What Happens Next?

Another chapter to this WIP story. Please enjoy!

2 years had passed and everyday they hung out. It was graduation day for Jackson and he would be leaving to Harvard because his parents paid for it. His family were throwing a going away party but Achilles was not invited nor was his family. He wondered why and asked Caedicia. She never answered and ignored him. He followed her until she got to her house. There was a moving truck outside of their house.

Achilles opened his mouth;” Y-You’re moving…”

“I didn’t wanna tell you because I knew it would upset you. I thought if I had just left you would be fine.” She stared at the floor.

“I would’ve loved an answer ya know, you’re my best friend and I would love to know so I had a chance to throw a going away party for you.”

“I’m sorry I have to go now….” you could here her mother calling her from inside the house.

Caedicia gave him a hug, she tried walking away but Achilles grabbed her and kissed her. She kissed him back, lovingly, she backed up and smiled. Achilles wondered what he had just done and walked back home. Within 2 months a family had moved into the old Grumio residence. A family of 5- a married couple and their two daughters and their son.

The girls’ names were Panxin and Dashe. Panxin had faded red hair and freckles just like Caedicia, she wore glasses all the time even though her vision was perfect. Her eyes were an ice blue and she had 3 piercings on her ears just like Achilles but on both ears. She wore a studded choker with a black button up that wasn’t buttoned up all the way with a white tank top under it.Her hair was always pulled back in a pony-tail. Dashe was her identical twin but Achilles didn’t see it. She had bright red hair with green eyes glasses and the same earrings as her sister and the same outfit.

The son’s name was Sycophanta. His hair color was the same as Panxin, His skin was a pale white with ice blue eyes, He wore a brown tank top with a black leather jacket with a skull and crossbone necklace. Achilles wondered what school they would attend because the house was in between two different schools. One for the smarter kids and one for the less knowledgeable children. Achilles attended the school for the smarter more gifted kids. He had always been smart from a young because his parents taught him extracurricular activities such as geometry and trigonometry. He learned to read Shakespeare at the age of 5 and Edgar Allen Poe by the age of 4.

His family was throwing a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” party. Achilles was forced to help his mother cook while his father got to do all the building. He watched his father from the kitchen window as he was washing the dishes. His father looked up and winked at him to make him mad. Achilles chuckled and looked away.

There was a knock on the door,”I’ll get it!” Achilles hollered down the hall.

He opened the door and saw the new neighbors,”Hello we are the Cyros. This is my daughter Panxin and her sister Dashe they are twins and my son here is Sycophanta.” The mother spoke out in a loving welcoming voice,” Go on introduce yourself.”

“I’m Panxin, It’s nice to meet you.” She reached out to shake his hand.

“I’m Dashe the better half of the twin.” She looked at Achilles with a smile as he was still shaking Panxin’s hand. She reached out to shake his hand next.

“Umm, I-I-I am Syc-syc-sycophanta. I h-h-have a st-st-st-stuttering problem. I’m so-r-rry if it both-er-ers you.”

“No your fine, we all have our problems just some are differents than others. Oh, I am Achilles Mutilus by the way.”

Achilles’s mother walked out and greeted them and invited them in. She lead them to the dining room where the dinner was. There lay a golden roasted turkey with homemade mashed potatoes and fresh cut corn and green beans. The gravy was freshly made and steamy. The drinks were just the right amount of sweet and sour. His mother was recognized as one of the best cooks in the town, during holidays everyone lined up to get a taste of her roasted duck and pheasant.

They bantered all night while telling stories of the town and the Cryo’s old town and how deep it was in poverty. They talked all night until it was midnight. Ms. Mutilus showed the Cyro’s out of the house and they drove off.

“Did you like them?” His father asked

“Yeah, they seemed nice.” His mother said,”What about you Achilles?”

“I don’t know, they seemed a little weird to me.” He said with much mystery in his voice. He walked off to get ready for  bed as it was a school night.

The next morning he put his usual outfit of choice on, took his lunch, grabbed his backpack and walked to school. Sycophanta asked if he could walk with him and Achilles shook his head yes.

“How was your first night in the new house?” He looked up at Sycophanta.

“I-i-it was f-f-f-fine. How w-w-w-was your n-ni-night?”

“My night as fine, I was just stuffed.” He snickered a bit.

“Th-th-th-th-that’s good.” He looked up and noticed the giant school ahead of him. His jaw dropped, he looked at Achilles in aw,”I-i-it’s hu-hu-hu-huge.”

“It’s smaller than it looks.” He said as he was walking into the crowd,”Where are your sisters?”

“Th-th-they are h-h-h-ho-hom-home schooled.” His stutter was getting worse as the crowd got larger.

“Oh I understand.” He showed Sycophanta to his class and they parted ways for the day.

After school he walked him home,”Hey can I call you Syco?”

“Y-y-yes you can.” He looked at him with a smile. Once again they parted ways. Until the next day of school, everyday they walked to school together. One day Syco never showed up to school for 3 days.

He started to get worried and went to the Cyro residence. He knocked in a worried fashion. The mother answered the door with a sad look on her face,” Where is Syco Ms.Cyro? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“He got sick and-and they took him to the hospital. He isn’t doing well, we haven’t seen him for days.” She looked at him and started to tear up.

“I’m so sorry. I hope he gets better, would you mind telling me his hospital room number so I may visit him.”

“We were just on our way to visit him, the doctor gave the okay so we may see him. You may come along if you want, I’ll call your mother.”

“I would appreciate it.” He walked in the house after she invited him in.

They went to visit Syco in the hospital, he was in the critical condition section. Ms.Cyro’s face filled with worry as the father comforted her.

The doctor led them to an isolated room where Syco lay in bed with multiple monitors were hooked up to him. His mother covered her mouth and screamed. She fell to the ground in terror. Dashe and Panxin fell with her. The father just stood there with a blank stare on his face. Achilles walked up to him and grabbed his hand and started singing him a lullaby,”Hush now darling don’t you cry…..” his voice trailed off and he started humming.

“Please don’t go lil brother. I love you way too much..” Dashe cried out, Panxin was too busy crying and comforting her mother.

The father walked out and sat in the car the whole time, he was crying as well just in secret.   The doctors came in to lead them out as his condition was worsening. The mother would not leave her baby.

Author's Note

I know I squeezed a lot into this one chapter but I don't get any advice on how to prolong the chapters