Silently Falling Series

Chapter 4

"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.

CHAPTER 6

SPENDING MY SUNDAY holed up in my room wasn't something I wanted to do. After my confession yesterday, I tried texting Asher multiple times apologising and asking him to hear me out but I got no reply. And James on the other hand hadn't come out of his room the entire time which was something I didn't expect from him considering how the boy loved food.

I sighed, this was my own doing and I had to fix it immediately. I couldn't have both my brother and best friend mad at me simply because I made my choice about my life-which I knew they just wouldn't understand why I did it in the first place.

"Honey you need to come out of your room and eat something," dad's voice sounded outside my door.

I groaned and pulled the duvet further up my head. "I'm not hungry," I shouted.

I heard dad sigh before there was a soft click and then a creek as the door opened. I still didn't pull the duvet off even when I felt the bed dip as dad sat down.

"I know you don't want to talk about it but I know your brother will eventually come around and you guys will patch things up."

"What about Asher? Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Dad was silent for a while before he sighed, "kiddo I can't lie to you and say he'll forgive you just like that but I know he will eventually. Just give him some time to process things and cool off," he said gently patting my foot. "Now c'mon you need to take a shower and eat something."

I lay there under the duvets pondering over what my dad said before deciding to just suck it up and take a well-deserved shower.

-----☆-----

Okay Alexis you can do this, just knock on the door and everything will be fine.

I could feel my breathe hitch in my throat as I stood outside his door, My hand shook and palm were sweaty as I tried to knock.

Finally, I got my hand to stop shaking and did the one thing that I dreaded to do- I knocked and waited for him to open the door.

"Leave me alone."

I knocked again but this time with more determination. He was going to open that door whether he liked it or not.

The door was yanked open with a dishellved looking James staring right at me.

"What do you want?"

I swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in my throat and said the first words that came to mind. "Can we please talk?"

James stood there with his icy blue eyes boring into my brown ones. He didn't say anything but only pulled open the door wider for me to slip in.

"Make it quick, I don't have time to listen to more heart breaking words from you," he spat the words with so much venom that I could feel each word slicing right through.

"I deserve your harsh treatment," I began playing with my fingers to ease the nerves that were slowing consuming me. "But would you just please listen to me. I'm your sister and I want you to support me with my decision and not treat me as if I were nothing but a stranger to you."

"Wow! Now you're playing the whole sister card on me after just dropping such a bombshell on everyone yesterday. Now you listen to me, how would you feel if I told you, mom and dad that I wanted to basically die and leave everyone who loves me behind, huh?"

James' words cut deep and a tear rolled down my face, I knew he was right and it wasn't as if I could take my words back. "I-I.....you don't understand James. You're not the one whose basically a walking zombie that could die any time and leave the ones that love you behind," I shouted.

"I tried the treatments and they aren't working, I'm not going to be a selfish person and allow mum and dad to continue wasting money on me when it's not doing anything to make things better. I would rather they spend that money on you, on trying to give you a better life," by now the tears were falling freely and I couldn't be bothered by them. "I know you think I don't love any of your guys but believe me I do and I know it hurts but it's for the best."

I sunk to the floor as the tears continued staining my face and blurring my vision, "I'm sorry."

James crouched down beside me and pulled me into a tight embrace, "I know you mean well for everyone but it's just hard, I can't watch my baby sister slowly lose her life while I can't do anything about it. Just please promise me you'll think about it?"

I shook my head because I knew he knew I wouldn't change my mind about it. "I'm sorry James," I croaked.

"Shh stop crying Lexi," he said gently stroking my hair. "I love you and I will no matter what happens.

We stayed like that for what felt like hours with me holding onto him tightly until he pulled away, "I think my butt just fell asleep," James said.

I pulled away and stared at him before we both burst out laughing at his weirdness. "Really? We were having a brother-sister moment and you ruined it by talking about your butt."

"What? My butt really does feel numb right now and considering you were mostly on me, you wouldn't know the feeling," he said flailing his hands up for emphasis.

James got up and helped me up as well, "care to watch a movie with me my lady?" he said in a fake British accent.

"Indeed, my kind gentleman."

And that's how we spent the next four hours binge watching TV and eating popcorn.

"James can I ask you something?"