Control

vi | aidan

"CLAYTON, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ALL OF THIS."

"Grace, I told you not to call be by my full name. And why us? What impact would we have?"

"You do realise that the Institute was supposed to be our responsibility, right Clay? It was, until we handed it off to our spouses."

"Your husband clearly had more of an interest in it than we did."

Alyssa and I were sitting outside of the door, hearing our parents argue. It didn't sound too good. I don't really remember the last time they fought. It couldn't be too long ago though - they were siblings. Siblings fight.

"Is there any reason why your son was involved in all this madness?"

My cousin turns to me. Her green eyes had a spark of worry in them. I wasn't quite sure why.

"You know clearly that Cam was the one who decided to put his through all of this. She didn't even talk to me about it."

Mom put me though this. I thought Lauren's mom was evil, but I guess mine is just as bad. At least she told me a bit on what was going on when I was stuck there.

"Clay, I can't let Alyssa go back to the Institute on her own. I know her father wants to talk to her and I know he won't do anything to her, but I can't risk it." Worry was present in her voice.

This time, I turned to Alyssa. She gulped as she heard her mom's words. Alyssa was keen on going to the Institute to gather more information and possibly bring Lauren back. But she wouldn't do anything that would cause her mother a heart-attack. For a long time, Grace Miller wasn't even aware that her daughter was involved with the Institute.

"If she's willing to do it, let her. She wants to help, doesn't she?"

"But Clay-"

"Alyssa. Aidan. You can enter the room now." Dad's voice rang out, startling the both of us. We both looked at each other, both with the same thing on our mind. How did they know we were here?

We both stood up. I ruffled my hair before twisting the door handle and pushing the door open.

The two of us just poked our heads in the door, our parents looking at us oddly, but with a smile on their faces. Alyssa asks the question that was on our mind.

"You know, we've become pretty good at noticing things, kids," Dad said.

I followed his gaze to the bottom of the door, where a tiny opening was formed. There was currently a barely noticeable shadow of Alyssa's heel.

"Oh," I said, walking in.

My parents' room was somewhere I didn't visit often. With only my dad living in it currently, it was pretty similar to my room - I clearly got my sense of messiness from him. Glancing at a builtin board on the far wall, I made out the word "Evolutians" and "Institute" before glancing away and facing Dad and Aunt Grace.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, honey?" Grace asked Alyssa, walking towards her and putting her hands on Alyssa's shoulders. I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure." She tried to be confident, but there still was fear in her voice. "Are you good with that?"

There was no response from her mother.

"Mom, I'm sure Lauren won't hurt me. I'm her... we were really close when we were younger. We're friends. She wouldn't hurt me." It sounded to me like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was convincing her mom.