Double Trouble Too // Neymar Jr //

"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord."

-Psalm 134:2

....

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

-Matthew 28:6.

He is Risen.

....

Andrew stood behind me, leaning on the pale brown siding of his ever so "modest" house. He was putting this one up for sale, leaving me to always wonder why he couldn't stay in one house. I guess I'd be moving, too. Whatever that apartment was--was Shane's now and forever.

I pulled out the key on the Barcelona keychain he gifted me, months and months ago.

Rebekah stood, talking vividly about whatever her gibberish allowed to be translated to actual Portugese.

As I stepped inside of the foryer, my eyes flickered to my twin's. He scratched the back of his neck, motioning me to step inside. As we walked further into the familiar--home that never actually felt like home--I put my hands on my hips.

"Who knows that I'm back?" I asked him, ever suspicious.

"Uh--" Andrew looked afar off with a wayward smile.

"We do!" I heard the chipper chorus of Melanie, Gina, Andressa, and a few of my university friends. "Welcome back!" I turned to the direction of Rebekah, who put a flower in my hand. Finally, I paid actual attention to the decorations of the living room.

"WELCOME HOME ALANA!"

An obnoxious blue banner hung on the wall over the enlongated archway leading to the kitchen. I genuinely grinned.

How sweet!

"Did you plan this?" I mouthed at Andrew as the girls pushed bunches of flowers into my hands, draping me with a sash, and using the remote that controlled the entertainment system to play music. Andrew laughed, picking Bekinha up.

"If they weren't your friends, Ana, if they weren't your friends." My twin chuckled at my friends' kindhearted gestures.

"Let's go talk! Eat ice cream!" Gina bounced up and down. "I missed you!"

I chuckled, clearly uncomfortable. It had been so long since I had been around this many people. And all this yelling. I avoided walking from the plane with Leo since paparazzi would hound us both. Talking to the police oj the phone on the way back was exhausting. I didn't let them know everything.

"I could use some ice cream." I commented, bouncing a lock of Rebekah's curls with my finger.

//+//

"So, where did you go off to, Alana?" Gina asked me, cracking open another can of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "We all tried calling you." The girls agreed in unison, stuffing their athletic bodies with the ever so cliché pizza and ice cream combo. I was all for it.

I had to finish chewing before I answered her. "Y'know, I can't even remember how long ago I left." I wanted to avoid the question as best as I could, not wanting to be reminded of Shane and Javier.