Unamed

A Story by t&l_louise

This is a story by my friend Grace, I personally think its amazing.

...

I walked around the corner into baggage claim. As I scan the crowd, I cross my fingers behind my back. I hope he is on time. Then I spot him, holding a sign with my name on it, Adela Campbell, as if I wouldn’t remember who he is or what he looks like. That twinkle in his gorgeous blue-grey eyes when he does that cheeky lopsided grin, and his golden brown hair that falls in medium waves over his forehead, who could forget him. “Lucas!” I yell as I run towards him, he opens his arms just before I crash into him, his arms go round my waist, mine around his neck and then we are spinning and laughing and I think I’m crying some, so I bury my face in his big black jumper, so he doesn’t see. I hear people whispering “What a cute couple” and “Oh, how sweet” and I guess we do look like a couple. “Lucas, I missed you.” I laugh into his jumper.

“I missed you too, Della” he says as he lets me go.

“Are you gonna ask me how my flight was, Luke?” I ask as we go to the baggage carousel to get my bags. I only have my small black and pink backpack on me as my carry on, with a few things in it, phone, wallet, Australian drivers license, my big black camera, make-up and all the usual things you find in a girls handbag.

“Yes,” he chuckles “how was your flight, love?”

“It was OK, I guess, the old woman next to me would not shut up about her brand new granddaughter though, Aria Jane Bennet, who she told me was born at 4070 grams and was 51.5 centimeters, at 5:30 in the morning, she told me they named her Aria cause they are into music. Ugh. I know all about this kid now, and I never even met her.” I complain to him, and would you believe it he actually laughs, not a full on laugh just a light little one, but still a laugh, then he says “That’s my girl, always considerate.”

“Hey!” I say as I hit him one the arm.

“Ouch!”

“Oh shush, Luke, I didn’t hit you that hard” I say.

We are only cousins or something and he is about five years older than I am, but Lucas is like my big brother and he is definitely my best friend, we joke around and tease each other, but I love him to death. Five minutes later and we have a suitcase each and a coke zero between us.

“I thought would have more stuff A” Luke chuckles.

“So did I, but Mum and Dad have sent most of it, I think, they will send the rest after I get settled in, most of this is clothes and stuff I can’t live without.” I laugh.

“So how do you like England?” Luke asks in his cute accent.

This makes me laugh “Well from what I have seen, that is the airport, I like it”

“You’ve seen more than the airport, remember when you were like ten and you came”

“I remember I came but not much else,” I tell him “I was nine, by the way, and had just met my gorgeous cousin, gimme a break, Luke” He blushes Wow, never seen him do that before. I’m trying to think of something to say when Luke pipes up “My mate Harry asked me why I was going to the airport, I told him, to pick up my cousin, then he asked about a million questions about what you look like so I showed him a picture”

Huh? “Where did you get a picture of me? Usually I’m taking the pictures.”

“You know photo-booth ones we took last year?”

“Oh My Gosh, Luke, I looked horrible in those photo’s, I told you to get rid of them”

“Oops,” he giggles “Harry just stared at your face for like two minutes, then asked about a million more question about you”

What??? “Did you answer any of them?” I ask, worried.

“Not a single one,” he grins “not even when he asked your name.”

I laugh “Your so mean.”

“To Harry, a little, to you no way. I think you’ll like him, and I know he likes you, your his new mystery girl, it’ll drive him crazy for awhile but he will wanna get to you know right away.” With that we got in the car and head to my new apartment.

O O O

I close my eyes. “I can’t do it.” I only whisper it but Luke hears me.

“Yes you can, A” Luke replies.

“No, I can’t,” my eyes fly open “Will you do it for me? Luke?” I extend my hand towards him, he takes the key from it.

“Sure” he says as he unlocks the door, before I can see inside my new home, he blocks my view.

“You know in the movies how the guy carries the girl inside?” Lucas asks

“Yeah, why?” I say confused “We aren’t married, you’re my cousin, Luke, you won’t even be living here.”

“I know, I’ll piggy back you inside, like when you were ten”

“I was a bit smaller then, Luke”

“So was I, your point?”

I roll my eyes, Luke is a little crazy, but I love him.

