HAPPY SCORPION MONDAY!

In honor of such a glorious day here is another chapter and it's longerrrr!

I hope you guys like it!

Please Read&Review and enjoy!

Rylie is rather good at observation, you know. She notices things that many people these days pretty much ignore, even the fairly obvious things. Like the nervous tick a smoker has when they haven't had a smoke in awhile, or the ever so slight startled reaction someone has to a barking dog because when they were a kid a dog attack them. Usually, she's right with these little scenarios, actually… she can't recall ever being wrong. There's just a process that goes on in her head that just connects everything together and she gets an answer. She can never explain it. It just happens.

Ryder was complicated to read at first, but Rylie eventually caught on to his reactions to things, how he observed everything, and his keen eye toward mathematics. Make note, Rylie started reading people when she was, like, five, so she didn't realize Ryder was a genius until her parents had him checked out by a psychologist when they were seven. Since the day those psychologists and doctors tested her brother and deduced he was a genius no one left him alone. Their parents hired the finest tutors and instructors to keep up with Ryder's growing intellect; they treated him like he was the risen Messiah, which was probably one of the factors in his inflated ego. It's also one of the reasons why Rylie disliked their parents, not the fact that they never paid attention to her, but the fact they corrupted her brother.

Ryder and Rylie got along when they were younger, but as they grew up they started to drift a part. The adults in his life were putting thoughts in his head; thoughts that just confused him and made him despise his sister.

He despised her for being normal.

He wanted to be normal.

If only he knew at the time how much she didn't want to be that.

Even though Ryder loathed her Rylie never stopped looking out for him, even if it was at a distance. Even though…she started to detest him herself… but she never let herself admit that, Rylie tried not to believe it.

She didn't want to hate him, and she didn't want him to hate her.

So Rylie kept her distance. Though that only made things worse.

Ryder, in his attempts to be normal, made friends with two boys in their class at school (though Ryder was a genius their parents wanted him to be friends with people their age so they enrolled the twins in a private school where he would still be able to do his advanced practices). They connected with Ryder in his love for video games and comfortableness with being anti-social.

The trio thrived together through out middle school.

Until the accident.

That's when everything fell apart.

It was February and they were all excited for graduating eighth grade that year and they were all talking about making their spring play their best play that year. Then their class was taken to their school's church by the principal. Everyone in the class thought their principal was a joke; they thought they were going to be lectured on proper manner in the lunchroom or something stupid like that. They all whispered amongst each other while the principal talked, he had a deep and slow voice that could put anyone to sleep, that is until a certain set of words came from his mouth.

Our beloved classmate…Ryder's best friend, passed away the night before from a hit and run accident.

The moment the principal made that statement, it seemed like time just stopped. Not a single person dared to breathe in that moment.

Rylie felt her heart stop, her eyes were saucers, and she didn't know what to think. At first Rylie was wondering if she heard the man right.

A friend of ours dead? Impossible. That could never happen.

But then a realization hit her in the head like a ton of bricks.

Ryder.

The students in the class knew how close Ryder was with their classmate. They were best friends. They did everything together.

After the principal dismissed the class to console each other in the narthex, many students cried, others were still in shock, much like Rylie. Rylie sought out to comfort her fellow friends at the time…but for some reason she didn't think to look for Ryder. Actually, she don't even remember if he was in the narthex after they were dismissed.

Rylie didn't look for him.

After all the times she was there for him, to protect him…she couldn't protect him at this point.

Rylie had protected Ryder from bullies, from complications that might have interfered with his way of thinking, or social encounters.

But she couldn't protect him for a loss such as this. At least not in the way she should have. Physical and emotional contact was the only way to get through such a situation…except…Ryder never understood physical contact besides a handshake, and he could process simple emotion at this point.

Rylie wanted to be there for Ryder. She made desperate attempts to comfort him but just making mistakes and the situation worse. Ryder still despised her. Rylie foolishly made the attempt to give him a comforting hug, but he glared at her and walked away. Rylie attempted to talk to him, but then he looked himself away in his room.

He just pushed her away even further.

And…she let him.

There wasn't anything Rylie could do for him at that point besides letting him process it in his own way, no matter how long it would take.

After eighth grade they were freshmen at a public school.

Let's just say after the first couple of months Ryder didn't want to be there anymore.

He was lost. He went to a private school and every day did the same thing, and saw similar faces. Ryder was already shaken up by the loss of his best friend, now he was being thrown into a new environment with new and rambunctious people that didn't understand him like their previous classmates.

Rylie wanted to be there for Ryder, like she was before…but that entire year…Rylie never saw Ryder at school besides at home. He was avoiding her. Before, Ryder avoided talking to her unless he had to, even at home, but now, since they were in a bigger school, he made it a point to avoid her completely.

At this point, Rylie didn't care anymore. Actually…Rylie became cold, and angry deep inside. On the surface she was happy, but she had a simmering hate inside of her that was ready to leash out on anything and anyone. And it took everything she could to keep it tucked away.

