Strangers.

Strangers weren't supposed to be inducing a past memory. To put it roughly, they were those unknown people we barely knew, not even their names. Their faces should be foreign, those that we never come across to. They commonly roamed on either the streets, public properties, as well as my school.

Regardless, the boy that I had bumped into at the bus station was no stranger.

A strong pull of knowing him formed, but even so, I have yet to recognize who he truly was. His overall appearance, his voice and the way he smiled had triggered vague clues inside of me.

Actually, I had gotten the answer.

Seems to me that he's so similar to Raphael... For some reason, I doubted the conclusion. I attempted to contemplate further, but to no avail.

Walking back home, I tried shrugging the feeling off. With the music still blaring against my ears, I kicked a small pebble into an opened manhole, and exhaled loudly. That boy was probably a stranger who coincidentally possessed familiar features that Raphael had.

After all, Raphael was my old childhood friend that I hadn't seen for a couple of years. I could still make out some quirks of his appearance, but it wasn't as clear as I expected.

I used to interact with countless friends back then, so I considered myself normal when I don't remember their individual faces well. It was also those days where I naively thought all of us will always be together.

In middle school, most of them had completely dispersed apart. Each had entered different schools, either public, private or homeschooled. Some moved out of town or New Jersey, never to be seen again.

The same case also happened with Raphael, although I remembered that he had transferred out way more earlier than others.

Now that I had arrived back home, it's my job to figure out if it was really him.

"Woof!"

Opening the door of my house, I was immediately ambushed by Myla, who was already waiting in the hallway.

She welcomed me with open arms by jumping straight to me. At her action, I almost lost my composure, in spite of her smaller physique. She then tried standing up on her hind legs, comfortably pawing on my thighs and licking on my fingers. I squatted down and gingerly petted her furs, to which she relished it.

I knew that she was going to do this, as I can hear her loud noises from outside. After all, every time I got home from somewhere else, she would get all excited and would always hop around me.

"You home, Ed?"

I snapped my head towards Lu, my sister, who appeared from the living room. Unlike this morning, she was now dressed modestly, her red hair was no longer a ball of tangled yarn. She briefly smiled at Myla, before turning to me.

"What do you think?" I murmured, under my breath. Embracing the animal within my arms, I stood back up and faced her. Beforehand, I turned off my music, before removing my earphones and shoved them into my hoodie pocket.

"Geez, you don't need to be so cold." Lu chuckled. "How 'bout snacking on some bread to warm yourself up?"

I looked over to her offering hand, seeing that she was carrying a green goodie bag. Inspecting closer, I noticed a lot of pastries. At the sight, I was instantly tantalized by the strong aroma, indicating that they were fresh from the oven. This caused me to cast away almost everything that I had in mind.

"I was so lucky, dude." Lu added. "When I got to the bakery, Mr. and Mrs. Carrington were baking more bread, so I told them to get us the new ones!

I couldn't resist the overwhelming temptation, especially seeing that my most favorite bread was there: baguette. I decided to firstly put Myla on the floor, then rummaged through it. In the end, I took three, including the baguette.

"How many did you buy?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"8." She answered. "I wanna buy more but this is already enough for both of us."

"I don't think so." I was determined to take more, but Lu slapped my hand.

"Nope. No more for you, you dense pig." She narrowed her eyes. "Three's enough, and that's final. Have you learn your lesson? The last time was 30 breads, and you ended up gaining so much weight. If you don't control your appetite from now on, you will end up like a whale."

"Fine." I breathed, in defeat.

"And Serena's going to be sooo concerned." Lu's frown curled into a mischievous smirk. My body seriously stiffened up real hard at her comment.

"Shut it, Lu." I grumbled, glaring fixedly at her. "...and stop bringing up Rena to every situation."

"...This time, she is involved, man. If you're becoming unhealthier, she will worry about your well-being. You don't want to make her worried, am I right?"

