A & A

[17]: the invite

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17

the invite

"One message

is all it takes,

for me to understand

that you do need my presence.”

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Rains occurring on a summer season aren't exactly unusual. But for it to rain for the first time ever since the start of the season, it takes people by surprise—especially when the day started so beautifully and sunny. The sky was a magnificent blue and the birds chirping away was music to the ears, along with the soft swooshing of the wind. At five in the morning on a Thursday, it was absolutely like that—until the sky turned dark and droplets of water started falling out from it.

Aurora glanced at her bedroom window, eyes still hazy and still filled with sleep, but the pattering of the rain from the outside aroused her from her slumber. It made her wonder why the air condition suddenly started becoming more cold and why her bed was so warm—it was never this warm even when the air condition was on full blast. As she snuggled closer to her covers while she released a contented sigh, she remained her gaze on her window, just staring blankly at the floor-length brown curtain as if her eyes could see past through the curtain-covered window and observe the small drops of water.

"Dad and Sally are leaving today." She muttered sleepily, releasing a sigh right after.

The night before had been surprisingly (kind of) fun. It was one of those moments that Aurora had definitely not been expecting, what with her having to endure another rage-filled dinner with Alexander and Sally. What pissed her off more was that she had to sit next to Alexander—again. Just like how the previous dinner with him had been, banters and arguments were not lost on the both of them, especially since Alexander kept his promise about never shutting up. He wasn't particularly fond of speaking all the time, but there is just no way he's losing to her.

Put that aside though, and the night was not entirely so bad. Alexander and the family of four had ended up playing Monopoly the whole time due to the six year old boy's strong urge to play the board game his sister have hated to play when Alexander is also playing—not because she hates the guy, but because he is a very great cheater; extremely discreet and careful. As the game progressed, Aurora had ended up yelling and screaming at Alexander's face with the approximation of seven times while the latter just gave her a smirk and witty ripostes. Still, the commotion they caused weren’t enough to deter the rest of the family’s determination to continue the game. It was slightly a bother, but the three remaining people who had to endure that just let them be.

In the end though, neither of the two bantering young adults won—it was Frank who won the game.

The sleeping woman released another breath upon remembering the events of the night before, a smile slowly making its way onto her face. "It wasn't so bad after all." She muttered, yawning right after.

Just as she was about to delve in the wondrous reality she had inside her dream world, her door suddenly opened with a slam, instantly making her sit up on her bed and forcing her to rub the sleep away from her eyes. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the amused eyes of her younger brother.

"You're finally awake." Theo told her, a smile appearing on his face.

"Yes. Thank you for the observation." She replied dryly, eyes void of any emotion. “What are you doing waking up so early anyway?”

The little boy slowly walked towards his sister as he replied, “The rain woke me up. I don’t like the rain.”

Aurora felt her heart melt at the sight of her little brother trying to shield himself away from the pelting rain by seeking solace in her. He might have disturbed her sleep, but there’s just no way she’s turning him away now--or ever. He’s just too cute for his own good and she really can’t imagine herself doing anything that would upset him. While she’s fully aware of the fact that she’s spoiling him way too much, she knows as well that she would be able to instill some discipline in him when needed. Theo is not that hard to deal with, so she’s absolutely fine in that aspect.

She moved a little bit to the side to make room for her brother as she grabbed a handful of the duvet and pulled it back just a bit to silently tell the message that he’s welcome to join her. “Come here then, you scaredy cat.”

Instead of feeling insulted by her comment, Theo merely let out a jovial laughter before he crawled under her comforter and wrapped his arms around his sister to give her a hug. He looked up at her with those innocent, doe-like blue eyes. "Aury, do you still not like mommy?"

That question caught her off guard. That wasn't exactly the question she was expecting him to ask since he never really bothered asking her about things like that; he's smart enough to put two and two together as to why that hatred and resentment is living inside of his sister's heart. Although the reason for his sister's hatred for his mother was something he doesn't know nor is it something that either of his parents or sister is keen on sharing, he's still able to grasp the fact that the one sister he has isn't too fond of the woman he adores. And even though he found out the reason all on his own through his observations—with the exception of finding out that his mother is actually his father's mistress—his family still said nothing; merely nodded their heads and told him that Aurora is Frank's child from his first wife—which is actually true. Just not the part about his parents' love story.

"Why the sudden question?" Aurora asked him, her eyes shining with unadulterated curiosity.

