"The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed". - Charlotte Bronte 

I closed the front door and walked in to the scent of cooking. Though I wasn’t that hungry when I entered, my stomach argued otherwise.

“Sorry honey, I couldn’t pick you up. I waited for your message but you never replied back. So I thought you were already at home. And you know,  I still had to cook dinner and that takes a long time, you know how much I want to rest as soon as I get home, so I want to get all the-“

“Mum, its fine. I understand. I don’t mind taking the bus home and walking. You know what they say, exercise is good for you”

“Good. Good. I don’t want you to think I don’t care about you by leaving you at school like that. I try to be a –“

“Mum, stop. I get it. I love you too.” I said comforting her. She looked at me with a relived smile and went back to cooking. Heading towards my bedroom, I stepped on a tiny object that made me recite every curse word under the sun.

“YA! KEEP IT DOWN!” A voice screamed from across the hallway. I stood still.  Ugh…I’m in a bad mood, I’m tired and I want to sleep. “IF YOU DIDN’T LEAVE YOUR EARINGS ON THE FLOOR THEN I WOULDN’T HAVE TO.” I yelled back the loudest I can.

Moments later a girl no younger than 13 years old, came out of the pink coloured door and stomped her way to me. “Unnie, I just told you to keep it down but you screamed back. Don’t you understand words?” She spoke, tucking her red short hair behind her ear.  She was wearing a pink shirt that read ‘I like everything pink’ and wore shorts that barely even passed the hem of her shirt. Her arms were crossed and she had one foot out while leaning on the other, Teens these days.

“Yeah, I understand.” I let out a sigh mentally surrendering as I didn’t have the energy to deal with her plus I still had to do my homework Not worth it Ji-ah.

“Whoa. Ji-ah. We’ve been sisters for my whole life, not once have you backed out that easily. Can’t take it?”  

 “I have a headache Keera and I just want to sleep.”

She nodded and went back to her room. While I opened the door to my own and threw my yellow small backpack across the room. I untied my high ponytail and flopped onto the queen sized bed whom I considered my soul mate or ‘other half’.

“Mr. Bed, why can’t you come to school with me? I need someone to lean on when I feel tired from all the work” I hugged my teddy bear that I got for my 9^th birthday tightly and whispered to it “Fluffles, how about you? Tomorrow aye?”

Earning nothing but silence from my inanimate companions, I laid my head back onto the pillow and closed my eyes. The blanket cocooned my body as the warmth only increased. Nonetheless, I drifted into a light slumber and entered my haven.

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Moments later a loud noise woke me up from my nap. What was so important that it woke me up from the peacefulness, that is my sleep?

 “Unnie! YA! Time to eat Dinner. Your food is gonna get cold”. The annoying voice who I understand is my biological sister. Ugh. Right. Food. Something that is essential for my living body.I struggle to break free from the warmth the blanket is providing. Thinking it might help, I twist to my left. Then to my right. I release an elongated sigh as any movement only made the blanket wrap tighter around me.

“Unnie! If you don’t get out…I’ll presume you’re dead!” Knocking twice more. I stretch my arms while making what I presume the weirdest elephant noise ever. Grunting, I reply “Be there in a sec”. I fall on the floor and the blanket easily opens like a treasure chest, allowing me to escape.  

 “Unnie! It’s been a ‘sec’ but you’re not out here yet. Don’t you know how to cou-“ I rushed to the door, forcefully opening it. Keera stood there with her hands forming a fist, inches away from my face.

“Stop knocking, it’s annoying and loud” I said monotonously.  She opened to say something but I gave her my best intense glare I can offer, to pass on the message that I wasn’t in a good mood. She backs off, resting her previously lifted arm back beside her waist, then crossing her arms over chest. “Mum said to eat.”

“I heard you the first time. I said ‘wait’ didn’t I?”

“You slept for 30 minutes by the way. In case you were wondering.” She implies, totally avoiding the topic. I give her nothing more than a simple nod before I followed her downstairs.

“Ji-ah, your part-time job called, they said that is it possible if you can work an extra shift next week Friday?.” Mum says while picking up a spoon of hot delicious soup in front of her. She looks at me waiting for my response but all I give is a slight nod.

“That doesn’t mean, you don’t do your homework that night. I still expect you to study. Okay Ji-ah?”

“Yeah. Okay.” I answer before taking a spoonful of the soup.

“I’m serious” I look towards her, finding that she is already looking at me. “If this part-time job distracts you from your studies, you’re quitting.” Firmly stating before breaking the gaze. As always, I suppose. I turn my attention back to my food and continued my intake.

The deafening quietness slowly surfaced and I hated it. Its been following me since this morning. Sigh. Im sorry Mr. Silence but no one likes you. Ignoring my death threats, silence joins us to eat for dinner.

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“Make sure you two wash your dishes okay?.” Mum says, gulping her last spoon of soup and getting up to leave the table before disappearing from the dining room.

“Well, Well, Well, I think its just us –“ Keera turns her head to look at me but I have already stood up from my seat, taking my empty bowl to keep me company.

“Nope. It’s just you.” I say, cutting her off before leaving her alone with nothing but her soup. I enter the kitchen, only to reveal that mum hasn’t finished using the sink yet. She stops the water and looks to me…

“Just wait one moment Ji-ah, I’m almost done washing my dishes.” She grabs her water filled bowl and empties it before putting it on the dishrack located above the sink. “Done. All yours Ji-ah. I’m going to sleep. Night sweetie, I love you”

“Love you too mum.” As I finish washing my dishes, Keera makes her way next to me.

“Well, Well, Well we meet again.” She says in an awfully low tone.

“Indeed. Well it was fun meeting you. I’m going to sleep” I pat her back, slyly using her shirt as a substitute for a hand towel. “Don’t forget to turn off the lights when you’re done.” I yell as I walk down the hallway leaving her alone the second time tonight.  

I hear the words “DID YOU JUST WIPE YOUR HAND ON ME!?!” from the other side of the house moments later and a small grin makes its way to my face. I felt victorious.

 I slam the door to my room shut, making a loud noise, sending her the message that I wasn’t listening anymore. I grabbed my abandoned backpack from across the room and began doing homework.

After finishing what felt decades of studying, I laid back down on my bed and made sure that my phone was charging properly on my bedside table. But when I placed the phone back down…

RING RING RING RING

Who could be calling at this hour?.

I looked down on my ringing phone…Weird, it’s an unknown caller. Hmm…dilemma dilemma dilemma. At this point my brain contemplated whether I was gonna pick up the phone or not, each choice had its own consequences and level of risk.  I don’t have many people I talk to nor do I give my number to random strangers. I have never talked to anyone on this phone except for Taerin and my family members.

Who could it be?

With a nervous exhale, my thumb hovered over the green button on my screen before swiping left.  YOLO right?

 “Hello?” I spoke.