Ryder really wanted nothing to do with her.

And Rylie accepted that.

So she moved on.

But there will always be a part of her that wants to protect Ryder. So when he wanted to transfer to a private school, Rylie went with him and he ended up loving it there, she tolerated it. The school was filled with snobs and people that thought they were geniuses and better than everyone else.

The kind of people like Ryder.

And idiots. Lots of idiots.

Their first year at the private high school was a little too much for her, Rylie had developed a hatred for mostly everyone there and she couldn't find a way to let the emotion out.

That's when she had a break down, a first of many; a 'friend' she had made liked to piss many people off, specifically her. He noticed her ultimate and avid hatred for being compared to Ryder and he constantly asked her about her brother, because he knew her strained relationship with him.

Then one day Rylie broke when the simple phrase came out of his mouth.

Ryder is the smart twin, Rylie is the stupid one.

Oh, that tipped her over the edge.

Rylie wanted to hurt him. She wanted to hurt her 'friend' so bad. More than she ever wanted to hurt someone in her life, but she knew she'd get in serious trouble for maiming a student.

So she ran.

Rylie ran to the farthest depths of the school, a place where no one would find her.

The weight room.

She saw the giant black bag hanging from the ceiling and she charged at it.

She hit it.

She kicked it.

She screamed at it.

Rylie let everything out at it.

And it felt good.

From that day forward she went to the gym frequently, to let out her stress, but that soon wasn't enough. She started practicing martial arts such as tai chi, to calm myself, aikido and ninjutsu, for self-defense, and boxing, just for fun. It also became a once a month habit to go to the laser tag arena or paint ball range, Rylie had a strange developing affiliation with guns… just leave it at that for now.

A couple months into the new school one of the idiots found out of the passing of Ryder's friend a year ago.

And he thought it'd be fun to use that to provoke him.

Rylie watched the scene happen. The asshole got up close to Ryder, and Ryder still wasn't used to physical contact, so he couldn't fight back.

Luckily, for her, class was in session and she left her class to go to the bathroom at the right time to find the asshole poking and prodding at Ryder.

He taunted Ryder. Harassed him. Told him that his friend should have been paying attention when the car was coming. Told him that he was stupid.

So Rylie did what she only knew how to do.

She protected Ryder.

Rylie could feel Ryder's anger flow through her, since he was unable to transfer the energy into fighting back Rylie did it for him.

She ran at the asshole. She shoved him away from Ryder with full force, throwing him into a locker. The asshole was taken by surprise but when he realized it was a girl, he threw a punch at her.

Oh, boy, was that a big mistake.

Within seconds Rylie had sprained the asshole's wrist, though she could have done much worse, and lifted him by his shirt along one of the lockers. She got dangerously close to him as he whimpered.

Rylie told him, that if he dared speak, look in the direction, or even breathe the same air as Ryder, she would come after him and the next time he wouldn't be walking away with just a sprained wrist…actually, he wouldn't be walking away at all.

She knew, that was a little bit over board, but it got the job done. The asshole ran away with a wet stain on his pants and Rylie felt like she finally accomplished something.

Then she turned around. Ryder was standing there with his mouth dangling open with surprise and horror. Rylie almost laughed…but then she remembered, they hadn't really…well, gotten along, ever, and he probably despised her even more because of this.

So, Rylie started to walk away, until a very faint voice broke the silence of the hallway.

"Rylie?" Ryder had said.

She felt her heart stop. He…was talking to me? This was the first time he addressed her face to face in years. Rylie turned to face him and he was staring at her with a face she could tell was searching for an expression to give her, but he didn't know what kind of emotion was necessary for this situation.

"Uh…thanks for not…leaving me." He had whispered.

Rylie remained silent. How was she supposed to respond? He had intentionally abandoned her for years and she never left, she had protected him his entire life and he chooses now to thank her? It took him long enough…

Rylie couldn't find the words to respond to him, so she nodded. He nodded back. They turned and parted ways.

After that day, Ryder and Rylie grew closer, he took time out of his day to talk to her…usually to talk about himself, but still, it was progress. His friends were horrible influences on him; he liked to tell her how he was smarter than everyone else, how he was smarter than her.

Rylie's life progressed as it was before. Being the shadow of her amazing twin brother, Ryder. Rylie tried not to let it bother her so much, now that he was talking to her again.

Rylie can't help but still despise him a little bit.

Everything good happens to Ryder, everything gets offered to Ryder, people want to be around Ryder.

Ryder this, Ryder that.

She spent her whole life protecting her own worst enemy.

And he was currently solving a hacker case with his new mentor in the next room. He was having the time of his life while Rylie was doodling on a notebook on Sylvester's desk.

Ryder had wished he were normal at one point in his life.

Now it was her turn, her turn to wish she was different.

"Rylie?" the woman, who Rylie recently discovered was named Paige, walked up to her. She held out a mug to Rylie filled with hot chocolate, she could smell it. "I brought you something to drink, do you like hot chocolate?"

