honey, tea spills.
✨

Squinting at the sudden bursts of daylight that held accountable laughters and sadness and every emotion known to mankind, I rubbed my orbs. Blinking a few times to adjust to the light, I looked at the clock. 6 am, sweet.

Stretching, I grabbed my phone and saw a call from Uncle Leo at around midnight. Why? I had no idea. I quickly pulled myself out of bed, waking Jayden up, and jumped into the bathroom to change. My clothes were already in there so why not just change there, right?

I then brushed my teeth and washed my face in cold water, waking myself up more. After I was satisfied, I walked out, towel in hand and pulled on some ankle socks, and my black trainers.

I gave it five more minutes and Jayden was also done, so we quickly jogged our and went for our half an hour run.

I always ran, and coincidentally, I had gotten Jayden into running in the mornings too. "Remember the time you bumped into me when we were running?" I voiced, smiling fondly at the moment that felt so far away, yet being only a few months ago.

"Yeah, I bumped into you and you were not taking any attitude from me." Jayden laughed along, and I nodded, turning my run slowly into a jog.

"You were an ass. Actually, I don't know what I'm talking about, you still are." I sighed, shaking my head.
"But you love me anyways."

"I hate that it's true." I grumbled, coming to a half in my jogs and beginning to walk. We walked into the cafe that we always walked into after a run, coincidentally, and ordered breakfast.

When we were done, we jogged our way home and took long showers each, Jayden going first this time. I know, shocker. Two hours later of reaching home, I finally got out of the god damn bathroom, and was braiding my hair into boxer braids.

Yes, my hair was newly blow-dried. I loved the feeling of warm fluffy hair, mainly because I had straight hair, naturally.

"Can we go get breakfast now?" Jayden asked, staring at his phone.
"But didn't we just-" I began before getting interrupted.

"Oh yeah. Why am I still hungry?" He asked looking up at me and I shrugged my shoulders, tying the ends of my braids with a scrunchie.

I don't usually wear them, I just felt like wearing them, though.

After braiding my hair, I pushed Jayden lightly for him to make space for me and then I sat down next to him, except with my history essay. It was the last thing I needed to do, and then I would be a free bird on the coach back, and for the remaining time here.

I had no idea what the question asked. It was something about US history. I had only ever learned about British history, and the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and all that stuff. But we'd never come across US history, other than their involvement in world war 2.

If only I joined last year when they did World History. That would've been easy, evolution, the development of humans, the paths they took, etc etc. I did those back in year 7. I don't know the equivalent in the US side, though.

However, in the US, I didn't have to go to college because technically I was in college right now. That was a good positive.

"You need help?" Jayden asked, look I over at the sheet that rested on my bent knees.
"Yeah, I have no idea what the fuck this says." I said, still staring at the paper as if it would magically start writing itself.

"Okay, the questions is... Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750." Jayden read under his breath.

"Well, back then, Virginia was a tobacco growing state. They had grown them through indentured servants, until they had technically got banned, which Virginia just replaced with the slaves from the slave trade. So at this point, there was a huge disparity between the rich and the poor - and the rich controlled the political parties."

I quickly jotted it all down, before Jayden looked at me. "I'm not giving you the answer, you idiot. I'm just explaining it."

"I know. And I'm using your words to form a thesis." It was really called an introduction. Why would you call it a thesis?

"Oh right. Okay, let's continue. Massachusetts is near the waters, and was a shipping hub for the west, so like towards the UK and Europe. Especially, however, in Boston."

I took it a rough paper and also started writing this all down.

"So that means that Massachusetts was less reliant on Britain than Virginia?" I asked and Jayden gave me the look that read hell-yes-you're-going-places.

"Exactly! Virginia needed the slaves, and Britain was a core part of the slave trade because of their transatlantic development - whereas Massachusetts not only took food from them, but provided more for their own state and gave back to the British." Jayden ended and I nodded.

"Now I'm gonna lengthen all this out, make it look like I spent three hours on it."

Jayden laughed and nodded his head. "You of all people should spend more than three hours in these essays. You have no knowledge of the Americans, just like we barely know about you, too."

I nodded, writing all the points down. In twenty minutes, I was done. "Read the last two paragraphs to me." Jayden said, grabbing a biscuit from the shelves. He just went to the bathroom.

"Virginia would be less interested in a revolution inspired by freedom as they couldn't count on the revolution retaining slavery. There was still a near aristocracy of rich planters who ran the government, but there was far more social mobility in America than there was anywhere else in the world. On the other hand, Massachusetts Bay colonies were more independent from Britain once they had their own manufacturing sphere started, hence why they were more separatist from the British Empire when the revolution began. This is evidenced by the Massachusetts shipping industry bypassed the Molasses Act of 1733, bribing and smuggling their profitable commerce with the West Indies."

"That's good, but you forgot the fact that the indentured servants became the farmers." I waved a hand over the air.

"I don't think she'll go that harshly on me. It's whatever. Anyways, the last paragraph," I coughed, clearing my throat. "These Social and Political developments show that Virginia was not interested in creating a strong state with a rising economy - for their fear of losing the slaves that helped produce their tobacco. Massachusetts wanted to be an independent state that had an economy relatively closer to the British, and wanted to create a state that stood up for its own people. The disparity not diversity also helped achieve this, as did their political understanding and the abuse of power that Virginia underwent. The end."

