(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

15. Hitch

Lauren found it harder to communicate with Emma. She didn't see her around as often, and when they crossed paths, she wasn't as talkative as usual. She noticed the way the redhead's eyes swept the hall whenever she saw Lauren, as if expecting someone else coming to jump her.

Lauren brooded over that as she sat on her window ledge, sketching in her drawing book under the light in her room. The muted drizzle sprayed water droplets against her glass. It was night time, and Luc patrolled outside with others. 

Their new house was conveniently placed in the land of forest her family owned, tucked right into its dense and hilly marrow. It was different from Heather's elegant, gated mansion, but Lauren appreciated its classic charm. It was starting to feel like home--a home where she often stumbled on the boys goofing around, always up to no good. At least their horseplay livened up the cabin. 

She knew her brother came home before he opened the door to her room.

"Everything alright?" she asked. "Did you catch it yet?"

The rain plastered his damp hair onto his head and sopped his jacket. He shook his head and she could read the defeat on his face. One girl had gone missing already. Luc had been restless ever since, determined to trap the creature. 

"We brought all-dressed pizza, though." He tried to sound casual, but the flatness of his voice pointed towards deceiving appearances. "Devin and Ben are downstairs. They'll eat it all if you wait."

She smiled at that, but it didn't reach her eyes. Lauren glanced at the door and it closed on itself dryly. She rose to her feet.

"Thanks," she said. "But I think there's something you're not telling me."

Her brother raked a hand through his hair with a knowing expression. Their conversations were only made up of words half of the time. She guessed what was on his mind and contrariwise, especially because they never hid anything from each other. Lauren pushed that thought away as she remembered the exchange between Greg and Heather she wasn't supposed to hear. She hadn't told anybody. 

But this was not about that. 

"I had to do something," Luc replied quietly. "The others have warned you countless times and they're getting tired of it."

"So you decided to go the other way and make Emma not speak to me to make it look like I got the message?" Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were wide with deception.

"I call it keeping you out of trouble." Luc's face locked with stubbornness.

"You can't warn someone about something they're not responsible for. Emma doesn't know anything and that's because I don't step over the lines like you all think I do." Her eyes met her brother's. "That wasn't right, Luc."

"But it worked."

She shook her head. She was fully aware that, even among her people, some hesitated to trust her. "I love you, and I know you are trying to protect me from the others, but let me handle matters sometimes."

"You're too tolerant. People would take advantage of you."

"For the last time," she repeated. "Let me know what's going on and I can take it. You're just stepping over me now. How can you expect me to prove myself then?"

Luc looked at his sister. What she said made sense and he understood, but she was still a little naïve when matters revolved around humans. It was so easy to slip and let them see what they shouldn't. Lauren's methods weren't always the best route or the safest.

He was sometimes hard on her, but it was the consequence of both siblings rivaling with self-will. They disagreed about certain topics and straight-up agued over other issues. 

"Oh, really? What would you have done differently? I bet you would have kept talking to her and it would have escaladed from there."

Lauren sighed and bypassed him, the door swinging open before she reached the knob. His fear of exposure was justifiable, but this was blown out of proportion.A fourteen-year old girl shouldn't be feared like the plague.

"I'm going to the kitchen for pizza."

Maybe she could prove them all wrong.