52

"Did you eat?" I questioned Raven who was sprawled on the couch underneath a blanket randomly flicking through channels.

"I'm too lazy to walk upto the kitchen." She pouted longingly glancing at the kitchen where no doubt the scent of food was driving her crazy.

"I'll get you a plate, why don't you select a movie." I offered quickly pecking her cheek and stood up.

"Did you eat?" She asked eyes narrowed.

"Does coffee for lunch count." I enquired not liking the 'I want to smack your head' look on her face.

"Get a plate for yourself." She demanded with a disapproving look that would make my mother proud.

"Fine." I knew how stubborn she was, and arguing we could do all day long.

I heated up the fried rice in the oven and scooped it up into two plates, adding a few spring rolls as well, walked in the living room with two bottles of water in hand.

"Eat this and then we can go out for ice cream." Raven smiled at my voice, being stuck at home for a person like her will not doubt be horrible.

Seeing her unconscious, had kicked up everyone's protective instincts, a demand of taking rest at home was met with a few choice words, yelling and no doubt a new pair of boxing gloves that forced us to

compromise on her staying at home for three days.

"I want to get a tatoo." Raven announced disgustedly looking at the bandaid and scar on her wrist.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked registering her words.

"Thanks, Dave wanted to take me, since you want to come, we can make some other plan." She shrugged, wincing at the screaming in the horror movie playing in the background.

"You don't need to cancel your plans for my sake, if you want to go out with your best friend, you do that. The only reason I offered to come was I don't want you to go alone, if Dave's with you, then we can meet some other time." I laughed at her sheepish look on her face.

Raven opened her mouth to say something when her phone started ringing, whoever it was she tiredly slumped against the couch and sighed loudly.

"Take that call, I'll leave this in the sink." I suggested gathering up the empty plates and made my way to the kitchen, giving her privacy to talk.

"Who was that?" I asked putting on my jacket.

"My dad, he was worried after hearing from Dave. He wanted to make sure I'm okay, and if I'm ready to go home and meet them." She mumbled not meeting my eyes.

"Are you?" I asked not liking her worried expression.

"I don't know, once I feel like going back into my mom's arms and crying my eyes out. Then again I feel like making them suffer for everything. I need more time to forget, if they can't respect that, it's not my problem. Maybe one day I will go home, or maybe I won't, but I'm not gonna let them affect my present anymore." She rambled, trying to make me understand her side.

"You can choose anything you want, no one has the right to judge you for anything." I gently kissed her forehead.

"I will talk to my dad tommorrow." She vowed to herself.

"Go put on your jacket, let's get you some ice cream." I smiled at her hopeful look, slowly kissing her soft lips.

"ALEXANDER JAMES MADRIGAL AND DAVE SALVE, HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IS THIS THE WAY MEN BEHAVE?" Melanie Madrigal yelled at the two pranksters who sported the 'I'm caught that's why guilty look.'

"His middle name is Richard" I supplied helpfully shoving more popcorn into my mouth. A chuckle broke out of Luke who was pretending to be working on his laptop but was secretly enjoying his wife grill his son and Dave.

Let me tell you what happened. Dave had remembered his numerous pranks he pulled in highschool and that inspired the idiot to start them again. Today he convinced Alec to join him. Both arranged a bucket of water to fall on the next person who opened the door but unfortunately the ferocious Melanie Madrigal became the victim thus started the yelling.

"Thanks honey." She chirped sweetly and turned towards the two unfortunately caught victims.

"ALEXANDER JAMES MADRIGAL AND DAVE RICHARD SALVE! HOW DARE YOU TRY SUCH PRANKS?"

"Hey Mom." Chris came into the room seeing his drenched mother and two people with 'never be considered innocent.' looks and connected the dots. He sat beside me and stuffed his mouth with popcorn clearly enjoying the show like us.

"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK AT HIM. YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU." Melanie roared when Alec gave Chris puppy eyes pleading for his brother to save him.

"What's the score?" Chris asked his father who was discreetly stealing popcorn from my bowl.

