"Did you force him to invite his friends?"

"When have I forced him for anything, Kai called them on his own."

"Really, Allea."

"Okay, I may be just encouraged him a little."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, it's not like he does anything he doesn't actually want."

"Except if it's told by you."

Seeing his hand again reaching for food on the dining table, I pushed the salad near him, and dismissed his allegation, "That's an exaggeration."

Giving a dead face, that was saying the-truth-is-truth and shrugged, "No, it's not."

Mimicking Elijha's look I repeated his words, not pulling this conversation further.

After a few seconds, as if he remembring something, he looked around to search that while asking, "Where's Jackson? I'm yet to meet him."

A little laugh escaped my lips as my mind drifted back to Jackson's behavior since he arrived yesterday morning. Not once he left his room because he was exceedingly jet-lagged and has the whole mansion's servants running here and there to serve him, "Ah, he has been attached to his bed since he came. Though, I woke him up some time ago, must be getting ready."

"Hm, what about Namibia, everything settled there?"

"Yeah, all thanks to Jackson."

At my response, he subtly nodded and turned his face away. For a moment I felt like Elijah was trying to say something but a moment of silence fell between us and before we could proceed to our further random-discussion, he abruptly started smiling like a halfwit that soon turned into full bloom laughter with a face full of unfamiliar glow, his hazel eyes shining in an utter hilarity. On the other hand, startled and clueless me, continued to stare at him stupidly.

Waking out of my stupor, my hand habitually pushed his moving shoulder and inquired, "What, why are you suddenly laughing like a fool?"

Avoiding looking at my eyes, he tried to stuff his laughter inside, "I-I have something I want to tell you."

If Elijah said this in some other tone, or not after laughing like this, I would have been worried about him. His tone was also full of hesitation, not the bad one, but the one that makes it seem like he's...blushing. My brows lowered, and I know I may look entirely confused with the strange expressions on my face, not quite understanding what happened to my friend, who not a week ago had the face as his pet died because of all the drama of his so-called parents.

Well, his father was happy with what he got and left Elijah alone, and they did share a moment because as Elijah told me, they later talked and he'll remain in touch with him. See, for him, it's this easy to forgive others but not always, just like that woman, his biological mother. She's proceeding with the legal accusations and creating a drama to get the money she thinks she deserves. It's not like her efforts are going well because Elijah not once bothered himself with her again and is letting her do whatever she can.

So, what happened during all of this, that's making him laugh like this? Looking forward to the reason, I urged, "What is it?"

He gave me a side-way glance, still avoided looking straight in my eyes, like he was doing not just moments ago. Before I could hear the much-awaited answer from him, Kai's voice resonated.

"Elijah!"

Along with Elijah, I too turned to face Kai, a few steps behind him were his friends, David and Mike. They came about an hour ago, to prevent them from getting bored, I advised Kai to take them to his room to show his superheroes and antique-toy car collections -displayed on one full wall of his room. Not to disturb them, I didn't inform him when Elijah arrived just about ten minutes ago, and we sat on dining table chairs because he was hungry and could not wait to eat the delicious food servants were putting on the table.

[Disclaimer: This work is only published on watt/pad under profile: itsrujihere. The complete rights of the work: Allea belongs under this profile and Ruji. If you're reading [Allea] on some platform other than watt/pad(Unless I, Ruji, say so) then, I'm pretty sure they are stealing my work (i.e, a site that starts with novel), please don't support the thief.]

Pushing the chair back, Elijah stood and advanced toward beaming Kai.

"Happy birthday mate!" Elijah excitedly cheered and they shared a fist-bump, then he slightly bent down to give him a side-hug.

With a smile, I observed their interaction and when my eyes flickered toward Kai's friends, I chuckled a little seeing them frozen like statues. With wide eyes, they both were staring at Elijah talking to Kia, their eyes shining with stars at the same time traces of panic. Yeah, that right there is a look of aficionado. I think Elijah didn't notice their presence so, I also stood up and walked near them, to remind them of two poor figures they forgot in their chatter.

To earn his attention, I called, "Elijah," both his and Kai's eyes toward me, halting in their 'important' discussion about some probably antique car model. "Meet Kai's friends," I looked toward boys standing a few steps far, "Mike," pointed toward the boy almost of the same height as Kai but cuter, if that's the right word for his curly messy hair and unnecessarily huge glasses resting on his pale face, hiding most of his features. "And David," he was a little shorter than Kai, but his unusually mature face along with his glowing almond-ish skin makes him look way sensible than most boys of his age.

"Apologies, didn't see you guys there."

The moment my words ended, Elijah with his wide-friendly smile walked toward the young-boys. If possible, I think their eyes may roll down their sockets as Elijah approached them. In a pleasant way similar to Kai, Elijah greeted them and extended his fist for them to bump, in a daze they followed along with his action with a pat on their shoulders he started asking them some formalities for which they just proceeded to nod whatever he said, and with dazed look continued to stare between their fist and smiling Elijah in front of them.

When my gaze moved toward Kai while staring at his friends' reactions he was shaking his head helplessly.

Leaving them be, I walked away to call Jackosn, who still hasn't come out of his room. We should cut the cake now, Kai's friends have to go home before the darkness outside thickens. I offered both of their parents that David and Mike can stay the night when I talked to them, but for an unknown reason, they seemed hesitant before answering so I didn't pursue further and assured them of their boys' safe return.

Halting right before Jackson's room, I knocked on the door, "Jackson, how much longer are you going to take?" Instead of some sensible response, I heard an exasperated grunt along with the rustling of papers. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside, only to see an exhausted Jackson standing over a bed full of mostly crumbled gift papers and ribbons scattered all over it.

