April 17, 1968
"Hey, Wanda? Can I talk to you?"
Wanda gave Peter an uncertain look. He wished she wouldn't look at him like that. Yes, they'd had a fight, and it had been his fault, but still. It wasn't like they couldn't talk it out, especially with their rapidly warming relationship with their new siblings. Things with their father were still shit, but still.
Next to her Anya picked up a piece from the checkers board and moved it. The little girl was still very shy about them, he knew she didn't talk that softly normally, but Lorna had been right. She wanted to love them so much. She'd even cancelled her camping trip with her Girl Scout troop, apparently citing a 'family emergency.'
It made Peter wonder about just who Lorna and Anya's mother had been, this strange woman that Lorna held in such reverence. Made him a little envious when he thought of his own mother really.
"Bounce, bounce, I win," Anya said.
Wanda looked back at the board and sighed.
"That's the third game today," she sighed.
"You letting little sis win?" Peter said.
She gave him a look, but he'd never been very good at keeping his mouth shut. There had never been any reason too. Besides, everyone seemed to move so slow around him. He had to talk fast to make up for them.
"I'm not letting anyone do anything," mumbled Wanda, "She's better at it than I am."
"I'm not good at cards though," Anya said, "You're good at cards."
Wanda arched an eyebrow.
"What makes you think that I'm good at cards?" she asked.
"You carry a pack around with you," said Anya.
There was a pause. Wanda fished inside her pocket and pulled out her packet of tarot cards.
"You mean these?" she asked.
"Yeah, those," Anya said, "I saw them sticking out of your pocket. I've never seen cards like that before though."
Wanda flushed. Peter sat down next to Anya. She seemed like a good kid, and he wasn't going to have her getting any bad ideas about Wanda. So many people freaked out when they heard the words 'tarot cards.'
"They're special cards," Peter said, "My grandmamma gave them to her. She liked her better."
"She um, we're Romani," said Wanda.
Anya pursed her lips.
"That means we're originally from Romania on our mother's side and, well, some people call us gypsies-" Peter began.
With a speed that impressed him, Anya cut him off.
"Yeah," she said brightly, "Gypsies. Controversial backgrounds, but it's mostly just a transient and community-based lifestyle."
Peter and Wanda stared at each other.
"I read a lot," Anya said, "I don't have mutant lessons, so I read."
She smoothed her skirt and looked at the cards.
"What's with the cards though?" she asked.
"Oh, um, tarot cards are used to predict the future," Wanda said.
Anya's eyes widened. Peter waited, wondering if he was going to need to say something. Wanda had started out with the cards in a way to honor their grandmamma, whom they had met twice before she died. They had both liked her better than their mother, and she'd told them about magic. It was around that time that Peter had started saying that Wanda jinxed people, although Wanda hadn't liked that.
She had liked the tarot cards. Their mother hadn't, but Wanda told him she liked the colors and the spark of their heritage. She'd done a few readings for Peter, before recently he'd always considered himself a very good brother willing to do anything for his sister, and they'd been somewhat accurate.
It was just a bit of fun, but that was when the whispers at school started. 'Witch' was the most common name that she'd been called. His sister had stopped wearing her favorite color, red, in an attempt to blend in. It hadn't stopped them, and it had made him angry that she wouldn't fight back.
Or, as she'd said, she'd decided not to. He couldn't bare to see his sister so downtrodden, so he'd always come to what he'd thought was her rescue. Maybe she hadn't understood that and she'd seen it as something different.
"I'm not very good-" said Wanda.
"Do me!" Anya squealed.
"Oh, um," Wanda said.
She blushed.
"Your sister might not like that," she said.
"She'll understand," Anya said, "It's like when she told me not to tell mom and dad about her moving metal around. We um..."
She gave her a shy smile.
"Sisters do stuff some times."
Wanda smiled, but she still looked uncertain. Peter couldn't blame her. People had been making fun of her too much for too long. So Peter grinned.
"Go ahead Wanda," he said, "You should have some fun."
"Lorna-" she said.
"I'll tell her it was my idea," Peter said, "She already thinks I'm kind of an asshole. No biggie."
Wanda laughed. She took out her cards and began setting them out. Anya rocked back and forth, staring at the cards. Wanda flipped over a card.
"That's Justice," she said, "I think it's good portent for your future. Were you considering doing something with law?"
"I was thinking about going into politics," Anya said, "Then I can be special like you guys."
Peter frowned and glanced over at Wanda. He suddenly wondered what it must feel like to have most of your family have special powers while you have nothing. It wasn't just her family though: it was all of her friends too.
That couldn't be a good feeling.
"Well, um, here's Strength and Wheel of Destiny," Wanda said, forcing cheerfulness in her voice, "It means that you're going to be compassionate, and that you've got a touch of destiny."
Anya smiled wider as Wanda reached for another card. As she did she bumped the card underneath Strength. It slipped out.
"Oh. I've never had this one come up," Wanda said.
"What?" asked Anya.
"The uh, Hermit card," said Wanda, "It was underneath Strength, so I wouldn't bother with it."
Peter raised an eyebrow.
"What's it mean?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said, "And I'm not good anyway."
"Tell me," Anya said curiously.
Wanda moved her jaw. Peter realized that she was biting the inside of her mouth. Whatever the Hermit card was, it was making her uncomfortable.
"The Hermit card means introspection and um, occasionally loneliness," she said, "It's reversed, so it's um, not positive. Probably the second."
"Oh," Anya said.
She looked at the card, cocking her head.