Despite being annoyed at remarks about Rena, I do have to admit, Lu had a point. I shouldn't be making her more fretful than she already was, especially about my health. I said nothing, but I silently agreed with her opinion.

Lu then walked to the dining room, probably to place the rest of the bread on the table. My instincts told me to pursue after her and so I did. Myla followed behind me, proven by her soft, rhyming footsteps.

I was in a state of daze, so it was the time for my previous thoughts to hit me again. It was all about the familiarity of that one guy. I should have dismissed these earlier, but I chose not to.

Maybe, it would be a great idea if I tell it to Lu. Albeit hesitations at the beginning, I decided to make a choice of sharing her my opinion.

"Lu?"

"Yeah?" She acknowledged me without even turning around. In other words, her back was facing me as she carefully placed each bread on the plate. She kept one to herself, probably for a bite.

"I wanna talk about something." I requested.

"Fire away." She accepted without second thought. "I'm always listening."

"I was at the bus station when I bumped into this one guy. Well, I was on my phone so I didn't see him coming." I explained, as my eye trailed down at the bread. "Thought he might be just a stranger, but he seemed familiar. It's bothering the hell out of me ever since."

"Hm..." Lu whirled on her heels, finally facing me. Subsequently, she pulled all parts of her hair to the back of her head, tying it well with her scrunchie. Next, she crossed his arms, her gaze wandered across the ceiling. She leaned against the table, reverting her attention back to me. "Maybe he's your friend from the past."

"Well, I did remember him from elementary school..." I muttered, then shook my head. "...but at the same time, I'm not so sure."

"...That's normal, man. Sometimes, I forgot who my old friends and classmates are." Lu threw me a smile, and while so, she was tapping her foot on the ground. Myla seemed to be attracted by her movements, and scampered towards her. "Well, the most possible explanation for that is, he's actually the same person you're thinking, but he changed a lot, so you don't recognize him completely. Happens to me a lot of times."

"Right, so..." In reflex, I ran my hand through my tousled hair. "...I'm going upstairs. Gonna take a nap."

"Haha, sure, sure. It's summer, and you woke up pretty much early in the morning, after all." Lu briefly laughed as she stretched her arms. "Make sure you eat the bread before they get too cold though."

"Yeah, I will." I watched as she haphazardly slumped into the couch and grabbed the remote control. She turned on the TV, switching a few channels, and immediately got comfortable when an episode of her favorite show aired.

I forced my lazy ass to go upstairs, just to go back to the paradise: my room. Myla was still following me behind, trying to catch up with my legs. Her hot, moist breaths pierced against my sensitive skin, but I wasn't really bothered about it. What I am focusing about is that boy's striking resemblance to... him.

Right as I reached at the end of the staircase, I stopped abruptly in the middle of the path. I squeezed my eye shut, and darkness was the only thing I perceived. With the supportive mood, I tried winding up about the past again to my mind.

All of the memories came flowing in like a river, but then...

One of them packed a punch, giving a smack right in my guts.

Literally.

Even if it was non-existent, the effect of the blow was powerful for my knotting stomach. Instant pain quickly rocked and shook all the nerves of my body. I recoiled as an act of defense, and seconds later, I was down to my knees. All the three pastries I have been holding helplessly fell from my grasp, crashing into the floor.

No...

My heart started accelerating, palpitating so hard that my ribs could feel it pounding. As a result, my chest throbbed in pain every time I breathed. My lungs were entirely devoid of oxygen, so my breathing rate grew faster. The air was as if someone smothered me with a pillow. My brain ached excruciatingly, hence everything was just so lightheaded.

Stop...

My vision dimmed out of focus, but it didn't stop me from seeing Myla, whose tiny, black eyes stared with wonder. Behind the dog, I discovered something lying on the floor. It was too far, so I used my remaining strength to jerk slightly forward. The unknown object was gradually identified.

Is that... a pair of scissors...?

