an: hi, guys! It's officially my birthday woooooooooh! anyway, I thought I'd celebrate it by not studying for my midterm tomorrow and updating this story instead. I'm probably really gonna regret it, but hey! I'm really glad I got positive responses from you guys about Julius, by the way. I love Cas and Jules both in my own ways and I'm glad you guys do too! Here's the next chappie, enjoy!
"There's not much to this place," Julius explains as he walks me through the same dirty hallway that Cassius had taken me through so long ago. "There are two private rooms and one communal sleeping bunk, which I don't think you'd care to see. There's one for children and one for adults."
I trip over a rock, just barely managing to catch myself.
Julius laughs. "You get used to this tunnel soon enough." He takes me lightly by the elbow and guides me forward. "Anyway," he continues, "when we're not in the forest, we usually hang out in the Tavern."
His grip on my elbow is making me unnecessarily anxious. "Last time I was here I was with Cassius. He was looking for you, I think."
"Ah, yes," Julius replies, "I got a lot of flack from my buddy Bart about that little visit."
I remember Bart's greasy black hair and poisonous smile with a shudder. "Yeah," I say, "sorry about that."
"Don't apologize," he replies earnestly, "Cas beat him fair and square. It's not your fault Bart can't keep himself out of trouble."
Once we reach the Tavern, it is nearly empty. My eyes immediately set in search of Mary, or even Bart, but the men in the room aren't familiar to me. There are three of them throwing sacks of food to each other and loading them into a storage room in the back.
"Not nearly enough," one of them says.
"Maybe we should go see some of the forest," Julius says to me, taking a step toward the ladder leading out of the Tavern.
I turn to face him. "What are they doing?" I ask.
"Stocking food for everyone that lives here."
"And there's not enough?"
"It's complicated," Julius says.
"I think I can keep up," I reply as Julius leads me toward the ladder that leads into the forest.
We are silent a moment as I grab the rungs and begin pulling myself up. Then, "We have a small crop, hidden. It isn't enough for all of us, though."
"Why don't you make a bigger crop?" but I'm afraid the answer is almost painfully obvious to me.
"His Highness doesn't allow for it," Julius answers bitterly.
"That's terrible," I say, surprised at the malice in my own voice.
I hear him laugh behind me. I am thankful that my dress is long enough to where I don't have to worry about him seeing up it. "That's an understatement. We sit here starving while he gorges on all the food he wants."
I emerge into a dark room, the size of a closet. Julius pulls himself up and stands next to me, pulling some unseen lever and releasing the trap to open the door. We enter into the forest through the secret entrance in the tree that I had seen Mary use once. I think of that day, of Cassius, and my heart hurts. He was the one Julius was talking about, the one dining on whatever he pleases while his twin brother starves out here in the forest. I think of the pantry in the House, where I had first escaped, where Cassius had kissed me before the final ceremony, and furrow my brow. "What if we took it?"
Now Julius' laugh is a startled one. "Took what?"
"Their food. They have enough."
"You're crazy."
"It's been done before," I say defensively. "Stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Why can't we?"
"Because it's crazy."
I turn to face him, staring at his face. The light filtering through the trees made his eyes light up, the way Cassius' would when he argued for something he believed in. Julius' scar stood out more in this light, but it didn't deter from his handsomeness at all. For the rest of eternity, I think, I'm going to try and forget about Cassius. But I won't be able to; I'll be staring at his face every day.
Finally Julius gives me a wry grin. "Good thing I like crazy."
an: update! so I found this in my drafts and forgot to publish it! But it is way too short for as long as I've made you guys wait for an update; you deserve so much more! Please forgive my tardiness and accept this lengthened chapter as a token of friendship and love. Enjoy!
I've been finding it much easier to maneuver in a dress recently.
Of course, this dress is going to be what I'll be wearing for the rest of my eternal life. I feel the fabric rushing through and over my legs as I silently run alongside Julius toward the House. After watching for a little while we figured out that Peter has had guards stationed to walk to perimeter- either to keep people in or out, I have no idea. We figured that it should just be the two of us to go through with doing this so we don't get anyone else killed if we get caught for what we are about to do.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Julius whispers to me as we near the House. We are crouched beneath a hill where the guards walking by cannot see us. He doesn't seem to be questioning my physical capability; he seems more concerned that I might never come back out of the House.
Mute, I nod.
"Give me the signal when you're ready."