Theo lifted his shoulders slightly in a shrug, mouth curled up in a slight pout and eyes alighting with indecisiveness and vague wonder. "I was just curious, I guess."

His sister bit her lip as she contemplated what her answer would be to his question, mind going haywire with the many thoughts it contained. Currently unable to form a coherent sentence, she merely looked at the ceiling of her bedroom, eyes blank and body unmoving. She let her thoughts wander and even let it bring back some memories she had with her stepmother.

As she finally lifted her gaze from the ceiling and turned it to her brother, she released a gentle sigh and replied, "I guess your mom's alright. I still don't like her that much, but..." She gave him a small smile. "She's fine."

"So you're okay with her now?"

"Kind of." She said. "She's really not that bad."

Theo let out a soft giggle as he snuggled closer to Aurora's side. "Aury, I have another question." He told her. She lifted an eyebrow to signify her curiosity. "Why do you not like Andy?"

The rain continued pouring outside and the light from her lampshade illuminated her brother's features when her body froze once more. She's not exactly sure why at the moment, but she's convinced the world is cursing her for all the rude and bad things she has done her whole life, what with Theo's unexpected questions being the first thing she hears from another person so early in the morning—and about the two people she doesn't like nonetheless. 

Cursing silently under her breath, she faced and sent Theo a conflicted smile, her eyes dancing with crossed emotions. "I just don't." She replied. "Let's leave it at that."

Frowning, Theo huffed and said, "But Aury, there has got to be an acceptable reason for such dislike. I'm pretty sure you can't arouse such strong emotions such as hate when there is no valid reason."

All Aurora could do was stare at him, mouth hanging slightly agape as she took in the words coming out from his mouth. "How in the world did you learn such big words and grammar? Seriously, it feels like I'm talking to someone older than six years old with how you present your words."

Theo narrowed his eyes at his sister. "I know what you're doing. It won't work." He held his head high and the defiance could clearly be seen in those bright, blue orbs.

She let out a laugh before she ruffled her brother's hair. "There's really no need for you to know the reason why I dislike Alex—well, Andy as you call him. It's nothing you should worry about, okay?" A small smile slipped on Theo's lips. "Now, why don't we make breakfast for once? They won't be leaving until ten so we have more than enough time."

Upon hearing the words coming out of her mouth, Theo's eyes lit up. "Really?" But then, after a while, his eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "But you never wake up this early or want to do anything when you do wake up this early."

"Well you already woke me up so might as well make the time useful by doing something productive."

Both siblings moved out of the comfortable bed they were previously on, Theo laughing uncontrollably when his sister fell off the bed when he pushed her off. Aurora gave him a glare but the latter only ignored it and continued giving his sister a big grin. No matter the circumstance, she just can't find it in herself to really get mad at her brother. Maybe it's because of how much love she has for him or it may be that he will always be that little boy in her eyes, but she's certain that she can't exactly pinpoint the reason why. So instead of getting mad at him, she let out a chuckle and stood up from the floor to stride towards her brother, who is waiting for her by the door.

Little did she know that her brother is more likely to cause more trouble than just pushing her off the bed and waking her up at five in the morning.

— • — • —

Theo looked at his sister as he sat on the bar stool, his elbows propped up on the island table in front of him. Watching his sister cook was something that he has never really seen. Not because he doesn't want to, but because she's not exactly that keen on cooking, especially since he knows that she lacks skill in that certain department. So seeing her cook for the first time, he's starting to feel worried about their well-being.

"Aury," Theo started. "are you sure you can do this? I can help you if you want."

If he thought that she didn't catch the worried tone his voice took, then he's greatly mistaken. A frown took over her lips as she grabbed the spatula, turning around right after to face her brother who had a blank look plastered on his face.

"I'm fine, thank you. I can cook now, you know." She told him, a proud glint dancing in her eyes.

Theo thought it would be great to ruin that though. "You do know that cooking is different from baking, right?"

She gave him a scowl. "You just had to ruin that, didn't you? And I so can cook. My mother taught me how." She turned back to the stove, cheeks tinting with pink from the embarrassment she felt.

As much as he loves his sister though, there is really nothing more enjoyable to him than teasing his sister. Her reactions are exactly what he's hoping for and more. But this time, despite his smart ass comments and retorts, he's genuinely worried about what their kitchen would turn out to be when she's done playing cook.

"But you're just not that attentive, are you?" The way Theo said it almost sounded like a rhetorical question and he didn't give her a chance to let her confirm if it really was rhetorical or not. "By the way, Aury, can I borrow your phone?"

