All for destiny

Chapter 9

Nora

My speakers were playing my music loudly as I continued packing my things into large bags and a few boxes ready for my move. I only had three days until the move. I felt butterflies of excitement run wild in my stomach when I considered the move and what it was going to mean for my life. I glanced around at all of my belongings. It felt strange trying to figure out what I would need for my new life in Melbourne and what I could leave behind. It almost felt as if I was picking and choosing parts of myself that I wanted to change and I wanted to keep, sentimental in a way. I opened the drawer full of oversized t-shirts and jumpers and sighed. This is one thing I really didn't want to take with me. I had long ago lost the babyweight that I was constantly being teased about, but I just couldn't manage to let go of the security of these oversized clothes. I picked three shirts and three jumpers and shoved them into the large duffle bag I had laid open on the bed. This was all I was allowing myself. Comfort clothes. A new city, a new me. A more confident me.

I began zipping up the bag when someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in!" I called, picking up my phone and turning the volume down on the music I was playing through the speakers.

"Happy birthday!!!" Mum cheered as she burst through the door with Dad following close behind her. She had a pile of presents carefully balanced in her arms as she skipped in, throwing the presents onto the bed and wrapping her arms around me tightly.

"We thought we would give you some time to pack before bombarding you." Dad smiled before kissing me lightly on the top of my head. "Happy birthday kiddo." he whispered.

"Thanks guys." I smiled, shoving my bag onto the floor and out of the way so that we could sit on the edge of the bed. Mum's eyes locked on the bag that was now on the floor and full of clothing. Her eyes began to water. Dad sighed.

"Georgie, we talked about this..." He sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest.

"I know, I know. It is just so real seeing the bags packed." Mum blubbered.

"I am going to open some of these presents." I chuckled, trying to change the subject. Dad nodded his head enthusiastically, knowing exactly what I was attempting to do. Distraction.

"Ok honey..." Mum whimpered, sitting on the bed beside me and wiping her nose on the sleeve of her dressing gown.

Once I had opened my presents, Mum insisted that I take a break from packing to have breakfast. Mum said she had made pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.

I sat up at the breakfast bar beside Dad while Mum took the plate of pancakes and bacon out of the oven where she had been keeping them warm. She served the food onto the plates and handed them to us. Dad dug in instantly. I smirked as Mum slapped his hand and glared at him.

"Surely, you could wait for the birthday girl to start first. Or at least until I am sitting down!" Mum scolded. Dad swallowed and deliberately put his knife and fork down comically.

"Got it." Dad nodded, licking the maple syrup from his lips.

It was delicious. We chatted absentmindedly while eating about what my plans were for the day and what else I needed to pack for my move. Again, Mum went quiet and sulky as soon as the topic of my moving was bought up.

Mason finally came waltzing down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Got any for me or did Nora eat it all?" Mason laughed as he grabbed a plate out of the cupboard.

"Mason!" Dad yelled, but all it did was make Mum and I flinch. Mason was still stone cold.

"Just a joke, Dad." Mason waved it off.

"Aren't you going to say anything to your sister?" Mum pressured. Mason looked confused.

"Are you sure you need that many pancakes?" Mason asked, shaking his head in puzzlement.

"Piss off Mason..." I muttered, glancing down at my plate.

"What?!" Mason objected with a mouthful of pancake.

"It's her birthday! Her eighteenth!" Mum groaned in annoyance.

"Oh. Happy birthday." Mason muttered. Any less emotion or feeling and I would have thought he was a corpse.

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes.

"So I wonder if you will meet your mate today? Maybe that would keep you home?" Mum suggested, trying to make it a joke, but I could tell that deep down that was what she was hoping for. I desperately hoped that I didn't find my mate today. I didn't want anything tying me to this pack or holding me back.

"I don't think so." I mumbled, pushing the food around on my plate, not wanting to eat any more. My appetite was suddenly gone. "Thanks for breakfast Mum." I smiled weakly before heading back to my room to continue packing.

"You are welcome Nora." Mum called to me as I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to my bedroom.

I could hear Mason and Jameson talking in his bedroom beside mine. I turned my music back on to drown them out. I didn't want to listen to the mindless conversation that they would be having and the crappy things that they would undoubtedly be saying.

I was so lost in my own world that I didn't even notice anyone entering my room, I was just suddenly surrounded by the scent of fresh apples. It was pleasant. Attractive even. It was heady and almost captivating. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion, glancing around my room to see where the scent came from. As I did, I noticed Mason standing in my bedroom doorway. I jumped at his tall figure, staring at me almost aggressively. It still didn't explain the apple scent.

"Mason! What are you doing?" I said in a breathless tone.

"Just wanted to double check that you were actually getting ready to leave. I didn't believe Mum and Dad when they said you had started packing." Mason grinned but it wasn't a nice grin, it was almost cunning.

"Well, as you can see, I am packing. All on schedule to leave this weekend." I stated flatly.

"Good, I am thinking of using this room as a gym once you're gone..." Mason muttered as he walked around the room assessing it. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Great." I whispered under my breath as I zipped up another bag and stacked it on top of the other packed bags.

The apple scent suddenly got stronger. I felt my skin tingling lightly in response. I looked up and saw only Mason staring at the now empty cupboard.

"Oh there you are! Thoughts on this gym set up?" Jameson asked as he barged into my bedroom, holding his phone up for Mason to look at.

That was when I was hit with an overwhelming wave of sweet, fresh apple scent. I almost felt lightheaded and faint.

"Mate." Jameson hissed as he froze on the spot.