The Legions Broken Flame

Chapter 3

Ophelia

It's been a week since my birthday, and I haven't seen that boy again. It was probably just my head messing with me.

Graduation is in a week and then I can finally just leave this hell hole.Dad can't keep me here after that. The only reason I didn't leave on my birthday is because I've worked too hard not to walk across that stage in the end. Currently, though, I have locked myself in my room again until dad leaves for his nightly bar crawl. The night is my only time for peace and I use this time to hang out with Ezra. He's the one person I haven't managed to push away in my life.

Ezra knows everything about my life, but I've made him promise to never tell anyone about it. He even pinky promised me. When I show up at his house he always looks over my cuts and bruises for me, and I always feel a little better when I leave. We've been best friends since elementary school when he punched a boy for pushing me into the mud on picture day. Ezra helped me clean up my hair and called his mom to bring me a new dress, against my protests, and we've been inseparable ever since.

At this point Ezra is more of a brother to me than a best friend. His family is a little weird, but they accept me and treat me like one of their own, and I will always be grateful to them.

I hear the front door open and slam shut before dad's truck starts and he revs the engine, peeling out of the driveway. I watch through my window as he turns the corner at the end of the street. Grabbing my phone I text Ezra that I'm on my way for dinner. Tonight's spaghetti night and I'll be damned if I miss spaghetti night.

I set my little nanny cam teddy bear up to look out the window and slip out onto the roof. Carefully, I climb down the house and hope down the last couple feet. I've done this so many times over the years that I could do it in my sleep.

The walk to the Graham household is only about five minutes and before I know it I'm only a few houses away. I immediately realize there are a few extra cars in the driveway. Ezra hadn't mentioned people being over and my anxiety starts to rise. I really don't want to meet new people, but Mrs. Grahams food is too good to pass up.

Ugh!

I breath in, calming my nerves, and make my way up the walk way and knock on the front door. Seconds later the door is thrown open and I'm engulfed in Ezras large arms. "Hey O!" Sorry I didn't say anything about my family coming over. I guess they wanted to surprise me for graduation." He knew me so well. I didn't even get to say anything before he started rambling.

Ezra is about 6'1 with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. He's very muscular for an for an 18 year old and one of the strongest people I know. Today he's wearing a simple blue t-shirt and black jeans.

I slap my hand over his mouth to shut him up and chuckle. "It's okay Ez, you shouldn't have to explain anything to me. Of course they would want to see Mr. Valedictorian walk the stage." That earns me an eye roll as he closes the door behind us and I kick my shoes off. "Jeez, I could smell the garlic bread from outside. I'm starving." I link my arm through Ezras and lean into him as we head toward the kitchen.

The smell of tomato sauce and garlic gets stronger the closer we get, making my stomach grumble. Ezra coughs to hide a laugh and I glare at him. I'm about to scold him when he cuts me off with an introduction. "Hey mom, look who made it!"

Mrs. Grahams elegant face lights up as we round the corner. "Oh my sweet girl! Of course!She wouldn't miss spaghetti night. I'd have leftovers for days if she didn't." She teased, causing a light blush to creep up my face, and I smile shyly as I hug her. "Ezra, don't be rude and introduce her." Mrs. Graham scolds and narrows her eyes at him.

"Oh yeah! O, this is everybody." He makes a wide gesture toward the whole house. "Everybody, meet O!" Mrs. Graham smacks the back of his head and glares at him the way only a mother could .

"You could do it properly!" She scoffs at him and rolls his eyes, but smirks and ducks the next smack. His mother snickers before turning back to me with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll handle the introductions." I nod slowly, and over the next half hour I'm introduced to numerous different cousins, aunts, and uncles. I've barely retained everyone's names, but I'm very sure they know mine by now. There's just too many of them!

A while later I'm in the kitchen helping with dinner when a man I hadn't met yet walked in. "Uncle Keegan, you made it!" Ezra shouts as he gives the man a suffocating hug.

Uncle Keegan, as Ezra called him, is a handsome man. He can't be more than 45, with green eyes, jet black hair , and a beard to match. Though the edges are starting to grey. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it Mr. Valedictorian."

I snort as I recall saying the same thing not two hours ago. Ezra whips his head around and sens me a playful glare, and his uncle just looks at me curiously. I lower my gaze and blush again as they make their way towards me at the kitchen island.

"And who might this be?" Ezras Uncle asks, still looking at me with curiosity, with his brow furrowed.

"Uncle Keegan, this is my best friend, O. O, this is my Uncle Keegan." Ezra beams as he speaks.

"Ezra! what did I say about the nickname? People would like to know her actual name, too!" Mrs. Graham snaps at him for the thousand time, making me chuckle and hesitantly hold my hand out for him to take.

"I'm Ophelia. It's nice to meet you Mr. Graham." I say quietly and he freezes for a momentbefore he smiles brightly.

"Please, call me Keegan." He gives my hand one last tender squeeze before he turns to Ezra, his gaze lingering on my face for a moment longer. "I'm sorry your cousin couldn't make it for dinner tonight. He was delayed with some exam prep, but he said he will be here for your big day. He wouldn't miss it."

Keegan eyes settle on me as he speaks the last part. He looks at me with the adoration a father would for his daughter and it makes me squirm. Not because it's uncomfortable, but because I've never had that.

"Oh, that's alright. He's just going to miss the cake tonight then." Ezra replies before an oven mitt smacks him in the face. "Hey! What did I do that time?!" He asks his mother with a huffed she glares at him.

"The cake was a secret, dumbass!" Jordan, Ezras little brother, calls from his spot on the couch in the other room. my cheeks endlame when I realize it was probably a secret for me. For my birthday that never got celebrated.

"Mrs. Graham, you really didn't have to do that." I say sheepishly, but I can't help the smile that spreads across my lips.

"Nonsense! One only turns 18 9nce in their lives. You ought to celebrate it." She says as she stirs the sauce. Keegan clears his throat and we turn our attention toward him.

"I'm sorry, is it your birthday?"He asks with a certain curiosity to his voice.

I shake my head. "Not today, but a week ago, yes." His eyes widen, but I turn back to Mrs. Graham before I take in his reaction. "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it." She responds with a motherly smile. Keegan stands from his stoolat the island and pats Ezra on the back.

"Well, I need to call my son and let him know we made it alright." He turns to me with a warm expression. "It's was very nice meeting you Ophelia. I'm sure we'll see a lot of eachother this week." The way he says it sounds like he knows something I don't.

"It's was nice meeting you, too." I say quietly. He nods and walks away pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

Ezra wraps an arm around my shoulders and squeezes, breaking my attention from his Uncle retreating form. "Come on, let's set the table for my mom." He tilts his head to gesture toward the diningroom. I nod and walk off with him, but my gaze is pulled back to where Keegan had disappeared to.

Something tells me this is going to be a strange week.