Ratbags and Scallywags [bxb]

Chapter 13

Coming up to Aubrey's door in record time, I slammed on his door buzzer and keeled over, gasping for air. The handle rattled before opening, revealing two little legs in my line of blurring vision. A girl just a few years younger stood at the door, peering down at me with curiosity.

Meanwhile, I nearly died from heatstroke.

"Who are you?" she asked.

I straightened up and forced a grin, feeling like my dried lips were tearing in the process. Similar to Aubrey's, she had long whiteish blonde hair. But hers split into two low hanging ponytails down her back, making her look like a mythical forest dweller. A nymph, maybe. They were scarily similar. While his eyes were a narrow, constantly scornful almond-shape, hers were wide and round. Her face was heart-shaped, while his was like a chiseled diamond.

I let out a final huff of air, counterproductively wiping the sweat from my forehead with my equally sweaty arm.

"I'm Charlie," I said, feeling my rasping words stick to my throat like dry toast. "I go to school with Aubrey. Is he home by chance?"

She looked behind her toward the stairs, then back at me. "Yeah but he's in a mood. Told me to go away and wouldn't even play with me."

"What do you normally play together?" I asked, trying to sound casual when in reality, I suffered both guilt and a throat as scratchy as sandpaper.

"Whatever I feel like," she answered, casually shrugging. "He usually sleeps when he's in a bad mood. Go sneak up and scare him if you want! He takes his hearing aid out to sleep."

I forced a chuckle, unsure if she was joking or just plain evil.

"Thanks," I said, stepping inside the door, "I'll have a quick look. What's your name, by the way?"

"Tessa," she said, skipping toward the living room. "Buh-bye!"

I headed straight for the stairs. Mrs. Keats sounded like she was chatting on the phone from somewhere up there. I hadn't had a tour of the place yet, but from what I could gather, all the bedrooms appeared to be on the second level while all the shared areas were down below.

It was a modern, comfortable place with neutral colors and kids' paintings and portraits hung up everywhere the eyes could see. Since Tessa had sauntered off before I could ask for a drink, I'd at the very least sneak a sip of water from Aubrey's bathroom tap; even if he was asleep.

It's not like he'd know.

I tapped on the door. After listening for a moment and getting no response, I quietly pushed it open. His curtains were pulled closed, giving the illusion of late evening. The room was cold; its silence disturbed by the running of an aircon.

Aubrey's sleeping figure could be seen buried beneath his thick, black duvet cover. Only his hair stuck out against his pillow. My heart squeezed at the sight of him rugged up and cocooned like a little caterpillar. In a matter of seconds, water wasn't the thing I was thirsty for anymore. What I wanted now was his attention. Maybe that's what incited me to sit on the edge of his bed, whispering his name. He didn't react.

"Aubrey," I whispered, giving him a gentle shake this time. "Auuubreeeey."

He rolled his shoulder to shirk my hand away.

Sleeping off a bad mood was undoubtedly the best coping mechanism I'd ever heard of, but I didn't want to carry this guilt. I genuinely believed that a beach visit could help turn things around, so I shook him with a little more force. I watched as his blanket moved down an inch, revealing narrowed and glazed eyes, not registering who I was or the fact that I was here.