Good evening, Laytonettes! (and any Layton-guys, if guys even read this) Alas, another little chappy. Well, it's not really little. I think its one of my bigger chapters :P Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fun one! Reading it back to myself, I realize how much foreshadowing I included for my planned chapters ahead. One thing is really important, but the other is just minor.

*checks time* 6:25 pm. Toronto VS. Boston NHL game is at 7:00. Grrrrrrr I hope Toronto wins tonight. I know they're not the best, but they actually made the playoffs this year, and I'm sticking with them! Whoooooo! What team you're cheering for in the playoffs? (if you care lol)

Happy Reading!

-Erin

Chapter 9

"Uuuuuggghhhh" I sighed loudly. Arms spread straight on either side of me, I fell backwards right onto the foot of my bed. My shoes were back on their shelf, my jacket in the laundry hamper, and my dress shirt still on me, but half unbuttoned. Ever since closing my bedroom door, my mind cannot seem to be able to get away from Sophia. Never in my whole life had I ever met a woman so kind, or caring, or beautiful. She reminded me so much of my mother. She wasn't conceited or overly glamorous like the women father would have forcefully pushed on me. He had personally invited her, so that must be a good sign. I remembered her laugh, light and cheery. Her eyes, like emeralds, glimmering in the moonlight. I could hardly explain it all. She was just... Spectacular.

Wait. Stop. I had to stop this right now. What was I doing, dreaming over this woman that I had only met once? I shouldn't be doing this. If I never had the chance to see her again, I would end up horribly disappointed. I sighed again, and noticed that I had been staring at the family heirloom hanging above my bed. It was a large version of the Herzen family crest, coloured with red, black and blue. An image of a lion was in the centre of the crest, along with two crossed swords that were affixed into the back of the whole thing. To be honest, I wasn't even sure how long they had been up on my wall. Though I remember as a young child, having a fear of the crest and swords falling on me during the night. I always slept to the far left of the bed, just in case.

"Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock, knock knock." I heard a slurred voice, muffled through my bedroom door. I didn't bother to look up. I wasn't sure who it was, though I was also confused as to why they didn't actually knock. The knocker decided to enter without permission a few seconds later.

"Antooooooonnnnnn...!" The same voice cooed as the door slowly crept open, followed by a few drunken giggles.

"Fredrich, what are you doing?" I asked. I really didn't want anyone provoking me right now.

Fredrich, his hair slightly tousled and holding an empty wine glass, wobbled into the room. I sat up on my bed as he came closer. Fredrich was just taller than the height of my mattress, so instead of sitting beside me, he rested his chin on the edge of the bed. He looked at me with slightly red eyes, and I returned his gaze with a confounded look. He hadn't yet told me why he just waltzed in here, but clearly my younger brother had too much alcohol this evening. Logic was likely the last thing on his mind.

"So. Brother... Just who was that lovely-looking purple-haired lady I spotted you with tonight?" He began right off the bat.

I was taken aback. My eyes now wide, I continued to stare at Fredrich. How did he know about Sophia? As soon as her name came to me, images and thoughts of her flooded back. And just when I thought she had gone from my mind.

"I...umm..." Was all I could say.

"Don't try and lie to me, Anton!" Fredrich waved his index finger at me, "I saw it all! You little flirt, you!" He made an effort to punch my arm playfully, but completely missed. Mortified, I looked away, and then stood from my bed. I tried to ignore Fredrich's laughter while I went over to my dresser, took off my dress shirt and threw it into the hamper.

"It's a shame that you won't tell me, brother... Because she was fiiiiiiine!" Fredrich remarked from across the room. I felt goose bumps rise all over my skin. My face burned. I quickly pulled on a thin flannel night shirt, then turned back towards my brother. He must have noticed my expression.

"Oh! But don't fret! I know she's yours for the taking!" He added a wink.

"Fredrich." I finally spoke sternly to get him to stop talking. He looked up and me in awe, shocked that I even said anything. He probably thought he was just being a tease, and not that what he was saying was actually getting on my nerves.

"May I ask you where exactly you saw Sophia and I?" Damn, I'd let her name slip.

"Oh? Sophia is her name?" He chuckled quietly, "Well, I was just outside having a quick smoke when you two came busting out the side door like mad men! Speaking of which..." Fredrich stopped talking and pulled a small cigarette and a book of matches from his jacket pocket. I quickly walked over to him and stole the match book before he could use them. I turned, and threw them out my open window.

"Please, continue." I said to him, hands on my hips. There was absolutely no smoking in my room, and Fredrich knew that. Besides, I wanted as much information out of him as I could before he forgot it. Fredrich looked disappointed, then irritated.

"That was my last set of matches..." he mumbled. I ignored his comment. "Anyway, I had to hide behind some shrubbery so you wouldn't notice me, but all I could see from there was you helping her into a carriage, and then kissing her hand before she left. Since when are you so interested in meeting women, Anton? I thought you didn't want to be wed?" Fredrich clamoured on, adding a few eccentric hand gestures here and there.

I huffed, giving up. I suppose could just tell him; he was utterly drunk! It was unlikely that he would even remember it tomorrow anyway.

"After you took Mandy and Minnie off my hands, I ran off to the stain glass room." I began to explain while sitting back down on my bed, "Sophia followed me there, and we ended up talking for a while. Next thing we knew it was 11 o'clock, and if she didn't get to the train station right away, she would have missed her ride home." I took a long pause, and bit my lip nervously before continuing, "She's different, Fredrich... I-"

*ssnnnooooorrreee*

I looked to my left to see Fredrich with his head down on the edge of my bed, asleep. I wasn't surprised. This was usually the end result of his weekends; falling asleep somewhere, then waking the next afternoon to find himself only half-sobered up.

I used Fredrich's small size to my advantage, by swiftly picking him up under the arms, and lugging him out of my room. He continued to snore like a bear, not even being stirred from his deep sleep. Instead of actually taking Fredrich to his own bedroom, I decided to just lay him on a couch in the West Den. After putting him down, he rolled over and snuggled into a throw pillow, still fast asleep. I smiled. Although the boy was now 18, his youth always seemed to show through in one way or another. I thought for a moment, and realized that I too was like that at times. I shook my head, and returned to my bedroom.

It was growing quite late and my body was tired, but my mind was still wide awake. I was just about to lie in bed when I caught sight of my writing desk. Changing my mind, I dragged my socked feet over to it and slumped into the wooden chair. My desk, which I had received from my father when I turned 16, was made of a dark-stained oak. I could even still catch the scent of the stain wafting through the air whenever I neared it. My fingers grasped the knobs of the top drawer, sliding it open with a quiet creak and pulled out an old diary. For some reason, I had remembered it all of a sudden, even though I had never written in it before. I couldn't even remember how I had come in possession of it. I stared at the front of the diary for a few moments. It bared a blooming purple flower on the cover, one that I could not recall the name of. I continued to look at the cover for a few seconds longer before opening the book to the first page. I reached for my fountain pen, and began to write.

"Diary Entry Number 1" I whispered aloud.

Dat Forshadowing :3 Please let me know of any constructive criticisms you may have, or just drop a review about what you think! I value every one, they keep me writing! Thanks again.