In the end, after a lot of arguing which was mainly me whisper-shouting at Aasim whilst he kept walking ahead and stayed silent knowing that despite my protests I would follow him, I did successfully manage to sneak into the backroom. I shamefully admit that the Hulk strength I summoned up to carry all the bags at once derived from a random desire to impress Aasim.
Lying in bed thinking about the Hulk is not how I imagined tonight would end but I did predict not being able to sleep. The reappearing image of Spadille mouthing that I was meant to be shot enters my mind every time I close my eyes. It's also impossible for me to sleep knowing that Aasim and his little sister are sleeping in the backroom of a library- not only that but they might be homeless. And what's more, what could have possibly been happening at their home, for them to leave at their young age. I know for a fact that Aasim must have a plan because he definitely would not put his sister in danger. When I met Leyna in the backroom I adored her straight away and I would not want her in harm's way.
I decide that I'm not going to let her be in any and the same goes for her brother. With that thought in my mind, I drift off.
-
Of course when I woke up, my mind was on checking up on Aasim and Leyna at the library which is exactly what I did.
After reading the most terrifying letter, put neatly in a white envelope with 'Jackie' written on it and pushed through my door's letterbox.
The person on the other side didn't know I was there whilst they pushed it through, utterly silent and utterly cowardice. It might have just been the postman but there wasn't a stamp on the envelope which means that it was delivered personally.
When I was sure that the deliverer left, I tore open the envelope and read the letter impatiently. In it was the word 'Jackie' repeated severally to form the face of Spadille. And I thought back to the men supposedly trying to kill me. And I ran up to my room to hide the letter under my pillow. And then I went back downstairs, and outside, walking as confidently as I could as if I wasn't thinking about who may be watching me leaving the house that they delivered a horrifying letter to.
Seeing Aasim rolling his eyes at me standing in front of the library like I'm a girl with nothing better to do honestly sent a feeling of normalness in me; ignoring the fact the he is holding suitcases and looks like a person who is tired of the world. I also choose to ignore his weirdness from last night after he escorted me to my house last night.
"Well, bye." he said and turned away to leave.
"What! Not even a 'thank you' for helping you?" I exclaimed. To be honest I didn't need one. I just wanted to extend the night before being left alone with my own scary thoughts.
"Why should I thank you when you literally begged me to let you help me?" he scoffed.
"Well-but-yeah but-" I blubbered trying to think of something but Aasim was already walking away.
"Goodbye Jackie," he sung with his back turned and continued to walk away.
"Believe it or not, I'm happy you're here Jackie. I need you to help me with these bags," he says now and nods his head towards the ones Leyna is carrying- and dropping.
"Where are you going now?" I question whilst moving forward to help and giving a wide friendly smile to Leyna who returns it.
"Somewhere to live for a while."
"How is that possible? Where is it?"
Aasim shakes his head at my nosy questions but answers anyway. "Let's just say that for a librarian, Mrs Landry talks a lot. Her son lives in another country but has an apartment at some flat here for whenever he visits her on the holidays and left his keys in the house. Fortunately for me, Mrs Landry is so immature that she's decided not to go and lock his door since she wants revenge for him not visiting this year until February meaning that he's not coming for Christmas."
The bus comes and Aasim nudges Leyna forward onto it and sits down. Comfortably, the bus is empty.
"Can I go upstairs? I wanna run around."
"No sorry Leyna that's dangerous."
To that Leyna slumps in her seat and groans, "But I'm so bored! Plus I'm tired of moving around and not knowing where we're going and why!"
An emotion flickers across Aasim's eyes and his voice croaks when he answers, "I'm sorry." But Leyna just look outside the window. Aasim looks pained at that and clears his throat before continuing his calculations.
"If he's not coming until next year, that leaves me at least 3 months to figure everything out. And since school is over for one week, I can get another job during this time. It won't be enough but I'll make it work." I realise he's talking to himself and leave him alone to do his private, but loud thinking. Until he sighs and mutters something faintly in another language whilst passing a shaking hand over his face.
The language I heard sounded like Spanish. "You speak Spanish? Are you Spanish?"
