I’ve always enjoyed driving in the outskirts, especially with Charlie with me. Blaring whatever playlist my brother put on the Aux that consists of bands like My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, The Killers. The soft hum of the truck’s engine and the rolling scenery of towering pine and maple trees that boarded the road that led from town to the outskirts was relaxing. It was especially nice now since the leaves of the Maple trees were changing colours from green to shades of orange and red and falling gracefully onto the concrete roads. I drove past the houses on large plots of land that varied in style. From Modern houses with glass everywhere to towering houses that looked from another era, pulling into the familiar Victorian-like style house that almost looked like a castle.
“Alright, We’re here.” I said bluntly, looking over at my brother.
“Thanks for the ride, lil’ bro.” Charlie said with a smile, his mismatching eyes smiling at me as he unbuckled the seatbelt and opened the passenger side door.
“You have fun at your little tea party with our boss… Just call me when you’re ready to go.”
“Oh, okay… Dad.” Charlie said with a smile, getting ready to close the door, his tone pitched up when he called me ‘Dad’.
“Don’t call me that ever again. I will tell mom.” I said, watching Charlie’s face drop at the threat of telling our mother of his teasing.
“O-Okay… please don’t tell mom…” Charlie said with a sheepish smile.
I exhaled through my nose, “Love you.”
“I love you too… Go have fun at Viola’s place.” Charlie said, his sheepish smile becoming a soft one as he closed the door.
I pulled out of the drive, driving around the round-a-bout on the Silverwood property’s front and made my way down the driveway. I watched my brother shrink in the rear-mirror as I drove further and further from the house but something caught my eye at the attic’s window. I could've sworn that I saw someone watching me from there but this isn’t the time for me to become the ghost hunter I dreamt of becoming when I was younger. I don’t need any distraction while I’m driving.
---
I sat there in in the plant-infested garden room, leaves snaking and climbing up and the grey bricks and wooden support beams of the room, the vines starting to grow over the sunroof of the room made it look like those photos you’d find on Pinterest with the vintage furniture and plants in pots lining the window ledges, Viola has always had a eye for such things. I’ve always admired some of the wealthy’s children like Viola. They always have some kind of talent that would aid their family’s business Most of them spend their lives learning from their parents to inherit the family’s company, Viola is the heiress to her family’s landscaping and interior-exterior design. Viola is naturally a perfectionist, she can find the finest flaw no matter how small it is and had been working with her mother and father since she was 5.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Cessair!” A male voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My focus on the entrance to the room, seeing Viola pushing the tea cart with Timothy in toe with a plastic back in hand.
“Traffic from campus to here is fucking wack. But I brought tea cakes and sweets~”
Timothy I knew since I was pretty young. More often than not, Charlie would always have him over and they would jam out in the garage. This guy was one of the rare kinds in the outskirts - he was a free spirit. His family still wanted him to take up the music business they run but are still super supportive for Tim to go off and study music. He’s also that one in a million rich kids that ended up going to a public school. Not a private school, not home schooled. A public school, and with my brother no less…
“It’s fine… As long as you made it here safe and sound.”
The two sat across from me, Viola delicately setting up the table for tea time.
“Oh, Cessair. I know you don’t like tea, so I made you some coffee instead.” Viola said with a smile, her green eyes shining in the natural light in the room.
“Thanks, Vi…” I said in a quiet tone, watching her place the tea pot and the coffee press in the middle delicately and with care while Tim haphazardly stacking the boxes of sweets onto the table.
“I swear to fucking god Timothy Reed. I will bite you if this is how you’re putting out the sweets.” Viola said with a hiss, startling the male beside her.
“I’m just taking them out of the bag… geez, you're so mean…” Tim said with a pout, Viola running her hand through her short blond.
---
“No way… you’re getting courted again?” I said, taking a sip from my coffee filled tea cup, curled up on the bench and invested in the gossip.
“Mhm, he isn’t even that cute.” Viola said with an eye roll, putting a foot up on the wooden chair, “Really need to tell my parents I’m… ya know.” she flicked her pale hand with a sly smirk.
