Apple-Cinnamon Twist
--Chapter One--
AN: Brace yourself. This chapter is a long one. Crazily long. Perhaps I should have broken it down some more...Oh well. You've been warned.
It was a drizzly April afternoon, and all I wanted was an escape, if only a brief one. That was easy enough to find, in the form of the small café nestled on the corner of 25th street and Basram Avenue. Its atmosphere was very charming. It was well-lit, but not harshly bright, and the smell of cinnamon, espresso coffees, and assorted sugary baked confections were pleasant on the senses. I smiled wryly. This was a familiar place to me, seeing how my brother owned it. It was a shame he owned it, I really loved the place. Too bad he ruined it for me by being here.
I don't know what possessed him to buying this joint. The man owns Escaflowne Incorporated for crying out loud. He owns Casinos, a few private airports, and who knows what else. What could he possibly see in this tiny café he dubbed 'The Mystic Moon'? He has made this place his rendezvous point, as far as I've concluded, but he could have easily made it any other place he chose. I don't get it. The location isn't even convenient for him.
I scowled as I marched across the tiled floor, eyes drinking in the earthy tones adorning the walls and speckled counter tops. The chatter subsided as people noticed me, and promptly found interest in their coffee mugs. Their reactions didn't shock me. They normally grew quiet even when I'm in good mood. My brother owns this place, and they're well aware of that. They know who he is, what he is, and the consequences of upsetting him.
The daily newspaper served as a reminder to everyone. As I headed for the backroom, I scooped up a copy, skimming the title with mild curiosity. It read 'Fried CEO missing since last Tuesday found in Gorge.' I folded it up and placed it under my arm for further reading. People who get in my brother's way have a habit of disappearing. How unfortunate.
Standing outside brother's office, I leaned against the wall and sighed. I had to meet with him on a weekly basis. He made it mandatory, not me. I decided to put this week's meeting into my schedule before he forced it upon me, thus my reason for being at the café. Personally, I find them dry and generally boring. Unless, of course, we're arguing.
Inwardly, I grinned.
Today, I planned on starting one.
Since I've graduated, my life has become a stagnate pool. I'm not moving forward, or backwards. It's like everything's been suspended, up in the air, floating, trying to grasp onto a purpose. I'm restless. Simple as that. My life shouldn't be so dull. I'm nineteen! It's impossible for me to sit by idly. Folken asked me if I wished to pursue any post-secondary education after, but that's not what I wanted to do.
Why should attend university for an education when he could easily give me one? What I wanted was to be a part of the company. Our company. It's a family business, he shouldn't have a problem with me being a part of it, but he does. He doesn't get it. The company is my inheritance too, not solely his. Father left it to both of us to decide what to do with it. Sell it, or continue on with it. Whatever we wanted.
Folken, it seems, did have his plans for it. I was eight when he graduated from high school and took over the company. He made all the decisions, not that I blamed him. You can't expect a child to take part in the running of an infamous enterprise. I was living with my Uncle Balgus at the time. Our father had died a few years back after suffering from a brain aneurysm. A heart-attack. As for my mother, she died when I was young. Folken refuses to tell me the cause of her death. The subject is a very sore spot to touch.
There are many things he won't tell me. I try my best to pick up what I can by meticulously picking apart the newspaper every day to keep up to date on current affairs, but I never get the whole story. What can I say? The man has secrets, and knows how to keep them.
My Uncle Balgus and my Aunt Sora raised me, along with their daughter, Merle, who never lets me forget how much she cares about me. I love teasing the little Squirt. She takes everything so seriously.
Anyways, my Uncle. He refused to partake in any activities concerning the family business, opting to become an ambulance driver instead. Funny, right? Out of all the careers in the world, he chose that one. The way he lives his life sometimes contradicts itself. I would say that he's a quiet reserved man who's very respectful and loves his family, but he has a few quirks. His mood has a habit of changing on a dime.
Uncle Balgus earned his black belt years before becoming an ambulance driver. Once he bragged to Merle and me that he beat up some guy that tried mugging him, and drove him to the hospital in his ambulance. To this day, we still don't know if he was telling the truth or not. While we were growing up, he was constantly busy with work, since he was always on-call, but he always managed to spend time with us.
He came to see us at school periodically, but he never came on field trips, meet the teacher nights, or even the picnics the school held. My Aunt did that stuff with us. He spent hours teaching us the art of tying shoe laces, but when it came time for me to learn how to shave he just handed me a shaver and told me to 'Go nuts.' My Aunt, naturally, freaked when she came home and found me sitting on the couch with bits of toilet paper stuck to my face. She was the one who actually sat down and taught me how to shave. Not my Uncle.
That's just how he was. He's the kind of guy that forgets his kid's birthday, but always dots on her, and buys her gifts frequently. I like to think of him as an oxymoron. Half the stuff he says, or does, contradicts itself. He's weird like that.
The door before me ripped open violently. It would have startled me had I not been expecting it. Folken and his stoic nature tends to brush people the wrong way. An angry youth glared at me, red eyes narrowing. He flicked his stark silver hair back irritably.
"Van." he sneered, upper lip curling in detest.