I wait until the guard has finished passing the side of the House that I need to get to before taking off toward it, Julius hot on my heels. Once we reach the side of the House that we want, Julius kneels and weaves his hands together, creating a makeshift step for me. He lifts me up until I reach the window to the pantry that I escaped from, the one that didn't lock. I manage to wedge it open enough to slide through, landing awkwardly on my hands.
I right myself, trying to stay as quiet as possible. There is as much food in here as ever, bags of seeds, grains, fruits, and vegetables. I need to wait till the guard makes another round before Julius can come back over and help me lower them from the window. I peer out of the door of the pantry and into the House. No one. The place is as quiet as the grave, seemingly deserted. Maybe they aren't home right now.
I check the window and see the guard making his round beneath the window. Once he has passed, Julius comes out of hiding and stands beneath the window. I pick up the first back I see and toss it down to him as quietly as I can, then a second. He runs back to the cart that we have hiding out of sight, returning once the guard passes by the window once more. I throw three more bags to him.
The third time he comes back, though, I pick up a bag with a hole in it. Seeds spill out of the sack and clatter to the floor. I wince and my heart stops entirely. I look down at Julius to see him looking up at me with wide eyes. "We have enough, let's go," he whispers.
I shake my head, thinking of the starving lost boys, and throw more bags down to him, trying to hurry.
After Julius makes his sixth trip, I decide to call it good before I get caught.
A hand clamps itself over my mouth before I can make it to the window. Cassius stands in front of me, glaring. He pushes me back against the wall of the pantry, his thumb pressing into my throat painfully. "What the hell are you doing?"
I merely stare at him. He looks more angry than I've ever seen him, but more than that he looks absolutely exhausted. There are dark circles under his eyes and his dark hair is sticking up in every direction. His eyes are glittering gold and I miss him more than anything.
He takes his hand from my mouth and backs up a step. "What the hell are you doing, Soph?"
I can't find words. "I-"
"Hey, crazy," I hear Julius quietly call up to me.
Cassius' eyes darken as he stares at me.
"Come on, Sophia, we gotta go!"
"I can't just let them starve," I tell Cassius.
"You're not their mother."
"And you're not as ruthless as your father, Cas." I stare into his eyes, refusing to back down. "He's your brother."
A muscle in his jaw jumps but he says nothing.
"Sophia? Are you dead?"
"If my father or the guards catch you, you're dead," Cassius tells me. "I told you not to come back."
"I thought you knew, Cas," I say, moving closer to him. Surprised he takes a step away from me, his eyes wide. My lips are right on top of his, barely touching. "I have a problem with doing what I'm told."
With that, I shove him backwards and swing myself through the window.
"Come on, crazy, jump!" Julius calls to me.
I jump and land halfway in his arms. Julius helps me to my feet and shoves me ahead of him. "Any trouble?" Julius asks.
I open my mouth the tell him none, but my words are cut off by a shout. "Sophia, stop."
I turn and fall to the ground when I see Cassius pointing a gun at me.
Julius nearly falls to the ground as well, but manages to keep his cool. He kneels down next to me and grabs my arm, about to pull me up.
"Don't move," Cassius warns Julius.
"Come on, Cassie." Julius' voice is half teasing, half threatening. "You don't want to do this."
I merely stare at Cassius welding a weapon. Is this how I'm going to die? At his hand?
Cassius stares long and hard at both of us. "I'm only doing this so the guards don't get involved. You two run back to the Tavern and you never steal from here again."
"That sounds like a challenge."
"I mean it Julie." Though the nickname is affectionate, his tone is not. "You two are going to get yourselves killed."
"What does it matter to you?" I ask as Julius helps me up.
"Don't act like I have a choice in the matter, Soph. None of us do."
We stare at each other in silence.
"As awkward as this moment is for me," Julius says, "I'm ready to call it a day. Let's all throw the towels in. Goodbye, Cassie. Till next time." He gently takes me by the arm and guides me away.
When I look back over my shoulder, Cassius is gone.
"He was going to kill me," I say quietly.
"You?" Julius asks, startled. "Me, maybe. Never you."
I look at him.
Julius shrugs. "I know my brother, believe it or not. Did you see that look in his eye? He was pointing the gun at you because you are killing him."
"He killed me first," I say quietly.
Julius rolls his eyes.
an: yaaaaay! tell me what you guys think (and remember it's my birthday so be nice!) and I'd like to give a happy birthday shootout to all of my reviewers that asked me to update on account of their birthday! The guilt card was so worth it because you guys got me to actually sit down and crank a chapter out! Also, 250 reviews, are you kidding? Do you know what I'm gonna do when we hit 300? Like bonus chapter and lots of fluff or something cray cray. Till next time!