Aasim nods. Most likely to both questions which is why I beg, "Will you speak Spanish with me then? I can't speak it fluently like you obviously but I'm learning it in school and honestly I'm not doing so well in the speaking and listening sections but I can read it and write it well so please speak Spanish with me."
I know I sound really annoying right now to him but I convince myself that I'm doing this just to distract him from whatever worries he has and not because I'm actually, kind of, sort of, possibly failing Spanish.
"I don't know if I have time-" he starts to say before his eye widens. And then he hugs me whilst mumbling 'thank you' repeatedly. I'm shocked at first then begin to embrace him but he pulls away before I can actually return the hug. I still remember the softness of his curls tickling my neck when he hugged me when he starts to suddenly smile.
"Jackie I just need one more favour from you. I'll teach you Spanish for free but I need you to text all your friends and ask them if they will pay £5 for a session of me tutoring Spanish. And please do it now."
"Okay sure." I say fumbling for my phone it my back pocket and drink in Aaism's smile which is making body warm for some reason knowing that it is directed to me. I quickly send a message in accordance to what Aasim said to school group-chats and any friends my age.
"Done. Now we just wait," I state as Aasim presses the bell and taps Leyna to get ready to get off.
After a few minutes of walking, we start to approach a familiar bridge. Then after more minutes of walking, we pass a familiar basketball court.
"I am pretty sure this is where Orabelle lives." I announce.
"Who? Oh nevermind I remember." Aasim replies.
We go towards the big blue doors.
"Mierda," Aasim swears, "I forgot about this bit."
"Can't we just wait for someone who lives here to access it?" I propose.
"It'll look suspicious," Aasim comprehends.
"How about we pretend that our mum is coming and she told us to go ahead but she forgot to give us the keys?" I suggest.
"But they'll wonder why we've got suitcases."
"We can say that we've just come back from a holiday!" Leyna chirps.
"But they'll wonder why they haven't seen us before." Aasim counteracts again.
"Plus you're white," Leyna adds.
"Leyna!" Aasim scolds.
"It's okay. Aasim there's no way they would know every single person in this building. And Leyna, we could say that I was adopted." When saying this, I think back to Zeth. But then remember that I'm not even moving in with them so it won't matter whoever we make me up to be. I inform the siblings of this too.
"I don't know, it's too risky," sighs Aasim. We start to give up hope when my mind reminds me that Orabelle lives here.
I grab my phone and switch it on. Many notifications pop up, probably as answers to Aasim's offer but the main priority is to contact Orabelle. I ring her up.
Luckily, she picks up in four rings. I mumble a 'Thank God' before speaking. I see Aasim's face fall into relief when he hears my end of the call:
"Hey Orabelle what is the name of the flat you live in? Are you home? Okay great, what's your door number? Sixteen?" I motion for Leyna to press sixteen on the keypad on the door which she does excited.
"Okay I'm buzzing your house, could you open the front door? Thanks."
We hear a click right after I end the call and Leyna tries the door. It opens. She holds the door for Aasim and I who thank her. Aasim reads the floors relating to the elevator numbers which is on a sign stuck to the wall before pressing the lift button. Leyna goes in first, then me, then Aasim who presses level four.
"Orabelle's apartment is right opposite Leyna and I's temporary accommodation." Aasim mentions as we exit the elevator.
Orabelle stands in the foyer and waves a hi to me then smiles awkwardly at Aasim and Leyna.
"Who's this?" she asks whilst noticing the suitcases.
"Your new neighbours." I answer when Aasim doesn't bother to before entering the unlocked door number fifteen which I guess is Mrs Landry's son's apartment.
Orabelle observes them and me. "Including you?" she questions.
"Oh no. I'm just... a friend of theirs."
"Is he the Spanish tutor you were talking about? He looks young." Orabelle says, then raises her eyebrows.
"Mmhm," I answer nodding my head. "Do you need one?"
"Yeah I actually do. Plus it's a bonus that he's just living right opposite me. I'm too lazy to travel far."
"Mmhm," I hum in response.
"Wait a minute. Why couldn't they access the door if they are going to live here?"
Aasim's voice answers for me, "Our mum is coming and she told us to go ahead but she forgot to give us the keys." He grabs me, pulls me into the apartment then shuts the door before Orabelle can say something.