“OK” I say. I can see the smile in his eyes when I say that. He turns around and I jump on his back, arms around his neck. Just like when I was ten. I laugh remembering that year we spent together. Lucas came to live with us in Australia, only for a year but he became my best friend, like a big brother. All my friends loved him, and why wouldn’t they, he was gorgeous, still is. People always know we are related, they think he is my brother most of the time. I think its our eyes, mine are about one shade bluer, and my hair wavy like his but long and a tiny bit lighter. We also have the same button nose, chin and our skin is the same caramel colour. Lucas interrupts my thoughts saying “Home, sweet, home.”

“Yep.” I agree.

Luke runs back into the hall to get my bags as I go over to the window that is the wall on the other side of the lounge room.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Luke look at this view!” I whisper.

“Pretty sweet, huh?” he laughs as he joins me at the window. I stare out over London for a minute longer then go to explore the rest of the apartment, the kitchen is massive, all silver and white, a splash back in my favorite shade of purple, a sunset purple. Everything you could ever need, already there. I moved back into the lounge, although they are basically the same room, the marble island bench is a divider. On the opposite side of the lounge are two doors. I opened the one near the front door. The bathroom. All white and stainless steel. Behind the other door is the bedroom. The window has continued into this room too, and makes up the entire left wall. The walk in wardrobe, on the other side of the room is my favorite thing though. The back wall for shoes, will probably be about one quarter full, I don’t like wearing shoes. I bring in my bag full of clothes to unpack later, but I do open the bag, just to get out my dream catcher, I can’t sleep without it, and I hang it above my new bed. Then I remember Lucas.

“Luke, Lucas.” I call. I walk out of the bedroom and across the lounge to the kitchen. A note on the bench says Gone to get food, some of your stuff and some helpers. I text Lucas and tell him to get carrots and Oreos, we both have a weird obsession with carrots, we once ate a bag between us in an hour, back when he was living with me and my family. I grab my camera out my backpack, and go to the window, I take a few photos. I get a bit creative and put my hand on the glass and take photo of that, then I pull a chair up to the window and stand on it, I hold the camera up as high as I can, then angle it towards the street below. I get out my laptop and set it on the coffee table, put the photos on it, so I send Mum and Dad. I open up a new email and attach the photos “The view from my apartment. Loads of Love, Della xxx” I write. I hit send. I open iPhoto and set a slideshow going, as I lay on the couch seeing photo I took of my brothers and sister. I start crying.

O O O

Luke and I both have two boxes, Elena has one and Luke’s shopping, only Oreo’s and carrots. I wanted to open a box, see what Luke’s cousin is like, I know she is gorgeous, she actually looks a lot like Luke, but I don’t ask. The doors of the elevator open, Luke’s cousin is on the top floor, right at the end of the hall. We go to her door, number 237. It;s unlocked so we walk right in. We put our boxes down near the door. Elena puts the Oreos and carrots on the kitchen bench. The apartment is like mine and Luke’s, except ours has two bedrooms, and this has a better view, ours is two floors down. Luka picks up a carrot and starts chewing.

“Harry, Elena, meet Adela” Luke says as he nods to her. Adela is asleep on the couch, she looks so young and vulnerable, I want to wrap my arms around her, keep her safe.

“Wow, are you sure she is your cousin?” I laugh.

“Pretty sure,” Luke replies smiling. Elena, who’s been staring at her almost as much as me, says “Is she okay, I think she’s been crying?” Thats when I notice her shirt, it’s damp where her head is resting on her arm. Luke goes over and wakes her, “Della, wake up love.” he comforts her. She sits up and Luke sits next to her, and hugs her. I wish that was me.

O O O

I wake up but I don’t open my eyes. My head is resting on my arm, the sleeve of my shirt is damp with my tears. Crying in my sleep. I had the dream again. Lucas is the only person who knows about the dream. I can hear chewing, Lucas.

“Harry, Elena, meet Adela.” He says. I still don’t open my eyes.

“Wow, are you sure she is your cousin?” a boys voice says, Harry.

“Pretty sure,” Luke laughs “she’s my third cousin.”

