Chapter 1

A Turtle Who's Hiding in its Shell

I was about to leave after seeing their visitors. I feel a bit of disappointment. I thought I can play with them today. Sadly, they have visitors. The excitement inside me, vanished because of that. I already turned my back, ready to leave, and come back to our house to play alone,

But...

"Margel?" I was surprised when I heard Aunt Lizea's voice called my name. I don't know why I bit my lips at that moment. Maybe because I can feel their eyes, looking at me. Why do I feel a bit shy? From that moment, I regretted coming there to play with my cousins, as we used to.

It's a bad timing, Margel.

"Hello, Aunt. "

I awkwardly smile. I can feel their eyes at me. I saw in my peripheral vision the boy named, Cades, looking directly at me. Did you ever feel the feeling of you just want to vanish quickly in their sights? Because that is what I am feeling right now.

Can I command the land to just eat me right now?

"Margel!" Elizea exclaimed and reached my distance at her. "I forgot that we will play!" she happily said in front of me.

I want to pout in front of her. How did she forget about it? We are always playing! "No, it's okay. I don't know that you have visitors coming today." That's a lie. It's not actually okay with me. But I really don't know that they have visitors today, because if I knew, I won't dare to go here.

"Who is that kid?" my heart almost fell with the woman's soft voice. I gulped when she looked at me with a wide smile. "She's perfectly beautiful, Lizea." she softly compliments.

I blushed. "Hello, I'm Margel."

My parents taught me of respecting other people, not just the people who are close to me. That is what they always told me before, until now, actually.

Always respect a person. Whatever person they are, you must respect them.

"Margel? It suits you." she looks adored at me. She even touched my cheeks softly.

"She's my niece, Ezra." Uncle Eli interfered.

"Her eyes are familiar, Eli." The woman's husband said and smiled at me. I smiled at him too.

How does my eyes are familiar if this is my first time meeting them? They are not even familiar to me.

Aunt Lizea laughed. "Of course, she's Aeria and Angelo's daughter." as they knew that I am their daughter, I saw how their eyes widened while looking to Uncle Eli and Aunt Lizea. It looks like, they can't believe that I am. Did they know my Mom and Dad? Because if not, why are they surprised?

"Margel is just t--Ezra?!"

Then, here we go. My mom finally entered the scene. Just like the woman named, Ezra, my Mom's face is also surprised when she saw them. Can someone explain what does this mean?

"Aerie, oh god!" they hugged each other tightly, like they haven't seen each other for a very long time. Here I go again. My curiosity is spreading again. Many questions are playing inside my head. I want to ask my parents who these people are, but that will be very disrespectful. It's not good to interrupt elders when they are talking.

My Mom will definitely be mad at me.

"Okay, is this a reunion?" My dad got our attentions. He doesn't look surprise of seeing them. Well, he's always like that. Just always chill, whatever reaction he has.

I'm guessing it right now. Maybe they used to be with each other before, when we are not yet born. I wonder how they all look like, back was then. Maybe they have a deep relationship with each other. How amazing is that? Meeting your friends after years, and you all have different families and different success in life.

I smiled with that thought. What would be I after 7 years? Or maybe, 10 years?

"Your daughter is adorable." she complimented again.

"That's a fact, Ezra." they all laughed at my Dad. While we, kids, are just looking at them. Trying to understand what is happening.

"Oh, is that your son?" My Mom asks and pointed Cades who is just looking at us. Did he even move? He doesn't look approachable. It seems like, he's hard to bond with. I have never met someone like him. He's a kind of rare, especially those hazelnut eyes.

Ugh, I'm starting to love those eyes.

"Oh, yes! I almost forgot him!" the woman laughs and pulled her son near us. As usual, he didn't even smile to all of us, just fierce and cold.

"This is Cades. He's really a cold person, sorry." My eyebrows raised while looking at him. Cades is a good-looking person. Girls will be totally obsessed with him. But his character could turn off the surrounding people. I wonder how does he look like when he smiles.

"But he's handsome!" my Mom exclaimed. I secretly agreed in my head.

"Of course, he looks like me." his Dad confidently said. They all laughed at him.

"Oh, shut up."

My eyes stayed at him. Those hazelnut eyes are full of secrets. It's like, no one could ever read what does he think and what does he feel. Cades seems to be a secretful person. Wearing a mask to hide the real him.

A turtle who always covers himself.

"Well, kids, go inside and play there." Aunt Lizea commanded to us. We all nodded and obeyed her.

"Come on, Cades! Let's play!" I'm just looking at him, while Elizea pulls his hand. I thought he will be rude and remove her hand, but he didn't. Maybe he's just icy and not a talkative person.

"Why is he cold?" I ask, Elizabeth beside me. While Elizea and Cades are now in front of us, leading the way inside their house.

"I don't know, but my sister told me that he is just really like that. He never smiled!" Elizabeth whispered.

When we entered their house, I awkwardly sat on the sofa. This feeling is strange. Maybe because I am with someone I don't really know. To think that Cades is a cold person. How am I going to play with them if he is just looking without even talking? I can't stop myself from pinching my fingers. Elizea is trying to communicate with me using her eyes. But I can't understand what is she trying to say.

I just keep raising my eyebrows at her. While Cades is just bored examining Aunt Lizea's house. I wonder how big is their mansion. His hazelnut eyes are like judging the whole house.

"Ouch." I looked at Elizea who is now touching her stomach. She's in pain.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I have to go to the bathroom." she painfully said and run away quickly. My mouth opened because of that. Did her stomach ache at this moment?

"I'm bored, I'll go watch TV in my room. Stay with my cousin!" I didn't even have the chance to speak when Elizabeth goes upstairs and left us alone in the living room. Now, what am I going to do with this Canadian boy? He doesn't even talk.

I secretly closed my eyes and bit my lips. He's just looking around the house with those eyes. He doesn't even react or say something. He doesn't care at all.

Okay, I can't stay with him. I was about to stand up and leave him alone, but...

"I really want to talk." I stopped.

Now that he just talked, I got surprised that I can't even move. Those hazelnut eyes looked into my eyes, and slowly, a small smile goes in his lips. My heart is beating crazily.

I gulped. "W-what?" I can't believe I stuttered! But his voice is handsome just like him!

His smile became wider while looking at my reaction in front of him. "I don't talk when they are around. You're the first person I have ever talked to." I awkwardly sat down again and looked at him. I'm still processing everything.

"I really can't unde--"

"Gosh! Finally, I pooped!" our conversation stopped when Elizea came out of their toilet while touching her stomach.

I looked at Cades again, but he's back. He doesn't have any emotions again. His face is back to fierce, Cades. Am I just dreaming earlier when he talked to me?

Or maybe he is just hiding in his shell.

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