10. We're out of here!
Celestia Macen's POV:
"Josh, come on!" I protest.
"No, Celi, you just let everyone take you for granted, and besides, do you really want to remember the person who did that to you?" he points to my scars.
"No, I'm not going to that person's remembrance event, I'm going to that of the person who was there for my sister when none of us could reach her..." I say.
"Josh, you know she's not going to listen; why do you even try?" Garrett interrupts.
"But Gar- Fine, I give up..." Josh sighs.
"Let's leave before we get too late, that is, if you still want to come, Josh; you know you don't want to come, so why are you-"
Josh cuts in, "Celi, stop it; I'm not gonna let you go alone- No offence Gar, but two is better than one- to that place where those boorish people are gonna be henpecking at you, and-"
"Stop that!" I say, mortified.
"I am right- They gave you up, Celi, they had you moved away from them, they made you grow up alone, here in Minnesota, with not even financial support, and- don't bother denying it, Celi- they left you scarred for life and alone through your worst years..."
"Josh, you know why that was done!" I nearly yell at him.
"Esti, don't- Josh, stop it!" Garrett's grey eyes meet my blue ones filled with unshed tears.
"Drop it." I order, and I walk out to the car and impatiently honk till the guys come.
"Seriously, you guys take so damn long to just tie up your shoes and walk out the damn door!" I snap.
"Celi-"
"Seatbelts!" I yell and they buckle up.
I start away, trying to push everything else out of my head.
We're nearly there when Josh says, "Celi, I just don't get why you reacted how you did when you got the news and-"
He stops when I pull up to the curb and slam on the brakes.
I remember how I reacted, I do...
I was just walking around, chatting with the guys and Aquacia, the usual gang, when my phone rang.
"Celi, phone!" yelled Aquacia, who was right next to it, while I was across the room from it.
Rolling my eyes, I ran to her and picked up the phone with my left hand and smacked Aquacia's head with a cushion from the sofa with my right.
I answered the phone with a cheerful "Hello!", hiding my laugh when Aquacia fell down, startled by the blow.
"Is this Celestia Macen?" asked a familiar voice that sent my heart beating all over the place.
Startled, I stood still, frozen in place, and my throat clumped up, not allowing me to answer.
Aquacia threw a cushion at me but I didn't even notice it, let alone flinch.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" the voice asks.
Clearing my throat, I answered, "Yes, this is her."
"For real?" came the voice.
"Mom?" I asked.
Garrett and Josh stood still and Aquacia just stared at me upon hearing that one word.
"Oh, hey, Celestia. Listen, you probably don't want to know, but I've got to tell you..." She paused, as if unsure whether or not to continue.
"Yes?" I urged her on.
"Well, you know, um, yesterday, er, my, uh, your, er, he, Oh Lord!" she stuttered.
"Just say it already!" I spat.
"HE died earlier today evening..." she whispered.
"What?" I said, confused.
"Your father passed away, Celestia..." she explained.
I slumped onto the floor, the phone falling out of my hand.
Garrett caught it and spoke with Mom, while Josh tried to cajole me into telling him what had happened and Aquacia just sat and stared, still confused.
"Um, yeah, I don't think she'd like to come to his funeral..." Garrett said.
Suddenly energised, I literally pulled the phone out of Garrett's hand and yell into the phone, "Mom, I'm coming!"
"Celestia, dear, do you really want to relive all of that?" she said.
"But, I-"
"Look, we're going to have a remembrance event one month after the incident; Just come then..."
"But, Mom-"
"Please just do that, honey; look, I'll talk to you later, I've got to go, Bye!" she cut the call...
The waiting for today was horrendous.
But now that I've made it here, I'm going through with it.
I get up from where I've been slumping on the wheel and start the car.
As we continue, I can see Josh's curious expression in the rearview mirror. Choosing to ignore it, I just keep driving until we reach the venue.
"And how are you related to the Sparkses, miss?" asks a guy at the entrance.
"Uh, I-" I'm cut off by a woman from the passenger window asking me my name.
"Celestia." Garrett answers for me.
The woman's eyes widen as she takes in my face.
"Well, park there and meet me here..." she says and gestures to the guy to let us in.
"Okay." I say.
We park and walk back to the entrance, where the lady is waiting for us.
"Is it really you, Celestia?" she asks.
Now, I recognise the voice.
"Yes, mom..." I reply.
"Well, I don't know what- would you like to see your siblings, Lia?"
"Sure..."
"Come, let's go in!" she drags me in, Garrett and Josh closely behind us.
"Lia?" asks Josh.
"Yeah, that was my name, Emilia..." I reply.
We enter the building.
"Emmett!" Mom yells, and a boy walks towards us, who looks nothing like the cute little baby I held in my arms the day he was born.
"Where's Ely?" she questions him.
Sighing, he replies, "Crying, where else?"
My heart drops at this.
"What?" Mom blurts out.
"Okay, just kidding! Look, she's just standing there and staring out the window. Shall we go?" he says.
We walk up to a girl, and Mom taps her shoulder.
"Ely? Look who's here!" Mom says.
Elyssa turns around and stared blankly at me. I involuntarily gasp when she turns around.
"What?" asks Emmett.
"Wrong timing, but you guys look absolutely dashing, and nothing like the cute little babies you were!" I blurt out.
Emmett just rolls his eyes and Elyssa looks into my eyes, as if searching for something.
"In case you didn't recognize her, this is your elder sister, Celestia." Mom tells them.
Emmett looks at Mom in a confused manner until she says, "Emilia..."
As realization dawns on him, Emmett immediately clucks his tongue and pushes me backward by my shoulder, making me fall into Garrett.
Josh snaps "That's it, Celi! We're out of here!"
He starts to drag me out when Elyssa shouts out, "Stop!" and steps in front of him, blocking his way.
"Why should I?" he growls, nearing her face.
I've seen many people run away from that, but Elyssa's not one of them. She calmly holds her ground and stares at him, or, more specifically, into his eyes, until he relents.
She then walks over to me and tentatively says, "Emilia? I mean, Celestia? I'm sorry, about everything; I get it if you hate us now, but I really don't. I still love you a lot, and I have never stopped considering you as my sister and-"
I cut her off with a finger on her lip.
"Shhh, shhh, it's okay. I understand..."
"Celi, I-"
"Josh!" I warn him.
"Okay" he says and sits down on a nearby vacant chair...
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The picture on top is kinda what Celestia looks like...
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