I was pretty proud of all of this. I wrote a whole ducking essay on American history. Yup, I feel proud.

"That should be enough to get you an A. If that doesn't, then I don't know what will." Jayden smiled, eating his biscuits.

"Can we call Cody?" I asked out of the blue and Jayden nodded.
"I don't see why not, he's your brother."

Dialling his number on face time, I passed my essay to Jayden who put it at the Face ID the bed neatly, and then I budged up, making room for Jayden.

"Hey Codes!" I chirped happily. It was a great start to the day, so could you really blame me? Not so much.

But as I looked closer, I saw the dark bags that had formulated under his eyes, and I saw the unkempt nest of hair atop his head. I noticed that he opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't. I noticed how he wasn't wearing the chain around his neck he always wore.

It was a plain chain, silver. It was big and barely visible on him, but if you know somethings there, or supposed to be there, you notice if it's not. "Where's the chain?" I asked him. "And why didn't you get any sleep?"

"Haven't you called Leo?" Ava asked me, walking into the room. I shook my head.
"Coming to think of it, he did give me a ring at around 12. But I didn't think much of it." I replied cautiously.

What was going on?

"Call him." Ava said and gently pried Cody's hands off the phone, about to end it for him.
"Wait," his groggy voice croaked and my heart broke a little.

"Cody..." I whispered. What the fuck was going on?
"Alex, promise me one thing."

"I can't promise you If I don't know what I'm promising." I replied, very scared and confused. I didn't want to know what the fuck was going on. But I needed to.

"Just fucking promise me-"

"I can't fucking promise you anything unless I know what's going on!" I began to raise my voice and Jayden got up to get me some water, to calm me down I presume.

"Alexis ducking Cassidy Baxter-"
"Cody Allen Baxter, don't you dare threaten me." I lowly warned Cody and he looked at me, stared into my eyes.

The warmth I saw in them a few days ago had vanished. All that was left was dimming fire, that was soon to be extinguished and I realised that by shouting at him, he thought I was losing my trust in him.

I saw myself in him.

"I promise what?" I calmly answered.
"Promise me you will not overreact, you won't go haywire. Promise me." Cody choked and I meekly nodded my head.

"You're getting me scared." I whispered, and Jayden quickly wrapped his arms around me. Cody cut the call and a single tear dropped from my left eye, and Jayden cradled me in his arms.

"I've never seen him like that... ever." I whispered into his chest, balling my fists full of his shirt. I pulled away and looked at it as if it was something foreign.

I grabbed my phone and called uncle Leo, getting out of the bed and walking around anxiously.

"What happened? Ava is a mess, Cody looks like a fucking zombie-" I started and Uncle Leo coughed. "No, tell me what's going on." I put the phone on speaker, sitting down dang in the middle of the room.

"They didn't tell you?" He asked, surprised.

"They can barely talk, what can those two idiots tell me?" I shouted, almost loosing my control. "Sorry." I immediately apologised and Uncle just waved it off with a small okay.

"They know about Aaron and Callum. They also know something..."

"Well, they were bound to find out about those two. How'd they find that out?"

"Well, Callum didn't know that you were out of town for the soccer league. He turned up at your door and turns out Ava is a martial art expert, and somehow locked him in the house."

"You're kidding." I deadpanned, eyes wide open. Ava? As in the Avaline I met in English for the first time who was all shy and quiet? Nope, no.

"Yes. They called me and I had to untie him. And I now know about the whole "let's kill Aaron" plot." Uncle sighed, waiting for me to explain.

"We weren't going to kill him. We were going to put him where he belongs, behind he bars. It would be a better life for him. He'd be away from alcohol, have a roof on top of his head and not having to worry about food. I don't want to carry that burden of leaving someone to starve- even if I hate them." I grumbled the last part, glancing out the window.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I won't ever wish death upon anyone.

"You were tying to what?!" Jayden shouted, and I rolled my eyes, my face angled upwards asking anyone and everyone up there for help. Dear God, it sounded a lot worse than it was.

"Oh, I'm sorry - I didn't mean-" I cut Uncle off from his apology, waiving it off as nothing. If I was him, I would have honestly thought the same thing.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Now, what else do they know that I supposedly don't?" I asked, shooting a glare at Jayden.

"Well, there's a slight complication..." Uncle started nervously. I feel like rolling my eyes again.
"Just cut to the chase." I laughed, being reminded of Huntsman who was in the room opposite to us.

"Well... I might know who your dad is..."

"Gee, you don't say." I deadpanned, rolling my eyes. They were best friends. Dudes and dudettes, I'm his niece!
"No, I know where he is."

"Come again?" I asked, baffled.

"His name is Noah-"
"Alejandro Baxter. I knew it." Jayden breathes and I looked at him for a second, confused.

Staring at Jayden for a moment, my eyes widened to the size of saucers and I shouted, probably loud enough for him to have heard,

"coach is my dad?"