Chapter5

#Chapter5

SATURDAY WAS THE earliest I'd ever woken up before as the excitement was overwhelming. I couldn't sleep the whole night as I kept tossing and turning-trying to push the thoughts away from my mind but I couldn't.

I got up and took a warm shower before throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt with some sneakers. I pulled my hair into a quick braid and quickly texted Asher finding out if he was still coming before going downstairs where I heard chatter.

/"Morning,/" I chirped taking a seat next to James.

/"Someone's happy,/" he commented from his seat at the kitchen island while mum was busy making breakfast.

/"Can't I be happy for no particular reason?/"

James pierced his bottom lip in thought. /"Nope. Knowing you then there's obviously a catch,/" he said smugly.

I rolled my eyes at him, /"you're just jealous./"

James laughed, /"me? Jealous of my kid sister? Oh please./"

/"Enough,/" mum said smile plastered on her face. /"Can you two just quit arguing for a few minutes?/"

We looked at each other, turned back to look at mum before letting out a boisterous laugh. /"Nope,/" we said in unison.

She just rolled her eyes and placed some bacon and toast on two plates and passed them to us.

/"I'm home,/" Asher shouted and walked to the kitchen with dad right behind him.

James scoffed, /"you make it sound like this is your house when we all clearly know it isn't./"

/"Asher is always welcome,/" I said glaring at my brother as I ate.

/"Sure, and pigs can fly./"

I turned and glared daggers in his way as Asher took a seat at the island and mum passed him a plate of food.

/"Who knows maybe pigs can fly and no one has just ever seen them,/" Ash said as he took a bite and dad chuckled from where he works with his coffee mug in hand.

/"Do you hear him? What kind of normal and sane person even thinks pigs can fly?/"

/"Enough!/" mum yelled and everyone went quiet. /"Just eat so we can all head out and if anyone of you so much as bickers on this family time, so help me you will not like the outcome of it./"

We eat in silence and soon after we were all filling into the car and heading to who knows where.

The ride was quiet and I spend my time thinking how I was going to tell everyone of my decision and how they would react. I didn't want to disappoint them but at the same time I couldn't keep lying to myself and making it harder on everyone.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realise we had reached our destination until Asher gently nudged me.

/"We have arrived,/" he announced and quickly got out of the car.

I followed suit and before me stood an Arcade centre with a glowing neon sign that read Game World. The inside was filled with different types of games of every variety.

/"Woah!/" I breathed in awe love we were inside.

I scanned the many games perfectly aligned and I couldn't choose which one I wanted to play. I mean I do like playing video games that's a known fact, but having a wide variety to pick from was something I was never good at.

/"Let's play mini golf,/" dad suggested and we all nodded in agreement.

/"We will be spilt into two teams, the adults versus the kids./"

Asher and I both smiled at each other while James smirked. /"Ha! You guys are going down,/" he told us but his smirk was quickly whipped off when dad said he was on the kid's team.

We took our golf clubs and began playing. The game was intense and both teams were tied, which wasn't a good thing as James needed to make the last hole count so we could win.

/"C'mon James just play already. I'm starving,/" Asher whined. /"It's not even that hard, just aim for the hole so we can win already./"

/"Gee, thank you for the encouragement, really makes a guy more comfortable with not wanting to screw up./"

The rest of us laughed at their antics. James and Asher had a somewhat weird relationship if you could even call it that. They spent most of the time arguing and getting on each other’s throats which was hilarious at times but then others, it just wasn't.

/"Yeah Jamey boy c'mon, put your back to it,/" I teased.

/"Don't ever call me that again,/" James said scowling, /"you know I hate that name./"

/"Exactly why I like using it./"

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest waiting for James to just make a hole in-because really this was starting to aggravate me and I didn't have the patience to wait for him to make his 'perfect' hole in.

/"Any time now James,/" dad said with a smile to his words.

/"I'm concentrating here, can you all just relax,/" James said focussing on the ball, /"Gee./"

We waited and watched as James finally swung his club and hit the ball. Asher and I had our hands crossed and internally prayed that the ball went in so we could rub it in our parents' faces. The ball rolled slowly and my breathe hitched in my throat as I saw it roll over the edge of the hole and finally go in.

/"We won!/" James exclaimed fist bumping the air. /"You owe us food,/" he said turning to face mum and dad with a huge grin on his face.

Mum nodded with a smile on her face and dad just chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder.

/"Alright, let's go eat now,/" mum announced and everyone was bouncing with joy.

The smell of food hit me immediately we stepped foot into the Arcade's food court which was abuzz with people chatting and laughing away and basically just having a good time.

/"What do you guys want to eat?/" dad inquired.

We told him what we wanted and he and mum went and ordered our food while we took a seat at table furthest in the room.

/"Did you see that shot?/" James asked still smiling.

Asher rolled his eyes and scoffed, /"oh please, it took you like ten years just to finally hit the stupid ball./"

/"Well excuse me for wanting perfection,/" James said hands flailing in an attempt to prove his point.

/"Whatever makes you sleep at night Jamey,/" Ash retorted to which James glared daggers.

I sat there smile etched on my face as I watched my brother and best friend go on at it like four year olds. But before James could retort back a snarky comment, food was placed in front of us and we all dug in considering how hungry we were after spending nearly four hours playing mini golf.

/"Alexis how's senior year treating you?/" James asked, breaking the comfortable silence that fell upon us. /"I hope you've made more friends other than he-who-shall-not-be-named?

I rolled my eyes as a placed chip in my mouth, /"the classes are pretty easy so yeah,/" I spoke. /"Nope, still haven't made any friends other than Asher./"

/"God why me?/" James feigned hurt, /"why do you do this to my only sister? Couldn't you have just given her another best friend? A saner one./"

/"Quit whining James, you're a 20-year-old third year university student who still acts like a kid,/" I retorted and everyone at the table laughed.

James rolled his eyes but didn't say anything back.

We ate with small talk here and there once more until I decided to break it. /"I've decided to stop my treatment,/" I said in such a rush that I was sure no one heard me but by the way it suddenly fell quiet, I was sure they all heard me.

/"You what?/" James and Asher both spat at the same time but dad didn't seem all that phased.

/"I am stopping my treatment,/" I enunciated each syllable.

/"Why?/" Asher asked.

I sighed and ran a hand through my braid because I knew they just wouldn't understand. /"Because the tests showed I'm far too gone and suffice to say I don't want to waste my time being stuck in hospital./"

James looked angry and I've never seen him that angry before in my entire life before he abruptly stood up and walked out of the food court and everyone followed suit.

The car ride home was filled with an eerily silence that was so uncomfortable I just wanted the ride to be over and done with. James wasn't speaking to me and neither was Asher, they looked angry.

When we finally got home, James stomped to his room and slammed the door shut while Asher walked to his car and got in. I followed after him.

/"Say something,/" I pleaded.

/"Rethink your decision./"

I sighed, /"I can't./"

He looked at me, shook his head and revved out of our driveway so fast I almost got whiplash.