A smile tugs at my lips and he notices.
"What?"
"You used my excuse," I quip. He rolls his eyes but chuckles before getting serious.
"Listen. I'm guessing you have nothing better to do right?" I scoff but don't say anything which confirms his suspicions and permits him to continue.
"Thought so. I trust you, so I'm gonna leave you alone with Leyna whilst I go work for a few hours but I'll be back soon."
He rushes out before I can protest.
"Hey Leyna can you teach me some Spanish?" I yell.
-
Four hours of learning Spanish whilst I helped Leyna unpack. And she has the audacity to roll on the ground in fits of laughter. I roll my eyes.
"Your accent is very berry bad!" Leyna giggles. Honestly, my pride is a little hurt that I'm being told this by a younger child but I'll let it slide.
"Instead of laughing at me why don't you actually teach me!" I pout and fold my arms, feigning a hurt look.
"Oh no I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," Leyna apologises and hugs me to console me. I lean into the embrace but keep up my acting.
"My mummy always does this." Leyna disclose.
"Does what?"
"Apologises and hugs me after hurting my feelings. Aasim normally pushes her away whenever he sees this though. Or after one of her boyfriends hurts my feelings. I think that's one reason why Aasim made us leave home."
I start my interrogation. I feel guilty that I'm doing this to a seven year old but after helping Aasim and Leyna like this, I deserve to know what's happening to them. "Why does Aasim push your mum away when she hugs you?"
"Well..." Leyna bites her lip and I can tell that she is considering whether to tell me.
"Don't tell Aasim this..." she takes a deep breath before continuing and I nod my head as a promise to her order.
"But I know he's scared of mummy." I frown at that. Scared of his own mother, at his age? Leyna must have noticed my expression of disbelief because she tries to convince me.
"I do! I think it's because mummy looks at Aasim the way her boyfriends look at her whenever she's drunk. Cause' she gets this weird look in her eyes and starts getting touchy with him. And then when he comes and tucks me in, he's like shaky. And then he sits in front of the door in my room like one of those guards with the tall hats from London."
I'm completely mortified by what Leyna just revealed to me but I manage to voice my another question, "You said their was more than one reason why you think Aasim made you guys leave. What did you mean by one of your mum's boyfriends before?" I pry.
"My mummy brings these random men home sometimes. Maybe they knew daddy before he left and they come to make her feel better. Sometimes they're mean to me or just act weird."
"What exactly do they do?" I pry.
"Well one time, one said that I didn't having bigger assets like my mummy but that I'll grow them soon enough. And another time, some other man told me that I'll never be as useful as mummy because I'm not good enough. I didn't understand what any of it meant but Aasim still covered my ears and took me away to my room after that."
I'm entirely shocked into silence and my face remains so disgusted that she try's to reassure me.
"I understand because my mummy is very pretty," Leyna states and I smile at that. Knowing how beautiful her son and daughter are, I know that Leyna is most likely right.
"Eres bonita," Leyna says and looks at me.
"Huh?" The words sound familiar but being fluent leads to faster speaking so I have no idea what she actually said.
"It means 'you're pretty'," Leyna explains.
"Oh thank you. Eres bonita."
"Eres bonita," a male voice emphasises the correct pronunciation.
I blush in embarrassment as Aasim enters, shuts the door and smirks at my bad pronunciation.
"You think she's pretty too hermano?" Leyna asks. A faint hint of pink brushes Aasim's cheeks but I don't give him time to answer and stand up. I can barely look at him after what Leyna disclosed to me. Her words are stuck in my mind as it tries to puzzle possibilities together. 'mummy looks at Aasim the way her boyfriends look at her whenever she's drunk', 'starts getting touchy with him'. That sounds like-
I can't let him see that I feel sorry for him.
"I think I should start going, it's getting late," I mutter. "Bye Leyna."
"Wait can I ask your friend Orabelle to watch Leyna for a while whilst I walk you home?"
A sweet gesture. But...
"No it's fine, I'll walk home myself. If you need anything, just ask Orabelle to give you my phone number. Like I said, it's getting late so I have to go."
To avoid Aasim's response, I head straight for the stairs so I don't have to wait for the elevator.
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