"So far your mom is leading, Alec didn't even get to say a word. Poor kid is on judgement today." Luke laughed but when his wife shot him a glare he gave an innocent look as he could give with mouth full of popcorn.

"I'll see you if I'm alive." I said pecking Chris on the lips and went towards the warzone. Alec looked like he was about to cry and Dave don't even ask me, poor thing looked terrified. It's been a long time since he got proper scolding from anyone.

"Melanie I think we can settle the score." I said taking a jug of water and splashing it on them.

For a moment all were stunned and looked at me shocked. I gave a smile of sugary sweetness and bolted at first chance.

"No, you don't get to escape." Dave yelled whacking me with a pillow causing all the feathers to scatter across the room, I doged him but Alec corners me with a water gun, the idiots brought them too and due to his poor aim he hit Luke in the eye.

Luke who wouldn't give up on this chance flung the nearest pillow only for it to hit his wife square in the face. Melanie flung a huge blob of mashed potatoes at him but it hit Chris smack in the eye.

The sticky blob slid down his face only to land on his expensive new shoes.

Oh no! Now this gets bad. For the next fifteen minutes we threw anything and everything at each other. At last when exhaustion hit us we sat on the floor laughing like maniacs. If anyone came into the house we would sure seem like potential assets to the mental asylum.

"I'm getting cleaned up. You boys better start scrubbing and the room must me clean when I return. " Melanie warned trying to get up and go to her room.

"That's not fair, you too created a mess. It's only clear you clean it with us." Luke said grumpily.

"They created it. Not me." Melanie recoiled looking accusingly at Dave and Alec.

"Raven was the one who actually started it." Said both retorted glaring at me.

Oh no. This is not good. Okay I may have started it, and I maybe the one who went aboard and sprayed whipped cream on Alec's head. But it hardly means I should be the one to clean. It's not fair.

"Your gonna make me clean the entire place when my hand is hurting." I pouted making my eyes glassy. For extra measure I started sniffing and wiping the edge of my eyes. I made a big show of tugging my bandages and went looking for a mop.

Melanie's eyes softened a tad bit and she said "You are such horrible people for making that poor girl do all the work, when she's already been through such a traumatic incident. You better make sure she doesn't do anything, or you can go cook for yourself for a month."

Bullseye.

I could hear numerous curses and groans as all of them threw me a dirty look and went to get mops. I bit back a smile and watched all of them struggle with getting gravy stains of the dining table and walls.

"Your lucky I like you." I heard Chris mutter wiping his expensive shoes with a tissue.

"That I am." I answered cheekily.

I heard him say something along the lines of stupid parents liking Raven more than their own son, and annoyingly cute puppy looks girls throw at poor men.

"You better finish this, remember we have a date." I told him pecking his cheek.

"Yeah, can't forget that." I heard him say and start his battle with mashed potatoes on the carpet.

"I'm ordering pizza. What toppings do you want?" I holler sandwiching a phone between my ear and shoulder.

"Pepperoni."

"Pineapple."

I let the guys bicker about why pineapple is a terrible on pizza. Trust them to fight on the most mundane things.

Yesterday I went back to my company and it felt so good to be in a place that I made for myself. I sued several newspapers for writing wrong things about me. My parents well they are work in progress, things will never be the same but maybe I can make new and better memories, or maybe not, but I don't think I'll ever shed a tear because of them again.

Life made me realise that,

I was secure in my insecurities.

Happy with my choices.

Perfect in my imperfections.

And beautiful in my own way

Because I am myself.

And I never want to be someone I'm not

All my life I ran, from myself, from love, from my parents, from my happiness, from peace but now I stopped, and realised life is not a race of who comes first. It's a race of who how much you gain as a person. And I gained a new family, my Chris, their love and most importantly myself which was somewhere stuck in my past. It is not the past or future, it is the present you have if you waste it by living in the past or imagining the future you will loose now and that is something you can never get back.

Stay strong, stand up for yourself, never say sorry when it is not your fault, be kind, value the people who love you, most importantly value yourself, live your dreams until it becomes true and if anyone dares to underestimate you, show them hell because there is not another person like you.

I'm Raven King and this is Alessio Madrigal.