'Bucket lists'

MY ROOM IS FAR from what I expected. Just like every other part of the house, mine is black-themed. A horror show if you ask me.

When I confronted Tony about it during breakfast, he blushed a bit and said he could redecorate it if I wished.

My friends shared my sentiments when I sent them a picture of the room.

Ilovebrownies:  Why does it look like you're part of some satanic ritual?  😈(8:11a.m)

Chadz: 😂😂😂😂

DetectiveBradley: Lmfaooo!

Charlie: 💀💀💀

hAzE: jeez, Gem, you're brutal. Anyways, Tony said he'll redecorate for me (8:12a.m)

DetectiveBradley:😏

hAzE: wipe that look off your face, Winston...

I don't pay attention to them much longer when Xavier enters the kitchen with a black cat perched on his shoulder. He looks like he's just waking, from his messed up hair and rumpled shirt and joggers that looked like he wore them while half-asleep.

"Morning." He murmurs, opening the black fridge and checking on the contents.

The cat, leaps off his shoulder and stalks towards me, keeping her blue eyes fixed with mine.

"Hello there." I murmur, half to her and half to Xavier.

The cat meows and swishes her tail back and forth.

“You don't peg me to be a cat person.”  I comment.

Xavier takes his head out of the fridge with a carton of milk.  "Again, never judge a book by its cover, Hazel."

Seeing the milk, his cat is distracted and rushes over, until Diana enters, all dressed in well tailored and ironed trousers and a grey shirt tucked into it .

The initial smile on her face dims when she spots the cat. "I see you've met the demon."

The cat reacts by hissing and doing that cat thing where her hair stands on end.

Rawr!

"Yeah, the feeling's mutual, demon."

I'm amused by their interactions while Xavier rolls his eyes. "Desdemona is a little darling, aren't you, baby?" He glances down at the furry ball which purrs pleasantly.

Diana scoffs. "Yeah. Please keep that thing far away from me."

¶¶¶

Tony's in the University, from what I heard and so he's always away for the better part of the day except when he doesn't have classes and the other times, he volunteers at the animal shelter.

I never pegged him to be that kind of person, honestly. Just like I misjudged Xavier to be a big jerk when I first saw him.

"Have you got your bucket list ready?"  Diana pokes her head in through my bedroom door.

I'm seated cross-legged on my bed, not willing to make any movements whatsoever.

"Should I?"

She enters fully. "Of course. Get a bucket list... Jump off a cliff, get caught by the police, skinny dipping..."

I laugh at her suggestions. "I'm not doing any of that."

She shrugs. "It's only a suggestion, but you get my point."

Nodding, I frown at the walls. "Where's Xavier?"

"School."

Oh. That's right.

Dad told me I'll be enrolling in one of the schools around.

"You'll be attending with us soon."

"Us?"

Diana sighs. "Yes. I go to school too. Later this evening, I'll show you where our school is. "

How come she's Xavier's personal driver if she's still in High School? What is going on here?

Every investigation will be moved to later, right now, my system is messed up.

I yawn and do not hear the next thing Diana says.

When I awaken, it's already mid-day and my stomach grumbles. After replying messages from my loved ones, I go to the bathroom to rinse my face first before moving to the kitchen for food.

No one bothers me and so I guess everyone left. There's only Desdemona who just prowls around, once in a while going to drink and eat from her bowls.

Gemma sneaks  a picture in class to me.

Ilovebrownies: classes are so boring, haze  😵 (12:15p.m

hAzE: you'll live. stop being dramatic.

Then she sends me another picture of herself and her boyfriend, the first picture of his I'm seeing.

He's quite handsome with sharp features. His brown eyes are visible through the glasses he wears, an arm is lazily hanging around my friend's shoulders while she sticks out a tongue at him.

Neither of them were looking at the camera when the shot was taken.

hAzE: winner huh?

Ilovebrownies: he's such a sweetheart...

hAzE:it's funny you had to go for someone who's name had the same first three letters as Winston (12:16p.m)

She doesn't reply.

Did I hit a nerve there?

It's after twenty minutes that she decide to call instead.

“Hazel. What was that all about?” Her voice is stern but I know that's all a facade.

“Prove me wrong, but I think you're not over Winston.”

Gemma sighs. “Fine. Okay, I'm not over Winston but he's gay and I'm dating someone else.”

“Whose name has three-”

“-stop.”

I almost laugh at how frustrated she sounds. I can't relate though. Shawn hasn't been answering my messages or calls so...

“Are you using Winner as a rebound?” I ask after we've been quiet for ten seconds or so.

“No, Hazel. I like him, honestly. I do. But there's just a part of me that wishes Winston and I are still together.” Gemma confesses.

I'm distracted by Tony's entry into the kitchen. He still has his backpack on so I'm assuming he's just returning. Seeing I'm on a call, he only waves and I wave in return.

“Why don't we start a reality show, like seriously. Shawn wouldn't even answer my messages or calls.”

“I'm sure he'll come around, Hazel. Just make sure you have a fun time in Australia. Call me later, okay?”

I smile even though she can't see that. “Bye.”

And the call drops.

“I'm guessing you've had lunch.” Tony says, eyeing my empty plate as he drops his backpack and sits on the other side of the white island.

I nod. “I thought you aren't due home until eight.”

“Xavier's at school, and Diana said she went to pick up some articles from the store, so I didn't want you to be all alone." He explains, picking his spoon and eating from his plate.

“That was thoughtful of you.”

He hums. “Food first, talk later."

I chuckle. How posh.

Desdemona comes on the island and watches us with that creepy cat stare.

Since Tony's eating and refuses to talk, I choose to go somewhere else, like outside the house, appreciating the beautiful scenery.

There are no other houses in close proximity, only well groomed grasses and trees that stretch as far as my eyes can see. Far in the distance are a couple of green hills. Above, the sky is a clear shade of blue something we rarely got to see at home.

The revving of a car engine halts my observation.

Diana steps out of a black Mercedes-Benz, grinning as she draws close.

“The view is breathtaking breathtaking, wait until I show you the cliff. Ever gone cliff diving?”

The prospect of jumping off some where increases my heart rate. "I love my life, thank you.”

Diana rolls her eyes. “Add that to your bucket list. Come on and get changed, we're going somewhere.”

As I follow her inside, I realise what I want to be first in my bucket list.

Leaving Australia in one piece.