Chapter 3

"One day we'll meet people we smile with for a reason, some who smile with us for no reason and those who make us smile for every reason"

~Amelia

"You're back early today !!", my mum said i walked in locking the door behind me dropping unto the couch, she stood in the kitchen counter area, mixing something in a pot

" I wasn't having any class so i decided to come back home"

"Hmm that's fine, you go shower I'll set the table", she said picking a plate to serve

"Am not hungry, I'll just bath then have some rest, really tired"

"You missed the bus again ??",

"Yep, i had to walk to school, didn't feel like taking the subway", i explained as i packed my things and walked up the stairs to my room, i got in and dropped my things on the floor and slammed the door and locked it, i walked straight to the bathroom and had my bath as i came out i dropped my wet clothes that i rinsed while bathing in the kitchen sink basically because they fell on the wet floor so just had to rinse it.

I got dressed in a pink big sweater and white bum short and then picked up the clothes and dumped them in the dryer, i came into my room and laid on my bed and then i heard a soft knock

"Amy hon, can i come in please ??", my mum said from outside and i got up and unlocked the door and walked back and sat on my bed

" Can i talk to you for a while, if you don't mind", she asked tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear and sitting on my bed beside me

"Sure mum, what's wrong ???"

"Well ..., you see i haven't been completely honest with you dear", she stated and i could notice how she nervously played with the hem of her shirt

" About what ??", i asked confused

"I can't say much now, but it's kinda complicated", she said and with the way she avoided i could tell she's terrified of something

" Mum what's wrong ??"

"Your birthday"

"My birthday!!!, what's wrong with my birthday ???", i asked confused

"Your eighteenth birthday hon, am sacred about everything ..., their after us and ..."she said stammering a bit

"I don't understand you mum, who's after us and what's happening on my eighteenth birthday ???", i asked suddenly worried to why my mum is sounding so afraid

"Well you know it's in a few days and then things are gonna change and your body, you'll ..., i really tried to stop it all this while, but Amelia . . .", she paused as placed her right hand on my cheek and rubbed it softly

"Its who you are and i can't change you, my hope is that your mate will be such a wonderful person, he'll love you like your dad did to me and he'll help you avenge everything that has been done against us", she said as i noticed tears dropping from her eyes

What on earth is mum talking about ???, and dad??, what's going on here ??

"I don't understand you mum, what mate?? and dad ??", i asked with arched brows

" I can't reveal everything to you, but on your birthday things are gonna change, but just promise me that once you know everything you won't hate me, cause i did all my best for you to be happy, promise that you won't hate me dear", she said as she cried and tears too dropped out of my eyes

I hate seeing my mum in pain it makes me really emotional

"But . . .", i tried talking but she interrupted me

"Promise me Amy, promise me please"

"I-i ... I promise you mum, i won't hate, i will never hate you", i said and then she pulled me into a warm embrace as she stroked my hair, am utterly confused but seeing my mum's state i can't ask any questions yet.

But i wonder what she's talking about, am sure it has something to do with aunt Megan's visit, i love my aunt but each time she comes home to visit, through out that week mum's never the same, she becomes either really strict or emotional, but today she talking about my birthday which is in five days, i wonder what's gonna happen

" I'll leave now, you take a rest, don't over think things hon, i love you"

"Love you too mum", i replied as she walked out and closed the door gently

Something is definitely up that mum isn't telling me, i thought as i walked to where i hung my dad's photo and then held it close to my chest

" Dad !!!, every year when ever it's my birthday i always look at your picture and imagine you singing the happy birthday song, mum always said you loved singing it to me when i was much younger, though i have no memory of it, but am sure it was great ..., you know when i clocked my sweet sixteen, mum said you were going to come she really had a lot of arrangement made, i sat and waited for you without cutting my cake or blowing the candle, i had high hopes that you'll definitely come but you didn't, i can't say you lied, but that day i cried through out that i was taken to the hospital, now am going to be eighteen years old and though all this while i had this hope you were still alive, but i can't keep deceiving myself, i know you're dead dad, i don't know why others can't accept it, but i believe if you couldn't even come for your own daughter who's gonna make you come, now here's my wish for my birthday, please don't come, i don't want to see you at all, i don't want your presence or your lies, mum might believe but i don't, not anymore i know you're gone i do pray that wherever you are, your soul rest's in peace and you're happy", i said as bitter tears fell down my eyes

"i know i said all these, but somewhere deep down in my heart i believe that you're still there dad, but i don't wanna see you anymore, your little baby doll doesn't want any false hope anymore, but if by any chance you're still there, please do come for mum's sake she really loves you a lot, she really doesn't deserve all these she's getting, but she never complains and that's the difference between you two dad, she never left like you did, and i can't help but hate you each time i think about this, but regardless i love you just as much" i said as i opened my side drawer and placed the picture into the drawer facing downwards.

We have just five days left, and i know you'll disappoint, i can't watch my mum go through that same pain, but i know this time she won't have that hope again.

I walked downstairs to have my dinner, as i walked into the kitchen and served myself and sat alone on the dinning when i suddenly heard a soft knock on the door

"Mum someone's at the door ", i shouted from the dining but i got no reply

" Aghhh", i whined as i got up to answer the door and got shocked by who i saw

"Who's she ???"

"Hi !!!!, am Tatiana"

She said extending her hand while smiling

"Hey!! am Amelia, any problem ??"

I asked raising an eyebrow  as i shock her hand and studied her face, she looks around my age, orange hair and lovely green eyes, she's actually really beautiful

"Actually am your new neighborhood and i was wondering if you could help us get settled in our house, if that's no trouble", she said as i watched her carefully

So their the one's moving in the house beside us, she's definitely not bad at all, very nice and pretty

"You live alone ??"