"Dilandau." I returned his feeling of contempt with as much zeal as he did. We've hated each other since I can remember. Folken thinks it's a shame since we're family, but I always correct him. Dilandau's my Aunt's nephew, making him a relative only through marriage. We're not related by blood.
"Feh," smirking, he rubbed his thumb across his chin, his pale cheeks smoothing into a smug expression. "Come to plead with him again, have you?"
I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh. "Unlike you, I don't need to plead." the gears inside my head begin churning absently. Dilandau came looking for a job, and by the looks of it Folken turned him down. He was up to something. He never did anything that didn't benefit him. It was possible he was trying to get on his good side. His attempts must have been unsuccessful, judging from the way he slammed the door behind himself.
"Whatever." dismissing me with a wave of his hand, he sauntered off. I swear he was a snake in his past life. His voice is venomous, his eyes abnormal, his temper quick, and he loves slithering about, striking when you least expect it. Yes, he's very much a snake.
The sound of a chair shuffling back drew my eyes to the office. "Van, how are you?" My brother tried looking surprised to see me, placing a few folders neatly into his desk drawer. Inside his office he hung mirror on each wall of the room, even a small one on the ceiling. He wasn't a vain person. They weren't there so he can stare at himself. No, I think it's just his way to keep people on edge. To make them think he's watching them from every angle possible. Creepy, but I'm used to it.
"Not bad," I shrugged, taking my time settling into the leather chair facing his desk. "You can cut the 'Van, how are you?' act out. I know someone buzzed you to tell me that I'd arrived." I honestly wouldn't be shocked if he kept a twenty-four hour surveillance on me.
The smile he wore didn't touch his eyes, another thing about him that threw me off. How could he act this detached towards his own brother?
"Would you like anything to drink? Something solid perhaps?"
"A bagel would be nice." I said offhandedly. I skipped lunch to come here, so I might as well eat something.
He pressed a button on the phone to the right of him, holding it down with his thumb. "Yuki, bring us a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of mint tea. No sugar this time, please."
"Yes, Mr. Fanel! Right away, Sir!" The girl on the other end chirped obediently.
Folken reclined back in his seat, studying me knowingly. I hate how he does that. It makes me feel transparent. He acts like he knows exactly what I'm going to say, or what I'm going to do. I glared back at him in response, defiantly crossing my arms.
"Van," He addressed me confidently. "You might as well cut to the chase. Why are you here?"
"Because you asked me to. The weekly meeting, remember?" I continued to glare, even when Yuki popped into the office quietly, leaving a tray with the bagel and tea on it. My stomach rumbled, but I refused to touch the bagel. This came before food.
"Yes, but normally I go out of my way to track you down if I want to see you. You don't show up at my doorstep willingly very often." Why does he always over-analyze everything? Sure I came on my own accord, and yes I'm here for a reason, but he shouldn't just assume.
"Hm. I was in the neighbourhood. Thought I'd stop by," I replied coolly, lowering my eyes. The bagel was starting to look damn good. "So, how's business?" I changed the subject on him, hoping that he'd catch my hint. My demands I would make later, after a bit of small talk.
Again with the all-knowing stare. "Could be better."
"Did something happen?" I asked him curiously. "I couldn't help but notice that Fried's new CEO turned up dead in some gorge yesterday. I recognized his name. He was your ex-employee." That should have struck a chord.
"Nothing you need to worry about." Deep down, I was infuriated. He automatically dismissed the idea of discussing it further, like I was some kid who couldn't possibly understand the basics of the situation if it hit him in the face. I wasn't getting anywhere, and that frustrated me.
"Folken I--" He cut me off with a hand.
"The answer is no. You're too young."
I balled my fists together and thought about raising them against him, but kept them lowered. The man would beat the living daylights out of me if I tried, with one hand behind his back. I wasn't prepared to endure that. Instead, I screamed at the injustice.
"You do this to me every Goddamn time, brother! You were younger than me when you took up father's company. Age has nothing to do with this."
"But maturity does."
I smacked my hand against his desk, flinching slightly in pain. "You keep everything from me. I'm not some fragile child who cries at every paper cut." My eyes flickered angrily, and I could feel my heart pound against my chest. The facts concerning Mother's death, my inheritance, everything I wanted he kept from me.
"I have kept nothing from you," The bastard lied. "On the contrary, I have bought you a house, have I not? I have even offered to pay for all of your schooling expenses, but you have refused the idea. That I cannot be liable for."
"Yes, but-- That's not what I want." He may have bought me a small house, a very nice one, but I don't live there. I just sleep there. Most of my time is spent at my Uncle's. That's the only place I'll ever call home. As for his offer of an education, he knows why I refused.
"Then what do you want? A position in the company? No, Van. I cannot allow that. Balgus won't allow that. For good reason." His brow was creased with worry, an odd look for him. He never worried. "It isn't the nice cushy desk-job you think it is. Go to school, Van. Become a doctor, or a lawyer. Do something with yourself. Like Balgus has."
I snorted. A doctor? That wasn't me. A lawyer? I laughed. I can't stand that boring law crap. No, I wanted to be a part of whatever Folken was, strange as it sounded. I wanted a taste of it. A taste of what my father's life was like. And maybe…I would grow to understand my brother more.
