FORSAKEN

FOOD

I sit staring at the clock fidgeting with the pill bottle, sure I’d always been a little crazy, a person who liked to walk in the moonlight by herself, but this was a whole new crazy I wasn’t prepared for; I waited for breakfast to be sent up, Astin was still sleeping, turning on the T.V I found myself starving from all the food shows, when the clock hit three am I knew I’d waited long enough for him, I ordered just about everything on the menu. A knock on the door almost sends my adrenaline into overdrive; I wasn’t sure how much more stress my body could take, Astin’s door opens and he walks out brushing sleep out of his eyes. It had started thundering and storming an hour or so ago, I’d switched from the T.V to watching the lightning dance across the sky, I’d even rearranged the lounge to face the glass window that went from celling to floor, it had rained for three days, it was getting ridiculous, every time we thought we’d try to make a plan to go out and look around, the weather man shut them down by announcing that the small town was getting hit with its worst storm in over a hundred year’s.

Astin had paid for all the movie channels to be available, he loved it, winter was his favorite season, sitting at home watching Christmas movies while it was snowing outside.

“I hope you arent stupid, Avi. That better be food.”

He walks past me to open the door, oh god you’ve got to be kidding me. The Dalla’s boy walked in placing the trays of food on the table, he turned to Astin when he was finished and then, I seen it in his eyes as he looked past him to where I sat.

“Jesus, Avigale pay the man instead of staring at him like he just ate our meal.” Dalla’s stuck his hands up backing out of the room towards the door.

“It’s fine.” I could barely hear him as he closes the door to leave.

“What a nice guy." Astin said pulling the dish lids up on every dish.

“You only think he's a nice guy because he bought you food, don’t even kid yourself Astin.”

“Yes and he never hovered, so that’s a bonus.”

“This is why you have no friends.”

“Hey! I am not friendless; I just prefer to be with the people who don’t just like me for my inheritance. Like you, you loved me even when we thought I was poor.” After Astin’s mum passed away her father left his entire empire to Ehim, obviously he had no idea until we found out our family wasn't our family. He now owns twenty- five hotels not even mentioning the six houses; and his private jet that got us here. 

Everyone he knew changed on him, his girlfriend being plastered by the media for cheating on him, his best friends always expecting something, after a while he stopped answering the phone calls and started spending more time at home with mum and me, only retreating when his dad was home from war, I knew he felt like he’d lost everything because of the money, he was sure he’d lost his father’s love for not wanting to be like him, for picking a life his dad had kept him away from.

“Hey. where the hell are you going?” Astin called after me as I grabbed his wallet and ran for the door.

“I’m giving your best friend his tip.” It was all a lie.

“Hey wait a second!” Dalla’s was pressing the elevator button furiously, he turned, luckily for me we had the top floor and it toke a while to get up and we didn’t have to share our floor with anyone.

“Look I’m sorry about my friend; he’s going through some stuff right now. He won’t bother you again.” It was clear he didn’t want to speak to him and my following him out here had only made him uncomfortable, his demeanor from just hours ago completely changed.

“No, it’s not about that but thanks, I obviously don’t know anyone here and I was looking for my god-father his name is Harrison. I was sorting hoping maybe you could point me in the right direction?” I trailed off; he was still pressing the button.

“Sorry never heard that name before, maybe the library has information.” The door sprung open making both of us jump, he hurried inside, his body slumping back and relaxing a little.

“I wouldn’t go around town by yourself, he wasn’t kidding when he said it’s not safe.” The doors closed. What the hell was that supposed to mean? That Elliott was dangerous? Other people in the town, or my dad; why did everyone have to be so cryptic about it all, just give me the address and we’ll take it from there for god sake.

“Good your back, so the plan is we’ll go to the school when it gets to be a decent hour, and see if we can go through some old photos.” Astin shoveled another mouthful of bacon between words.