"No !!! just me and my friends, we actually got transferred to a college nearby and we all don't come from New York so we had to like rent an apartment here where we can all stay", she explained

"Ooh OK, that's nice, you go I'll join in a bit"

"Thanks so much", she said and left

" Mum !!!!!!!!, i have to go help our new neighbours settle in if you don't mind", i shouted as i walked up the stairs to her room and walked in

"You can go, take care hon", she said almost immediately i walked in hiding something behind her back and wiping dry her cheeks

Had she been crying ???

" Mum what's wrong ??", i asked with concern

"Ooh it's nothing, you go help them out but don't be too long"

"Mum !!!!"

"I said it's nothing Amy, just go", she said faking a smile and i decided not to push it

" OK bye", i walked down and checked the time,it was 5:30pm, so if i go now, i can return maybe 7:00pm, great I'll do that, i thought as i walked to their house in my pink big sweater and white bum shorts

I got to their house and knocked softly

Not to lie here's pretty beautiful, it's a huge bungalow a bit bigger than our, milk wall painting of the outside and white windows and curtains

"Hey !!!, you must be Amelia right ???"

A beautiful girl with dark hair and blue eyes, with a really small head asked as she opened the door

"Yeah, am the side neighbour, she-i mean Tatiana asked for my help", i replied

"Am Elizabeth, but you can call me Beth, good to see you neighbour, i hope you don't mind us disturbing your peace", she said as she moved away from the door to let me in

"No no it's fine", i replied as i looked around

"Nice setting", i said as i pointed at the well arrange black sofa laid in a circular notion and the 7 inches plasma TV set at the center of the wall, the house painting was a dark milk shade than the outside, the kitchen area was mostly in red colour due to the drawers but the wall was dark milk to, a huge view was set just in the center of the division between the dinning and the sofa causing one to clearly view the stars and other stuffs.

" Thanks, we're just doing a little arrangement, this is practically the house settings ", she said pointing at the kitchen and view area and i smiled slightly

" So Amelia you can go help the others set the rooms i think that's all that's left", she said as she directed me to the hallway leading to the rooms and i left

It's really i huge house and it looks so small from the outside, i should think it contains 4 rooms and maybe five toilets cause i did see one toilet in the sitting room area.

I walked into a room and noticed boxes all around, it seems whoever stayed here hasn't arranged anything yet, i could help a little then i  thought as i picked up a box, placed it on the bed and i was about opening it, when my eyes cut a glimpse of a truck pulling into the drive way, it was red in colour and a bit dirty, i watched as a guy maybe a bit older than me got down from the car, i walked towards the window side to get a better view of his face but his stupid hoodie was basically not helping matters.

I wonder what's it with guys and putting on hoodie, isn't there any other clothes to wear, i wondered as i recalled that hot ... I mean rude guy from earlier

I stretched my neck out a bit further outside the window cause for some reason i really want to see his face, and then he turned abruptly and his eyes met my and then the whole scenario became so awkward, especially with the way his deep ocean blue eyes scanned my face, it felt almost as if he saw something in me, i swallowed hard as i turned my head and walked straight to the box i placed on the bed and started removing few things from inside when my hands stumbled on picture of a man and a little boy, there is actually a strong resemblance between the two, maybe that could be a father and son photo

At least his dad was loving enough to take a photo with his son, my basically didn't seem to care

"Who's she ???"

I heard a loud thundering voice from the sitting room, as i got pulled out from my thought

"The girl ??"

A feminine voice asked calmly

"Yes, who's she ???"

He asked again, arrogantly

"I have no idea, she lives next door, her name's Amelia"

She stated and i arched my eyebrow

Why are they talking about me ??

And then i froze as i heard loud footsteps coming towards the room, am so dead

I played with my fingers nervously, as i thought of a way out of this mess

It could be the man in the photo

Their dad !!!!!

He looked really scary

But she said they lived alone, i turned around facing the window side waiting for what ever came next, but i felt a soft hand on my shoulder and i turned immediately

"Come with me, we need to hurry"

She said as she dragged me into a room and opened a door i expected to be a toilet but seems to be like secret passage

"Where are we going ???"

I asked after a long silence, i couldn't take the suspense any more

"I'll explain later, just let's go"

She said as she dragged me further and increased her pace as we claimed unto a stairs and then she pushed open a small slide and then came out and helped me out, it's like an underground escape root or something

"Leave now"

She said sternly

"Why ???"

I asked surprised, i mean she invited me here and now she's sending me away

"Just go Amelia, I'll explain when the times right, but for now please just listen to me and leave from here"

She said again with pleading eyes

"Tatiana is everything alright ??"

I asked worried

"Everything will be fine, if you listen and just leave like I've told you"

"Fine am going then, have a goodnight"

"Hurry !!!!, leave"

She said anxiously as i walked out of the compound and took one more glance at the house and then i saw him looking at me from the same window which i was in, his deep ocean eyes shorn so brightly and i still couldn't see his face

Was he the one who was coming up the stairs ???

I looked down and pushed my hair behind my ear and then looked up again but he was gone, out of sight, i turned and walked straight into my house

Such weird people

I wonder why Tatiana was so bent on sending me away when i was, at my home when she came here asking for my help

For some strange reason i really want to know why ???

I got home and sunk into my bed, not after taking a long shower

As i laid in bed, his face kept resurfacing in my mind, those red eyes, there's something about him that's so different and to talk of his beautiful face

I just wish he wasn't so grumpy and arrogant.