I knew how to handle a gun, courtesy of my Uncle. He had deemed it a necessary skill, unlike my first adventure with the shaver. I also knew what kind of business my brother was running. I was capable of handling it. All that I needed was a chance, and Folken to let me have it.
"Look, I know what it isn't and what it is. It's possible that I might fail, but I want to try." I said desperately, pleading my case to the statue. "Let me try."
Folken merely tapped his fingers on his desk, eyeing me impatiently. "You can't try. That's not possible. There is no turning back once you start."
"I realize that!" I snapped. "I don't plan on backing down."
"Is that so?" He reached for his steaming cup of tea, voice deadpan.
"Yes."
He looked mildly interested in my behaviour, but he didn't show any signs of being convinced of my intentions. "This is the only time I'll ask you," Taking a sip of his tea, he kept his eyes steady on mine. I creaked forward in my seat. Was he going to give me a chance? He set his mug down onto his desk, the sound of the ceramic bottom resounding through the room. "Drop the subject, Van."
Heat rushed to my face. It was like I was being chastised. Humoured. I felt bitter disappointment. Here I was thinking I had a glimmer of a shot, but I was wrong. He would never take me seriously. I was the younger brother. The incapable younger brother.
I rose from my seat, tipping my chin in to allow my hair to shade my eyes. Folken sat placidly, his emotionless eyes studying me like a puzzle he had already solved. "Fine." I muttered. "Just fine."
"It's for the best. I only have your welfare at heart." The bastard added. He would never see how much I wanted this. Not even a hint.
I scrunched my dry palms into a set of hard fists, arms shaking with the effort. How dare he try to console me? He had no right. "You…could say that. As an excuse, but what could you possibly have to lose?" I grated out in a mumble, eyes darkly set on the floor. I avoided looking directly at him, but I knew he could see the expression on my face, through that Goddamn mirror.
He didn't say anything to that. The silence was deafening, but I was thankful for it. I would be an active part of this company one day; Folken just didn't know it yet.
But I did.
As I turned to leave, he shifted in his chair. "My brother." He answered clearly, thoughtful look softening his face for a moment. Only a moment.
I had seen that face before, only I knew that person could never come back. He had changed. By what, I wasn't certain.
Nodding curtly, I slid my hands into my pockets. Folken raised his eyebrows. "You're going to give up one day, you know. You'll thank me when that day comes."
"No, Sir. I'll thank you the day you offer me a job." Quietly, I slipped out the door.
I went to see him again the next week, by his request. He was making his rounds at 'Black Draconian' , one of several casinos he owned. I'll admit it, the place was a breeding ground for sin, greed and corruption lying wait behind those sparkly chandlers and plush carpet, but it held a certain class about it. I found it intriguing. It was busy as usual, so I adopted a scowl. I hated crowds. The scenery was appealing to the eye, but it wasn't somewhere I felt at ease. Two beefy men off to my right openly pointed at me. One spoke briefly into the walkie he was holding, while his companion adjusted his clean-cut black blazer.
Security. Great.
Turning myself away from them, I located the elevator and left their sight. My presence seemed to catch more attention than usual, for reasons other than my family connections. Perhaps I was a tad underdressed in my faded jeans and black t-shirt. I cleared my throat awkwardly and quickened my pace.
The elevator was empty, save for one man leaning against one of the giant mirrors lining the walls around him. His glasses were set low on his nose, and his brown hair was half pulled back into a ponytail while the rest hung down his back. Peculiar, despite how his hair looked, he was wearing a classy Armani suit.
"Going up?" He asked without looking at me. Instead, he fingered a silver pocket watch dangling from his belt loop. Flipping it closed, he pressed the button for the fourteenth floor, taking my silence for a yes. I kept my gaze ahead of me, annoyed with the stony-faced boy staring back at me in the mirror. The fourteenth floor…It was the thirteenth floor in reality. They skipped thirteen when numbering them. Funny. Folken would never outright admit to being superstitious, but what he dared not to say, the floor numbers did.
The fourteenth floor was also the floor Folken's office was on.
My eyebrows rose at the stranger standing beside me. It couldn't have been a coincidence he pushed that button. No one had business on that floor, unless they wanted to see my brother. I glared at him. The man only grinned at me. "I'm Dryden Fassa by the way." He offered his hand out to me. I shook it hesitantly.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fassa." I replied with a monotone voice.
"Please, call me Dryden."
Nodding, I decided it was best to make this quick. "Alright, Dryden, what business do you have on the fourteenth floor?" I casually asked, relaxing my posture.
He stole a sidelong glance at me. "Snappy…" Tucking his watch into his pocket, he frowned. "I thought-"
I stepped forward and pressed the button for the seventeenth floor down with my thumb.
"What are you doing?" His voice sounded amused. "You don't need that floor, you know." He lowered his voice to a whisper, glasses creeping down his roman nose to reveal his deep brown eyes. "There's no use hiding something that isn't hidden, Mr. Fanel."
Scoffing, I folded my arms flat across my chest. So he thought he knew everything about me just because he knew my name. It's not difficult to find that out. Should I act shocked? His comments weren't going to faze me.
"How would you know? I could be meeting someone on the seventeenth floor. You only assumed that I'd go up to the fourteenth."
"Thirteenth." Dryden corrected me with a chuckle.
