17. Flood Of Memories

His parents did start to notice that something was wrong. Adam barely left his room and hardly ate. His aura gave off the feeling of sorrow. The siblings gave him space, knowing how much it must hurt him. None of them thought to tell their parents though until they say their mother going to go into Adam's room. Kelly stopped her and took her to the lounge room down stairs where Mr. Banks was reading the paper. When they were told what happened, Mrs. Banks was very upset, always wishing Adam and Esmeralda would end up together. Mr. Banks didn't seem to care.

His children thought him to be heartless, but none of them saw him enter Adam's room on Sunday afternoon a few hours before he was to leave for Eden.

"Adam," Mr. Banks said, looking at his son who was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The young man simply looked at his father for a moment before returning back to his staring competition with the ceiling. With a sigh, Mr. Banks moved further into the room and sat on the edge of Adam's bed. "You know, I went to Eden Hall with Esmeralda's mother. She was a close friend. All through Eden we were best friends, much like you and the Charlie. When we went to university, she even introduced me to your mother. One day, after she had been dating Craig McGill for almost six years, she told me she didn't want to be my friend any more and I didn't understand why."

Mr. Banks looked at his son to see him looking back, listening with mild interest. "For years I wondered why. We had been great friends, I could tell her anything and I owed her for setting me up with your mother, who has made my life happy. When Phoebe ended up in the same dance class as Esmeralda and you ended up on the same team as David, I was shocked. I never thought Claudia would marry Craig let alone have his children. I didn't want you to get close to Esmeralda because I feared you becoming her friend like I was Claudia's friend and she turning around and hurt you like her mother hurt me. But you and her didn't end up as friends. The moment I saw that picture of you two, I was terrified. Claudia had told me why she stopped being my friend. I was telling her to dump Craig, he was no good for her... he threatened to hurt me if she didn't stop standing time with me. Esmeralda cares for you, but she takes after her mother, perhaps there is a reason she rejected you that you just don't see. Like I didn't see Claudia's reason, no matter how much she tried to tell me."

Adam blinked back tears as his father clapped him on the shoulder and walked to the door. "You two weren't... closer then close were you?" Adam's voice drifted over to Mr. Banks, whose hand was hovering over the door handle.

Mr. Banks chuckled and looked over his shoulder. "No, Adam, we were only friends, our personalities weren't as compatible as mine and your mother's, or yours and Esmeralda's."

"Thanks, Dad."

Mr. Banks quietly slipped out of the room and went into his office to finish paper work as Adam got up to take a shower and get ready to leave to go back to the dormitories. Although his father had made him feel a little better, he still felt like drowning himself and he wasn't looking forward to the Ducks questioning him. They were bound to notice a difference.

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"So are you going to tell me what's with Essi?"

"What do you mean?" Phoebe didn't meet Jesse's eye as she asked. She knew what he meant. They had seen Esmeralda briefly on Saturday and she was very miserable looking. They didn't stop to talk, mainly because Esmeralda didn't see them and was busy talking to Leslie, her mother's old friend. Esmeralda's hair usually had a soft, silky flow to it, but when they saw her, it fell limply down her back and her eyes had a red hue to them.

From the moment Jesse saw her, he had been asking Phoebe what was wrong. She had yet to tell him, since she knew neither Esmeralda nor Adam wanted people to know.

"You know what I mean, why was she looking so depressed?" Jesse asked, looking at her seriously.

"No idea."

"Liar."

"I'm not telling you! So stop asking, please," Phoebe begged, pouting up at Jesse.

The teenage boy's resolve broke and he gave in to the request. "Alright, I guess I should walk you home, Kelly's taking you back to Cutlan soon." The two walked in silence, their hands brushing every few moments as the two debated over taking each other's hand. When they stopped at the end of the Banks driveway, Jesse touched Phoebe's arm, making her turn and look at him. "Um... see you later at school," he said nervously before quickly leaning in and peaking Phoebe's cheek. He drew back, a deep blush to his dark cheeks before he made a hasty leave.

A giddy smile made its way onto Phoebe's face as she walked up the drive to the front door. Her face felt hot where Jesse had kissed it, which was odd because it had only been a very light touch.

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He walked back into his room, towelling his hair. As he did so, his eyes landed on his night stand. Dropping his towel, he walked over and opened the second draw. Pulling up the false bottom, he took out an old photo that was slightly tattered at the edges. Looking at it, he felt sad. Normally he felt sorrow but at the same time happiness. He would look at it and remember the day, one of his happiest days. David had always pushed him around and he was never brave enough to stand up to him, except for that day. He had been bad mouthing Esmeralda, telling her she was worthless and Adam had lost it. He remembered punching David and feeling his nose break under his fist.