“I mean I’ve been thinking and they had to of had some relative’s that lived here, that remember what happened. Maybe even looking for their little Avi-bear.” Mum had always said that she was an orphan, that the reason she was so excited for a baby was because of that, I remember asking her why parent’s didn’t want their kids, and the look of confusion as she tried to choice the right words to tell her twelve year old, after that I didn’t speak about her family, she didn’t have to say anything but I could see in her eyes the pain that she had felt talking about them. It broke my heart, as I got older and older it turned me a little bitter, why she had not ever spoken a word about my family, my dad and his family. Surely I had an aunty or uncle that knew about me, unless he never even knew about me. Another thing to worry about, if I find him and he doesn’t know me, do I tell him or let him go on oblivious to the fact that he has child in the world that’s grown up without him.

“Paeton has no family here, we stick to the plan, I think we should try look at the school, surely there has to bed someone there still, a cleaner, anyone who can let us in, there has to be photos of her somewhere and as soon as I find them, I’ll find him.” Hopeful, I mean it was a pretty far reach but I was taking it, I had nothing else.

“Okay, but first I need coffee.” He picked up the phone to order, probably the whole menu.

“And you need a shower boy.” His fake laugh rang out through the room, Astin turned his back on me and continued talking on the phone.

We hadn’t done much these past few days bit sit inside, as much as I enjoyed the safe sanctuary we had made within these walls, I needed to get it over with. There’s only so much anxiety pills one person can take, it had no doubt gotten worse since that first night. I still hadn’t told Astin what had happened, I’d sat there waiting for something to show up on the news, but nothing did, I waited for some kind of sign the town was in mourning, but besides the rain, the people didn’t seem that worried. They still went on with their days like nothing happened, like it was just a normal day.

“I really wish I’d finished that plate of food, Avigale we’ve walked around this damn building for an hour now, its locked and we aren’t getting in.”

“Would you shut up for a second and just keep watch or something?” Okay, so maybe in theory Astin joining me was a good idea, but now I wasn’t sure.

“I really think this is a bad idea, are you trying to break in. Avigale what if we get caught and they call Paeton.” God, I should of just left him back at the hotel and done this by myself, the only time I had any space back at the hotel was when Astin was asleep, and even then it was sketchy, going out after dark was out of the question, it was a death wish I wasn’t too keen on. I’d hoped to keep questioning Dalla’s, but I hadn’t seen him since, even when we ordered food he managed to avoid us by sending someone else up instead. The pills didn’t help, I take them to stop the anxiety, but they seemed to numb a whole lot more than just that. I was in a constant battle I was weakest when I didn’t have it, yet I left myself vulnerable, but I couldn’t live with one but I could survive with the other.

“Avigale at least hurry up for god sake, this is the worst plan I’ve ever been involved in and that’s saying something! If we get caught not only do the police get involved, they call Paeton miss underage.” Shut up! I’d get this done a lot faster if I didn’t have a real life conscious behind be, I’d considered leaving him back at the hotel, but something told me I was tempting fate a little too much going out after dark by myself.

“Avigale?” Are you kidding me right now?

“Hey Bianca.” Astin’s face has gone as pale as Bianca’s white fingernails, I could tell he was about ready to call a flight home, he was done.

“What are you guy’s up to?”

“I know this looks bad, and I know this is going to sound crazy.” I gulped a breath of air like it was my last, wishing it had rained again today! Damn weather! Bianca folded her arms across her chest waiting for the big reason I was yet to think if.

“I wanted to go inside the school to find evidence that my dad lives or lived in this town and if mum find’s out I’m here asking questions the sheriff will be escorting me straight to the airport and I wont ever get this chance again. I know it’s no reason to break into school but, I’m desperate. I don’t know what else to do.” The truth shall set you free, well it better or else goodbye answers hello lifetime of being on lock down, how fun!

“You two should probably get going, there’s a meeting here and all the locals will be showing up soon.” So, she felt the same way I did, I had a feeling from the first time we’d met her mum controlled a good portion of her life, what choice we did make we cherished dearly.

“Thank you!” I say as I pass her grabbing Astin’s arm dragging him behind me, he’d gone as still as a statue, as quite as one as well. Our walk was filled with a silence that a brother gives you after you’ve disappointed him. And the day never got any better from there.

"Listen honey I know you said you booked in for another two days, but I can’t find it; and we have no room, I'm sorry."

The very words you won't too hear after two hours sleep.

"Is there anywhere else we can stay till the boat gets back Monday?" Astin sounded just as annoyed as I felt;