My quickened breaths multiplied twice its original speed, and my terribly shaking hands were damper than ever. Nausea was conquering over my throat, and eventually, I was overthrown. I continuously hacked and coughed, wanting to vomit so badly.

It hurts...

It hurts so much...

Myla whimpered, attempting to comfort me by licking my cheeks. She kept on switching places, from left to right. As her cold, muggy tongue pierced against my skin, I winced almost right away. Of course, it didn't help my situation at all.

Something wet slid out of my eye and cascaded down my cheeks, my narrowing throat croaked in agony.
Rough, profound footsteps suddenly echoed from behind me, but I didn't bother to turn around. I remained in my spot until two human figures appeared. When I glanced up, a gravely concerned Lu and my mother came into being.

"Sst... it's okay... it's alright..." My sister's comforting voice filled my hectic mind, as a soft hand gingerly rubbed my shivering back. "Everything's fine..."

"G-get that thing out of my sight..." My lips shivered, my unstable finger then pointed at the scissors. Both of them turned their heads towards the sharp object.

"Fudge... I must have dropped it..." Lu rumbled under her breath. She immediately grabbed it and hid it away. I didn't know where, but at least it was out of the way.

Meanwhile, my mother slowly wrapped her arms around me, feeling her radiating warmness. I decided to lean over to her side, burying my head on her shoulder. She whispered some appeasing words, while patting my head and ruffling my hair.

I always wonder, why the hell do I always have to be a burden to my family...?

I can't do this all the time...

After five straight minutes of being in their protective embrace, the tremors I was suffering gradually withered away. I was able to get a grip of myself and at long last, I was back on track. I still struggled perceiving the reality, but at least I curbed myself from experiencing another meltdown.

Take slow breaths... I instructed myself, carefully inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Calm down...

Nothing's going to happen...

Relax...

My mother and Lu eventually freed me from their clutches, so I was able to get fresh air. All of their eyes were fixed on me, even Myla's. I wiped any visible tears off my cheeks, and harshly rubbed my sore eye. Next, I picked up all of the pastries that had fallen from my hands. I tried l acting as normal as possible, as if nothing actually happened.

"Are you okay now...?" My mother asked, her tone filled with so much concern. I nodded, as it was a self-explanatory answer. "You need to drink, Ed. It will rejuvenate you a little."

"...yeah, thanks." I responded, but as soon as my voice came out, it rasped. If I could compare it to a person who hasn't speak or drink for a few days, I would. Either way, my throat was begging for water to hydrate itself from earlier.

Standing on my feet, I instantly staggered as my cramped leg muscles groaned at my actions. I forced myself to straighten up, grabbing on the railings of my staircase for assistance. When I felt that everything was under control, I ambled towards my room. Myla didn't chase after me, though. She just stood there, with her tongue out. In spite of her small eyes, I can still feel it boring through my skull.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Lu doubted my condition, and I stopped in the middle of the path. Beside her, Mother quietly agreed, based on her expression. When I didn't reply, she placed her arm on her hip, and sighed. "Stop lying, Ed. You know I can tell if you're telling the truth or not."

"I'm freaking fine, Lu. Seriously." I brusquely answered, turning my head towards her. I instantly regretted the fact that I snapped at her, but otherwise I didn't show it too much. "...but, thanks for helping me out."

Thankfully, Lu and Mother disrupted me no more. I walked farther, until I successfully entered the room and closed the door behind me, hard.

***

08:39 PM

I spend the majority of the day locked inside my room, caring less about stepping out. After that one emotional distress I suffered, I have no more intentions of going out. Well, except for dinner, where my mother forced me to eat. I was stuffed, since I had devoured all of the bread Lu had given me.

Even during dinner, I induced no conversation with both of my parents nor my sister. My mother told my father about the "panic attack" I endured this noon, and of course, they were concerned about my mental health. They wanted me to visit the therapist, but I denied their offer and told them I don't need to.

