Adaline heard it. The giggling that took hold of her face at that time. It was supposed to happen at that time if everything went as planned, but, fate "Adam” had other plans for her, and the giggling now seemed like a lost event in a time that didn't exist.
"I am going to kill him!" she chanted out repeatedly as if in a witch coven thinking of ways to harm her victim.
And that she was... thinking but with no power to unleash any harm on him, not because she doesn't want to but she just couldn't. Adam had always been smart, too smart, and if she had been fair, she'd say he was the devil himself. Filled with malicious behaviors, he calls curiosity. A child's harmless curiosity and troubles except this was harmful. It's way too harmful for her not to retaliate.
Clenching and unclenching her fist, Adaline watched the sun go down from the corner of her eyes from the middle of her room, where she stood still? But yet, moving back and forth like an office chair.
Her hands found her face again before a single tear slipped past her eyelid, but that didn't stop her from moving her fingers along her face as if following the lines on it would somehow make them disappear. But...
Grinding her teeth silently, Adaline moved toward her room's door and peered it open. Placing her right foot out, she quickly brought it back in like she was some sort of vampire who was allergic to darkness.
She didn't want to go out. Not looking the way she did. There's a high chance that she'd meet someone on her way to the shopping mall or at the shopping mall itself. She had wanted to make an order online but the fact that it'll alert her parents wasn't an option either and whether she likes it or not, she can't stay indoors for two more days as Google had suggested. She needed to resume school and...
Closing her door with a silent thud, Adaline sat on the cold floor of her room before covering her face and screaming out loud. Flashes of the few hours ago replayed vividly in the background like she was in a cinema and it brought more tears to her eyes.
She remembered the smile that stuck her face when the sun penetrated into her room, waking her from her beauty sleep.
In her dream, a lot happened, and they were all beautiful happenings. She had stretched her limbs, spunned around, and rocked her waist like Shakira would at least, in her imagination.
... and everything was fine until it wasn't. Her morning became a disaster the moment she faced the mirror in her bedroom, and she could still remember the echoes of her screams when she found that… that..
Standing up from where she sat, Adaline walked toward the mirror in her room. She needed no light to show her reflection as she could remember every line and curve on her face.
Closing her eyes briefly, she opened it to stare at the horror in her face again. She couldn't believe he'd ever do that to her, especially not today of all days. Not today when she had bought the front row ticket to their concert. She didn't ask for more. All her teenage self ever wanted was a "hello" from J-Hope. Her Jung Ho-Seok. Her musical mentor*and crush if she may add from Korea though he didn't know all about her. She has been a quiet loving fan of his songs.
She had dreamt in different ways on how she'd giggle when he said hi to her. She loves his style, his voice, his hair, and every little detail of him. He is her Idol and the only Bts singer whose voice brought out the best in hers.
...and just today, her dreams were crushed by her little baby brother, Adam, who had deemed it right to... to draw lines on her face with a permanent marker.
"Funny, isn't it?" she questioned aloud.
Closing her eyes, she remembered how her mother had run in when she screamed.
*"Baby, are you okay? I was in the kitchen when you... Holy shit!" Her mother had said mid-sentence when she turned to face her.
With tears filled face, Adaline had asked, "Who did this?" and her mother had stuttered before her dad came in and then her younger sister, Elena, who didn't waste any moment in laughing so hard.
Though her dad threw a glare at her, it didn't change the fact that she was laughed at, and it was all because of Adam and his troubles.
"Sorry, Adaline, he must have picked it up from my desk." Her father had replied with concern laced in his voice and Adaline wanted to agree and be cool with it but she couldn't so, she had chased everyone out of her room and hadn't opened up since then.
Her mother had checked on her numerous times with a 4 years old Adam in tow to apologise to her, but still, she hadn't opened up her door.
She wasn't ready to face her family despite the concern they showed. Even Elena had later pitied her and spoken to her and Adaline could have at least came out if not the giggle she heard in the background, the giggling from Adam and that was when her anger rose again with thoughts of killing Adam but deep inside, Adaline knew everything was just a bluff.
Adam has these big cute eyes that can make one's leg buckle when one is angry and she is scared she would forgive him easily... not him, but herself. For sleeping so soundly when Adam had drawn lines on her face. How could she not have felt it? Adaline thought and no matter how long she thought about it, it won't change the fact that she has a permanent marker on her face and she'd have to wait 2 or 3 days for it to clean off on its own or get baby oil and follow what YouTube has to say.
A knock on her door brought her back to reality, and Adaline knew by the knock who it was. Too tired to even care anymore, she opened up her door.
"I have good news." Her dad said, wearing a smile with his police uniform on him.
"I'll be on leave next week. I heard the Bts will have a concert in Korea next week. What do you think about a weekend in Korea with your family?" Her father added, and Adaline couldn't help running into her father's arm.
"...and we have someone here too." Her mother said.
"I am sorry, Adaline." She heard a tiny voice speak behind her mom, and Adaline couldn't help rolling her eyes before drawing him closer for a hug.
First image and second image generated with Meta AI