“Oh come on. Don’t act like we aren’t all gay here. Say the word.” Tim said with a chuckle before biting into a scone. “I’m bi, he’s gay. You’re gay. What’s stopping you from saying it.”
“I dunno, I just find it fun using gay code.” Viola said with a laugh.
I exhale through my nose, picking up the tongs and transferring some biscuits onto my small plate of china.
“So, Cee-Cee.” Viola chimed in, getting me to look up at her. She just smiled, my eyes darting back and forth between the blonde and the dark haired guy.
“... What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Tell us some of your gossip!” Viola said with a wide smile, getting comfortable in her chair.
I sat there in silence, the two eagerly waiting for my piece of gossip to offer. “Uhh… Nothing is really happening in town with me, you all know my life is way more bland than yours.
“Liar.” Tim spoke with a smirk.
“What? How am I a liar?”
“Charlie told me you got yourself a partner~” Tim’s lips perking up as his face scrunched.
Viola spat out her tea, “No way, you’re dating someone now?!” She said, her eyes widened at the mention of me having a partner.
“Not just one, but two.” Tim said with a snicker.
“Ooo la la, little Cessair got himself in a love triangle. Now spill, who are the guys fighting for your love?”
I exhaled through my nose, putting down the tea cup. “They are not my partners nor am I in a love triangle… this isn’t like a book I’m reading. I’m just friends with them.”
“Yeah, just friends… that’s how they always start out.” Tim said, his tone like my brother’s earlier.
“You’re one to talk, you can’t even make the first moves on my brother.” I shot back, watching Tim’s face go from fair to red.
Tim parted his lips to speak only to press them together and look away from me, defeated, Viola laughing softly at our little feud.
“But really Cessair… is there any guy you fancy?” Viola questioned as I felt my phone vibrate.
“I uhh…” I trailed off in thought as I pulled out my phone to check the notification.
1 new Notification.
Charlie: Hey, I’m ready to go. Totally forgot that I made some reservations for us at a restaurant tonight.
“... Got to go.” I finished my thoughts, finishing the snacks on my plate, hearing Viola and Tim groan.
“Nooo, you had us on the edge of our seats!” Toby whined as I stood up, picking up my jean jacket, slipping it on over my brown jumper that’s over my buttoned-up shirt.
“I’ll save you the cliff hanger, I don’t fancy any of them… both are sweet in their own way, but one isn’t interested in relationships and the other is a straight ally.” I rolled my eyes, walking over to the door.
“Awww… but I hope you find the one” Viola said in a comforting tone that made my heart ache in my chest.
I stopped in my tracks, turning on my heels to look back at the duo“Oh before I go… I have a question before I go…”
“What’s up?” Viola responded, now sitting in my spot at the tea session.
“Why doesn’t Salem join us for these monthly tea times…?”
“I do invite him… but you know him, he’s not into being social… especially now. He’s been withdrawing from a lot of us lately. He might just be busy with his doctor studies.”
“Right… but do you have a photo of him now…?” my voice cracked as I felt my gut tighten. I never saw any current photos of Salem in his family’s home when I went to drop off groceries, so maybe they’d have at least one photo of him. I don’t know why I want to see one, it’s probably just the morbid curiosity of knowing how he was doing since the fire incident.
Viola shook her head slowing, closing her eyes. “Sorry but no… once again, Tim and I do invite Salem out but he always has something to do. I do know he does have social media pages but they’re all set to private. No followers but he does follow multiple other accounts. But he does apparently post images up on Insta from what I've seen from digging for his socials to keep track of him.”
My heart sank slightly at the answer. As if I was holding onto some kind of hope to know if Salem was doing after all these years.
“But don’t you always go to the Silverwood household for your grocery job? I swear Salem is there almost all the time.” Tim brought up, making my eyes avert from the two.
“Yeah but I’m only there for an hour or so…” My thoughts trailed once more, my voice tailing off with them, trying get out of this situation I put myself into. I turn on my heels once more and walked out of the garden room, “I see you around…”
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