy a BMW” I roll my eyes. I love BMW.

“The money is of my father, not mine”

“Of course, Breenly, tell it to somebody else” I frown and I look at him, dazed. What does he mean?

“Oh, come on, All ‘missions’ are not free. And I know how much the clan pays. You can afford an 18-wheeler of cars like this, considering that you spent nothing” he pricks.

What the fuck does he want? Does he control how I spend my money? I give him only a stink eye before to look around. I hope that nobody had heard him, otherwise I will kill him with my hands.

“Mind your own fucking business, Wood”.

DANIELLE

I quickly close the door and I lean against it with the back. I noisily sigh. Four up for me.

“Bathroom, I need the bathroom” I whisper, out of breath.

“What is it happening?” Mark asks without raising his eyes from the book that he has on his legs, he blissfully sits on the sofa while he takes notes, and he reads a book. He attends the college, he is good, or rather really good. He studies to become a plastic surgeon.

But, why isn't he at the campus? The lessons started for a while.

“Uh, nothing. It seemed that someone was following me. That’s all.” I answer, trying to be more convincing as possible. He stops a second to write who knows what, but he immediately starts again. Does the news confuse him?

“Yes, yes, of course. Everybody is behind you. Listen, seat and explain me, please, why the headmaster called yesterday asking to take back the dossier that you took from his office” he replies.

I roll my eyes as to snort, but he promptly raises the hand, and he indicates me the armchair. Okay, I tried. I can go later at the bathroom.

I try to calm down and I sit, I exactly explain the event, trying not to seem the loser of the moment. He laughs up his sleeve, he hears with attention what I am saying, he turns up his nose when I say that there was also Richard.

“Only one thing. I read your dossiers. Okay, Jackson, we perfectly know that he is a tough in nature, also now he is. But, you? Why is there that demerit, the unique demerit at the end of the year for a fight? You in a fight, don’t deny that it is a strange thing.” I ask, thinking to obtain a proper confession.

But he ignores my question, getting rid of me with a shrug.

“Oh, no no no, my dear big brother. You will never get away with this. I told you everything, now it’s your turn. Come on, out with it” I scold him, being intentionally offended.

Him, nothing, he doesn’t move. He calmly starts again to take notes, as if I said nothing. But, I note that he is bothered by this. Angry, I stand up, I take the gym bag and I go towards the stairs.

“By chance, have you talked with Jackson about this thing, or are you asking it only to me?” he murmurs.

I suddenly stop and I smile, triumphant. I become serious and I stare at him.

“Well, it concerns you and not him. I wanted to know it from you” I shyly answer.

“Come here” he stands up, and he extends the hand that I take with difficulty.

I am hesitant because he never brushed me, or he never dedicated me some attentions, but I go along with him.

He takes me in my bedroom, and he makes me sit down on the bed while he is locking the door.

“Are you sure that you want to know it? Once I start, we can’t go back” he tries to frighten me, but I don’t fall for it. I nod, and he smiles, mocking, locking the door. He is overjoyed, approaching to me, and he sits near me on the bed. “Okay. As you know, it involved a girl”

“Really?” I ask.

Maybe does he forget that I remember nothing? He frowns as to accept my thought and he sighs.

“At the time, Jackson and I had the same friends. Well, you know how does the thing of prom work? He invites her, she accepts, and they go together at it. If she doesn’t accept, you try to accept it or, at worst, you don’t go there. Well, I asked to Kevin’s sister, or rather, she asked me. I accepted without problems, also because I liked her, also if she was the sister of my best friend. In the end, he didn’t find fault with it. Well, the day of the prom, we were supposed to meet at the gym of the school, strange, I thought. I waited for her for a while. When, now disappointed and tired to wait, I entered, I saw her with Jackson. He perfectly knew that I liked her, and he went in my place. As soon as I saw him there, hugging her, I got really angry, I supported too thing in that period. Between mum with Vincent and John with his company which had difficulty to take off, then I flung at him, giving him a shove. I didn’t want to punch him in front of everyone, also it was the right punishment, so we went out. In any case, he tried to explain, but my anger was so much that I didn’t listen to him. Between an insult and the next one, the headmaster arrived. That dickhead with the bottom of lead. I didn’t think twice and I took the blame and the demerit was for me, penalizing my mark at the end of the year, enough to lose the scholarship obtained. I was able to convince the headmaster that Jackson was only defending himself and not to punish him. On the contrary, that time, they would have expelled him once and for all, and make impossible his scholastic career” he gets a load off his chest.

He plays with an elastic for giving him the strength.

“And what happened to the girl?” I ask.

“Ah, her, I see her every time that I go to Kevin. Now, she is the girlfriend of a boy a year older, from two years or something.” he says with a disappointed voice.

He hurts to think over this. Maybe for him, that girl was everything.

“What is her name? Do I know her?” I ask, curious.

Mark confesses everything without looking at me, as if he feels ill at ease, what the heck is this girl?

“I don’t know if you know her, she never visits us for obvious reasons. Her name is Sarah, but you must not search for her or you must not be angry with her, as usual. We drew a line under it, also if it isn’t the same with us, sadly” he says, looking at me, imploring.

His eyes are bright with tears. I can’t understand how that catty person was able to destroy the dignity in this way, not of one, but both of my brothers. You bit… Dan, contain. He doesn’t want that you interfere.