The elevator dinged, and our heads snapped towards the opening doors. My feet twitched, but I stopped them from moving forward. I hoped Dryden would get off on this floor so I could sneak up to the seventeenth floor and walk down the stairs back to the thirteenth floor. Yes, it was a lot of work, but I could avoid him that way.
But everything did not go as I had planned it in my head. Maybe it was too much to ask for?
Dryden hauled me out of the elevator by my arm. "Ladies first." He chirped, but his expression was grim. I snatched my arm back and flinched in aggravation as the elevator door closed behind me. Defiantly, I stared up at him, challenging his motives. He threw his hands up in mock-surrender.
"Hey, I don't mean any harm. I just want to talk. Is that alright?" Lowering his hands gently, he motioned for me to follow him down the hall.
My first instinct was to reach for the gun at my side, but I realized I had left that at home. My second instinct was to bolt the other way for all that I was worth and make a scene, but I was too old for that. Besides, if Folken found out about it, he wouldn't change his mind about me. I had to handle this calmly and maturely. If Dryden wanted to talk then he could talk.
"Fine, Dryden." I followed him like a sheep, palms moistening. To be honest, I was nervous. Very nervous. The inside of my throat felt like it had been coated in wax and was slowly closing in on itself. This was a test. How much information could I get out of him before he realized I wasn't releasing any of my own?
"Let's be frank with each other, Mr. Fanel. Tell me-"
"Van."
"Pardon?" His glasses shimmered metallically as he adjusted them.
"My name is Van."
He paused. "Right," Nodding he continued. "Tell me, Van, you've heard of Mr. Kanzaki before, have you not?"
"Yes, of course." I replied. He was the head of Visions incorporated. I knew that. What I didn't know was where this conversation was leading.
Dryden looked at me sagely. "I understand that he's handing over a tidy sum of money over to your brother."
"Yea." That was no surprise. Folken made several transactions daily, there was nothing special about that.
"Then you will know why I'm so curious as to know why he is so…hesitant to do so."
"Of course he's hesitant." I replied off-handily. "It's a very 'tidy' sum of money, after-all."
His chocolate eyebrows rose in response. "Your brother's and Mr. Kanzaki's companies have been at each other's throats for the past decade. Does the situation not sound suspicious to you?"
Rolling my eyes, I rested my shoulder against the wall. "No."
Fingering his chin thoughtfully, Dryden was silent for a moment. "Thank-you for your time. I'm afraid I have to leave. Until next time, Van." He smiled genuinely.
"Yea. Bye." Flicking my hair from my eyes, I didn't return the friendly gesture. I waited until I heard the elevator door open and close again before I moved. My face went blank as I mulled over the conversation Dryden and I just had. His name sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't place it anywhere.
What was really going on between those companies, and why would it concern Dryden?
I found comfort in the quiet hallway. Folken's floor was always quiet. I took my time in reaching his room. There was no hurry. He had left a message on my cell requesting me to meet him here. Apparently he had a favour to ask of me. How typical of him. Asking favours but giving none himself. Well, if he wanted to ask for a favour, he could. I have the right to refuse to help him. Politely, of course. It's the least I could do to repay him for the way he's been treating me.
When I reached his room, I found the door slightly ajar. I crouched down low, eyes narrowing. He never leaves his door slightly open. Never. Something was off. My hands immediately flew to the gun at my side, but I only managed to tug at nothing but my shirt. I cursed inwardly for leaving it at home. Slowly, I backed myself up against the wall, and crept towards the door. Inside the room, I heard lowered voices calmly engaged in conversation in monotone voices. The lower of the two voices I recognized to be my brother's, but the owner of the other voice remained unknown. I edged closer to the door as silently as I could. My palms found their way to the smooth wall. They felt slightly tacky as I continued in my attempts to decipher the conversation my brother was having with this mysterious stranger.
Their conversation stopped suddenly. I swallowed a lump I felt welling up in my throat.
"Eyria, is that you?" Folken asked clearly, his shoes clicking against the floor.
I pushed myself away from the wall in a hurry and adopted a casual pose, like I'd been standing there for hours waiting impatiently for him to open the door for me. My cocky gaze met his impassive stare, but he didn't bat an eyelash.
"You're late," I detected a twinge of sarcasm in his otherwise neutral tone. He never assigned me a time to come so technically I wasn't late. I wanted to tell him that, but I didn't want to seem childish. Frowning, I pushed my way past him, my curiosity overwhelming my manners. I doubt Folken noticed my lack of them, seeing how I possessed so few. "Please, come in." My brother taunted lightly. He could use a few more too. Manners, I mean. What a prick.
"Don't mind if I do." I retorted snidely, glaring back at him as I took a few strides into his office. Folken cleared his throat dryly, calmly falling behind me. As I turned my head forward I could have sworn I had heard him trying to mask a laugh behind his hand. Very uncharacteristic of him. The smirk I had been wearing dropped as quickly as I had summoned it once I locked eyes with her. The mysterious stranger was a woman.
"Van, I'm pleased to introduce you to Miss Eries Aston. Eries, this is Van, my little brother."
