Insecurities
Skylor sat on his bed with his legs bent in front of him. Another thick, black, leather bound book in hand. He had long since finished his homework. He sat back against the wall and read.
Lily sat perpendicular to him at the head of his bed, legs crossed under her and doing homework.
The book Sky was reading had his attention well absorbed. But he knew he was being watched. Sky lowered his book a few centimeters to see Lily watching him. They locked eyes for a minutes until Lily smiled and looked back down to her homework again. Sky watched her for a while longer before he went back to his book.
He made it through another couple pages when he realized Lily was watching him again. He looked above the top of the book to meet Lily's eyes. She blushed and looked back down. Sky raised his brow and watcher her again for a while longer. He went back to his book.
In the middle of the next page, the book was lifted from his hands. Lily sat kneeling in front of him and she set the book down by her side. He watched her.
Lily's expression looked impatient. Or frustrated. Or needy. Something. But before Sky could identify it, Lily placed her lips to his. The movement took Sky by surprise but it never showed. He kissed her back.
The kiss lasted for a few minutes. Lily broke it and pulled back. Sky never moved from his position. Lily backed herself up and sat in front of him on her knees.
She smiled shyly and fought back the blush.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that about?" Sky asked, being careful not to sound anything that she might take wrong.
"Can't I kiss my boyfriend?" She asked innocently.
"As much as you want. But that wasn't your normal kiss."
Lily shrugged. "You looked bored."
Sky nodded once.
Lily looked down allowing her hair to cover her face.
"What's wrong?" Sky asked gently.
"Nothing." She said quietly.
Sky watched her until she looked up to him. "What's wrong?" He asked again not sounding any more insistent. It was as if he was asking for the first time.
She sighed. "I just don't want you to lose interest in me and leave." Her voice was barely audible.
"Why would you think that?"
"Everyone leaves me. Anytime I'm really happy, someone I love leaves or something major changes. When I was four, my cat died. When I was five I got a sister. Seven my dog ran away. Ten I got Quim. Twelve my mother left. And last summer my best friend since second grade moved to Georgia. Now I have you. I'm happy. So now you'll get bored with me and leave. Just like everyone else. And I'll be alone again."
Sky watched her as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Lily, I'm not bored with you. You were busy so I was reading."
Lily nodded.
Sky pulled her into him and hugged her. She rested against his chest.
"I'm not going anywhere." Sky said reassuringly.
"How do you know? If your parents want to move, there's nothing you can do to stop them."
"They'd ask Jetta and I first."
"But if they decided it was for the best, what can you say to stop it? You're only a kid."
"You don't know my parents."
She nodded and buried her face more in his chest. Sky ran his fingers down her back.
There was a knock and his door opened. Lily sprang off him and turned red. Sky didn't so much as flinch.
"Sorry. Forgot you were having company."
Sky nodded as he looked to the visitor. "Mom. Lily. Lily. My mom." He introduced.
Lily jumped off the bed to greet her. Raven smiled a little. "Will you be staying for dinner?"
Lily made to answer but Sky beat her to it. "Yes."
Raven nodded. "Nice to meet you, Lily." She turned to her son. "I'll remember to knock."
Sky half nodded and half shrugged.
Raven left, shutting the door behind her.
Sky saw Lily sigh. "Relax." He told her.
Lily turned to him. "You didn't even move." She said almost amazed.
"It was my mother. Why should I?"
"Ok." Lily walked back to his bed and climbed back on. Skylor picked back up his book. Lily watched him.
Sky looked to her and closed the book with a small smile. "You have my undivided attention." He said placing the book back down.
Lily smiled and continued her homework with Sky watching her.
Ten minutes had passed with nothing different. Lily doing homework. Sky watching her.
"I'll be right back." Sky headed for the door leaving it ajar as he disappeared down the stairs.
Lily went back to her homework.
"Sky, do you still have mom's Book of-"
Lily looked up when she heard the voice to see a young girl with long blonde hair and purple eyes just inside the open door. She assumed it to be Jetta, since Sky had only one sister. Only one sibling.
"Hi. I'm Lily." She greeted with a smile.
Jetta said nothing. Only looked at her.
"It's nice to meet you. Sky's told me a lot about you."
Jetta still said nothing.
Lily got uncomfortable. "Sky went down stairs I think. He said he'd be right back."
Jetta turned and left.
Shortly after, Sky reentered and shut the door behind him. Walking over to Lily, he handed her a bottle of Strawberry Kiwi juice.
Lily smiled and sipped it. "I met your sister. I don't think she likes me."
"Why?"
"She wouldn't say a word to me. Once she realized you weren't in here she stopped talking and left after I said you went down stairs."