"What? Why?" She asked, eyebrows furrowed together as she cracked an egg and let the yolk and egg whites fry on the simmering pan.

If his plan of action is going to work, he needs to make sure that his sister won't know what he's up to. It would not end well when she figures out his plan before he even has a chance to make it into a reality. His nose scrunched up as he tried thinking of a believable excuse to hell her—something good. "I'm going to play some games. Watching you cook and doing nothing is making me bored." He nodded his head. That seemed believable, isn't it?

Aurora relented. "Well, okay." She wiped her hands on the apron she's wearing and got out her phone from her pocket. After putting in the passcode, she handed it to her brother, who is grinning widely in his seat, thankful that his sister didn't question his response. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's with the creepy grin?"

He smiled at her innocently. "Nothing."

She eyed him with a skeptical look in her eyes, but let it go nonetheless. "Alright."

Theo let out a grin once more when Aurora turned around to finish her cooking. With his sister's phone clutched tightly in his hands, he scrolled through the contacts to find the name of the person he's looking for. Once he found it, his grin widened and pressed the call button.

— • — • —

When his phone rang loudly beside him, he wasn't exactly sure what time it was. He grumbled on and on about how it's too early to bother him when he has a day off today, but grabbed his phone anyway—along with a scowl etched on his face. With his eyes still half-closed, he growled and tried letting his eyes adjust to the light by squinting his eyes, focusing his gaze solely on the device in front of him.

"Whoever is calling me this f*****g early will definitely get it from me." He muttered, eyes now adjusted to the light emanating from his phone. The first thing he checked was the time. When he saw that it was still six in the morning, his scowl deepened. "Six in the morning? Seriously?" But when he saw who was calling, the scowl that was on his face dropped immediately, a slow grin making its way onto his face. He wasted no time in answering the call.

"You know, you could always just outright tell me that you miss me." He said cheekily.

It took awhile for the person from the other line to answer, the loud sound of metal being cluttered together being the only thing he heard. His eyebrows furrowed together, his mind putting pieces together to try and figure out what the person on the other line is doing. He puffed out a breath and rolled his eyes before tucking his right arm behind his head.

"Are you trying to cook again?"

"No, but she is."

He blinked his eyes in surprise a couple of times before he was able to say a few words. "This isn't she?"

The person on the other line let out a chuckle. "No, this definitely isn't she."

"Oh, well, what can I do for you, kiddo?"

For her name to pop up at six in the morning was enough to make him happy and a grin to make its way onto his face. What he wasn't expecting though was that it wasn't her voice he heard from the other line—that definitely changes things; just not much.

"Well, you know how to cook, don't you, Andy?" Theo's sweet voice greeted his ears as he still tried keeping the surprise away from his tone of voice.

Alexander thought carefully about what his response would be. He pursed his lips together as he contemplated whether to answer a yes or a no—both could possibly not be in his favor. But in that moment, he just decided to wing it.

With confidence lacing in his voice, a smirk slowly curled it's way onto his face and told Theo, "I do. I'm great at it even."

"Really?" He could see Theo's face light up with enthusiasm judging by the tone of his voice.

"Wait, did you just say Andy?" Aurora's voice from the other line was unmistakable. "Why did you call him?"

Alexander listened in on the conversation quietly, the smirk on his face still not wavering. Judging by the way things are going and the things Aurora is saying, it's pretty clear she had no idea her brother just called the one person she would gladly be away from.

"Uh, maybe?" Theo's answer came as more of a question than a statement.

"Theo," Aurora growled. "why did you call him? I just told you—What's that smell?"

"Aury, the bacon!" Her little brother shrieked, making Alexander immediately sit up on his bed, a cross between amusement and worry making its way onto his face. He's not exactly sure what's going on at the moment, but what he is sure about is that it's something bad.

The loud pattering of the rain caught his attention. His eyes lazily dragged towards the close-curtained window, leaving him with his imagination on what the outside looks like right about now. The rain has always fascinated him in ways he can't explain, but sometimes, he just finds it extremely annoying—just like this time, where he lost his focus and had his attention divided between the sound of the rain and the sound of the two siblings' banter.

"Hey, kiddo, what's happening?" He asked, eyes still trained on the window.

"Aury burned the bacon." Alexander could almost see the pout on Theo's face when he said those words. "I was waiting for the bacon and now it's all gone."