"How do you do." She inclined her head modestly in my direction with gracefulness a swan would envy. I struggled to keep my jaw from dropping along with my smirk. She was gorgeous. Her keen blue eyes felt like they could pierce through me, and her pretty face, framed by pale wisps of platinum blonde hair, was smooth and creamy. She had all the makings of a fallen angel. Her hair was even the right length for the part. It flowed down her back in easy fluid lines, half pulled up by a clip.
In short, she intimidated me.
"Hi." I breathed. I did manage to remember to breath. It was an accomplishment considering my situation. She extended her hand to me from where she sat, her legs crossed smartly. I fumbled to take it, self-conscious of that tacky feeling that lingered on my palms. Thankfully, she was wearing a pair of ivory gloves. We shook hands briefly, my face flustered while hers remained cool and polite.
With a weak smile, I took a timid step back from her, trying to regain some of the composure I'd lost. "You wanted to see me, Folken?" I shoved my thumbs through the belt loops of my jeans.
Eries stood quietly, skirts swishing about her legs. Although she was conservatively dressed in a long elegant skirt, snug white blouse that was buttoned up to her neck, and a tailored coat that melded to her waist, she was very attractive. Her modest dress couldn't hid her curves. It only enhanced them. She smiled at us both, her strawberry lips curving upward. "Perhaps it's best that I left. I'm sure you have important matters to discuss and would prefer some privacy." It was then I noticed how tall she was. She easily met my eyes with her own, and I was pushing 5'11''.
Folken smiled softly back. "It can wait. Trust me."
"I also have a previous engagement," She continued. "One that I cannot afford to put off."
"Ah," My brother replied, adjusting the cuffs on his sleeves. "You were meeting your sister for lunch, as I recall."
"Yes." Eries curtly responded as she retrieved her purse.
"Well, don't let me keep you." Folken touched her arm briefly as he escorted her to the door.
"You're welcome to join us. I'm sure Millerna would find you both very entertaining,"
She hid her smile well, but no one could miss the amusement in her eyes. "She has a habit of asking far too many questions. If you're up to it, I encourage you to come." Her gaze flickered in my direction. I myself didn't want to go anywhere for lunch. As beautiful as Eries was, she still frightened me. Meeting her sister also didn't appeal to me, if Eries was any indication to what she was like.
"If you don't mind our company, we would be glad to take up your offer," Folken replied, firing off a warning glare at me. "As I said before, our business can wait. Can't it, Van?"
Eries raised an eyebrow in question but said nothing. I mumbled a forced 'yes' out in response, internally seething. Lunch in the presence of two scary women wasn't my idea of a fun afternoon. Folken was going out of his way to make my life miserable, and was enjoying every minute of it.
After a short car ride (Folken wouldn't hear anything of walking there.), I found myself at another location where I felt severely under-dressed. The small restaurant was well lit, and oddly relaxing. Fish aquariums had been placed throughout the dining area, surrounded by vibrant tropical plants. I was slightly surprised that I had never set foot in this restaurant before since it was only a few streets down from the Black Draconian. That's why I wanted to walk, but you know how Folken is.
Our waitress showed us to our seats and took our orders, all smiles and nods. Folken ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo, and Eries caught me off-guard by ordering a BLT. She didn't look like the type. I ordered a cheeseburger and was silently berated by my brother. He sipped his coffee while Eries talked amiably. I stirred the ice in my soda around absently with my straw. It wasn't often that I witnessed Folken talking to someone so pleasantly.
"Your sister attends the local Fanalian university?" My brother asked thoughtfully, thanking the waitress as she refilled his cup.
"Yes. She transferred there a few weeks ago. I felt commuting to Palas each day would be too strenuous on her." Eries looked my way. "I assume you are attending the same university she is. Van?"
I stopped fidgeting with my straw and met her eyes. "No, Miss Aston. I'm not pursuing any post secondary education."
Folken hummed at my confession. "I hoped that he would. I bought him a house relatively close to the campus."
Eries sipped her iced tea. "What a shame." She said sadly. Folken nodded.
Our conversation was interrupted by a pair of bold high heels. I blinked at the intruder while Eries merely sighed and turned her head away. "You didn't mention we would be having visitors, sister." The girl said good-naturedly, her glossy red lips pursing slightly in amusement.
"Millerna, what are you wearing?" Eries deadpanned. Ha, it was the same tone Folken spoke to me in.
Millerna laughed in response. "This?" She gestured to her jeans and pink shirt. It was one of those shirts that exposed half the wearer's back and had to be tied up at the back of the wearer's neck. Balgus had banned my cousin from wearing shirts similar to that one. I forgot what it's called.
"Put something over that halter top." Her sister said with an edge. Yea, that's what it was called. Forgive me for being born a man.
Face flushing, Millerna dug into her monstrous purse and pulled out a light cotton button up shirt. She flipped the collar down with all the haughtiness of a princess before staring down her sister. "Better?"
Eries nodded numbly. "Acceptable. You may sit." She motioned to the empty seat next to mine. As Millerna took her seat she pulled her thick blonde curls into a ponytail with a white scrunchie that had been dangling from her wrists. Her silver loop earrings danced, shimmering metallically. From the moment I saw her I knew the only thing her and her sister had in common were a handful of chromosomes.
"Hi, I'm Millerna," She practically chirped like an obedient bird as she reached for my hand, but I saw past her fake enthusiasm. I had a feeling she was just as thrilled about being her as I was.
