You stand up and cross the room, going to your sister. Her face remains a blank mask but her eyes, those pale eyes which are really just mirrors of your own, they shine in the moonlight with satisfaction.
You put your hands on her, taking your sister by the waist and pulling her close. You kiss her and this time there's no resistance, no hesitation. She lets you do it, is proud to let you do it. She feels soft, warm, wrong but so right.
When you break the kiss, she's looking at you. You look back. You have nothing to hide from each other.
"Ain't that sweet," Virginia says, blowing smoke.
Candi breaks eye contact first. "Goodnight, Virginia."
"Night."
You go upstairs with your sister. Her fingers entwined with yours as she leads the way.
Candi sleeps soundly beside you. No dreams. No nightmares. Makes you want to dream with her again. To worm into her mind and occupy that last unfilled space. To be a part of her completely.
Eventually the sun returns and soft pink light comes through the sheer drapes. It brings with it a new sound. Tires on gravel. The hated sound of company.
When you rise from bed you see a car coming down the driveway. It's Miss Ellen's car, bouncing along the gravel, throwing a huge trail of dust behind it.
"Mmh? Who is it?" Candi slurs.
"Miss Ellen," you say. "Get dressed." You follow your own advice and go downstairs. Virginia is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn't mean she's not around. You open the front door just as Miss Ellen closes her car door.
You're in jeans and nothing else, your scarred chest on display.
By contrast, Miss Ellen is dressed to the nines. High heels, pencil skirt, styled hair, immaculate but subtle makeup–nothing like the garish facepaint your slut sister prefers.
Miss Ellen looks troubled, hounded. She's so distracted by whatever's going on in her head that she almost doesn't notice you.
"Oh, Kyle." She stops at the foot of the steps leading to the porch.
"I was just about to go to work," you say.
She shakes her head. "Don't bother." She tucks a strand of auburn hair back, the shackle tattoo on her inner wrist visible for a moment. "Mister Truesdale needs to see you. He says that it's urgent and I need to bring you right away."
Probably about Allan or the other Chip friend—what was his name again? It's so inconsequential that you can't even remember.
"Oh?" you say. What does Truesdale know? What does he think he knows? Invitation or trap?
Miss Ellen looks you over, apparently just noticing that you're shirtless and shoeless. "Please get dressed. We should get going straight away." Maybe she's frazzled cause Truesdale is riding her ass–metaphorically. Maybe there's chaos in the Lake Cult camp.
>Sure, be right down (get dressed and go)
>Actually, there's someone I'd like you to meet first (Introduce her to Virginia)
>Truesdale can wait. Come in and get some breakfast
>Write in
