Author's Note: Oh my…It feels like ages, my dears, ages…At last, I've managed to relax a bit from the craziness of school life, and so have begun with the next chapter of LIT. No, no…I'm not quite finished with it (ehh, about halfway there), but it's been such a long time that I feel obliged to give you something. So below you'll find a snippet of Chapter 13. Just to tease you all P And also, QUITE IMPORTANT TO THE PLOT: I've made a significant edit to chapter 12 (near the beginning), so if you read it a while back, I suggest you take a look at it again. Alrighty? I've got the remainder of the story completely outlined, so hopefully this thing will get going again…
UNTIL then, I'll say tootles m'dears!
Chapter 13 – Excerpt
"Oh come off it, Wendy." John took a step into the room, narrowing his eyes at her. "I've seen the way you've been acting since coming back from the Locke manor. So concerned about your looks. Walking around with a noble expression on your face. Acting as if the chaps nodding their caps at you on the street were invisible. You don't even say a word at the dinner table anymore. Is it that our family conversations are just too unsophisticated for you now?"
"Oh, John, don't you dare!" Wendy demanded, marching toward him in anger. She could hardly believe her ears. "You know I'd never do such things. And if you didn't, I'd wonder whether you've been living under a rock your entire life!"
John looked down at his older sister, who came merely up to his chin, thanks to the abrupt growth spurt he'd experienced just a year ago.
"I'm simply stating what I see," he hissed quietly, tucking his hands coolly into his trouser pockets.
Wendy's burning blue eyes shifted from John's slightly curled mouth to his own dark brown pupils. She knew resorting to accusations would be low, but she was beyond composure.
"You're unbelievable," she sneered. "Do you even realize, you're one to talk? You're just as obsessed about money as father is. You never want to help with the boys, never want to spend time with them. For heaven's sake, you rarely even let them step into your room! And let me remind you, dear brother, that the only reason why we leave so early every morning is because we make a detour of nearly six blocks just so you can escort your little princess to school."
Wendy ended to catch her breath, just as Nibs appeared at the doorway. He peered from her to John with furrowed eyebrows.
"If you and the boys are ready," she went on in a lower voice, "then there's no use in wasting your impatience on me." She went to the edge of her bed and sat down to tighten the laces of her boots, trying to avoid any more confrontation.
There was a long silence before she finally heard John's heavy footsteps leave the room, and when she looked back up from her boots, she saw Nibs still standing at the doorway.
"You better get going," she insisted, trying to tame her shaking voice.
Nibs stared at her a moment longer, with bags under his eyes that strangely made it seem as though he were about to cry. He said nothing, however, and eventually disappeared from the doorway.