"Come on, Farlan! What're you watching?!" Isabel asked, trying to get the TV remote out of his hands. The two were struggling over the remote in the living room of their apartment. It was late and Levi was out doing a job, leaving Farlan as Isabel's caretaker for the night. Everything had gone smooth enough. She ate her dinner without too many complaints, got her homework done with several complaints, and had gone to bed on time. Or so Farlan had thought.
"Go back to bed, Isabel!" he demanded, leaning precariously over the arm of the couch to keep the remote away from her.
"Why can't I see what you're watching? Are you watching porn or something?"
"What? No! I'm not watching porn! Just go back to bed! It's one am!" he said. He planted his foot firmly on Isabel's stomach to push and keep her away from him.
"I'm not tired! Come on, why won't you let me see what you're watching?" she pouted, arms flailing to get the remote.
"I'm watching American Horror Story: Coven, okay?" he relented. "I just started this episode so will you do us both a favor and go sleep so I can watch this?"
"Oooh! Can I watch too?!" she asked eagerly.
"No. This show's not for kids like you," he said, agitated.
"Who're you calling a kid?! I'm twelve! I'm practically a teenager!" she argued, fire burning in her green eyes.
"You're not watching this, Izzy. It's going to give you nightmares. Remember what happened that time I told you that scary story and you nearly stabbed Levi?"
"That was one time! Come on, I won't get scared, I promise! Please?" she begged.
"Hell no. You're not watching this," he insisted.
"Why? Levi lets me watch whatever I want!"
"I know for a fact he doesn't let you watch this and I'm not going to let you either. Seriously. And it's the fifth episode. You wouldn't want to start this in the middle of the season, would you?"
"I'll catch up really fast! Come on, just five minutes! Just let me watch five minutes! And I'll go to bed, I promise! Please, Farlan! Just let me watch a little and I'll go to sleep and I won't bother you ever again! I promise!" If Isabel was anything, she was a girl of her word. I guess five minutes couldn't hurt, he thought. After all this season hasn't been too bad. Except the first episode, but since then it's been somewhat tame.
"You promise?" he asked.
"I promise! Cross my heart and hope to die!"
"All right, you can watch this with me," he said, throwing his hands up in surrender. Isabel's sharp squeal cut through the air like a knife. She wrapped her arms around his stomach tightly, nearly squeezing the air out of him.
"Thank you! Now let's start this!" she said eagerly, shifting back to face the TV. Farlan pressed play and the scene unfurled on the screen. And as soon as Madame Delphine showed off real eyeballs and intestines to one of her daughters' suitors, Farlan realized he had made a horrible mistake in letting Isabel watch Coven with him. He glanced over to her. Luckily, she didn't seem too freaked out. True, her eyes were pretty big and she was sitting pretty still, but she didn't have any of her warning signs for fear.
But one mutilation-filled, bloody, emotionally distressful hour later, Isabel sat on the couch next to Farlan curled up in a blanket and eyes the size of the moon and he realized he had made a huge mistake.
"Damn it, I told you it was going to freak you out! But no, you didn't listen and talked me into this!" Farlan commented, frustrated, turning the TV off and giving her a dark look.
"Shut up! I'm not freaked out!" she defended herself vehemently.
"Great, we're going to repeat of that one night. Levi's going to have my head," he groaned, clutching his head.
"I'm fine! I mean, zombies and witches aren't real! All of that is fake!" she said. Farlan looked away, biting his lip to stay silent. "Stop trying to screw with me! It's all fake and I know it!"
"I'm not trying to screw with you! But you know some of it is based off of real people. Marie Laveau was real. We've been to her tomb, but you were so little I doubt you remember it. And LaLaurie . . . you know what? Forget it. The rest is just going to make you have even more nightmares." He stood up and gave her an expecting look. "It's way past your bedtime and Levi's going to kill me when he finds out I let you stay up this late and that I let you watch Coven."
"You let her do what?" Farlan and Isabel jumped at the sound of Levi's voice as he entered the apartment.
"We were just watching Disney movies!" Isabel quickly lied, giving Levi a wide smile. He ignored it and glared at Farlan.
"It's two. Why is she up and what did you let her watch?" he demanded, setting his bag down on the coffee table.
"She saw an episode of Coven," Farlan admitted. Levi sighed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Isabel, you're not going to fall asleep tonight, are you?" Levi asked her.
"Of course I am! I . . ." her voice trailed off as his bluish-grey eyes told her to cut the crap. "Probably not," she admitted. He rolled his eyes and plopped down on the sofa next to Isabel.
"Farlan, put on Parks and Rec, or something," he ordered as he dug through his bag. He pulled out two bright pink pills and handed them over to Isabel along with a small water bottle. "These should knock you out pretty quickly. This is the only time you are ever allowed to do this, all right? If I hear you're using pills to fall asleep more than once, we're going to have a problem."
"I promise I'll never do this again," she swore, making an x over her heart before swallowing the pills.
"Levi, what did you just give her?" Farlan inquired, glancing at Isabel.
"It's just Benadryl and I warned her to never do this again, it's fine," he said, rolling his eyes as if it was obvious what he gave her. "Isabel, go lie down in bed. You'll be asleep in fifteen minutes or so. If you need anything it's not like we're going anywhere."
"Okay, big bro. Night, you guys!" she said, getting up and heading into her bedroom. She turned on the hallway lights as she walked away. Her door had only been closed for a few seconds before her screaming cut through the house. Levi groaned and stood up, making his way towards Isabel's room. He paused, looking over his shoulder to stare Farlan straight in the eyes.
"I'll deal with you later," he said cryptically. He continued walking and entered Isabel's room quietly. Farlan groaned, plopping back down onto the couch.
"I'm so fucked," he muttered under his breath.