Reaching for the mixing bowl, I take an egg from its cardboard home and crack it evenly on the rim. Tipping the contents in and discarding the shell, I pull Garrett up by his white wifebeater so he can see properly. “Imagine the yolk is your heart, and all the white is the bullshit you hide behind. Now here comes Axel,” I pick a fork from the cutlery drawer and stab it directly into the middle. The yolk pierces and its yellow centre spills around the bowl.
“Letting him in will make you vulnerable, you might even bleed for a while. But if you persevere through the bad times, you can become something more, better.” I whisk up the egg vigorously until its massively frothy, happy with myself for that on-the-spot analogy. Garrett continues to stare at the bowl for a long moment, watching the top layer of bubbles pop and fizzle.
“Congratulations, that is officially the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard and seen all at once.” He leans across me to dump the pre-measured flour into the bowl along with a huge scoop of butter and pours a ridiculous amount of sugar in straight from the bag. Setting the bowl into a chrome, electric whisker, I huff and stalk out of the room, leaving him to his shitty problems and even shittier cake mix.
My foot hits the bottom step of the staircase before I still, the thought of returning to the emptiness of my room thoroughly unappealing. There’s only so long I can lie in the four-poster bed that sits in the heart of the room on a raised step, surrounded by chunky furnishings all in mahogany which give the space an ominous feel. No, shutting myself away will only make the void between our once tight-knit group grow and fester. I miss heading for pizza after ball practice, playing video games at full volume whenever Garrett brought a girl back to our house on campus, hosting Dungeons and Dragons every Sunday evening so we could unleash our inner geeks.
The thought of those days being over hurts me more than I care to admit. Despite one of us missing, I must believe we are able to band together and find a glimpse of happiness in each other’s company to grab on to. Even though I am the only one, I could forgive Wyatt if he walked through the door right now and asked to re-join us. Everyone gets misled sometimes, it’s his choices from here on out that will determine if he’s redeemable or not. Spinning on my heel, I stride across one of the many living areas and exit through the patio doors. The sun is hiding behind a cloud-covered sky, a slight chill in the air which I relish against my heated skin. A set of hammocks are on my left with a square, steel fire pit placed between them.
My sneakers leave footprints in the low-trimmed lawn as I stroll around the grounds, heading east first. Following the sound of trickling water, I find a rounded wall mirroring the curve of the mansion, dozens of wicker tables and chairs covering the outside space. A gap in the low wall gives way for a flight of stone steps, leading down into a well-designed garden. The slanted hillside holds multiple tiers, held in place by wooden slates to house flowers of all colours and varieties. A large water feature sits centrally at the bottom, pathways leading away from it in a maze-like pattern through tall hedges.
Winding through the tables, each one holding a closed parasol in the middle, I notice a platform at the far end framed by a wide wooden arch. The ballroom I haven’t seen before is visible through a set of double French doors, making this the perfect area for holding lavish parties. Continuing past, I skirt the mansion and find myself nearing the front gardens. Strips of luscious green follow a long, concrete driveway to the tall gates at the end.
A flash beyond the gate catches my attention and the long lens of a camera is yanked back into the half-open window of a red Mini Cooper. Fucking paparazzi, probably looking for a follow up on Axel’s return. Nothing stays quiet when you are rich. I start sprinting down the driveway, the brunette in the vehicle hastily speeding away with a loud screech of the tyres. I’ll get you next time. Turning back to the grand front door, Ionic columns standing proudly either side, I re-enter the house and circle back to the kitchen in search of food, hoping Garrett has cleared out by now.
Thankfully, the kitchen is empty as I find myself a banana and grab a couple of cereal bars from the cupboard. I glance at the oven to find it off, no deliciously sweet smell filling the room like I expected. The sound of chatting filters in from the living room along with the mystical soundtrack of Harry Potter. Deciding to investigate, I find Huxley, Avery, Garret and Axel sitting in that order across a lengthy cream sofa, the curtains drawn and plasma TV screen in front of them playing the opening scene from The Philosopher’s Stone.
“Oh hey, we’re gonna have a movie marathon, if you wanna chill with us?” Axel offers, spotting me lurking in the open archway.
“Where’s the cake?” I ask, ignoring his question since I don’t really want to answer. I appreciate the sentiment but don’t particularly feel welcome, especially since no one else has
