the sleepless elite
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chapter eleven
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I'm thinking 'bout coming home, babe
– Vance Joy, Call If You Need Me
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"It's complicated." Is what Daring says to deflect the argument but it just feels like it set things off. Just a week ago, things were so simple. The reunion wasn't so …
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A part of Darling Charming felt like she was cursed to have had things happen to her. Actually, she thinks the whole Charming family is cursed.
A few months ago, her oldest brother, Daring voiced the same thing about being down on luck. He had an identity crisis, not knowing who he was without his popularity and his status as the best person in high school. But then Rosabella Beauty rescued him (rescued him) and now he's better.
So Darling wonders if she really is a damsel in distress, waiting all her life, in need of someone to rescue her. She remembers being five years old and having Dexter promise he'll have her back. However, now that he's busy being in love with Raven Queen, it's hard to picture her brother being princely and coming to her aid.
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"Are you going to the library again?" Darling asks, dressed in her pyjamas, as she catches her brothers leaving the house with their backpacks.
"Yeah," Dexter offers a sad smile.
Darling then turns and waits for Daring's reply but none comes. She watches Daring busy himself by texting someone on his phone. Five bucks on who it could be. Even when Daring's here, he isn't. An annoyed feeling nipped in her stomach, Darling feels like Daring hasn't gone off his phone since he got back home.
Dexter says, "I'm sorry, Darling. But, you know how it is with assignments."
Darling doesn't.
Long story short, Christmas break wasn't exactly a 'break' at all. It was just a lie, they had essays due in January. It was troublesome and the Charming boys would like to get it out of the way before procrastination gripped them and gave them the illusion that they had all the time in the world. They couldn't let their grades slip.
However, Darling was tired of waiting. She was sick of it. She was sick and tired of waiting for her brothers to return from the library only to call in an early night, she was sick and tired of her parents leaving soon after for work, she was sick and tired of being alone in the big house.
"Will you be back soon? It won't be long, will it?" Darling asks.
It's been a whole week since her brothers have stopped spending time with her. The first day the boys came home, it was spent jet-lagged after the home movie, the second day was spent with the whole family – having an outing at the mall and eating as a family, the third was spend just resting since the boys still felt tired. But then the fourth day was when the Charming family dispersed with Daring and Dexter heading off to write their essays at the library and, Mr and Mrs Charming heading off to work again.
Seven full days were spent doing other activities which didn't involve Darling. Seven days where there was an implication that Darling could be involvement by the skin of their teeth, "Maybe later", "Not now", "Just wait a little", making her wait for someone to come to her.
It was understandable that Darling was getting frustrated. She's spent four months being left alone. Four months. Isn't that enough waiting around?
"I sure hope not." Dexter answers, which translate to 'maybe'. "Dare and I are almost done."
Darling perks up at this. "Really? So can we have another movie night?"
"Maybe?" Dexter answers. His blue eyes snap to Daring who's still fiddling with his phone. "Dare, are you up for a movie tonight?"
"Tonight?" Daring asks, not looking up from his phone as his fingers flew across the screen. "I'm still four hundred words short and I haven't cited my references yet."
"It could be tomorrow if you're feeling tired." Darling says, willing to do anything as long as she spends time with the two.
"Um, actually …" Daring's face flushes pink. "I was thinking … of visiting the Beautys once I'm done with my essay."
"Rosabella?" Darling asks while Dexter stays silent.
"And Briar," Daring defends himself. "It's – It's not just to see my girlfriend. Briar and I – we – we do go to the same Business school, I just wanted to make sure … you know, that my essay is on point and if we have the same referencing." Daring says, tripping over his words. He seems oddly guilty. Did he plan all this beforehand?
"Well, if it's just to drop by for a visit, I don't mind waiting –"
"Um, actually." Daring doesn't seem as outspoken as his old high school self, now being a little more carefully. Like he knows how his words work. "Actually, I'm staying there for a whole week."
"A whole week?"
"Briar and I talked about it," Daring says. He's caught red-handed, he did plan this.
"Do you … not want to spend time with the family?"
Daring opens and closes his mouth, not knowing what to say. He isn't sure if the twins have known that he and Mother have never seen eye to eye and that he thinks Father expects too much of him. "It's … It's not like that. I do want to spend time with you."
