AN/: I'm really, really, really, really sorry about the wait, guys! Here's my explanation:
I got hit with a major episode of writer's block when this chapter had only been half wrote, then when I had wrote some more, i lost it so that depressed me and added fuel to the fire that is writer's block. Then, I went on holiday for two weeks, what was really nice and refreshing and inspired me to write more of this. However, I also have been having writer's block with my own original storuies what really got me down, but after my refreshing break, I also got inspired to write some of that- i've wrote 27 000 words in 7 days, so yay!
This technically is only half of chapter eight, and unfortunately- even though i promised- Grant and Skye aren't meeting in this chapter, or this part, at least. My reason being, in total I've wrote 4000 words for this chapter and it's still not complete. But since it is so long, I decided to spilt it into two parts, to give you guys an update and a reason behind why I haven't updated. Next part they will meet- in fact, I've wrote their meeting and if I don't say myself, it's hella cute.
I am incredibly sorry about this and I can't promise that I'll update more frequently: the updates are still going to sporatic. I'm going through a sort of an emotional time right now and as I said, I've been inspired to write my original works. I was meant to update a week ago, but I didn't get round to it- stress hit me- but today, thanks to VMars lover's review, I was reminded, so voila!
Enjoy, and I am really, really sorry.
(As an side note, has anyone watched Fantastic four, and did you find it worth watching- in comparisson to the originals, becuase I don't know if I should go watch it as I loved the originals.)
Eight, part one: Lies and potatoes
"Would you serve it already!" I yell, my mouth watering with hunger.
"Stop hurrying me!" Lincoln yells back at me, waving the wooden spoon at me, as he stirs the delicious-smelling food that taunts me.
"Please. I'm dying over here!" I say, and my stomach rubbles loudly just in que. The aroma is so powerful, it is like one big tease and I haven't eaten since lunch, what was hours ago.
"Never mind your gift; I think your stomach is the one that can cause earthquakes by the sound it just caused." Lincoln grins at me as if that's the funniest thing he's ever said- what, let's face it, it's Lincoln. Of course it is.
"Just give me food and now," I demand, jumping up from my seat and coming near Lincoln. I reach for the food inside the pan, causing Lincoln to hold it above my head.
"Nuh-uh, missy. Not until it's served!" He shakes his head. I pout at him, folding my arms across my chest.
"Then serve it!" I cry, my hunger over taking me. Lincoln smirks, knowing he can use this to annoy me. Because that's what our friendship is build on- ways to annoy each other in friendly ways.
"Say the magic word and I will!" He grins at me, liking having the upper hand, something I don't like him having. I glower at him.
"I'll give you the magic word, you little-"
"Skye! Lincoln! We're home," Mom announces and I cut myself out before I say the profanity in front of her- because if there's one thing she can't tolerate, it's swearing.
"Thank god!" Lincoln exclaims. "I'm pretty sure your daughter was about to kill me," he tells Mom, putting back down the pan as I back down my attack. I roll my eyes.
"Don't be do melodramatic, Lincoln. I wasn't going to kill you, I was going mutilate you," I say, a grin spreading across my face.
"Daisy! None of that talk!" Mom scolds me, and my grin quickly disappears. As much as she hates cursing, she hates graphic talk. Mom turns her attention to Lincoln.
"That smells delicious, Lincoln," she compliments him. Lincoln beams.
"Well, I learnt from the best." Where I failed at learning how to cook, Lincoln succeeded.
"Well, I hope there's enough for us," Gordon integrates himself into the conversation, smiling at us. To anyone else, outside Aftelife, a smiling man with no eyes would be enough to give them nightmares but for me, Gordon was the one who comforted me from mine when Mom didn't.
"Of course. I always make more than enough. Plus, I thought if you were going to come home late you'd rather heat something already cooked up than make it from scratch," Lincoln says as he puts the food down on the table. I leap back into my chair, eager to eat the food I've been dying for.
"I'm sorry we're late," Mom apologises as she and Gordon also take a seat. "We got held up on our business. It went on longer than I had anticipated," She informs us.
"What was your business?" I inquire, the discussion I overheard last week still fresh in my mind. Mom takes a bite of the Kale.
