Chapter 6

A Chapter by Keevan

Friday came up fast, and before we knew it, Edward was saying goodbye to me at the train station. The train had just arrived.

"How long did you say you were staying again?" Edward asked.

"Just until Monday," I replied, setting down my suitcase. "I'll try and get back in the morning or afternoon."

"Okay," Edward said. "and I promise I won't be lonely. Al's coming home tomorrow sometime. It's okay if he stays with us, right?"

"Of course." I was going to say something else, when an announcement came over the speaker saying that the train to Central was just about to leave. Edward gave me a quick hug goodbye and I grabbed my suitcase, practically running onto the train.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The hotel I checked into was nice. The staff was friendly, and hardly anyone was there. The only downside was I had to walk five flights of stairs to my room.

When I finally arrived at my room, the feeling of my legs wanting to fall off told me I had to get in shape.

I took out my room key and slipped it in the lock, hearing the click of it unlocking. The room was the perfect size for a family of four to stay in. Two queen sized beds, a sofa, a radio, and a small table with four chairs. The bathroom was through a door in between the two beds. A big window was on the opposite side of the room covered by heavy curtains, which I swished back and let the sunlight pour through the room.

All that was left to do was wait until the next day for the funeral. What a joy it will be!

______________________________________________________________________________

I wandered around the city and stopped at a small cafe. I bought a coffee and thought about what Edward was doing. Was he sleeping? Waiting by the telephone for a call? Was he just plain bored? It was then that I realized I forgot to call him when I got to the hotel.

"Damn it," I mumbled, taking a drink of my coffee. It burned all the way down my throat. I looked to my right and saw a military soldier helping an old lady cross the street. That was the first time I had ever seen that happen.

I stared at the menu that was in front of me and decided to order a bagel just for the hell of it. An hour in central and I was dead bored already.

______________________________________________________________________________

"I need to start smoking again," I mumbled to myself as I walked up the stairs to my room. It was bad for my health, yeah, but I needed something to do.

I turned the corner and went up another flight of stairs onto my floor and was confused when I saw a girl standing in front of my door, knocking and knocking on it.

"Girlie, I think you have the wrong room," I said, approaching her and taking my room key out of my pocket. She looked at me, and there was something familiar about her. She looked about seventeen with brown hair and deep blue eyes.

"Um, you're Lucille, right?" she asked.

"Lucy," I said. "and you are...?"

"My name's Camille," she said. "Um, I'm your cousin. Marn was my grandmother. I just came to introduce myself." Camille was completely innocent looking. I knew she looked familiar; she resembled Marn.

"It's nice to meet you, Camille," I said, unlocking my door. "are you staying here alone? Or with family?"

"I'm here with my mom and brother, if you want to meet them," she said. "what about you? There's only one suitcase in your room." I noticed she was looking in. Without looking at Camille, I said, "I don't have any family. I'd be happy to meet yours, though." I quickly glanced at her expression, and she looked a little surprised, and she said, "S-Sure, I'll go get them, or if you want to come to our room with me, that's fine, too."

"Let me put my coat in my room," I said, shrugging it off and throwing it in. It landed in a heap on the floor.

"You're not going to hang it up?"

"Nope," I replied, closing my door and locking it. I followed Camille down the hall and to a room off to the right. The door was slightly open. Camille opened it and said, "Mom, I found her." A woman stood up from a bed cradling a small baby.

"I'm sorry, I look a mess," the woman said quickly. It was true, she had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a mess. But other than that, she was an exact version of Camille, only taller and older. "You're Lucille, Marn's other granddaughter?"

"Yeah, that's me," I said awkwardly, trying my best to keep my gaze away from the baby. "Um, I haven't had connections with any relatives or anything since...ever, so I don't know who you are. I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's quite all right," she said. "You've had a terrible childhood, I'm sure, with that awful man. I told Mizune not to marry him, but noooo, no one listens to the older sibling." She sighed and shifted the baby in her arms.

"Mom, please don't start," I heard Camille say. Her mother started laughing, and she said, "Well, I'm your mother's sister, Antoinette. That's my oldest daughter Camille, and this here is Kouta." She looked down into the baby's face and love was written all over her's.

"It's nice to meet you," I said. "Um, well, I'm Lucy Mustang. When I was eight, actually, I was...ah...taken away from my home by the military. They-They found out that he was abusing me."

"Why's your last name Mustang?" Camille asked. "It doesn't really go with 'Lucy'."

"I know that," I said with a sigh. "It's the last name of my, uh, father figure." I didn't know what else to think about Colonel Mustang.

"Will he be coming to the funeral?" Antoinette asked. "I'd like to meet this man."

"No, he has to work." I was sure of it, anyway. "I don't even think I've mentioned anything to him about the funeral."

"Why not?"

"I live in Resembool," I said, wondering why she acted all surprised. "He's a colonel in the military."

"You live so far away all alone?" Camille asked.

"Ah, no, no," I said, starting to feel like I was the victim in an interrogation. "I have neighbors, and I'm living with my-my boyfriend." I almost bit my tongue when I said that last word. I guess I wasn't used to calling Ed that yet.

"Aren't you eighteen?" Antoinette asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

"I'm twenty!" I said a little too loud. "I'm living on my own and taking care of myself like I have been ever since Serah died." It was too late to catch my tongue on that one. My heart started to ache, remembering my late sister and how she died.

The room was silent except for the agitated noises coming from Kouta. I turned towards the door and said, "I'm sorry for the outburst. I'll see you at the funeral tomorrow."

prev chapter