"Van." I mumbled in response.
Her eyes lit up like violet fireworks at my name. "Van Fanel?" She suddenly looked very interested, eyes glossing me over once more as she reclaimed her hand."Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
With our meals in tow, our waitress returned to our table. She placed them in front of us carefully and kindly asked Eries if she would care to have her drink refilled. While she murmured a 'please' and 'thank-you', Folken introduced himself to Millerna, reaching across the table to shake her hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Millerna grinned at her sister. "How did you manage to snag both the Fanel brothers for lunch, sister?" She chuckled.
"They seem to have followed me. It was entirely their choice." Eries quipped. Folken laughed. I mean, he genuinely laughed. That Eries was something.
"Could I get a green salad and a glass of water, please?" Millerna politely asked the waitress before she turned to leave. I resisted rolling my eyes. Turning my attention to my plate, I de-toothpicked my cheeseburger, and reached for the ketchup bottle only to find that someone had beat me to it.
"Hey!" I protested as Millerna squirted the red condiment all over my fries. She popped one into her mouth and boldly stole the pickle laying over my cheeseburger. I was traumatized.
"Millerna!" Eries scolded after almost choking on her drink. Folken was silent, engrossed in his pasta.
"What? I'm hungry." Came her defence.
Oh, we were going to get along just fine. Not many people could get away with stealing my food and living to talk about it afterwards. Perhaps I was growing soft, or maybe Folken's frightening presence kept me from taking action against her fry-stealing ways. I think it was a mixture of both. Millerna continued to sneak fries off my plate when she thought I wasn't looking. When I had finished my burger, I made a show of pushing the half-eaten plate of fries towards her. She smiled and thanked me, but told me sweetly that she was on a diet. I could have snorted with laughter. Her rabbit food eventually came along with her glass of water. She nibbled on that delicately as she listened to her sister and my brother talk back and forth quietly.
"Yes, it has been difficult with them for the past few months. She wants to change her major next semester. Father is livid, Mother stands beside him, and I'm not in favour of her idea either." Eries told Folken frankly, glancing at Millerna briefly.
"How has the move affected the situation?" My brother asked in a soft voice.
Millerna kept her eyes low and pretended to be more interested in her salad than the conversation taking place. She looked like she wanted to say something, but kept her lips drawn in a tight thin line. Their conversation was upsetting her. I didn't need to be a phyic to know that.
She surprised me again by flashing her pearly whites my way. "So Van," She began, picking her fork up off her plate. "You grew up here in Fanalia, right?"
"Right..." I replied slowly with caution.
"I'll have to get you to show me around sometime. You probably know all the good hang out spots," She chuckled. "I've only been here a few weeks, and I still haven't figured out where everything is."
"Uhuh. Right." Her smile was making me nervous. Leaning forward, I dug into my back pocket for my lighter and my pack of cigarettes. "Folken, I'm going outside for a smoke." Millerna's smile suddenly fell flat.
After receiving a nod from Folken, I made my way outside. I admired the landscaping while I pulled two cigarettes out of my pack. I stuck one behind my ear as I lit the one between my lips. Two puffs later my smoke's end was aglow and I was a content man. I exhaled, fascinated with the lingering billow of grey smoke. Merle's always on my case about quitting, and I do agree with her. It is a bad habit. I should quit, but that requires something I lack at the moment. Effort. I'll quit when I feel inspired to.
The glass restaurant door opened, and I sighed. Blondie followed me outside. She pulled her hair out of its pony and fluffed her blonde curls with a hand as she walked towards me. "Hey." Frowning, she leaned against the wall next to me, and with a familiarity I found I could not explain, she reached up and snatched the cigarette dangling from my mouth. She took a long dreg of it before returning it to where she stole it from like we had known each other for years. I was growing soft.
"Does Eries know?" I asked with a half-smile.
Blowing a long stream of smoke out of her mouth, she looked up at me. "Yea. She frowns upon it, just like everything else."
"I see." I mumbled.
"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand dismissively. "Could I bum a smoke off you?"
Sighing, I tossed her the one I had tucked behind my ear. She smiled in gratitude and rummaged through her purse for a lighter. I sighed again, removing the cigarette from my mouth and pressed the end my cigarette to hers. Within moments it glowed a dusky red.
"Thanks."
"No problem." I shrugged.
She shot me a long glance. "You're pretty quiet, you know."
"You're pretty annoying, you know." I retorted. She laughed.
"Fair enough." She brought her cigarette to her lips. "The weatherman calls for sun tomorrow. Do you think you'd be up to a walk downtown?"
"Depends." I drew in a sharp breath.
"On what?" Her inquisitive amethyst eyes questioned.
"A number of things." I tapped my cigarette, watching the ashes float to the ground.
"Like?" She continued to press me for an answer.
"Stuff." Hoping to deter her, I gave a vague response.
"Ah, I get it. So what does your schedule look like for tomorrow?" She wove around my vague answer and attacked me with a question.
"What schedule?" I opted to play stupid. Perhaps if I avoided giving her a straight answer, she would simply give up.
"Your schedule!" Confidently, I waited for her to throw in the towel.
"Oh..." I looked up, distracted by a bird fluttering over our heads.