"Don't concern yourself with it, it's nothing." Mom dismisses it, even though I can tell it's anything but nothing.
"But if it's something that meant you have personal business twice in such a short time, surely it's not nothing." I insist, wanting to know more about what I overheard, even if I know there's no use.
"I said it's nothing, Daisy." Mom's tone is sharp and she gives me a look. I sign, knowing I won't get anywhere. If she doesn't want to tell me, she won't.
"So, what did you do today?" Gordon asks us, breaking the silence that had formed.
"I visited Raina and played her some of my music," I tell him. "You know, the new tune I learnt." I add on. Gordon nods, knowing what I'm talking about.
"And how is Raina? I haven't seen her in a while." Gordon asks. I take a bite out of my food, before answering.
"She's good. She had a dream the other day, but it made no sense to her. Her visions are just not making much sense," I say, my voice sympathetic for my friend.
"And what about you, Lincoln?" He faces in the direction of Lincoln. Lincoln shrugs.
"Well, as you know, you dropped me off at med school so I did some medical training stuff," Lincoln said. "And then when you returned me, I slept. I was up all night; I couldn't sleep very well." Lincoln fills us in. "I also visited Tarryn," He adds. Me and Lincoln decided that sometimes we'd visit her together and sometimes we'd visit her one-on-one.
"Oh, tomorrow, I'm visiting her." I tell them, remembering. "I'm going to show her my music," I say. Mom looks up, sharply.
"Tomorrow you'll be visiting Tarryn?" She asks, to clarify. I shoot her a weird look before nodding.
"Yeah. I hope she finds the music soothing like Raina does," I say, choosing to ignore mom's slightly weird behaviour. My mom's shoulders relax, making me realize they were tense in the first place.
"Good, you're visiting Tarryn." Mom says, more to herself, making both me and Lincoln look confusedly at her, what mom notices. "I mean, it's good that you're forming a bond with her. You two are good transitioners in the making," Mom explains and Lincoln nods, buying it but I don't. Mom's acting strange and I don't like it.
"That was just delicious," Mom moves on the conversation as she finishes her dinner. Lincoln smiles happily.
"I agree," I say, deciding to drop mom's weird behaviour. "You're a really good cook," I compliment him as I put away my plate.
"I've got to agree with Skye. You're almost as good as Jiaying here," Gordon chimes in as he also puts away his plate.
"Thanks," Lincoln says.
"Now, you kids go upstairs, Gordon and I will finish tidying up this." Mom says. I can't help but think as we leave the room it's more as a dismissal to get us out the room than a polite gesture. If I wasn't with Lincoln, I'd spy on them, but as I am, I'll let it go.
::
The next morning I awake early. When I awake early, you know it's never good as I'm such a afternoon person, not a morning one. I try to go back to sleep, but can't. For some reason, I have an feeling of unsettle and I can't get back in a comfy position. It took me forever to fall asleep anyway, due to the suspicion I have about what my mother is up to.
It's an awful feeling when I suspect my mother is up to something, because I won't find out what it is as she just wants to mollicoddle me. It sucks to be her daughter sometimes. Her love just means she's so protective over me and it can be suffocating.
I sit up, deciding I'll never get anymore sleep. It's like when it's the eve of your birthday- you can never sleep solidly as you're too excited for it, you're too curious to find out what your presents are.
As I open up my curtains, I wonder what I'm going to do. I told Tarryn I'd visit her at 11, and it's now 8. That means I have 3 hours to kill before then. I hate being bored, but bored in the morning is always the worst.
I walk over to my wardrobe, deciding that whatever I do to kill time, I shouldn't do it clad in my tank top and shorts I pass off as pajamas. I brush my hair, pulling it into a high ponytail at the back, needing to get the dark hair out of my way. I sort out my bangs before leaving my bedroom.
I don't know what I'm going to do- because what is there to do at 8 in the morning? However, I know that I'm not going to find an activity to do in my room.
This is a time that I don't like being in Li Shi, on the fact there is nothing to do. I like being bored when I'm staying with my father in the city. There's much more to do. I don't know if that's because I haven't grown up there or not.
