I walked towards my car after saying everyone goodbye from a cherishing evening. "Tomorrow." He said, "Tomorrow."

He agreed!

Finally!

Meanwhile, my phone rang and I picked it up. 'Hey,' It was Ian.

'Hi. How are you? Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I am. You? Where are you?'

'I'm going home.'

'With that murderer living in?'

'Do I have a choice Ian?'

'You can live with me.' He offered and a distant rumble and scream sounded from his phone. 'Hey! Shut up!' He yelled.

'Where are you exactly Ian?' Loud music blared through the phone and I had to place my phone away from my ear.

'Oh, no. I'm—I SAID SLIM IT!' He shouted again.

'Ia—'

'—I gotta go Elle. See ya. Love you bye!' And he cancelled the call. I furrowed as I lowered the phone.

'Everything's alright?' I didn't even realise I reached the cara nd Ryan was standing there, leaning against the sid elf my car with his arms folded over his chest.

'Hey, Yeah. You didn't go?'

'No.' He answered.

'Okay ... 'I trailed off having no idea what else to say. I unlocked my car but Ryan still didn't move. 'You wanna go or what?'

'We need to talk Âme.'

'About what?'

'About you.'

'Me?'

He leant off the car. 'Yeah. What's going on? You seem tense and occupied most of the time.'

'There just some family matters.' I was about to open the door to sit when Ryan closed it from behind forbidding me to escape from this conversation.

'You're not my problem-solver.' His chest touched my back. 'I don't share stuff with you only to have you worried over. If I tell you things,' he turned me around by my shoulders to face him that was incredibly close. 'I want you to tell me too. Understood?'

I nodded like a kid being lectured. 'Okay.' I glared at the phone, worried for Ian. I shouldn't be, he was twenty one, could make his own decisions, got to bars and clubs, but the kinds of sounds that echoed from the phone were not usual.

'Hey,' Ryan lifted my face up. 'We're gonna sit in, and you're gonna tell me what's bothering you. Yeah?'

I nodded again and sat.

Ryan was quiet. He didn't push me or ask me anything, he just stared out of the window waiting patiently.

I huffed for I was tired of keeping things from people and dealing them on my own. 'It's Ian. He's... he's not fine. He has started drinking—not that I object but it's changing him not for good. He has become rude, fights and argues on almost everything and has distant himself. I want to help him but I just don't know how.'

'Know why he's doing that?'

'Yeah,' I looked on my lap, bracing myself to prepare myself for the reaction of Ryan. What he'll think of me when I'd tell him about my Dad? What would he say? How would he behave? With all these questions, I stole a glance at him and he had such an understanding look on his face that holding back my own fears seemed stupid. 'My Mom loved a man before she married dad. Dad loved mum, it was obvious but mum still had her heart to that man—Henry who left the town before he could see mum as a bride of someone else.'

'A co-incident brought them together and mum one day visited Henry without telling anyone at home. Dad, I remember, that day drank alcohol first time and Ian and I got it and something was perfectly wrong—not that we didn't know about Henry before. It was just that we thought things will get fine—better.' I tried to calm my shaky hands.

'Time passed, mum occasionally visited Henry who didn't leave again an dad's alcohol was a,ways there to numb his own pain,' I looked out of the window and suspected a perfect silence. Ryan laid his hand on mind to tell me that it's fine but I wanted to get this weight out of my chest. 'One day, dad came home, he was drunk a lot, asked about mum. We told him that we didn't know so he went out and left and ... never came back.' I almost choked. I wouldn't cry. I can't cry. I hated crying and I can't remember when was the last time I cried.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. 'And with dad, the good times, the smiles , the laughs also left. Mum began too workaholic and was most of the time on and off , Ian and mum stopped talking to each other and I—well, I had no idea what to do. Mum's business wouldn't allow her to stay at home much and Ian refused to used Mum's money. So we both worked together, and it was pretty good until, Mum got more weird and Henry came back.' I took a breath as I paused. The tightness of chest made me unbuckle my seat belt and I lent forth.