He couldn't help it. A laugh escaped his lips as he listened to the words the little boy just said. As silly as it sounded, it didn't sound any less amusing to his ears, especially since it just came from the little boy he's become so fond with in just a matter of days.

"How did she manage to burn it?" The grin didn't leave his face. "Wait, never mind. Can you please put me on speaker, kiddo?"

"Okay."

It took a minute or so for Aurora and Theo to say a few words. But when they finally did, the first thing he got from the two siblings—well, from Aurora rather—was, "What do you want, Giovanni?"

All he could manage to do at that moment was let out a chuckle. He held the phone tighter in his hand as he sat up more comfortably and leaned against the cushioned headboard. "You need some help there?" He asked.

"Not from you, thank you." Came her immediate reply. "Theo, stop!" The alarm in her voice wasn't exactly that hard to miss.

The feeling of dread filled every bit of Alexander's body when he noticed the tone of voice Aurora used. He's already thinking the worst scenarios possible about what the hell is happening there, all the while thinking where are Sally and Frank at a time like this—and why they ever let Aurora near the kitchen to cook something that might not even be edible, let alone leave her on her own to do the cooking.

"Aur? You okay? What happened?" Alexander asked worriedly.

"Andy, come here please! Aury might end up burning our house down!" He heard Theo exclaim, his voice a little farther away than earlier.

"Are you kidding me? The guy you're asking help from is as bad as cooking as me! He can't even fry an egg, for God's sake!" Frustration laced in her tone of voice when she said those words.

Although all the things she just said and revealed to Theo are all true, he still couldn't help the frown that made its way onto his face. "Hey! I am the best cook there is, just so you know." He told her. "Mom taught me how to cook when we were in Columbia." The lie moves out of his lips so smoothly.

Aurora scoffed. "And what kind of dish did she teach you? Alexander The Jackass?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

At the Crovers' residence, Aurora put a hand on her hip as she leaned against the island table. With eyes on the phone that rested on her free hand, she said, "You still don't know how to cook, do you?"

"What proof do you have that that accusation is true?"

Theo crossed his arms and glared at his equally irritated sister. "Andy, are you on your way here already?"

Aurora faced her younger brother. "Why do you keep on looking for him? I already told you that the guy can't cook shit."

There was that word again. It was only the second time he's heard his sister say that word, but he knows his sister says that word quite often—he's not an i***t. Aurora is just being careful about not saying that word in front of him. Yet even after being told that that certain word is basically forbidden, his curiosity only piqued.

He pursed his lips and was about to question his sister about that word again, but thought better of it when he knew that he would only get the same answer. So instead, he told her, "What's so bad about looking for him? I want Andy to be here." He pouted. "I miss him."

Aurora's jaw dropped at her brother's words. "But you just saw him last night!" She exclaimed. "Why must you have the need to see him again today?"

"You know," She heard Alexander say from the other line. "you should just let him be. I mean, if I was in his place, I'd miss myself too."

"Get over yourself, you asshat." She scowled. "Not everything is about you."

"I'm pretty sure that statement doesn't apply to the situation now because I know that even you can't deny that everything is currently about me." She could almost see the smirk plastered on his lips as he said those words—even the smugness of it was palpable.

"Still deluded, I see."

"Deluded? No. Sanguine? Oh hell yes."

It continually pisses her off how he always seems to think so highly of himself. Even when he's lost his mind or left it somewhere in Columbia, she's pretty sure he would still be that cocky and exasperating—it just seems to be his nature, after all.

"Aury, can Andy come here now, please? I'm hungry." Theo told her.

Aurora let out a sigh as she put the phone on the table and stepped on her tippy toes to reach the cupboard. She grabbed the first cereal she saw, which so happens to be Fruity Loops, and placed it in front of her brother. As Theo just continued looking at his sister's movements, she grabbed a bowl and spoon before opening the refrigerator and grabbed the cartoon of milk, adding it to the cereal she just placed in front of her brother.

"There. You can eat that while I make another food."

Theo begrudgingly obeyed his sister.

"Hey, kiddo, I'm on my way. Don't listen to your evil sister. I'll be there in twenty minutes." Alexander said and Aurora did not miss the way Theo's face lit up when he heard the words that just came spewing out of her past lover's mouth.

"Oh come on. With you here, the house would burn down even qui—"

She never got the chance to finish her sentence because the bastard already dropped the call.

She looked at her phone in disbelief before she scowled and put her phone back on the pocket of her sweatpants. "What an asshole." She muttered under her breath while she turned back to the stove and grabbed another egg for her to fry.