"Why was it underneath the other one?" she said.
"I think it means that it can be one or the other," Wanda said, "But the Strength card was on top. So think about that one."
Anya nodded, still looking bright. Wanda hastily began picking up the cards.
"Okay," Anya said, "Politics."
She grinned again. Peter couldn't help but grin back. His new little sister was awfully cute. Anya actually reminded him a bit of Wanda when they had both been younger. It reminded him just how much he needed to patch things up with her.
"Hey, Wanda, can I talk to you now that you're done with the reading?" he asked.
His twin still gave him an uncertain look.
"Please?" he asked.
She sighed and nodded.
"I'll be back in a minute," Wanda said.
She got up. Peter put an arm around her shoulders and a hand behind her head.
"Can't have you getting whiplash," he said.
"Huh?" Anya asked.
"Wheeep-laaash," drawled Peter, "It's just what happens when I'm awesome."
Anya laughed. She could be a Mousketeer with that laugh. He sped off to the garage, which he figured was the most secluded area that wasn't their room. Wanda sighed when he stopped, fluffing out her auburn hair.
"Peter-"
He got down on his knees.
"I'm really, really sorry," he said.
Wanda blinked. While Peter was quick to do a lot of things, he knew sincere apologies weren't one of them.
"Get off your knees," she said, "You're overdoing it."
"I mean it," he said, "I was frustrated. Wanda, part of me does prefer the idea of it just being us. I hadn't even really met Anya before the other day, Lorna was so cold, and I still think that the only link that really binds us all together is an asshole who doesn't talk. Don't even know what our stepmom's like."
"She's in a coma," Wanda said.
"She's not here, I know that much," said Peter.
"Actually she's on the faculty floor," Wanda said, "She uh, she's next to our dad's room. Lorna told me."
"Oh-kay. That's besides the point," Peter said, "The thing is, it's just been you and me for so long and I...didn't really want that to change. I guess I was getting a little jealous that you wanted to know new siblings so much."
He sighed and crossed his arms. He knew he looked silly doing it on his knees, but he couldn't figure out another position.
"I love you Wanda," he said, "You're my sister, and my friend, and I know mom only really hated you because you always stood up for me. You did a lot of things for me when I was younger, making sure that things were okay for me...and I threw that back in your face because I'm not good at making things okay for you. I'm sorry."
Wanda smiled and knelt down. She hugged him, and Peter had to wiggle around so that he could hug her back.
"Things are different now," she said, "I'm not gonna love you any less just because I have new sisters."
She let go and grinned.
"Besides, I need someone whose hair I can't braid," she said.
"Hey, give me another few years and I can grow it out," Peter said.
Wanda laughed and got to her feet. She held out a hand and helped Peter up.
"Now, Anya's probably wondering where we've got to-" Wanda said.
"She isn't, because I brought her here," said Lorna.
He turned and saw Lorna crossing her arms. Anya stood next to her, still looking like a happy little baby doll.
"What are you doing down here?" Lorna asked.
"Talking," he said.
"You shouldn't go in here too often," she said, "The garage is off limits most of the time ever since Alex caught some of the younger kids trying to take his motorcycle for a joy ride."
"Hey, I love going where I'm not supposed to," said Peter.
"Who's Alex?" Wanda asked.
Lorna's mouth opened slightly, and Peter saw pain there. Anya piped up.
"He's one of our older friends. He's tough and cool. He can beat up anyone, just like her," she said, gesturing to Lorna, "Oh, and he's gonna marry Lorna."
There was a pause.
"You didn't mention you had a fiancé," Wanda said.
"He's in Vietnam," said Lorna.
Her voice was terse and unhappy. Peter made a face.
"I'd rather go to college than get drafted myself," Peter said, "And I really hate books. That should tell you something-"
"He has a motorcycle?" Wanda said.
She gave him a look. He was glad that they'd made up. He needed a censor sometimes. Well, most of the time.
"Taught me how to ride," Lorna said, walking up to a motorcycle and lovingly running a finger over the handlebars, "Fastest ride ever."
"I bet I can do faster," scoffed Peter.
She raised her eyebrows and grinned.
"Do I hear a challenge?" she asked.
"Duuuh," Peter said, "I can go pretty damn fast. Your little trike isn't going to do anything against that."
Lorna grabbed a thick pair of goggles. She pulled them down and then grabbed a helmet off a side board. Lorna sat down on the bike and put it on. She kicked the bike off its stand and pressed a button. The garage door opened.
"Nifty," Peter asked.
"Hank installed it. He has some good ideas for upgrades," she said, "So, how about we race to the end of the driveway?"
"Can I count down?" Anya asked.
"Sure," Lorna said.
"Don't hurt yourself," Wanda called.
Peter grinned. He fished a pair of goggles from his pockets and put them on. He gave a thumbs-up to Lorna.
"Three, two, one!"
Peter ran forwards. The landscape streaked around him, and he chuckled to himself. No way was he going to get outdone by a machine. And then the motorcycle rumbled distantly behind him- or not so distantly. Actually, that was pretty close.
He looked back and saw Lorna right behind him. He almost tripped and had to stumble to figure it out. By the time he did they had almost reached the drive. He still reached the end of the drive before her, but only barely.
"That's a damn fast bike," he said.
"Hank put some installments in it too," Lorna said, laughing and braking, "I had him do it without Alex knowing. You should've seen his face when he pressed the button on the side for the first time."
Peter laughed too. Maybe having sisters other than Wanda was going to be fun.