Chapter 2: Just By Sitting In Her Room

-x-

It was odd. Very odd indeed. Mrs. McAllister had never before seen her boy to be so… strange? Awkward? Fidgety under the skin? And perhaps excited and interested? No… Odd. That was all she could say. Her son, Mark, was very odd. She raised him, partly since a lot of the time in Mark's childhood she would be busy, but she wasn't gone so long to not know of Mark's behavior. She knew her son was odd in not taking interest to things, basically disdained by the fact of his wealthy lifestyle that he has to live through every day until now, and that he was practically bored out of his mind that it was a possible thought for him to attempt to kill himself for pleasure.

But that was not the reason why she now says "odd". This "odd" was a different odd. Because her son, the one who could care less about anything, was now interested in something. The young man who sits at his wonderfully embroidered chair, legs crossed, cheek resting upon balled hand, a nonchalant glaze over his eyes and face, actually had taken a fascination that clearly showed in his expression. Something had caught his unexpected attention, probably hard for him to just let go and left unnoticed.

And whatever it was, she didn't know, but she was happy. She was happy, oblivious to the fact that it could start a whole new chapter, such as this one, in the McAllister household.

-x-

Mark glared at the piece of dust wafting about in front of his face. He really didn't like what he was doing, nor where he was being. He hadn't even known why it had come to this. It was like being addicted to crack. His feet led him here of all places. He didn't know why he woke up early just to stomp over and pout at himself angrily for actually following the commoner's (excluding the fact that she was obviously very pretty) demands.

And here he finds himself swatting the dust away, seeing it fly on the trade wins to its next destination to bother with - Chelsea's desk.

"Why did I come here?" He mumbled to himself, irritated.

"Probably because a certain little commoner caught you attention?" A soft, mocking voice replied from the door.

He looked up to find the person who knew exactly that she had led him to this position, Erika of the Acres, and he scowled. "Commoners aren't that interesting."

"Oh, being stubborn now aren't we?" She walked toward him and leaned forward, grinning now. "I see… So you became jealous of a certain female commoner."

Mark spat. "Whatever."

Erika chuckled and pulled back her long pale blond hair. Mark was convinced it was silver, so shinier than gray, but her face looked nothing of a hag, as she was only but a few two years or so older than himself. She had sat down and sighed, giggling a bit, "Heh, I'm surprised you actually came."

Mark mumbled. "Me too."

"Haha, boy you must have problems."

"Gee, you're being quite rude to someone of superiority…" Mark mumbled more.

"Well, I could actually care less about that." Erika no longer had that grin on her face, but just an impassive expression. "If you're pertaining to money, I don't give a -" She stopped talking when the door opened, revealing a little brunette.

"Ah," Melanie started. "Did I disturb you?" The little girl's voice never failed to surprise Mark as it was so soft and sounded so delicate.

Mark let go of his breath, showing a look of gratitude to the little girl. He had forgotten that the woman before him was a Spartan when it came to those touchy areas of wealth and rank. He needed to remember that though she was pretty beautiful, it was all deceiving. Mark had no idea what had gotten the pretty rose to have thorns, but whatever it was, he doesn't even feel like getting on her petals.

Erika smiled gently at the little girl, who slowly walked up to her side and waited for a reply. The older answered, "No, Mel. You didn't interrupt us. Do you need something?"

"I … I wanted to say I hi to Mr. McAllister." Melanie answered softly, her eyes slowly meeting with Mark.

Mark blinked. "Well, hello… Melanie."

The little girl smiled softly, nodding. "Well… I better take my leave."

"Melanie, there's some food already set out in the table. Just get it when your hungry alright?" Erika said sweetly.

"Yes, Big Sister Erika." And that's when the angel left.

Leaving the devil to strangle Mark once again.

Erika's smile was gone, but the cheer was still there. "Melanie seems to have taken a liking to you."

"I wonder why though." Mark replied, leaning back and supporting himself with his arms. "She's a sweet girl and all. How old is she?"

"She's thirteen."

"And though, the three of them share the same mother, Melanie's father is Mr. Acres right?"

"Seems like something has gotten through to you for the past week."

Mark closed his lips, thin and straight. Yes, he had been visiting every day after his first visit. Why? He didn't even know. The way the woman before him made him so intrigued was because he knew that there was going to be something exciting once this door had opened, but why he keeps returning when that persuading was gone, he doesn't know. He felt like he was prying into the family since Erika would sometimes spill some information of the family.

One was of Chelsea's experience in kickboxing. Apparently, she had learned it just so she could beat up her brother, at first for competition, now for pure anger. Why out of anger? Apparently, her brother, which also happened to be Erika's supposed boyfriend/fiancé, had suddenly disappeared and joined a group of troublemakers in the city, leaving Chelsea quickly stuck as the head of the family at such a young age, being burdened by piled debts. Another was the fact of how Erika decided to stay inside the house of the Acres and how that big fat woman, dubbed "Auntie", ended up in the house. Mark had also learned of Chelsea's many various activities and jobs, which didn't impress him at all.