“Damn, what story. I believed that it was for a stupid thing, but not a thing like this. And Jackson, how did he excuse?” I ask in a low voice.

He changed his position. He keeps the head between the hands and the arms lean against the knees. It touches me to see him like that. I console him, leaning my hand against his shoulder. I don’t expect that he turns, he embraces me, and he bursts into tears, for sure.

“He said that he did it for me, and he talked nonsense about a rule. He discovered that she asked me to go out only to make jealous her ex of the time, which was his best friend and for a pathetic thing. I know that, after this, they split up once and for all, and after she started going out with the current boyfriend. It is a trouble also for me” he says. He takes a deep breath. “Let’s not talk about, we’re not talking about it any more. Now, you know the reason of that demerit” it is as if he is asking for pity. As if all this is a torture, and he isn’t able to live through it again.

“What a bitch. Forgive me for saying this, but this seems to me, but everyone has his own opinion. But, don’t you be still in love with her, right?” I asked him, firmly.

“Don’t say this” he clenches his teeth, a clear sign that he likes her. “You don’t know her, you can’t judge her only for a fact or for my thought”.

“You are still in love with her”.

“Not now. Now, there is someone else in my life, which is more important of her. Listen, instead, what do you think about Breenly? How is he at school? What does he do?” he tries to change the subject, trying to understand if I will search for the catty person on Monday.

But, for sure, if I will be lucky, she will come to me.

“Mah, I don’t know. It’s as Jay says, the oldest don’t familiarize with the freshers” I answer him.

If only it were true. I hope that this answer is enough for him.

“But, I think I have seen him before somewhere. So, couldn’t you say why this morning he had that excessive reaction when he saw the bruises on your neck? Did he do it?” he asks, curious.

But, how can I tell to my brother, a boy in the middle of the physical maturity, 6 feets tall for one hundred and ninety-two pounds, that the friend of the young master ‘IamTooCool’ tried, how to say, a disastrous approach of loving with me and that is the result? Honestly, I don’t know.

“I told you, he is a vampire in my opinion” I answer to him, shrugging but amused.

“But, stop, silly, the vampires don’t exist and you know it” he almost incites me, interrupting me.

Finally, his face has almost returned as before. Even if they are twins, Mark and Jackson aren’t so identical. Their smiles are different. Also if slightly.

“They exist, of course. Once, they rang our doorbell. I remember very well. There was a vampire, a zombie and a ghost. Ah, and let’s not forget about Santa Claus” now the madness catches on. Mark is very upset for my sentence, he doesn’t know what to do or what to say.

“It was Halloween more than seven years ago, we were Jay, Scott and I, and Santa Claus was that ironic drunkard of the neighbour, which takes Halloween for Christmas. Poor my little sister, so young and just affected with madness. Now, come on, read Romeo and Juliet, do your homework, and when you finish, you take it to me that I control, on the contrary, you will not sleep in Linda’s house” and those are the last words before to leave my bedroom.

"Mark" I call him back. As soon as he appears, I look in his eyes and I continue with the sentence. "Why are you still at home?" His forehead frowns maybe because he doesn't understand the meaning of my question. "The lessons started and usually..."

"Are you asking why I'm not at the campus like everybody else? It's simple, for you". Now I'm frowning the forehead.

I find pathetic this excuse, considering that his behaviour isn't gentle and eager for being with me. "Do you see mum around? Do you see John? If Jay and I haven't a lot of social life or if we don't do the things like the normal boys is because we must take care of you".

"But, you neglect the college..."

"I haven't important lessons and exams to exit. I can study at home" His face is calm as I have never seen before. For the first time, we had a conversation for more than a minute and we didn't insult. The thing cheers me up, it makes me believe that he loves me. "Believe, this isn't heavy to be here instead to be at the campus, considering that I can do it" he sniggers. I smile and he thinks that it's a sign of leave. "Hurry up to read, I wait the homework" he screams from his room.

“Okay, boss” I swear to him.

To us, my dear William. I take the book and I start to read this exciting story.

In the middle of the reading, my phone rings. Oh, a message, who will be?

From Scott: “Hey, Dandi, how are you? I know from of official and unmentionable sources that you finally are in the area, fixed. ;-p Tomorrow, if you aren’t busy, I will be at you. What do you think if we will drink a tea just you and me?”

What? Scott? My Scott? Yes, finally. I am very happy that he wrote to me, I can’t wait and tomorrow is perfect, so I will tell him also the night in Breenly’s home. I hope to get out alive.

To Scott: “Hey, Scotty, I am fine. And you? With Selly? Tomorrow, we will have a lot of things to tell, so frees you up. I don’t want excuses. You will be only mine”.

From Scott: “Oh, my Dandi, you know how to be so sweet with your cousin / best friend, which helps you with troubles / people. PS: Do you know what Jackson is doing? He left me some worrying messages about a secret project. Do you know something about it?”

Secret project? Ah, yes, that eccentric idea that Jay had and in which he involved the young master ‘IamTooCool’, but that no one knows about. Except for them and Mark, apparently.

To Scott: “My Scotty, I am always sweet ^_^ About Jay, I have no idea about what is inside his head. I don’t even know where he is”.

Sometimes, it is like that. Nobody knows what it can come out from Jay’s head, maybe unpredictable isn’t right for him. It’s so good, finally, my Scotty will be with me. The mobile rings again.