As much as I love Li Shi, sometimes the blissful slow-paced feel of it can be boring, compared to the fast-pace city my dad lives in. Most of us who grew up here tends to do courses in the cities, like Lincoln is doing his medical course but there isn't much what I want to do. The only thing I've always known I've wanted to do is use my gifts for the good of others, for the good of my people. That's why I originally wanted to travel, to see if there's any professions that sparks an interest in me, but I don't want to do that anymore. I want to help others.
I wonder what my future will be like, sometimes. I'm nearly 21 and my career choice is to be a transitioner- what, while being a great thing, isn't something outside the box. I've wanted to see the world, but I want to see it while helping people with my inhuman gifts. The only 'human' skill I've ever really had is a knack for computers, when I visit my father.
I pass the transitioning rooms as I walk outside, the early morning sun beaming on me- or rather the transition room I went into when I went through the mist; when I changed. It seems so long ago, but at the same time it feels like yesterday.
"I wonder what my gift will be," I say to Lincoln as we walk the streets of Li Shi. "Maybe it will be some telekinetic gift," I think, motioning with my hands, imagining how it would be like for things to move at my will. Lincoln rolls his eyes at me.
"Or maybe it will change you're physical appearance so that you are never the same again," he adds on dryly. I look at him, stopping in my hyped-up walk.
"What's up with you?" I demand. "This time next week we'll have our change- the thing we've waited our whole lives for- and your acting miserable?" I snap, glowering at him.
"What's up with me?" Lincoln asks incredulously. "Daisy, next week, we'll be a whole different person. We may not even recognise ourselves!" He snaps back. I soften my glare; when Lincoln uses my given name, you know it's serious. He only uses it when he's really mad- like the time I accidentally destroyed his art project that he may or may not of bedn working on for a month- or when he's really stressed out and nervous.
"Are you having second thoughts?" I ask him softly. I can theorise of what my gift may be later; right now, my best friend needs serious Skye- or rather Daisy, not daydreaming, excitable Skye.
"What? No, of course not. I'm just... nervous. This will change us, forever," Lincoln says. "What if we're not ready for it? We're only 13, Skye." He points out. I rest my hands comfortingly on his shoulders.
"It will be okay; we're nearly 14." I crack a smile but stops as I see Lincoln still isn't in thd jokey mood. "Mom wouldn't have chosen us for the transitioning right now if she didn't think we're ready. You know that as much as I do." I say. Lincoln nods, his eyebrows furrowed in distress.
"I know that," he sighs. "And I know Jiaying knows we're ready but... what if we're not?" He repeats again. I go to say something, but he silences me by holding up his hand before I can even begin.
"We've always wanted to do this, it's in our blood, right?" I nod. "I'm not saying I'm thinking what if we think we want it but we don't. Because I know I want to change, I want to go through the mist." He pauses again.
"I'm not even saying that we're not prepared, because we know the concenquences of it, like Gordon. We even know that this will cause us to be huntef outside even more, like my Nana." A mist of sadness covers Lincoln's eyes for a brief seconds before he continues.
"I'm just saying... I'm worried because we do know what can happen. We know the stories- sometimes the gift can too much to handle and it sends someone spiralling to the dark side." And there we have it; the root of Lincoln's anxiety. I give his shoulders a gentle squeeze.
"It will be okay." I tell him, my voice firm. "You are the most nicest, sweetest, rule-obedient person I have ever met. You won't spiral out of control, I promise." I assure him, smilling gently. The worry in his eyes doesn't even fade for less than a second before it's back.
"What about you?" He questions. I blink at him.
"What?" I ask back, not expecting this.
"Can you promise me you won't either?" He adds on to his question.
"What?" I parrot myself.
"Yes, I'm nice. Yes, I won't lose control but what about you? You've always been a lose canon, one foot off the wagon, Daisy. So, can you promise me that you won't lose control?" He asks. A small distance away, birds sing and villagers talk but I don't make a sound.
"Thought not," Lincoln mutters before commencing to walk again. This time my legs don't follow him as the question looms in my head. Can you promise me that you won't lose control?
