Song of the chapter: The Weeknd - Call Out My Name

https://youtu.be/rsEne1ZiQrk

antebellum

/ˌantɪˈbɛləm/

adjective

Latin:

before the war

"Is this some kind of joke?" Estrella asked.

It was Sunday evening. Rivka, Emilia, Estrella and Feliz were here in my room. They couldn't see him, yet I could.

"Guys, look, I can see him, okay? He's right there. For some reason, you can't, but I can. I've spent time with him." I tried to explain.

"Look, we can't see Jack, and you can. How do you expect us to believe it? And you're saying that he's from another dimension. These are stories that we grew up with. Stories are based on reality, but that doesn't mean they are real. So, please stop with the acting." Feliz said.

"This thing about dimensions, it's something that no one has ever thought about, so it might be a little difficult for you to understand. And you all know I'd never lie to you." I keep talking until I realised they were leaving, "Hey, where are you going?"

Rivka and Emilia were going to their dance class.

Estrella had ballet.

Feliz was craving McDonalds.

So, they grabbed their bags and went away. I turned to Jack, "So, why can't anyone else except me see you?"

"I don't know. I was pretty surprised when I found out you can see me because people of other dimensions can't see us."

I gave him a perplexed look.

"You didn't get me?"

"Nope."

"The people of D1 can't see the people of the other dimensions. The same thing with every other dimension, you can't see people from the other 98 dimensions."

"Ok."

"Honestly, I really want to scan you with my AI."

"What?"

"I mean if I can, AI will tell me everything about you."

"That's so cool! Go ahead."

"Yeah, I wasn't really waiting for your permission."

I smiled sarcastically, "Oh really?"

He pulled out his AI and held it towards me. Navy-blue light emitted out of it and scanned me. I stood there motionless as the scanning was taking place. Why are scanners always blue?

After the scanning, he looked at his AI. His eyes skimmed over the screen and his face turned pale. "What happened?" I urged. He immediately started pressing something on the screen. As if he was deleting something.

"What are you doing?" Jack didn't answer, "Answer me."

I went closer to him and shook his arm, "Jack? Jack?"

I snatched the AI from his hand. I read all the information on the screen. After a while, AI slipped off my hand and fell on the bed. A tear slipped out of my eye. I was adopted?

Thousands of questions clouded my mind. I tried to find the answer in my head, but there wasn't any. I needed the answers. I went to the living room to look for Mama. She was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine.

I was speechless. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I stood there, staring at her. I didn't know what to say. As if she felt someone was there, she looked up at me and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I, uh, n-nothing." My palms were sweaty. I wiped them against my shorts. I don't why but I was nervous.

"Are you okay?" Mama was looking at me, worriedly.

"I don't think so." I shrugged it off.

"What's wrong, hija?" (daughter)

"I... I was, uh, talking to a... person, and, uh, he told me that I'm not really who I think I am." I stuttered.

"What are you saying? And who were you talking to?" She had a suspicious look on her face.

"Un amigo?" I had lie to her. I knew that she wouldn't believe me. (A friend?)

"¿Quién es este nuevo amigo?" (Who is this new friend?)

"Es nuevo en la escuela." (He is new to the school.)

"Right. So, what made him think that you're not yourself?"

"He has this, uh, thing that kind of allows him to scan people to find out more about them. He told me that I'm not... your daughter. Mom, is it true, that I'm adopted?" Her expressions hardened.

"Um..." She hesitated

"Mami?"

"Sí." (Yes.)

I felt my world shatter to pieces. It was as if the ground was pulled from under my feet. My entire life was based on a lie. I had been living a lie. I was a lie. That thought made my eyes water.

"Why-Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were scared that we would lose you. And we didn't want you to feel different."

Tears were staining my cheeks. Trying to stop them wouldn't be any use. So I broke the dam, "Who are my real parents? And, where are they?"

"I have no idea-"

"What do you mean you have no idea? You took me from them! Who are my real parents?" I lost control of my conscience. I felt like screaming or punching something. Hurting myself felt like a good idea now.

"Cariño, cálmate." She walked closer to me and was about to hug me. I moved away from her reach, "Stop!¡No me toques!" She moved her hands away and stepped back. (Honey, calm down.) (Don't touch me!)

"Doesn't dad... I mean, Mr. Myer know who my parents are?"

"¡Dios Mio! Cariño, él es tu padre." (Oh, God! Honey, he is your father.)

"I'm done living a lie, Mrs. Voss. Now tell me, does he know anything about my parents?"

"No, he doesn't. We found you on the street. We have no idea who or where your parents are."

"You found me where?" I was wishing that I heard it wrong. I knew I heard it right. But reassurance was all I needed.

She sighed, "We were coming back from your abuela's house. There was a lot of traffic. So, we came to a stop. We were waiting in the traffic when we heard a baby cry. We got out of the car and found you on the side of the street." (grandma)

My voice broke, "I was left on the road?"

