"Tony's not home?" I ask, surprised.

 Dad's in Seattle for some business meeting."

"When will he come?And why are you here? You should be in Seattle,right?"

"No, Dad told me to pick you up and stay here to company you, plus dad had some other work in Seattle.He is going to come tomorrow or I might say today midnight." he quietly says or it feels quiet because of the silence.

"Do you still paint?" I blurt out.

"No" he continues in a monotone.

"I don't get much time but yeah I do, sometimes" he looks at me.

"Do you still sing? In that horrible high pitched voice of yours?" he chuckles.

"Oh yes I do! All the time, except for my voice has changed a lot since you last heard, and I was in the music club in school."

"Oh really? I don't think so" he brushes off.

"Let's reach home and then I'll show you, my talent, Arlo"

We banter on for some more time before we came in front of a huge  driveway.

"We're here!" I squeal.

"No need to be so excited" he rolls his eyes and parks the car in the garage.

A garage full of luxury cars.

"Are you planning on staying in this car forever?"

"Oh no, just feeling l-nothing, let's go" I open the door and hop out of the car.

"You move on, I'm coming with your bags."

"Mmmn" I go off.

He catches up with me quickly. 

"The house hasn't changed much since I left" I observe.

"Yeah"

As I enter through the door, the long lost familiar scent hits me, the fresh scent of roses.

"Your room is in the upper floor, left side, first room. The opposite room is my, if you need anything, just knock or call me out" he says as he climb the grand stairs.

"Okay, Arlo I've stayed here before and I do remember it" I retort.

Camilla comes in and her face is immediately shining with the smile.

"Cami Estoy en casa!" I move towards her.

(Translation- Cami I'm at home!)

"Aha Mi chica está en casa. Horneé tus cupcakes favoritos cariño" she said hugging me and kissing my cheek. I repeat the gesture.

(Translation-My girl is home. I baked your favorite cupcakes sweetheart)

"Elle! You're here!" a jolly voice comes from my left and I immediately recognize it- Adrian. I could recognize this voice anywhere.

"Yeah finally!" I say, rushing towards him and enclosing him in a bear hug, he hugs me back.

"Okay wait here, I'm coming down after changing" I turned towards Arlo eyeing the luggage. He understood what I meant and started climbing the stairs.

As we reach the floor, I open the first door in the left side. I open the door to my old room. The room where so many memories are kept, of me, Arlo and Adrian. I stare at the room for a while before getting interrupted.

"So everything good?" he asks.

"Oui" I nod.

(Translation- Yes)

"Bien" he smirks and goes of to his room, opposite to mine.

(Translation-Ok)

I take the bags from the door, get inside my room and close the door.

 I keep the bags near the wardrobe, take of my boots and jump on the bed.

Damn this bed is comfy! I missed this room a lot.

I fish out the the headphone charger, push it in the power point socket, plug in the headphone and keep it on the bedside table.

My phone rang and as I see the name which flashed on the screen, my face lit up.

Coach called me.

"Bonjour coach" I chirp in, as soon as I answer the call and press the phone to my ear.

"Bonjour Aurlie" he says.

"You called?"

"Yes, did you land safely?"

"Yes coach, but I think you have something else to say to me" I reason.

"Yes, actually I do, I was going through the clippings of last year's Inter School Swimming Championship, and I saw yours. I think your backstroke needs improvement." he says, straight without any preamble.

"The one I won?" I smirk.

"Yes but still, you were not fast enough to qualify for Olympics"

My dream is to win medals in Olympic Games, and coach knew it.

"Well, I'll practice"

"Ok then, bye, goodnight Aurelie" the lines goes dead.

I hop up and open the suitcase, to pick out my shorts and a sweatshirt and get in the washroom.A washroom which has glass wall and is attached to my bedroom.

As I got out of the washroom, wearing the cloths I see Arlo sitting on the bed, staring at me.

"Arlo! You should've knocked! Thank god I'm wearing clothes, I could've been naked!" I semi-yell at him.

"I wouldn't mind you being naked. But yeah, next time I'll knock" he said, calmly to my surprise.

"Good, now what do you want?" 