"Yea," Rylie offered a smile and accepted the cup. "Thanks."

After she took a sip she couldn't help but chuckle, this was an attempt at a piece offering, a way for her to soften up and talk to Paige.

"What do you want to know?" Rylie said bluntly.

Paige blinked. "W-What?"

Watch yourself, Rylie. Don't be rude; the woman gave you hot chocolate. Play nice for now.

"Oh, sorry, usually when people give me stuff they want to know something." Rylie treaded carefully. Why not let the woman feel like she's helping me? "Sorry, if I came off rude."

Paige smiled softly at her. Why was this woman even here? She wasn't a genius. She was too nice.

"It's ok, I'm sure you are under of a lot of stress right now," Paige said. "With this whole situation being thrown at the two of you all of a sudden."

"Yep." Rylie took another sip of the hot chocolate. I've been more stressed than I am right now.

Rylie watched Walter and Ryder excitedly chatter with one another in the next room over. What were they even doing? Toby and Happy had left a half hour ago, nobody would tell me where they went, and Sylvester was working with Walter and Ryder.

So Rylie was left with the normal people.

"What's your child's name?" Rylie asked Paige.

"What?" Paige stared at her with wide eyes. "H-How did you know that?"

Rylie glanced at her. Crap. How do explain something that I don't even know how I knew?

"Eh, I'm a good guesser?" Rylie said.

Paige eyed her for a moment before she actually answered her question.

"His name is Ralph." She said. Rylie nodded and moved on to something she was actually interested in. Her brother.

"What are they doing in there?" she asked, gesturing to her brother and Walter.

Paige followed Rylie's gaze then looked back at her with a curious stare.

"Uh, I think, something to do with someone hacking into Harland Incorporated, stealing schematics for weapons or something like that." Paige said. "Why?"

"Harland Incorporated?" Rylie asked.

Paige nodded.

"Ah." she muttered and took another sip of hot chocolate before placing the cup down.

Three, two, one…

"We got it!" Walter cheered. In a blink of an eye Walter was at the door ready to leave. "Come on! We need to go to Harland Inc."

Ryder was a giddy ball of fluff, running after Walter. Wait, did he say leave? Oh, hell no.

"No. Ryder, you're staying." Rylie said. Ryder stared at her with an appalled expression as if she dared to speak to her king that way.

"What? No way!" Ryder argued. "You can't tell me what to do."

"She might not be able to," Agent Gallo stepped into the room. "But I am, and I second what she said. It's not safe for you out there when you're being hunted."

Rylie nodded in agreement to the government agent and looked at Ryder. He was glaring at her like a father telling his teenaged daughter that she couldn't have the hundred dollar jeans that look like all the other pairs of jeans…in other words he's staring at her like she just ruined his life.

"You know what else we would agree on?" Rylie said to Agent Gallo. "You giving me a gun."

"What? No." Agent Gallo said as if it were obvious.

"But what if the bounty hunter comes? I need to be able to defend us-"

"There are agents assigned to protect you, they are located around the perimeter of the building. You two will stay in here." Agent Gall said.

Walter sent Ryder an apologetic stare and left with Paige. Agent Gallo told the twins once more to stay in the building and he left with them.

Rylie returned to her seat at Sylvester's desk and continued her doodling. Rylie intended to ignore Ryder's intense glare, but after two minutes she just wanted him to go sit in a corner.

"What?" Rylie said.

"What the hell?!" he snapped. "Walter and I were going to find the hacker, we were going to solve the case."

We?

When he says 'we' he usually refers to him and me…this time he wasn't.

Rylie laughed darkly. "'We'? What do you mean 'we'? You do know, once they find the bounty hunter these guys are going to drop you like a hot potato, right? These are government guys, Ryder. They want nothing to do with kids like us."

Ryder just got even more pissed.

"You're just saying that because you're just in the way, you're not being useful."

"Useful? You were shot at just yesterday!" Rylie snapped. "I saved you and Walter, without me you two would be dead."

Ryder shook his head, as if she just made the story up.

"You're just jealous of me." Ryder argued. "You're jealous that this isn't about you, because no one is paying attention to you. Not everything is about you, Rylie! You think you're so innocent, stop being so self-centered!"

Ryder stormed out of the room, leaving her with her mouth dangling open.

That bastard.

The narcissistic asshole.

All of a sudden the pencil in her hand broke. Rylie hadn't realized her grip was tightening…she threw the bits of the pencil at a wall in fury.

A fire escape.

Rylie froze. The image of the fire escape along the building would allow Ryder to climb to the roof of the warehouse next door and escape down the fire escape on that building.

Ryder was going to run.

Rylie got up from her chair and ran into the room in search of Ryder.

It was empty.

She ran up the stairs into the kitchen area, took one quick sweep of the room, and her eyes fell upon an open window, the one to the fire escape.

He ran.

"Shit."


I hope you guys liked this chapter!

And I hope you guys are excited for the next episode tonight, because I am!

;)