'I thought Ryan, I thought ... ' I bit my bottom lip to stop the shiver. 'I thought it'll all be fine. That we'll be good and will finally be a good family but it all tripped and stumbled.' I ran hand through my hair. 'I don't want to lose Ian and I don't know how to help him. Henry's living at my home and seeing his face makes me want to throw up. I don't know what to do. How to deal with all this? How to... how to know what right? I'm just ... I'm just ... '

'Struck.' Ryan finished and I looked at him with tears eyes that were cleared with several blinks. Hold on Jane, I told myself. Don't cry.

He spread out his arms and I didn't even hesitate for a single second to fall in them. 'I get you. I know how it feels Âme.' He gently stroked my hair and rested his chin over my head. 'You helped me get out of that feeling, now it's my turn.'

It was all confusing, agonising and worst, on a constant loop. I just wanted to stop, and Ryan's embrace, his you'll-be-Fine-I'm-here phrases, his hand running gently through my hair was all I needed.

***

I almost fell butt-first on the floor as Ryan sang the verse. 'I told you falsettos are not my thing. I sound like a dying turtle with soar throat.'

'It shouldn't have been that bad.' I tried composing myself but it didn't work. I couldn't stop laughing.

'Even you are laughing. So falsettos, out.' Ryan said.

'No, but, they sound so good, well, you need to practice a bit. Like your high belts are good and clear so it shouldn't be a problem. We'll practice and it will be good.' I said in between my laughter.

'Nope.' He pinched my nose. 'Ain't happening.'

'Please. Trust me, they're gonna get better.' I begged him but he kept on shaking his head.

'Nope.' He said, popping the 'p'.

'Okay fine. Whatever you are comfortable with. But you know, if you want that trophy in your hand, you ought to step out of your comfort zone.'

'I don't want to get naked in front of you. But if you wish,' he shrugged coming out of his comfort zone. 'I'm fine.' He began unbuttoning his shirt before I stopped him mid-way.

I whacked his shoulder. 'Pervert.'

'Now I didn't work in gym all those days only to get smacked and not to show off my muscles.'

I rolled my eyes until they landed on Ryan's chain which locket was hidden behind the shirt. My hands itched to see what it was so I moved closer to him. He was surprised at first, thinking I was seducing him but then I looked down at his chain and his eyes dared me to pull it out, so I did.

I titled my head as I tried to pronounce the three letters that were scribbled over a wooden piece. 'Amy?' I pronounced it.

'No, it's more like the letter "m".'

I gasped. 'That's what you call me! Âme!'

'Yeah? Glad you remember.' He deadpanned.

'And you wear a locket of it?' My eyebrows were in a strange position between an utterly confused riddle to a ridiculously common revelation. 'Like seriously?'

'Yes. I do.'

'But what does that mean? You never told me.'

'And you never asked me.'

'I thought it was a letter 'm'.'

'Why would I call you letter "m"?'

'I don't know. Maybe my name has 'n' so you decided to make it unique and call me "m".'

Ryan chuckled. 'What? What does that even mean?'

'I don't know Okay!' I threw my hands in air. 'So tell me. I've been dying to see that chain of yours.'

'It means soul.' Ryan voiced. 'My mom gave it to me when I was little saying that things will get better once I find someone worth looking for and that night, when you and I, we both were the wanderers of our lives, I talked to you and I swear, I never felt that understood, that connected before.' He winded his hand with mine. 'So, I gave you that name and well, you didn't let me down.'

If not by my family problems, then by this boy's speech, I was ready to cry.

I stared at his warm brown eyes that were so deep that even diving seemed not enough. I smiled. I smiled and laughed and felt that cheerful glow warning my body and then I had no idea what to do so I simply hugged the life out of him and then I kissed him on his cheek, on his forehead, on his nose , his other cheek.