"Dinner's ready, would you like your food in the room, or will you come down?"

"I'll come down"

As he gets up, to leave, I notice his clothing, a black tee-shirt and a pair of grey pants.

He leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

As I check my phone for the last time and leave the room, I remember the times when I, Adrian and Arlo would run around the house, jump in the pool, play in the garden and then end the day with me playing something on piano.  Sometimes we would have sleepovers at each other's house and during those nights we would read books and novels and my mum would make milkshakes for us, late at night. While Camilla would bake us cupcakes.

I enter the dining room and see that Arlo is sitting in the left side of the table and gestured me to sit opposite to him. Adrian was sitting beside my seat and Camilla was in the kitchen

"What's for dinner?" I ask, hoping to stir up a conversation.

"Chicken casserole with rice " Camilla answers smiling jovially.

"Oh, great" 

A servant came in, served the food and went off.

"Guys, you can start eating, Je vais juste prendre mon téléphone et venir" I said.

(Translation-I'm just going to grab my phone and come)

I hope up and  rush up the stair, two at a time, bang in my room, grab my phone and again rush down the stairs, two at a time.

"That was fast" Adrian teased.

"Thanks" I say, sitting down at the table.

"The food's awesome"

"You like it?" Cami asks.

I nod.

I swipe through tiktok and eat the food.

"What's on your phone? While eating also, you are on your phone" Arlo asks, somewhat annoyed.

"Things you wouldn't know"

After this we continue our eating.

"Yay! Bella Poarch" 

"What?" Adrian and Arlo both say in unison.

"Nothing . Just a song" I snort.

We complete our dinner. As I stand up to leave the room, Arlo comes over and holds my wrist. I could see Camilla and Adrian both looking at me with a inquisitive look, through the corner of my eyes.

"What?" I turn around and glare.

"You said you'll show me your singing talents, won't you?" he smirks.

"Fine, but leave my hand" I jerk my hand back.

"Is-is that a tattoo?" he stares at my wrist.

"Ye-yeah why?" I look at the others.

"When did you get it?" Adrian asked me.

"On my sixteenth birthday, it's  legal to get a tattoo from sixteen in France."

"It's small and beautiful" he said.

"Thanks, I have loads of small ones, there's one on my back which is a lotus with some designs"

"I see, come'on let's go to the music room" he again grabs my hand and leads my to a room, the music room, where the grand black Steinway & Sons, piano is waiting.

"God I miss it! L'époque où papa jouait du piano" I exclaim.

(Translation- The days when Dad played the piano)

"But first you'll sing, I'm growing impatient" Arlo states.

"Fine, what do you want me to sing?" 

"Anything you want" he offers.

I sit on the bench and brush my fingers over the shining keys.

"Is there any problem if I sing talking to the moon?" I make sure.

"No honey" Camila joins us.

"But that song has some serious voice limits" Adrian 

"Start playing it"

He gives me one last look before I turned to the piano and starting to play the tune.

"I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away
I want you back
I want you back

My neighbours think I'm crazy
But they don't understand
You're all I had
You're all I had

At night when the stars light up my room
I sit by myself

Talking to the Moon
Trying to get to you
In hopes you're on the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool who sits alone
Talking to the Moon?
Oh-oh-oh " I continue singing.

I finish the song and find Arlo staring at me, his face blank.

I cough a bit and he blinks before looking away.

"Wow! Elle I never knew you had such high limits!" Adrian gushes over.

"You were right, you sang better than I ever could imagine" he says giving me a small smile.

He looks so good smiling. He should smile more often.

"Okay, but I'm tired now, can go?" I say yawning.

"Sure, I'm coming too.Good night mom, Rian" he says.

"Goodnight Arlo" I say before leaving the room and going to mine.

"Huh after a  long day, I gonna sleep" I leave my slippers and crash on the bed.

I drift of to sleep with a smile on my face, without a reason, or maybe there is a reason.

Hey!!!Readers

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Aurelie's mentioned wrist tattoo 

BTW, I wanted my reader to imagine what Aurelie's room was like.

Your comments fill my heart!

All my love~ Lily