FicWad

School that day for Ember Redfern was different. Happy almost. The lessons for once were able to capture her attention and she didn`t find herself dropping off halfway through the due to lack of sleep. Last night she had a full night of unbroken rest for the first time in far too long. And at lunch, she hadn`t sat all alone by the overflowing bins, ignored by everyone. at first she had been shocked when Zora had dragged her across to sit with Mikey, who seemed a little less pleased than Zora that she was there but still he didn`t ignore her presence. She felt welcome. Wanted.
The three teenagers arrived back at the house after four, to the ever so inviting smell of fresh pasta.
“Oh Boxy must have cooked, usually we just have takeouts or snacks, but she`s actually cooked.”Zora grins happily, clapping her hands together.
Mikey, on the other hand was confused. “Strange.”
“It must be because you’re here.” the blue eyed girl turns to face their new friend.
Ember blushes, “I told you I didn’t want to put you out or anything, please don`t do anything nice or anything for me. You`ve already done so much.”
Zora waves her hand, showing that she wasn`t going to take any noticed of Ember`s comment.
“Let`s go eat.”
The three of them were greeted by something other than just a home cooked meal.
In the kitchen, Pandora was dishing up the pasta, nibbling on her lower lip anxiously, a phone in one hand.
“Yes, Echo, I know, we know. Uh-huh. No, of course not!” she exclaims, scooping a forkful of steaming hot spaghetti onto her hand instead of a chipped white plate.
“Shit!” she curses, dropping the metal fork. “What? No Echo, I just dropped something. Everything’s fine.” She forces out a smile and ushers the three teenagers to sit down.
There was one extra place laid at the table, and neither one of them failed to notice. Years ago the sight would have sent a thrill of hope through Mikey`s spine, but not now. Any hope of his brother returning had long been extinguished. Maybe one of the others had decided to visit. As long as it wasn`t Echo, he didn`t really care.
So when a dishevelled man dressed all in black enters the room with an almost feline like grace and a nasty looking scratch above his hazel green eye, he was shocked to say the least.
“G-Gerard?”
The tall figure nods and smiles sadly.
“Well, well.” Zora narrows her eyes at the newcomer, sitting down at the table and picking up her fork. “Look what the cat dragged in.” She spat through a mouthful of tomato pasta.
Mikey and Pandora shoot her a warning glance and Ember watches on with puzzlement at Zora`s odd coldness towards the stranger. Her eyes widen as he hisses, a completely feral sound at her in response, before turning sharply on his heels and stalks out of the room.
Mikey was still standing there in shock at seeing his older brother again after all that time, a single salty tear slides down his cheek. He had almost forgotten how much he really missed him.
Pandora clears her throat, her phone call long finished and takes a seat at the table, urging Ember to do the same.
“Mikey, take Gerard`s food up to him. I am afraid I had forgotten just how much he and Zora disliked each other.”
The brown haired boy nods, still too stunned to speak and collects his own plate and Gerard`s, and follows the black haired boy up the rickety stairs.
After a few minutes of eating in silence, Zora breaks it. “Sorry you had to see that Ember, Gerard hasn`t shown his ugly face around here for years, I hadn`t expected to see him here today. Please forgive my behaviour.”
Ember nods, shocked and takes a drink of water. It was all so strange and confusing. Who was this Gerard, and why had Mikey looked so shaken, almost as though he had seen a ghost? Why didn`t Zora like him? Why was Mikey so distant towards her? Had she annoyed him in some way? Her mind was full of questions. And who was that woman Pandora had been talking to on the phone when they had come in? The way she spoke almost made it seem like she was afraid of her.
It was all so very confusing.