"So...?" She placed a hand on her hip and glared at me.
"I still don't know what you're getting at." I played the stupid card again, raising my hands in mock surrender.
"Don't get cute with me, Fanel. I won't tolerate it."
"Okay. What if I said that I don't have a schedule?" I threw in a hypothetical question.
"Then I'd say 'see you tomorrow at two o'clock.'" She gave me a hypothetical answer. Wonderful.
"But I might be busy tomorrow." I told her, irritated at her persistence.
"But I thought you said you didn't have a schedule!" She huffed.
"I don't but..." I stalled, glancing over at her.
"But?" She deadpanned eyes flat.
"I might have something planned for tomorrow that I don't know about yet that you couldn't possibly know about because I wouldn't tell you about it if something did come up so would you quit asking me what my plans are for tomorrow because I frankly don't know what they are until tomorrow comes!" I took in an exasperated breath. She looked very unimpressed with me
"Meet me tomorrow at the university parking lot at quarter to. I'll see ya there." Taking one last dreg of her cigarette, she flicked it onto the pavement and crushed it with her heel.
I shrugged. "I probably won't show."
Millerna rolled her big eyes. "I'm confident I'll be able to track you down. You can't be that busy." I glared at her. The way she said it made it sound like a challenge.
"Whatever." I said airily. "I'm only saying that there's a good chance I won't be able to make it."
She smiled politely. "Let's try to be friends, okay Van?" Waving at me in good-bye, she disappeared inside the restaurant.
I threw my cigarette down in distaste. She was very pushy and even a bit over-dramatic. I wasn't too sure if the proposed friendship she offered would last long. I think our personalities would clash more often than not. But, I guess for the time being, I could tolerate her.
I waited outside, shoulders hunched, until Folken emerged from the restaurant. He beckoned me with a hand, which I complied to grudgingly. I offered him a few bills to pay for my meal, but he placed them back into my palm. Lunch was on him, apparently. We walked across the parking lot in silence, our shadows looking like a pair of wayward ghosts. Folken unlocked the doors of his shiny black car, slipped into the driver's seat, and smoothly brought the vehicle to life. I followed suit, sitting down beside him, and crossed my arms across my abdomen.
"Seatbelt," Folken reminded me softly.
I pulled the thin grey strap across my chest with a snicker. "So, you had me come all the way out here just to have lunch?"
"Is that so wrong?" He arched an eyebrow at me as he backed the car out of its stall. After putting his seatbelt on, of course, being the 'good role model' and all.
I thought it was wrong. He was full of ulterior motives, to the point that I no longer trusted anything he said or did, simply because I questioned his intentions. Of course, I could never tell him that directly, but on some level I think he knew my views concerning him. He often tries to put me on a guilt trip, like I've somehow misunderstood him. Well, take a look at what he said to me, 'Is that so wrong?'. He wants me to second guess my opinion of him, but that's not going to happen. He should know that by now.
"Eries wanted me to tell you that she looks forward to seeing you again sometime," Folken continued. I wondered if he thought that small talk would somehow smooth everything over.
"Is that so?" I replied dryly.
"Yes. Millerna seems to enjoy your company as well," As he pulled the car to a stop at a red light, he turned to smile at me. "I'd like you to watch out for her. Like you, she doesn't make friends easily. The move has been hard on her. I think you'll both get along fairly well. She could use someone to talk to, and quite honestly, you could too." His smile softened, becoming more worried than joyful.
My eyes narrowed. "That's the favour you wanted from me? Befriend her?," I growled. My face flared with anger. I felt my fists clench tighter together with each passing moment. "Forgive me for saying this, but I'm not going to be your Goddamn puppet. I won't associate myself with someone simply because you want me to, Folken." I spat out as I glared at him disapprovingly.
"Van, I'm not asking you to be my puppet. Calm down." Folken shot me a firm look that only enraged me further.
"Pull over. I want out."
"Van..."
"I said pull over!" He eventually brought the car along the edge of the road. I scrambled out of my seat, almost tripping over the curb as I got out.
"You're being childish, Van." Folken told me with a stoic face. "I only suggested that a friend would be beneficial to you. Isolating yourself from everyone won't solve
anything. I know you haven't been to Balgus' house lately."
"It's not your place to tell me what I should and should not do. Stay out of my Goddamn business, Folken." I slammed the car door closed and stormed off down the sidewalk. At that point, I did not care about his reasoning why he would want Millerna and I to be on friendly terms. I didn't. I was sick and tired of him trying to control me. It was insulting.
I kept on walking, well into the afternoon, until I hit my Uncle's house, partially out of guilt, and partially because I felt I needed to. The house was nestled deep in suburbia, a strange land where every second house is an exact carbon copy, only painted a different colour. At first, I did find the cookie cutter houses annoying, but they eventually grew on me. This was the street I grew up on, after-all. I knew Uncle Balgus hated living here, but he could live with anything that Sora loved. She did love it here. Not only was it close to where Merle went to school, there was enough room in the front for her flowers and a vegetable garden in the back.
The sun was almost past the two large cherry trees in the front yard when I made my way up that twisted driveway. Merle came up around the side of the house, a basketball wedged between her hip and arm. She was delighted to see me. We played a round of baskets, which I won, before stopping to sit at the front stoop.