I also didn't bother to shower. Instead, I dismantled all of my clothes, only wearing my boxers, leaving me half-naked. Next, I draped my body with a thin blanket, and lay on my bed for the whole day. I was either contemplating about useless shit, playing my phone, listening to music, engaging on my laptop, or sleeping. I barely wanted to move my ass off the mattress, so I remained there until crickets were chirping outside.

I had turned off the lights and draped the windows with the curtains, leaving me enshrouded in the darkness. The only light left was the lamp on my nightstand and the dim screen of my laptop. Currently, I was logging in to Skype, as I lazily typed in my credentials.

I busied myself, because a blank mind would definitely bring back past events. I have completely lost interest of figuring out the boy I encountered, since it would mean that I would have to dig my past. It would be better if he stayed unidentified rather than being known.

Ted, the teddy bear, was still hidden inside my closet, so the moment I opened it up, I discovered the doll, lying against the wall. I decided to further up covered him with my strewn clothes. I didn't want to see its face, because everytime I did, it reminded me of Lynn...

About the childhood photos that I displayed... I had flipped some back around so that I couldn't see them, particularly those that could send me into a crying mess.

I'm so done of receiving pain from the past, and I wanted to seriously move forward with life. Those horrible memories should be forgotten as soon as possible, carelessly thrown away like a piece of trash.

I wanted to be living in the present, just like Seb and Rena.

Speaking of Rena, I would be hanging out with her tomorrow at the mall. She texted me that she will pick me up at 11 am, which is definitely an ideal time. I was inwardly enthusiastic, because this could a large opportunity to have some private time with her, face-to-face. Maybe, I could ask her about... how did she continue her daily life without her past haunting her.

As I looked over the chats on Skype, I noticed that there were no new notifications. I only came across the same, old chats that I have with Rena, Seb, Asher and Alyssa. When I was about to log out of my account, a video call was suddenly received, and it came from Seb.

I decided to answer the call, and when the video came on, I literally jumped when I firstly saw two black holes. When I analyzed closely, clearly it was just someone's nostrils, but why the fuck would Seb smack his nose right in front of the camera?

"Whoa! Is that your friend?!" An immature voice abruptly blared out of my laptop's speakers. It was definitely belonging to a child. "I wanna see, I wanna see!!"

"Jules, don't block the fudging camera and the screen!"

A very familiar, completely annoyed voice echoed in the background, and suddenly the mysterious nostrils were gone. At the background, there sat Seb, whose brown eyes narrowed into slits. His face also scrunched in disgust, directed at someone offscreen. I could see that his arms were also pushing this particular person away.

It took me sometime to understand the gist of the problem. That nose belonged to none other than Julius, his younger brother, who was barely 9 years old by this year. All of us called him Jules, although sometimes I referred him to Julius Caesar.

"Why?!" Jules exclaimed as he pushed through, reappearing on the screen. He possessed the same silver hair as his brother, though Jules' had a darker tone. His big, round brown eyes glittered, as he pushed his lips forward. "I wanna see what your friend looks like! I'm so curious!"

"...but it doesn't mean you can block my view with the back of your head you nincompoop." Seb groaned.

"I dunno what nicopoop or whatever it is means, but it probably means that you're calling me stupid!"

"See? That proves you ARE that stupid."

I was used to Seb and Jules throwing each other insults, just like him with Alyssa. This time, however, it was just a typical sibling-hate relationship, so I can tolerate it. I got comfy in my bed, watching as the Allington siblings continued with their ordeal.

"You meanie! All I did is just..." Jules stopped at the middle of his sentence when he locked eyes with me. He seemed surprised at first.

"See?" Seb cast him a sarcastic smile. "You just got publicly humiliated by my friend."

"Ello Edward!!!" He grinned, waving his hand furiously.

"Hello." I greeted, slightly waving my hand at the little kid.

His grin widened so much as I acknowledged his call. He turned towards his brother and playfully punched him. "See! Even Edward is nicer than you!"

