The Fence

Chapter 60: Fire

"You seem mad."

"No, really?" I snort sarcastically. Luci sorts through his cards, eyeing me carefully.

"So, why are you mad?"

"My brother," I sigh. "You know, he's been acting weird lately. I thought maybe, just maybe he was returning back to his old self."

Luci shrugs. "Maybe he was."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not saying he has LCSD, but for me, one moment I'm myself and the next I'm not. Everyone is different in how they handle things. Maybe this is just his way."

"Is burning himself a healthy way to handle things? Last I checked, it's not."

"Wait, what?"

I exhale my breath. "I kind of lost it earlier. When he reached out to me, I saw burn marks covering his palms. He wouldn't tell me what they're from."

"What did he say?" Luci asks, placing a card down on the table.

"He said he didn't know."

Luci bites his lip. "Hm."

"How is that even possible?" I mutter, putting out my card. "Like, how do you not know how you got burned?"

"Maybe he really doesn't know, Kirby. I mean, sometimes you gotta trust someone. And why does it matter if he tells you or not? It doesn't affect you."

"Yes it does! Lately, Ky's been a hard person to trust. Before the military, he would tell me everything. Now, he's so distant it's like he's in a different country."

Luci clears his throat, giving me a look. "Kir, don't you think that's kind of hypocritical?"

I gape at him. "How exactly?"

"You didn't exactly tell anyone about Nixon when he came. I'm not mad about it, but I would have liked to know that we were taking care of a yukos."

"That's different though. Ky put people in danger."

Luci lets out a long sigh. "I don't want to fight with you. But bringing a yukos in was not only stupid, but dangerous for everyone here. He was a spy, wasn't he? He got what he needed and told the other yukos what he found. Now they have an upper hand in the war I'm sure is coming."

I bite my fingernails, contemplating his words. "Okay..." I murmur. "Yeah. That was really stupid of me, I know."

Luci shakes his head, offering me a small smile. "Let's change the subject, okay? I don't blame you. Don't worry about it."

"Okay," I murmur, laying down my next card. "Got your eye on anyone here?" I look up at his long silence, a questioning glint in my eye. After a minute of muted card playing, he finally responds.

"Yes."

I perk up. "Really? Who is it?"

"Are you guys playing for a bag of chips?" a new voice chuckles. I look up to find Neveah, who drops two bags on the table. "I got you covered."

I laugh. "You remembered that?"

"How could I forget it? As soon as I appeared, both of you just stopped talking."

Pine's green eyes shine from behind him. "Really? I knew you weren't much of a talker, Lu. But you always find something to say."

"One, don't call me that. Two, I just didn't feel like talking."

Pine's eyebrow creases and he bites his lip. "Why can't I call you-"

"It's my nickname for him," Neveah interrupts. A grin spreads across Luci's face. "And he calls me Veah."