With a distress-filled face, he turned toward me and asked seriously, "I thought why not wrap Kai's gift, but such a little thing, when did it turn this difficult?"

I didn't say anything because I couldn't and tried not to laugh out loud.

"You're useless," He commented, seeing me trying to suppress my laugh and totally failing at it.

With a sour face, he moved his focus away from me and toward the problem at his hand, "Oh, fuck it," he exclaimed, and took the smallest box of all, first stuffed it with some crumbled gift wraps and taking out some papers, more like passes from a big box, he folded them and placed in the smaller box. Finding some unused gift paper, he put the box in the middle and haphazardly wrapped it around, using the ribbons as the last touch to hold it together.

When he was done, seeing the ugly-looking box, I couldn't help but say, "It looks hideous."

"Keep your mouth shut, useless Brat."

Scolding me, he took his ugly-looking gift and proceeded to walk out of the, without giving me another look. My lips were still slightly curved, as I followed him out and with an intention of teasing him a little, I proceeded to ask, "By the way, where's my birthday gift? Am I not your niece?"

In the last part, I pretended to sound a little spoiled. Hearing my words, his steps halted and he looked at me over his shoulders, the way his eyes narrowed and face went blank was enough for me to realize that his answer would be,

"Yeah, but not the favorite one."

Brutal.

Well, it's not like I mind his words, without having much of a reaction, I saw him resuming his steps and approaching the others. First, both Elijah and Jackson shared a side-hug and proceeded to ask each other a thing or two. Then greeting Mike & David, he turned toward Kai and shoved his repulsive gift in his hands, along with a warning to not say anything about the wrap.

Shaking my head a little with a small smile, I turned toward the nearby helper, to tell him to call all of the others to gather around and bring the cake. The mansion was not extravagantly decorated, just some ribbons and balloons here and there, keeping things simple. As far as big parties are concerned, on his eleventh birthday, I offered him to arrange such a celebration. In a quite distressed-innocent tone, he asked in return that whom I would call, who else was there to invite. His seemingly innocuous question made me keep quiet and let him celebrate however he wants.

Around the mirror table, we all gathered for Kai to cut his cake. On his one side were his friends, on the other Jackson, Elijah, and I. All the helpers stood at the opposite of Kia, with balloons and ribbons in their hands, waving them as we all sang his birthday song, and with a big smile, he blew out the candles and cut the cake. With the first slice of cake in his hand, instead of people standing nearing him, he walked toward me and pushed it near my face. My eyes were fixed on his face, it felt like the surrounding turned quiet, and only Jackson's jealous humph could be heard.

But my full focus was on my blithesome brother in front of me, different emotions are swirling inside me, which, I, myself, can't even name. All the guilt inside me has been slowly and gradually being pushed aside by his happy smiles and trust in me, if not for him always being there, things would have been a lot more difficult for me to accept. Now, look, he has grown up into a charming teenage boy, my hand reached out for his head, and ruffling his hair softly I mumbled, "So soon, you have turned fourteen."

For a moment he didn't say anything, but his smile wavered and turned into a faded curve, his bright blue started shinning, "Y-yeah, so, you have to stop treating me like a child, okay?"

Pursing my lips lightly, I shook my head in disapproval, and bringing forth both of my hands, I hastily tousled all of his hair, "You'll always be a child for me," Not giving him a chance to respond, I bent down to take a bite from the slice in his hand and brightly wished, "Happy birthday, Kai."

Torn between bickering with me over my assertion or returning me a smile, he chose the latter and advanced toward others with a small pout.

After that, we proceeded toward eating dinner, during the meal, Jackson just like an old uncle continued to share his stories one after another of his funny encounters, but the boys seemed to enjoy them so, Elijah and I also didn't interrupt the laughter that one after another resonated.

"Hey, I might take Kai for a ride later, is that okay?"

I turned toward Elijah, who was seated on my other side and ignoring the people engrossed in tales of Jackson, I doubtfully asked, "At this hour?"

Elijah looks a little tired, and I thought he'll leave soon to rest, but he has other plans.

"Yeah, his gift," he pointed toward Kai on my other side.

Nodding my head in understandingly, I agreed, "Sure." Then remembering something, I added, "Will you also drop Kai's friends at their homes?"

"They are not staying for the night?"

"I asked their parents, but they didn't answer and seemed...reluctant. So, I didn't push them," I shrugged and put the fork full of lettuce in my mouth.

After a movement of silence, as if calculation something, he inquired, "Did you talk to them?"

If not for me then, "Who else?"

At my response, he got silent and pursuing his lips, moved to stuff his mouth with food. Not entirely understanding his action, "What happened?" I enunciated.

Putting the fork down, he directly looked at me and narrowed his hazel eyes, "Have you forgotten about your name, Allea," quoting my name with his hands, he spoke.

Hearing the word 'name' made me see the light, that was why when I called Kai's friends' parents they were so vacillating while talking to me and kept stammering. As far as I remember, they work in some companies, so I guess they were afraid of saying something that'll make me irate. Now that I recall, both Mike and David also avoided looking straight in my eyes, with the head bows they really-formally replied whenever I asked anything. If not for Elijah pointing it out, till now I would have considered their actions normal, maybe, because I'm used to people approaching me like this, so, I just uttered a knowing, "Oh."

"Just text me the address, I'll drop them."

Nodding toward him, we then moved to finish our food and once again becoming a part of Jackson's audience.