"Hey, what time do you get off school tomorrow?" I casually asked her, smiling cheekily at her.
"Two O'clock," She replied, blue-grey eyes looking at me strangely. "Why?"
"No reason, but I was thinking about going down to the mall tomorrow. Would you come with me if I did? I think that Saw movie you wanted to see is out on DVD. We could rent that and have a movie night...like we used to have when we were younger." I fingered the hem of my jeans absently as I waited for an answer. We'd always been close, but I hadn't been over to visit in weeks. I could only hope that she wasn't mad at me.
"I'd love to," Merle responded with a light chuckle. "We don't see each other as often as we used to anymore. Dad's always joking that Folken must've had you murdered and thrown into a ditch somewhere." She grinned at me.
We both shared a laugh, and I ruffled her strawberry pink hair. "Is he working tonight?" I asked curiously.
Merle nodded her head sadly. "Yeah, he is." She brought her knees up to her stomach and rested her chin on her knees.
"I see," I replied, looking lazily out at Auntie Sora's garden, full of flowers I could never name. "You'll have to tell the old man I said 'hi'."
"I will, but you'll have to come by again sometime," Her lips twitched into a smirk as she glanced over at me. "We've missed you, you know."
"Next week, I'll stop by."
I felt her weight on my shoulder as she leaned her head against my arm. I placed my arm around my cousin's shoulder, brow furrowed. Mentally, I scolded myself for not visiting sooner. I had missed them too. Merle was more like a sister to me than a cousin. I felt the same way about my Aunt and my Uncle. Having raised me, they were like a mother and father to me. My parents died when I was young, and because of this I have very few memories of them. Auntie Sora was pregnant with Merle when Folken and I first came to live with her and my Uncle. I was due to start Kindergarten in the fall, and Folken was about to enter his first year of high school. It had proved to be a turbulent time for all of us, but we overcame most of the obstacles.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I'm holding you to it." I dropped my arm as she stood up. "Let's go inside. Mom's making Spaghetti tonight. Just be sure not to say anything to her about the movie
we're renting tomorrow." She warned.
"Sure thing, Merle." Smiling, I followed her inside the house.
Whenever I walked through that door, it always felt like that I had never left. The entire house was painted in neutral pastel colours, but it has this homey glow to it that's hard to explain. There's too many stories attached to this place, too many memories. My hand brushed by the corner molding as I followed my cousin's bouncy head into the living room, lingering lightly as I felt my feet transfix themselves to the carpet. Merle continued on ahead, laughing slightly as she opened the glass door that lead to the kitchen.
"Don't worry about picking me up tomorrow. Van's taking me to the mall after school." I heard her announce.
"Van?" My Aunt questioned amid the sound of glass clinking together. "Is he still here?"
"Yea, he is. I think he's brooding in the living room."
I rolled my eyes and poked my head into the kitchen. "I am not."
Merle laughed openly at me while my Aunt looked at me curiously. "Van, how many times must I tell you to cut your hair?" She placed the spice jars she had in her hands down, strode towards me, and pulled me into a quick hug. After placing a kiss on my cheek, she fingered my unruly bangs.
"I'll get one when I get around to it."
She smiled up at me warmly, hand resting on my arm. By looking at her, you wouldn't realize that she was in her mid forties unless she told you. This close to her, I could see fine lines crinkle at the corner of her bright eyes. She was a very small woman, coming just up to my shoulder, if she stood on her toes. There's a quiet nature about her that masks her mood. It's hard to read her. She can be firm when she needs to be. Trust me, I know. While you're under her roof, her word is law.
"Have a seat at the table. You too, Merle." We both sat in our normal seats across from one another. Merle teased me about my non-existent girlfriend, insisting that I did have one, while I tried to maintain that I did not. I gave up on her eventually, allowing her to banter on about a different topic. She talked so enthusiastically, arms flying every which way, that I found I could barely keep up with her.
My Aunt served out large portions of spaghetti onto our plates and told us to help ourselves to the salad and garlic bread. I jumped at the opportunity to load my plate up full of her home cooking, hoping to make up some ground after my long absence. It was a nice sitting in their presence, but my mind couldn't help but wander to the conversation Folken and I had after leaving the restaurant. I was resolved in my decision to avoid Millerna, a selfish decision considering it was only to spite my brother. He had to know that he had no control over me. I wished it could have turned out differently than it did.
"Are you alright?" Merle asked me quietly, eyes round with concern. She had stopped mid-sentence to address me, sharing a look of concern with my Aunt. They both looked at me with the same shade of blue-grey eyes.
"Yea, I'm fine." I laughed it off, ruffling Merle's pink hair fondly.
My Aunt didn't look entirely convinced, studying me with a motherly glance. "You're sure, Van? You don't seem like yourself today."
"Yea," I tried winning her over with a smile. "I'm only tired."
But, in reality, I knew I wasn't.
AN: Well, I think I'll let this story live. For now. Thank you so much to those who reviewed! I love you guys! It really meant the world to me. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This honestly took me forever to type it all up. The second chapter is under construction at the moment. I have no clue when it'll be up, but I'm working on it.
All critics/comments are welcomed! I'm all about improving.