Hesitantly, Sheldon picked up his phone on the bed and answered the call. "Mom?" he said in a soft voice.
"H-hi sweety! It's so nice to hear your voice again! How are you doing over there? Is your aunt treating you right?"
Sheldon took off his glasses, his eyes becoming unfocused, "They're very nice people."
"Is that so..."
Their conversation suddenly became quiet, but it wasn't like Sheldon had anything to say. What was there to talk about?
"Sheldon, honey? Have you made any friends there?"
"No, I don't want to." his mother already knew that. He wasn't exactly the kind of kid who would go through the park talking to every single kid he thought was close to his age. There was no point to it all, really. Even if he wanted to, he was too afraid to try.
There was ginger... but was she actually human in the first place? Hard to tell when she basically left no trace of her existence other than the one-sided conversations that they had with each other.
"I see. It's nice there, isn't it?"
"Yes. There's a lot of space, the sky is super blue, the clouds are beautiful, and there are trees everywhere..." Sheldon remembered the scene that he had come across just a while ago, "You know the mountains kinda north from here? I found this broken hill that gets a great view of the fields! It's especially good when the sunset comes, and when it's raining it's the best!"
He heard his mother giggle delightedly on the phone, "Sounds like you like it there. You always did like nature. You were always so excited to go to the parks or on long trips to the mountains. You were never able to fall asleep in the car ride, your eyes basically sparkled at the trees."
That was a fond memory, thought Sheldon. It was one of the trips that he adored the most.
"Sheldon? Are you alright?"
Sheldon blinked, and said in a passive voice, "Yes, mother."
There was a small pause as if his mother was hesitating, " Sheldon... are you... are you mad at me?"
That wasn't a question that he was expecting. "No, mother... I'm not mad," he said looking down on his one free hand that was fidgeting around his sheets.
"I'm... I'm sorry Sheldon..." he could hear a small crack in her voice.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm alright where I am, no need to worry. I still love you, mother." Sheldon said in a soft voice. He didn't want his mother to feel bad. The whole reason he came here was to make her happy in the first place.
In the background, he can hear a small voice crying. It was a baby. He could hear his mother giving soft hushes to the child, the same way she used to give him whenever he wasn't feeling very well.
"Sheldon?"
"Yes?"
"I need to go now, I'll call you later on, alright?"
"Alright. Bye."
"Bye."
With a small beep, the call ended. Sheldon smiled. Shelly seemed to be doing well, still the same adorable girl as always. It felt like forever since he was still holding her in his arms, and the way she gurgled with saliva dripping down her mouth was so cute.
Sheldon didn't have anything against his new little sister, after all, she was a baby. Babies were pure, untouched, and blank. They've done nothing wrong in their lives, and so what did she do to deserve any hate? As a matter of fact... Sheldon loved Shelly. Even after changing multiple diapers and making gallons of milk.
Sheldon knew that his mother felt guilty.
"Sheldon, what do you mean?" his mother asked quietly as she looked at him with fear in her eyes.
"I-it's just that, mother, I was thinking that I should... um..." Sheldon stuttered, looking anywhere but his mother's eyes.
"Why? You don't even know your aunt and uncle... why would you want to move with them?" his mother approached him, eyes observing her son's form. "Sheldon... Sheldon, a-are... are you not happy here?" she swallowed as if this was a question that has been on her mind for a long time.
"Mother..." Sheldon said slowly. He coudn't stay here. No matter how cozy this family felt, no matter how happy this family was. He could see it. He didn't belong here, and his mother would never be completely happy if there was something to remind her of her choices in life.
Call him overdramatic, call him stupid, call him what you like, but it was the truth. It was as obvious as possible.
Sheldon himself wasn't happy here.
"Sh-Sheldon... is there something wrong with being here?" tears started to prick in his mother's eyes, her tired hands holding onto his arms softly. "Did I do something wrong? Are you... is there... is there a problem?"
Sheldon's heart quivered at the sight of his mother in near tears, "M-mother... please don't cry." he said weakly, unsure of what to do.
His mother loves Sheldon, and Sheldon knew it very well. He was happy that despite not having his father's love, he still had his mother. He knew that she was always worried about him, worrying if he was happy, worrying if he felt horrible in the presence of a new sister and father, but he was alright with it.
However, he knew that with him still here, they wouldn't be able to make a fresh start as a family. He's broken, after all. A beautiful china set immediately looks dull with one cracked cup.
He was slouching on his bed, staring at his phone. He wasn't doing anything in particular but instead was just... staring. He didn't have anything to do. Tapping on his phone, he checked the date. It was only a few days until school was going to start, and he only had little time left to stay in silence.
Lying down, he looked at the window, seeing that the sun's orange had already faded away from the sky, and soon only black, dark blue, and vivid purple remained. It was just as pretty as the sunset. You wouldn't get a sight of that back in the city.
"Sheldon! I've got dinner ready, so why don't you come down over here and have a bite or two?" said his Auntie Josie who was right behind his door, her voice slightly muffled by the wooden barrier.
"Alright," Sheldon said just loud enough for her to hear. After eating, he'd give himself a little more time to get the food to settle in, after that, he'd go directly to bed.
Rain. Why is it always raining?
Sheldon sat on his bed, staring at the window with a messy bed head and a grumpy frown.
It was too early too. He was contemplating whether he should go outside right now and go through the forest path before the rain cleared, but... he didn't really feel like it right now. He placed his hands on the window's cold surface, feeling the cold moist starting to form into his side.
After a few minutes of watching the water race down the glass, he started to wonder what the ginger-haired girl was doing. Was she there waiting on the other side of the road as usual? Was she sad that he didn't get to be there just like the other times? For a moment, Sheldon pondered.
He winced. The next time he sees her she might throw a rock at him again... Sheldon wondered. Would she disappear? Was she like a fairy? Stop seeing her... and she would disappear forever?
Unwillingly, his heart started beating, fear flooding his veins. Why was he scared at the mere thought of her leaving? She was just some random girl who came and went along with a rain, she might not even exist. They haven't even known each other for long.
Sheldon breathed in and released it calmly. It's better... It's better if he went back to bed. It's better.
In front of the road stood a ginger-haired girl, alone. She looked around, her butterflies not underneath her umbrella, an umbrella that she held tightly in her grip. There was not a single emotion in her expression.
Instead, she just sighed and retreated back into the forest just as the clouds made way for the sun.
ns 15.158.61.18da2