She gave me a small smile, "We stepped out of the car. We couldn't find anyone there. So, I took you in my arms, and you stopped crying. Then, we took you in."

"You guys just... took me? ¿Por qué?" I wiped off the tears. It didn't help me much though. (Why?)

"I don't know. When we held you in our hands, we felt a connection."

I was such an asshole to her. I should be thankful to her for picking me up. I was abandoned and left to die on the street. If they hadn't taken me, I would've frozen to death. I was not related to them, but they still took me in. They saved me and gave me a life. And blood-related or not, they were still mi familia. Mi madre y mi padre. (my family. My mother and my father.)

"We didn't tell you because we thought we were sparing you from the truth. I guess we were just sparing ourselves from the fear of losing you."

A small smile appeared on my face, "Ya know, you kinda sound like Captain America."

"I actually took the line from the Civil War." She grinned. I hadn't seen her this happy for a long time.

I scoffed and hugged her as tightly, "Te quiero, Mama. Yo también amo a papá. For accepting me." (I love you, Mama. I love Papa too.)

She caressed my hair, "Te quiero también, cariño." (I love you too, honey.)

I was back to normal, I guess. I was still confused and sad. Mom and I spent the day bonding. We watched a movie together and went out to get ice-cream, which we hadn't done in years. Or ever.

~*~

"Buenas noches," I said to mom and Ned.(Good night)

I went upstairs to my room and sat next to Jack.

"So, are you okay? Did you guys sort it out?" he had a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. I wasn't fine at all. Turning the lamp off, I laid down on the bed, facing away from him.

"Look, I'm from another dimension. And I think I'm better than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Point is, I know you're lying."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Okay, fine. You win! Yes."

"So, what happened?" He chuckled.

"Well..." I told him everything. He was shocked when he heard about me being left in the street. By the end, he asked me again, "Are you okay now?"

"Not really. I mean, I'm happy, I guess. They brought me in and took care of me. I am curious as hell to know why they took me in. Not everybody does that, ya know. But I really want to know why my real parents left me? I mean, I don't think I was old enough to irritate them to an extent that they'd just leave me."

"Hey, come here." He extended his arms towards me. I didn't pull him into a hug. So, he pulled me towards him. Eventually, my hand was on his arm, his other arm on my waist. He tugged my head under his chin. It was both comfortable and uncomfortable. I was snuggled into my pillow, which was comfy. But I was snuggling with a stranger, whom I had met four days ago.

I was so confused. He didn't even know me, yet he was acting like my boyfriend. I bit my lips. Should I ask him? Should I not? Oh f*ck it. I'm gonna do it. "I don't want to be rude but...why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"This. Being so kind to me and helping me in this situation. No one has ever been this nice to me and we just met, like four days ago. Why are you doing this?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I felt like you needed it, because, um, you've been through a lot. And everyone deserves love and kindness."

"That's it? Nothing else?" I asked him. I wasn't expecting an answer so short and sweet. I thought he would say something better, something nicer. But you can't always get what you want.

"When I first saw you, I was confused. Soon, I realised you were the only one who could see me. When I understood it, I knew you were special."

"And?"

As far as I knew, souls couldn't blush. And I wouldn't be able to see it in the dark, anyway. But his constant moving and erratic breathing told me that he was blushing or was ashamed.

"Your eyes are like deep blue oceans?" My cheeks heated up. Thank God, it was dark. Or else I'm sure he would've teased me. My face got redder as I thought about it. So, I laughed it off.

"What else?" I smiled.

"Uh, your smile is... as sweet as... chocolate? Um, how is this going?"

"Really... you didn't think this through, did you?" I was so close to laughing out loud.

"No."

"Uhuh. Really cute, but clumsy." Aw, I think he's blushing.

"Well..."

"It's fine, you don't have to continue. I understood what you're trying to say," I stopped him. He was getting way too stressed about a simple, yet difficult question. To be honest, I didn't understand what he was trying to say. But I think a part of me did understand it.

Soon, I found myself feeling sleepy. I decided to keep snuggling with him until I fall asleep. I wasn't feeling uncomfortable anymore.

~*~

A year later...

A year had passed since Jack's arrival. A lot had changed since then. As time passed, he taught me to be kind. Now, I don't swear as much, and I don't call Richard a sucker. But, that didn't mean I accepted him. I didn't argue with mom as much. I tried to be friendly and kind to everyone around me. More people liked me. Even Mrs Carla warmed up to me. I was able to break my wall down. But that's just what people saw.

My mind was way more organised now. I didn't feel sad or depressed anymore. Everything was now more like a garden, rather than a dead cactus. I felt like I was finally at peace. Hurting myself seemed like a bad idea. I felt content, and that's all I could ask.

Gracias, Jack. Me cambiaste para siempre.

Thanks, Jack. You changed me forever.

(2003 words)