He laughed while I did that. 'I should give more speeches if this will be the result.' He got another whack on his shoulder as I stood up from the couch.

'I'm hungry.' I said.

'Me too.'

'I don't know cooking, I don't want to eat pizza right now or any fast food so ....' I gave him my puppy eyes. He chewed his inner cheeks and pouted.

'Fine.' He stood up. 'I'll cook.'

'I'm waiting.' I yelled out as I took my phone out and tapped the comment icon. I was about to read some hate comment on my profile when my phone was thrown across the far side of the bed and Ryan dragged me with him.

'You're coming with me.'

We reached downstairs and went in the kitchen.

'So, What do you want to eat?' He asked as he placed a bowl of flour beside me.

'I don't know, anything.' I leant against the counter and watched him as he took shuffled through the fridge. 'What are you doing?' I asked when it took him longer than it should've.

Then Ryan turned around and I bent forward as I laughed. He had drawn a beard and a moustache on his face with the frosting, two peas were in his nose and had struck pieces of carrots on his eyebrows. 'How am I looking?'

'How should you look?' I walked towards him and took the frosting can from him.

'Sexy.' He spoke in a Russian accent and I chuckled again. I swirled the spoon in the can and taking a handful, I placed it on his head and swirled it again.

'There,' I placed some more on his nose tip. 'Now, you're looking sexy.'

'Yeah but you're not.' My eyes widened as his eyes narrowed in slits and humour adorned his face.

'I'm fine.' I backed away but not soon enough when Ryan took a bigger soon of frosting laying on it. 'Ryan no!' He threw the frosting on me , I shielded my face but my hair had it.

I grabbed a handful of flour in my hand and threw it on Ryan's face and it stuck to the frosting on his face. The peas dropped as he tried to shield his face but failed. 'Oh baby you're down now.' He grabbed the bowl of flour and ran for me.

I screamed and ran out of the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Ryan running for me, flour in his hand. I was about to run faster when I crashed in someone's chest. I looked up and saw Yang's stern face. 'What the fuck?' He said and Noah came from behind him.

Absolute shock veiled Noah's face. 'What are you guys doing? And Jane? He has only one week left and you guys are playing here?' Yang moved forth so that he stood between me and Ryan and Mia just entered possessing same expressions as Noah's and Yang.

'Oh my god! Jane, Ryan, What is happening here?'

'Guys, chill. We're just playing around.' Ryan tried to lighten the mood but Yang clenched his jaw.

'Playing?' He repeated. 'This is what you call playing?'

'Hey, chill—' But Yang didn't let Ryan finished as he grabbed the bowl from Ryan's hand and poured it whole on his hair.

Noah took out two snow sprays from behind his back and sprayed them on my face. 'Noah!' My face was muffled when Yang yelled.

'You can't play without us!' And then began the true fun.

'You mother fuck—' Mia hit Ryan from behind with the cushion and then made a run for it. I succeeded snatching a snow spray from Noah and then he was wholly drowned in it.

Yang was helping Mia to hit Ryan and then Ryan to hit Mia. Then cushions and pillows were brought from either rooms by Noah and feathers and torn covers covered the floor.

I targeted a pillow at Ryan's face and actually did. 'Yes—Oh no.' The colours from my face drowned as Ryan picked up almost seven pillows, all targeted at me. I ran and used Noah as a shield who, first having no idea what was happening as his face had five pillows right on—then hit Ryan with all his might.

It all continued until we ran out of pillows. Ryan's home was a total mess but none cared as they all laughed their hearts out. It was a free atmosphere, a air where no worries lived and happiness wrapped the whole house.

At the end of the day, after ordering pizzas and watching a boring movie, we all dozed off on the floors submerged in soap, flour, frosting, mud, sticky feathers , torn off covers of pillows, empty bottles and abandoned pizza boxes.

***