Sky laughed. "I told you she never talks to anyone."
"But why?"
"Nothing to say." Sky shrugged. "Give her time. You'll grow on her."
"What makes you so sure?"
Sky smiled. "You're amazing. Who wouldn't like you?"
Lily blushed.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOX
"I've been thinking." Gar said as he sat at the kitchen table with some papers in hand.
"Haven't I warned you about that?" Jenni teased.
Gar grinned. "You know I like to take my chances."
Jenni giggled. "What have you been thinking about, honey?"
"Well, yesterday at work, Constantine brought in-"
"Constantine?" Jenni interrupted.
"Yea. My new secretary. Anyways-"
"New secretary? What was wrong with the old one?" Jenni asked with a frown.
"Huh? Oh, she was caught selling company information on the nets. We fired her weeks ago." He said nonchalantly.
"Weeks ago? You never told me you had a new secretary." Jenni pointed out with defense.
"I didn't think it was important." He said narrowing his eyes at her.
Jenni let her eyes widen a little before looking away. "It's not."
Gar looked at Jenni who was avoiding eye contact at all costs. He smiled. "Jen, are you jealous?"
"Why would I be jealous?" She said looking at her feet.
Gar got up and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He felt her sigh. "I'm not sure why. So tell me."
Jenni let her head fall. She turned to face him. "I don't know. I hate that you always get all these good-looking super model secretaries. With their long blonde hair, blue shiny eyes, radiant smiles, so many curves, tight clothing. And her I am with my wide, child-giving hips, pink hair, pink eyes. You got the freak at home and at work you're surrounded with all these young big-chested women-"
Gar cut her off with his lips against hers. After a long kiss he let her go. "I married you. And you, my lady, were hired to destroy me and my friends. How many times did you try to kill me? And yet, I still married you. Imagine that."
Jenni hit him playfully. "Ok. So I'm pathetic. I love my hot, green husband and I'm afraid of him finding better than little old me."
Gar shook his head. "You're mistaken. You see, I'm really superficial. So better would have to own New York State. Or have the technology to galaxy hop at light speed. Or someone else with green skin and pointy ears."
Jenni narrowed her eyes.
"You see, Jenni. There is no better than what I got. I got my enemy to marry me and have my children."
Jenni smirked. "So I'm stupid for being jealous. I'm sorry."
Gar smiled. "As long as you trust me."
"I do."
"My favorite words." Gar kissed her nose. "Good. Now back to the point. Constantine brought in a book she inherited with her whole family's history dating back to the early 1600's. I thought it would be nice to have one of our families."
Jenni raised her brow. "I thought you would have said something like a duck and you wanted to build a pond on the roof."
Gar looked thoughtful for a minute while the idea played out in his mind.
Jenni knew that look. Taking something she said as a joke seriously and considering it. "I was kidding. We don't need ducks or a pond. You can turn into all animals."
Gar shook his head to clear the thought. "Right. So what do you think?"
Jenni smiled. "I think it's a wonderful idea. Who knew you were so sentimental?"
Gar grinned proudly like a small child who had been praised for passing a spelling test.
"And I know just the person to find our families' history." Jenni continued.
"Really? Who?"
"Ender."
Gar looked surprised.
"Our son has a brilliant mind and can manipulate the net to get any information he has any remote interest in or is convinced he needs to know."
"How do you know?"
Jenni smiled. "I'm his mother. I know everything."
XOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
The night had long since closed in around them hours ago. The house was cool and quiet. The only light that made visibility possible was the moonlight that shown in through their bedroom window.
The younger boy opened his eyes. 2:48 am. Quietly he rolled out of bed and crossed the room, careful not to make a sound. He stood at the side of his brother's bed. Kneeling down, he proceeded to poke him in the shoulder.
"Creah." He whispered. "Creah, wake up."
Without any other movement, Creah opened his eyes to see Chance a few feet in front of him.
"It's time." Chance whispered again.
Creah sat up in bed and glanced at the clock. The time was right. He slipped out of bed and got to his hands and knees. From under his bed he pulled out a small green backpack. He stood and threw it over his shoulders. He looked to Chance and started out the door. Chance followed. They went down the hall passed by Miro's shut door, Jade's open door and their parent's door was ajar. Creah looked in to see them both sound asleep in bed. They continued down the stairs and through the kitchen where they stopped at the back door.
They both knew the alarm system was ready and armed so they didn't open the door. Instead, they went through the doggie door. Too many more times and they'd be too big to get through. They'd have to think of something else. But for now, that wasn't an issue.
