(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

11. Warning

Luc searched for the red-headed girl around campus at the end of class. He sat at a table with Ben, watching the doors open and close to let out groups of kids. Finally, she ambled out, only visible through the crowd because of her long, colorful hair.

Luc gazed at Ben. Ben's eyebrows rose.

"You know your sister's going to know one day, right?"

"Doesn't scare me." He got up. "Something needs to be done and Raymond told me to find another way. This is me trying to find a solution."

If he couldn't discourage Lauren in the long run, maybe he could stop that girl from wanting to have anything to do with his sister. He stalked straight towards the gnome, and she noticed him coming up against the current of students. Luc halted in front of her, his lips pressed into a sour, contemptuous line. 

"Remind me your name," Luc began, voice harsh. "Was it Ella? No, it's Emily, right?"

In the back, Ben shook his head and looked away. He felt sorry for the poor girl. Her shoulders seemed to shrink, making her appear even smaller. 

"My name is Emma."

Luc offered her a deranged grin--one that could land him in a psychiatric institution. Whatever, he didn't care. The more troubling he came off as, the easier he'd scare her into keeping her distances. Maybe being Lauren's friend wasn't worth it if her twin was a nutcase. A threatening nutcase.

Luc approached her with one step. 

"Yes well, Emma, I have a problem and I need you to help me fix it..."

"Um, okay..."

"I need you to stay the hell away from my family, kid," he growled and leaned in too close for comfort, pushing his limits. The grin vanished. "Lauren is not your friend and is never going to be."

She backtracked, her lips turning down in confusion. "What?"

He didn't like doing this. Not one bit. The girl did nothing wrong, but it compensated if she'd stop speaking to Lauren afterward. Her only mistake was to be awfully kind to his twin and that she was passably likeable--at least in his opinion. 

And--Christ, a tiny person like her would be swept away if she wound up hurt somehow, which was all too easy if she got sucked in. This was in everyone's best interests. Kids like her didn't belong in complicated games of survival and power struggles. She needed to stay happy in her corner and move on from Lauren. 

Just look away, Emma, he pleaded inwardly. It's not worth it. 

Of course, pleading led nowhere. He had to leave a stronger impression to make it work. 

"She's way out of your league. We don't hang with lame-ass tweens who knit with their grandma over the summer," he exposed with a cruel sneer. "Get that in your head early on and spare yourself a sizeable list of disappointments, little girl. She's not your friend and will never be. If you leave her alone, then you and I will be just fine. Keep going and you won't like what's next." 

He let that sink in, detailing the way the girl's mouth gaped and fear invaded her gaze. When he decided he'd done enough, he strode away while keeping a finger pointed at her. 

"Consider this your warning, twerp. I don't fucking play around."

Emma watched him melt among the kids, shaking and at a loss for words. It shouldn't upset her so much because it'd bring satisfaction to this guy with an inflated head. But there had been a bone-chilling gleam in his eyes, like he meant what he said and would do whatever it takes. Moreover, Lauren had told her brother about her hobby--probably mocked it while talking about it. 

Had she... not cared this whole time and just used her for some reason?

Emma knew her weird talent for crafting was one of the lamest things on Earth but she liked it. Others didn't. Lauren seemed to be the only one to encourage her. Maybe it had been just a hopeful illusion.

Emma clutched her binder against her chest and stood there, hating that she had nothing to say in her defense.