“Is she okay, I think she’s been crying?” A gorgeous girls accent asks, Elena. I hear Luke put his carrot down and come over to the couch. He puts a hand on my shoulder “Della, wake up love.” I open my eyes slowly. I sit up and make room on the couch, Luke sits next to me and wraps his arms around me. I like it there, I fell safe, like nothing can hurt me. I cry into Lucas’ shirt for a minute. I wipe my eyes on the sleeve of my shirt as I pull away, remembering we have an audience, who are standing near the bench in the kitchen.

“The help, I’m guessing.” I say smiling at them.

“Yep,” Luke tells me “this is my girlfriend, Elena”

I get up and walk over to her. She is gorgeous, long brown hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders and down her back, she has deep chocolate brown eyes, her smile is amazing too. “I’m Adela” I say. I hold out my hand, she swats it away and hugs me.

I laugh “I like hugs better any way.” We pull apart, both laughing now. I decide that I’m going to be different here, more me. I’m going to let people in.

“A.” Luke.

“Yep?” I turn and look at him.

“This is my best mate, Harry.” Luke says, I know he means the one who was looking at my picture. Harry has sandy blond hair that is adorably curly, falling in his eyes, and when he smiles, he has a cute dimple in each cheek, then I see his eyes boring into mine, his are a beautiful emerald green. I forget how to breath for a second, then I’m back to myself.

“You want a hug too?” I ask.

“Sure” he laughs. So I hug Harry too, I go to pull away but he holds me for a second longer. I turn to Lucas now, do my one eyebrow trick. Thats all I do but he nods and points to the bench.

“Yes! Plane food is terrible.” Luke laughs “Hey! Don’t laugh at me, you try a ... hour flight without your two favourite foods.” I go round the bench so I’m in the kitchen, I open one packet of Oreos and search for a knife.

“Top drawer, to the left.” Luke directs.

“Whats the knife for?” Harry ask as I pull it out of the drawer and walk back to the bench.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you,” I grin “Come sit.” Once all three are settled on the other side of the bench, I say to them “First things first, do you think Luke is a little crazy at times?” Two yeses, one no, Luke “But you love him right?” Three yeses. “I’m a little less crazy than Luke is, at least I like to think so.” I smile. I give them a second to process, then I’m right back into it, “Second, Luke is going to explain the knife, and the Oreos, aren’t you Luke.” I look at him seriously.

“I know you have both seen that Oreo add on telly, you know the one with the girl showing her brother how to eat them. Twist, Lick, Dunk.” Harry and Elena both nod. “Well, A is going to show you how you really do it.”

“Yep.” I agree. I cut the top cookie off one Oreo, making sure to leave as much of the cream as possible, then I set it on the bench, Harry immediately grabs it and eats it. We all laugh at his naughty little boy smile. Then Elena and Harry are both back to watching me closely, while Luke practically inhales his carrot.

“This is the tricky bit.” I say. I lop the top off another Oreo, and give it to Luke, then look at Elena, “You get the next one, kay?” She smiles, “Sure” Then I work at carving the cream off the other side. I carefully place the cream on top of the cream of the first Oreo.

“You just keep adding more and more.” I laugh as I study Harry’s and Elena’s reactions.

“Genius.” Harry shouts.

I laugh “Why thank you.”

Elena is trying to hold in her laugh. “You really are Lucas’s cousin aren’t you.” she giggles. As I get to work on building my Oreo tower, Elena, Lucas and Harry, get to work eating all the cookie bits. We chat, about all types of things, mostly they ask me about Australia, Harry and Elena have never been further than Ireland. About halfway through my tower Luke grabs my wrist, I just pushed my sleeves up, not thinking.

“What’s this?” he asks pointing to my scars.

I’m lost. I have no idea what to say “I-i-i...umm...i-its not...I just” I bite my lip, like I always do when I’m nervous, anxious or scared, all the time really. I wrench my wrist from his hand, he tries to grab my hand back, but I pull away. I don’t want Elena or Harry to see me cry, so I run to my room. It’s only when sits down next to me that I realise I forgot to close the door.

“Della, tell me what’s wrong, love.” He says. I don’t say a thing, just sit, my back against the cool glass of the window, my legs pulled up to my chest, and I cry.