"But not Father and Mother?" Darling asks, feeling like challenging her oldest brother. She knows their parents tend to put a lot on their shoulders, well, at least the boys more than hers. But to say … But to say Daring doesn't want to spend time with their parents, their family.
"… I don't know." Is all Daring answers. "It's complicated."
Darling reads her brother like an open book. Sometimes, she thinks it's bad that they're so alike. "Are the Beautys your new family now, Dare?"
"Is it wrong that I like them better?" Daring challenges back, now red with anger. Is this a fight? Because it sounds like it's becoming a fight. "I'm going outside to start the car." Daring snaps before Darling can say anything more and stomps off. He's done this tactic before when he used to fight with Dexter over the smallest things and he'll do it again if it meant avoiding an argument before it blows up.
Dexter clenches his teeth at the unexpected heat thrown back and forth between his siblings. He knows Darling has been restless since the Summer, he knows she wants to do things. But to feel this much … it was …
"Are you coming, Dex?" Daring asks before he's out the door.
There's a pause as Dexter looks between Daring and Darling. He hesitates and says, "In a moment."
Daring doesn't add anything after that, he just takes a shaky breath in and huffs then walks outside.
Dexter starts, "… Darling –"
"Are you going to spend time away from the family too, Dex?" Darling asks Dexter, suddenly ripping her attention to her twin.
Dexter's face twists like he's just swallowed an entire lemon. Dexter's always been the kind to take his time; observe and calculate then speak publicly. He tries to word his words carefully, "I have another essay to write. So I'll likely spend another week being busy. I do have a date with Raven, and I want to see my friends, Humphrey and the IT guys from high school, once I'm done with my work. But I'm not …"
Darling was right, the family is cursed.
"I'm not going to just leave you. I'm just busy." Dexter's shoulders drop as he finishes his words.
"So, you'll spend another week doing your essay, a day with Raven, a few more days with your friends. By the time you're done doing all that, you'll be back in college. You won't have any time for me." Darling knows she's sounding like a brat. She knows she can be coddled and babied too much. But is it so bad to want to spend time with her brothers? Is it so wrong?
Dexter's brows pluck with uncertainty. "I'm sorry. I'll make time."
"Will you?" Darling asks and means it. "Because it doesn't feel like it."
And all Dexter can think about is the same lame apology with no explanation, "I'm sorry."
"Forget it." Darling huffs. "Forget the movie. Just –" She grips onto the hem of her pyjama shirt, bunching up fabric and causing wrinkles. "Just go."
Knowing he can't win the fight, Dexter turns away, hands clutching onto his backpack straps. He feels incredibly guilty, but before he leaves, he asks, "Will you be home when I get back?"
Darling has her back turned, already making her way back to her room to get something – the keys to her motorcycle. "No, I'm tired of waiting."
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"Darling?" Dexter calls hours later after their essays are done and submitted.
Their parents aren't home from work yet and it's early in the evening when the boys return. Darling's room is dark as Daring and Dexter stand at the mouth of her open door bedroom.
"We're back," Dexter continues in a gentle voice and elbows Daring in the ribs to say something.
"… Hey," Daring speaks and doesn't get a reply. Siblings are weird, sometimes you don't even need to apologise. Sometimes you just pop your head into their rooms and ask if they wanna chill to make up for the argument.
"Do you still want to see that movie?" Dexter asks into the darkness. "We won't flake out on you anymore." But one look from Daring and Dexter corrects himself, "Well, for a couple of days. You know, reasonably speaking but …"
Daring flicks of the lights of Darling's room and is greeted with an empty bed. Daring's own blue eyes grow wide as he whips his head and scans the blue themed bedroom from head to toe.
"Darling?!" Dexter gasps and takes three steps into the room then spins his heel and shakes his brother's shoulders. "Dare, where's Darling?!"
"How am I supposed to know? You're the last person to talk to her!" Daring answers but he's just as worried. God, did she run away or something after he said all those mean words to her?
"She said she wouldn't be home when I asked her but I didn't think – I thought she was just being dramatic!"
"So where is she?!"
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Notes
This chapter will be mentioned in 99 cent dreams part three.
– 31 May 2018