And just the other day, Erika left him off with a cliffhanger of how Chelsea and the eldest brother were step siblings to Melanie.

"Would you care to broaden more on the subject?" Mark asked quietly. He hated the fact that he found this family ever so interesting. It was odd to him that he was basically asking and prying out questions from Erika, who didn't seem to mind, but he wanted to know and he knew Erika had some idea up her sleeve.

"Jason, my boyfriend, Chelsea, and Melanie were all given birth to by the same mother, Mrs. Acres, but there was two different fathers. If you want the longer version…"

"Just say it. I have nothing else to do this afternoon anyway."

Erika paused for a moment, to think to herself, making sure that the story made sense in her mind. "The long simpler version of the story is like this. Mrs. Chastity Acres was just like any other girl on the village side of town. She had met Jason, a local neighborhood boy, and fell in love with him. They had eloped and moved out of the village and into a town nearby the city to get married in a church, enjoying their simple life together. Jason Jr. and, two years later, Chelsea were born.

"It was about when they were two and four when things began to get shaky. Jason Sr. was still fully in love with his family and adored them with every bone in his body, but he suddenly left one day, leaving a grave Chastity and two siblings who were at the age of five and seven. Chastity believed with her heart that her love would return, giving hope to her two children, who thought he went for a long work. What had happened to the father, nobody really knew. It was thought that he was dead for he never returned, but Chastity still yearned for his coming.

"That is, until Mr. Acres, still not in control of the household yet, had caught sight of Chastity and fell in love with her. She would appreciate his kindness, but would still reject his heart, until one day, Mr. Acres forced her into marriage with him. Mr. Acres also adopted Jason and Chelsea, who were almost eight and ten by this time. Mrs. Acres began to fall into sickness, the cause unknown. It is believed that it was depression, but once the doctors figured out the newly formed baby inside of her was much like a parasite, they figured they should kill off the baby."

Mark intervened. "I'm guessing that baby was Melanie right?"

"Correct." Another pause. "Mrs. Acres begged the doctors not to kill Melanie though, and miraculously, she pulled through and gave birth to her. But the aftermath had a life-lasting affect on her as it worsened her condition and made part of her body paralyzed. As for Melanie, since she was a healthy baby, she was instantly taken away by her father. Chelsea and Jason never got to see Melanie when she was a child as they were stuck in this house with their mother."

"Auntie and you weren't around yet right?"

"Nope."

"So, if Melanie was a healthy baby, what happened with her to be so…?" Mark didn't really know how to say it. The little girl's movements and speech were queer. It wasn't slurred or disordered like disabilities, but it seemed to lean more on the traumatized side.

"I don't really like sharing much about the incident. I'll just say it has lasting affects on all of us."

"So what happened with Chelsea's brother, Jason?"

Erika scowled. "Like his father, he disappeared too when he was like.. Seventeen due to being against the whole family and how it was tearing apart. He had a horrible way of showing up at the right places at the wrong times with his group of hoodlums and wreaking more havoc to poor Chelsea. He's also part of the reason why the debts are so stinkin' high, breaking laws and costing us more by using credits. The relationship Chelsea and Jason had was strained and everyone in the family went against Jason. I don't blame Chelsea for being pissed off at her brother. I would be too, smacking all the way until he yells uncle. But I don't think that Chelsea has lost hope for her brother, as she obviously still cares for him… stubbornly. I was also his girlfriend during that rebellious time and my own little episode series started there but I won't explain that. "

"What did you like in him?"

Her eyes smiled and sparkled. "Everything."

Mark gave her a confused look.

She ignored his look and continued. "Once Jason was disowned by Mr. Acres, Chelsea was in line to take care of the business and repay the debt that her family was falling into due to the collapse of the company. And though Chelsea would see Melanie, Melanie was not allowed to see Chelsea due to her father's orders and reasons. Mr. Acres, I don't know what kind of man is he, but he's a pain in the neck."

"Mmm…" Mark shifted to sit Indian-style. " Will the mistress ever get…better?"

"I don't even really know. I'm starting to be scared that she may forget little by little, until she has no memory at all."

"That is quite disturbing."

"Yeah."

There was a little silence between them, until Mark began chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Erika asked, not seeing humor in this at all.

Mark smiled. "I dunno what it is with you commoners, but your lives surely are something."

"We're no entertainment center, Mark."

"Heh. I know." Mark shrugged. "I just still don't understand why you want me to hear all of this."

"Remember I said there was something I wanted to ask you to do for me?"

Mark nodded.

Erika smiled. "This will help you, help Chelsea."

-x-

I felt like I missed out in explaining some parts, so I read this over and over again, just to make sure. The story is going to be moving for Mark very soon, but at least I need to fill in some gaps in Castaway, right?

- Do Jo