When David had ran off, Adam had turned to Esmeralda to tell her not to listen to him, only to find that his words couldn't get out of his throat. When he turned, he found himself looking straight into plain brown eyes. They were the most common colour of brown but Adam couldn't help but think they were amazing. As they looked at each other, for the first time in the eyes, there was a flash of light. The two had looked over in start and saw Kelly smiling with a camera in her hands.

Adam had stolen the photo when he left for the Junior Goodwill Games although he had hidden it away from the team. He was already an outsider for being a preppy, he didn't need them seeing the picture his sisters called 'cute'. It was of him and Esmeralda looking each other in the eyes, a look of captivation on both their faces. Captivation, intrigue, and fast strengthening feelings, all that was written on their young faces!

Adam felt anger boil inside him as he looked at the picture. He held the long edge, determined to rip it like Esmeralda ripped him, but as he help it, ready to cause it to tear, but he couldn't. White hot tears appeared in his eyes as he let go of the photo, dropping it into the bin. He couldn't do it. As much as he tried to push everything of Esmeralda away from him, he couldn't. He still loved her, no matter how much he tried not to.

"Adam, are you ready to go?" Maria asked, walking into the room.

"Yeah," Adam replied, hoping his sister wouldn't realize how weak his voice was as he wiped away tears before looking at her. "Yeah, let's go."

"I'll... meet you down stairs, have to grab a jacket," Maria said distracted him.

"Okay," Adam said, not noticing any difference before hastily walking out to wash his face of any trace of tears.

Once Adam was out of the room, Maria moved over to the bin, wondering what it was she could see. When she picked it up, she recognised it straight away. "Oh, Adam," she sighed, knowing how sad Adam must feel. She tucked the photo into her handbag and went to get a jacket.

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Esmeralda sat on the ground of her dormitory room, trying to stop her mind from wondering to the subject it had been on for the last two days. Adam!

She had no luck, memory's just kept coming.

"Banks, stop splashing me!" the eight-year-old demanded, standing waist deep in the beach water. Her brown hair was wet in parts not having been fully wet yet by the nine-year-old in front of her.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" the boy tempered, with a splash.

Esmeralda glared at him before pushing the boy over. He fell back into the water, being submerged. When he remerged, he was splattering with one of his fists clenched. The girl started backing away, fearing he would hit her. She shot a look at their families sitting on the sand to far away to help.

"Banks, please don..."

"Look what I found," Adam interrupted her, holding out his hand. When he opened it, Esmeralda saw a gold ring with three diamonds in it, the one in the middle larger then the two on either side, sitting in sand.

"Beauty," Esmeralda whispered.

Adam plucked it out of the sand in his hand and washed it in the water before leaning close to Esmeralda and reaching around her, unfastening her necklace. He slid the ring onto the chain and redid it. "Have it!"

"Thank you..." Esmeralda looked at the ring. "It says something on the inside."

"What does it say?"

"Esmeralda, Adam, come have some lunch," Mrs. McGill yelled over to them with a kind smile. The two forgot about the engraving at the prospect of filling their empty stomach.

Thinking back, Esmeralda wondered what was engraved on the ring she had given back to Adam. She knew he still wore it, she saw it the night they spent in his bed. The more she thought, the more she realized that the two spent most of their childhood arguing in one form or another, but at the same time doing sweet things for each other. Especially when Adam had been sick, just before the kiss!

"You're so stupid," Esmeralda said the moment she stepped into Adam's room. The eight-year-old was wrapped up in his blankets, shivering even though he looked as though he was burning up. "I said you shouldn't play but you've taken to many pucks to the head or something."

"You were right," Adam croaked out through his sore throat.

"Of course I was, pasty face," Esmeralda boasted cheerfully, moving over to the bed. She made Adam lift his head so she could sit with her back against the wall and Adam's head in her lap instead of on the pillow. "You look awful!"

"So I look like you on a good day?" Adam teased weakly before going into a coughing fit.

"I'm not even going to reply because you're so sick," Esmeralda stated when Adam had calmed down and had some drink. She started running her fingers through his short hair in a soothing caress.

"Mnnn, that feels nice," Adam admitted. "Why are you here?"

Esmeralda shrugged, even though Adam's closed eyes prevented him from seeing. "I don't know, just am, do you want me to go?"

"No, I feel better with you here."

"Then I'll stay here."

Sighing, Esmeralda got into bed. It was early, only six, but she was exhausted and knew she would have a restless night. Tomorrow when she woke up, she'd ask Phoebe how Adam was. She knew her friend knew what happened, she only hoped she didn't hate her for it.