Once on the patio, they stood to listen. They had been extremely quiet. Never made a sound. But you couldn't be too careful with his family. Their father is half machine, even if he appears not to be. And his mother can shrink down to microscopic size and hid anywhere. And they were always ready. The boys made eye contact again before they started on their way.
Their course was mapped out perfectly. They knew where every shadow was at this time, where every motion censored light, every out door dog. This was thoroughly planned.
Before stepping off the patio, they took off their socks and hid them under the welcome mat. They would need them again to help them make silent steps through the house when they came back. And if by chance they got wet, they'd make noise.
They began their short journey. Through three neighbor's back yards, around a few lights, making sure to keep well in the shadows and out of sight, around a corner and into a small alley in the next neighborhood over. They knelt behind a car.
Creah took off his bag and set it on the ground. Out of it he pulled a two way radio, two 2x2x2 inch black boxes, one with an unlit light the other with a button, and the small car he had made from Connex.
Chance turned on the radio and spoke into it. "Glass in."
There was silence for a minute. "Rooter copy. Planter present?"
Creah took the radio from Chance. "Planter in position. Clearance?" Creah spoke softly.
"Stand by." Came Rooter's voice over the radio.
There were a few minutes of silence.
"Human urges extreme caution. Enemy out tonight. Proceed at will." Rooter said.
Creah nodded. Chance spoke. "Planter copies."
Creah set the car on the ground and belted the first black box (with the button) to the back. He handed the other to Chance.
Chance watched at Creah shrank to about three inches in height and climbed in the small car. The car took off. Chance waited. The first five minutes went by fast as expected. Creah should be at his rendezvous point any second. Silence. He watched the radio. Still silence. Finally the confirmation came. The orange light on the radio flashed three times.
He spoke into the radio. "Glass to Rooter."
"Here."
"Rendezvous one."
"Copy."
There would be seven minutes between the first and second point. A long seven minutes. They came. Three more orange flashed followed. Chance spoke again.
"Glass to Rooter."
"Here."
"Rendezvous two."
"Copy."
Four minutes until Creah would reach his final destination. Four minutes went by. Then five. Then six. Chance started to get nervous. Where are you, Creah? Seven minutes. Eight. Then three flashes of the orange light. Chance exhaled deeply, but with no sound. He had made it. Not only that, it meant his brother was all right.
"Glass to Rooter."
"Here."
"Rendezvous three."
"Copy."
"Stand by for confirmation." Chance picked up the black box and watched it. Two minutes left. The green light came on.
"Glass to Rooter."
"Here."
"Activation complete."
"Copy."
The hard part of tonight was done. Even if they were caught now, the mission wouldn't be compromised. There was fifteen minutes to wait for Creah to make it back. And they went by slowly. Anxiety was rushing through Chance. Eating at him. The excitement. The thrill. The danger that lurked around every corner.
A light shown in the distance. At the end of the street. Headlights. Chance pushed everything under the car and rolled under it. Steadily the headlights were approaching. Chance could feel the fear start to course through his veins. The car was going too slow. This wasn't normal. He checked his watch. Thirteen minutes had gone by. Creah would show up very soon. The car went by, still too slow for comfort. But soon it was out of sight.
Chance crawled out from under the car. The little Connex car came wheeling around the corner. The three-inch Creah climbed out and grew to his normal height. Chanced handed him the radio.
"Planter to Rooter."
"Here."
"Mission Accomplished."
"Copy. Stand by."
Creah packed everything back into his backpack except the radio. They had to wait for clearance. And it came.
"Rooter to all units. Faze one complete. Rooter out."
"Planter out." Creah said and handed the radio to Chance.
"Human out." Came another young boy's voice.
"Shouter out." Came a young female voice.
"Glass out." Chance said before he turned off the radio and put it in the bag.
The boys smiled to each other and headed home. Night one was a success.
Darkofthenight- You are right of course. i think it's safe to say that you are my most loyalreader for this story. i cant say it enough... but thank you! thank you. thank you. i really like the reviews so i know that its still being read and liked or i might get descouraged and stop like i have with others. but anyways.. thank you again.
i think my goal for this story is coming along quite nicely. i try to updateas soon as i can. But like I've seen so many other writers say on ff, the more reviews i get the faster i will update. two per chapter is good with me. in fact it'sgreat. i really love that i get that. and as long as i keep getting that... i will try to have a new chapter up once every seven days. sound fair?
one more thing. i am currently drawing the families' portraits. fair warning, im not the greatest drawer. i am more of a writer. ive mostly completed Bishop but it needs finishing touches. it will be just the basic idea of what they look like in my mind. once i have them up i challenge any readers who might have a talent for drawing to make them look better in any way possible.
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