Cigarettes and Skittles

Chapter 4

“Oh you’re done with your shower, Ruth bought some cookies” munching at one, Max offered the box of goodies towards me.

“What are you doing here? Are you following me now?” not going to lie I was a bit pissed off and my tone came out a little louder than normal.

Ruth’s face goes through a myriad of emotions as she looks at me with her eyes wide “My aunt....she lives in the building. She told me to give these to kai.” She whispered her words towards the end.

“I think I should go, Sorry” turning around she practically ran for the door. 

Everybody looked at me like I ran over a dog.

“Really Abel? Her aunt is a nice woman who just moved in a few days ago. She just sent cookies through Ruth who was visiting her” Kai explained.

“Fine! I am going to apologize” I jogged after her out of the door and entered the lift just before it closed. Okay so now I’ve to say sorry to her as she looks down at the floor and refuses to acknowledge my existence. As it reached, what I assume was her aunt’s floor, I got out after her and caught her hand before she could leave. She tried to break free but upon some unsuccessful attempts, she stopped trying and just looked the other way.

 “Look I-” sighing loudly, I took a big breath and tried again, “I was acting like an ass earlier, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you”

“It’s alright” but it doesn’t look like it cause for one she still wasn’t looking at me and was again trying to get her hand free vigorously.

“I don't have people trying to be-” I looked down and whispered embarrassed “-being nice everyday” Abel what are you ten,

 “I’m sorry for being so rude” letting go of her hand I went for the elevator. Enough embarrassment for a day.

“It’s really alright” I heard her say before I got in the elevator and pressed the button for Kai’s floor.

~

It was Saturday evening while putting away our dinner dishes when Emily came up to me and in a very sweet, almost too sweet high-pitched voice of hers asked me “Abel can you please help me with my Science project. Please!!” suspicious of her cringe-worthy act I did what any older sibling would do in my place “No” I got out of the kitchen fast and went for the stairs. I don’t trust this devil of a child,

“Mom!! I was in the kitchen on Wednesday late night and you know Abel-”

“Emily you need help” I reckoned the rest,

“-had already finished my ice-cream” smiling innocently at mom, she gave me a look. I knew something was up. She isn’t all that sweet for no reason. Theo looked at both of us and knew something was fishy, but since it doesn’t concern him, he smirked at my misfortune and went back to his room probably to play video games. Lucky bastard.

Mom shakes her head and mutters something along the lines of kids.

“Emily you shouldn’t eat sweets at night and Abel don’t eat your sister’s share of ice-cream” sipping on her wine, she dismisses us and goes back to the movie she and dad were watching. She just physically cannot scold us for trivial things like that.

As we reached her room, I couldn’t take it any longer “how did you know, I looked specifically if your door was shut”

“I woke up for water and saw your door open. I didn’t even have to do anything for that, it’s like you wanted someone to catch you” skipping in her steps she went to her bed and picked up some beads and string thingy. “All the project things are on the table, you can buy things that are not”

I went to the table to see the project on the topic- health and illness, there were some markers for her ‘art supply’. If only I had kept my door locked that day.

“The deadline is on Monday! Why were you waiting till now and what are you doing? Come help me, I can’t do this alone” I have the fight tomorrow, and I can’t say no to this or I won’t be able to go.

“I have other things to do. Start now so you’ll finish by tomorrow. Unless……”

“Yeah I know you’ll snitch to mom. Like the b***h you are” I muttered the last part because I don’t want her to blackmail me to do more work. Even if she had to make me do her project, she could’ve given it to me before but no…..she has to give it to me on a Saturday night. Resigning to my fate, I started researching about the project on the internet.

After 2 hours, I’ve already bought all the supplies that were needed for the project and was sitting in my room figuring out what to do next when there was a knock at my door.

“Who is it?” I shouted while still searching the internet for answers. “Emily told me. I figured you’d need some help?” Theo asked still outside the door.

“Yeah come on in” opening the door his eyes scanned the pile of stationary on the floor with me sitting in the middle miserable.

 “Wow, you really need some help” 

“Yeah off course genius” irritated that Emily wouldn’t even help completing her own schoolwork, I threw the marker in my hand.

“Why are you even doing this?” picking up the notebook I was jotting some ideas down, he spares me a look.

“Didn’t she tell you about the blackmail part?” 

“Yeah like that’s going to make you do this whole project. Only a dumb person would agree to this when you can clearly get her in trouble for blackmailing you to do her project”

“Well…...it’s mostly because of blackmail. But when she said she wanted some help with schoolwork and she came to me instead of you, the brains of the house, I felt a bit useful for once I guess. And then this brat goes ahead and dumps everything upon me.” Irritated I went to sit on my bed “I feel like an i***t for agreeing to do something so stupid” 

“Well you are stupid for agreeing” I gave him a look “but you are not useless. You teached me to play COD. Now, let’s start this project I think we should go with the second idea of yours”

We were halfway through the project when there’s another knock at the door followed by Emily peeking in “I am bored, this looks fun can I help?” Theo looked at me,

“Sure, we can use some help” explaining to her what we are doing, for once all the three Hudson kids were working on something together and Abel almost forgot about the fight he has tomorrow.