"Alright, alright, fine... If you wanna be his brother then go ahead..." Seb pushed Jules away, and hence he disappeared from the screen. "...but I wanna talk with him in private, so go to sleep or play with Lynnette instead. Scoot!"

"Okay, okay, okay! I'm leaving now!" Jules shouted from the background, and I heard the click of the door as it opened and closed. Seb placed his hand over his forehead, sighing and shaking his head, before looking at me.

"Ugh... I apologize about that kid." Seb rolled his eyes, smiling nervously at me. "He's just one spoiled brat."

"No, that's fine." I dismissed. "Jules is still a child. He will learn as soon as he grows up."

"Man, are you completely naked?! Damn! Put some clothes on dude!" Seb ignored my comment, his eyes flew wide open as he observed me. It took me a moment to realize that he was actually talking about me with no clothes on.

"I'm not naked, Seb. I'm wearing my boxers." I narrowed my eye. "Do you think I would go full naked in front of you?"

"Yes." He jeered, pointing his finger at me. "Look at your face. It's written over there."

I didn't say anything, but I enhanced my smoldering look at him. I curled my lips into a sneer, and I really wanted to tell him that I was fucking irritated and tired of his so-called teases.

"Okay, that was not intentional, Ed. Get yourself together!" Seb lifted up his hands in front of the camera in surrender. "...Why can't you just take a joke easily? You know, if Ren makes a joke and you don't smile or something, she won't be pleased."

It's Rena you fucking idiot. I wanted to correct him, but I chose not to.

"Too bad your jokes aren't close to good." I commented nonchalantly. "Whether it is cringy or not, I would rather listen to Rena's than yours."

"Wow, dude. That really hurts a lot, especially coming from you!" Seb said between his laughs, clenching his chest with his hands. He then doubled over, his face briefly vanishing onscreen, before reappearing again.

"...so, why are you calling me for?" I asked, waiting for him recover.

"I texted Ren recently." Seb revealed, grabbing his phone from a table not shown in the video. "Well, I asked her whether she's going anywhere tomorrow. Turns out she's going out with you to the mall. Are you really going with her?"

"Yeah. Why you ask?" For some reason, my heart heated up, and something hot started to build up inside. I ignored the bizarre sensation, and focused on listening to Seb instead.

"Haha, well, um..." Seb scratched his head, his eyes wandering around the room, not wanting to meet my gaze. "It's just that I was about to ask her if she wanna hang out somewhere, but finding out that she will be you, I won't bother. I don't want to be a third wheel-"

"...You said you wanna hang out with her?" I interrupted his explanation. Seb's colors were draining from his face and his eyes slightly widened, but he managed to retain his consciousness. I lowered my head, allowing my protruding bangs to cover my eye, preventing it from being seen.

"Um... well, yeah," from his somewhat unstable tone, I could predict that he was faltering with his reply, "but, if I were able to invite her all along, I would invite you too, so don't worry."

"Oh." That was the only word that managed to escape from my lips. When I felt a strong force of mixed emotions crashing into my body, I instantly held them in place from spilling out.

"...You alright with that?" Seb looked worried, and dared himself to look at me in the eye. "You seemed really annoyed, so I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Seb." I sighed in defeat. "I'm just experiencing so many things today and I really wanna forget it..."

"What do you mean?"

I guess it was the time to divulge him about what happened. "Well... I have a panic attack this noon."

"Whoa... really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow..." Seb leaned back towards the wall. "Now I'm worried real bad... well, you should be taking care of yourself more, Ed. Don't do weird things and rest properly. Oh, and try staying optimistic, alright? You have the chance to have some fun with Ren tomorrow, so use it. I'm positive that she can cheer you up."

Hearing his advice, the building heat died in a blink. I felt my body softening as a definitive response, so I silently whispered these words.

"... Thanks Seb."

***

A/N: Woo, a longer chapter for this week! Hope you enjoy it thoroughly, and don't forget to vote and leave comments :D

Question:
Honestly, what do you think about Edward?