Well, party people, I'm back! I'm sorry to those of you who I made wait, I truly am. I apparently can't update. ;~; Anyway: chapter three, in Tori's P.O.V. as promised...
Viktorija rubbed at her eyes, hoping that her brothers would interpret their puffiness as her being tired versus her having cried for a better part of the afternoon. She climbed the stairwell up to her fifth floor apartment, finding this a better alternative to maybe having to share the elevator with a neighbor. Her cell phone went off in her bag.
She stopped and pulled out her phone, looking at the number. It was Ivan. Viktorija sunk to the floor, beginning to tremble. He wasn't going to be happy with her when he found out that she was going to be home instead of with him. The Lithuanian unconsciously ran her hand over her forearm, lightly brushing across fresh bruises as well as old marks. She continued to stare at the phone until she noticed that it had stopped ringing. She forced herself up, wiping away the few tears she hadn't realized she had shed.
Reaching her apartment, Viktorija hesitated. Ivan would be alone tonight. He might hurt himself with her not there. He needed her with him.
But so did her brothers.
Finding her resolve, Viktorija took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Omigod, Tori. You like actually came home on time!"
The brunette woman was surprised to see her best friend lounging on her sofa, flipping through a fashion magazine. The blonde, Felicija, looked just as surprised to see Viktorija.
"You're not at Derek's?" she asked, setting down her bag.
"Well, you're not at Ivan's," the other retorted, going back to her magazine.
"Māsa, you're home!" Raivis said, popping his head out of the bedroom he shared with his brother. He quickly ran out and wrapped his sister in a hug.
Viktorija tensed at the sudden embrace before hugging back.
"Didn't Felicija tell you that I'd be home early tonight?" she asked, ruffling the boys blonde hair.
"We weren't expecting you to be home on time," he replied excitedly.
"Really, you can't blame him."
Viktorija, Raivis, and Felicija looked up to see Eduard standing in the doorway where his brother had been just moments before.
"Hey, like lay off your sister four-eyes." Felicija spat. The two had a very open hatred for each other.
Eduard merely ignored this (which he found was the best method to effectively piss his Polish adversary off) and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Nice to see you home, õde."
"It's good to see you, too."
Viktorija blinked at how coldly he had revered her. He was like this to everyone, but she was his sister, adopted or not.
"Anyway, Tori, we have to get changed," Felicija sat up and tossed her magazine onto the coffee table, "I'm totally taking you guys out to dinner!"
The blonde pushed the other woman into her bedroom, giggling gleefully as he did so.
"I'm picking your outfit," she then called out over her shoulder before closing the door, "Wear something nice!"
"Felicija, wear did you get this money to treat us to dinner? Did you and Derek get into a fight?" the Lithuanian interrogated, "That's why you're over here isn't it?"
"Like, relax Tori. Derek just had to work late at the clinic. Paperwork and stuff," the Pole said airily, "Here, wear this."
She spun around and presented a forest green dress with gossamer cap sleeves. Viktorija looked at it skeptically.
"Um, could I wear a cardigan with this?"
"Why? It's totally cute, especially the back," Felicija turned it around, as if Viktorija wasn't aware of having bought the thing and knowing very well of what it looked like.
"Yes, well, I think I might be coming down with something, and with autumn already here…" the brunette insisted, rubbing her arms.
"Kay…" the blonde turned back to the closet and began pawing through it for a sweater,
"Here, this one will look alright with it."
Viktorija smiled and took both the sweater from her friend and quickly changed while the blonde once again began to rifle through the closet that was honestly half her clothes.
"Omigod, I totally forgot I had this over here!" she announced happily, drawing out a sparkly pink dress that Viktorija would never wear even if she didn't have to hide various bruises. The brunette nodded in consent, hurriedly pulling on the white knit cardigan.
About an hour later, after Felicija managed to get Viktorija to put on at least some make up on and to let her do her hair, the two emerged. Eduard and Raivis were sitting on the sofa, the latter wearing a maroon sweater and khakis, nose buried in a two-dollar romance novel; the other typing away on his laptop in a blue button up shirt and black slacks.
"It's about time you two were finished," the Estonian boy said, not looking up from his computer as he shut it down.
"You look really pretty, Tori," Raivis complimented.
"Thank you," the brunette replied, "You two look very handsome yourselves."
"We should really get going," Eduard said, smiling a bit, "I'd like to eat sometime tonight."
"Alright, bossy pants," Felicija countered, "I'll call a cab, although I think one of us should be walking…"
"I heard that!"
"You're lucky I'm letting you came at all!"
And so the quartet descended, Felicija and Eduard bickering the entire way to the restaurant.
Translations
Māsa {Latvian}- sister
Õde {Estonian}- sister
Yerp, I promise that I'll try to update sooner...Thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited, followed, and read this! Many huggles go out to the lot of you!
