Chapter 6

A pleasant routine quickly settled between them and time flew by without either of them noticing. Mara, contrary to popular belief, was the reckless one, but also the more collected one. She knew her brother and his way of thinking better than anyone, and while Chris tried to avoid her at all costs when William was around, she knew better. It would sooner raised his suspicions that Chris suddenly put extraordinary effort into avoiding his other best friend, than if he downright flirted with her. That's what they have always done up to this moment, that was how they communicated: with furtive glances, faint smiles, slight nudges and eloquent silences only they could understand. Sometimes William felt out of place when he stood between Mara and Chris who seemed to have developed an entirely new language they were the only ones to speak.

Paradoxically, this came to an abrupt stop as soon as Chris began to see Mara behind William's back. The paranoia and fear of getting caught red handed made him behave abnormally and it became obvious. Chris was a good liar most of the time, but this was the first time he had to put such effort into keeping something from his long time best friend, for such a long period of time. Mara had to compensate for his lack of flirting when he grew too distant. She had to continuously remind him to just be himself and not act any different from before, at least for the first three weeks of their secret affair.

Whenever William left the apartment to go out with Noora or spend the night out, Chris came over, and these were the best of times. He could ring the doorbell without feeling his heartbeat accelerate because what if William notices? Mara always opens the door, and she's not dressed up, her hair isn't done and she doesn't wear heels, and Chris loves it. He can pick her up and they kiss for so long the automatic light in the hallway turns off, and when that happens it's their cue to walk back to her room, and they can finally do what every other couple does.

They talk, they laugh, they put on a movie that they don't pay attention to and they kiss and have sex until they eventually fall asleep.

Chris always leaves so early... Mara knows it's a necessary precaution, but it's also a heartfelt disappointment, especially when it turns out that William doesn't show up before noon and Chris could have stayed longer.

The rest of the time, they acted normal. Chris got over his initial constant vigilance and was back to his casual flirty comments addressed to Mara, which William either ignored or didn't mind.

"Door's open!" Chris heard William shout from inside the apartment.

He frowned then shrugged and walked in. He knew the place like he lived here anyway. Chris kicked off his shoes and right as he turned around he came face to face with a wet William, only clad with a towel around the hips.

"Ah geez, are you trying to blind me? If a half naked Magnusson is going to open the door please let it be Mara!" Chris snickered playfully, which made William squint his eyes and flip him. "We're late already!" He pointed out.

"I know, I was at Noora's and I didn't wake up, it's too late for first period now," William shrugged and walked back to his room. "We can take our time and just go to the next class!"

Chris didn't have any objections to that, it's not like he needed to know Spanish.

"It shouldn't take too long, just go see Mara while I'm getting ready," William told him before closing the door to his room.

This was an opportunity Chris couldn't pass up, William pushed him right in her arms although he hadn't even planned on seeing her this morning, he just came to pick up William because his car was in the garage after the Yakuza did a number on it.

"Knock, knock," Chris said, causing Mara's head to raised from the book she had her nose dived in.

He stayed in her door frame although it was wide open. She too came out of the shower, her wet hair was braided so it wouldn't fall in front of her eyes while she was reading, sat at her desk chair, with her feet on the desk.

"Hey hot stuff," she said as a greeting as she slightly spun on her chair to face him. "Come on in!"

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked, strutting in, hands in his pockets and looking around like he wasn't hanging out exactly here two days ago.

"It's my room," she replied in a giggle.

Chris' eye-roll was sufficient to make her answer seriously.

"I have gym this morning. I don't like gym. And I wanted to finish this book," Mara explained while shaking her hand to show the book. Chris took it from her, causing her to protest verbally but still not move from her chair.

"The Dressmaker," he read the title out loud and then proceeded to read the synopsis on the back. He always did that, even though he wasn't into reading, he always wanted to know what Mara liked so much about her books. "Erh, too girly for me!" He decided before putting in on the desk.

"Hey!" Mara shoved Chris and took her book back. "First of all, what's wrong with girly things? Second of all, it's not even what you think. It's about revenge and karma coming back around to fuck people over."

"Now that's a much better catch phrase than what I just read, they should write that on the back cover!" He declared, smirking and leaning against the desk right next to her. "Are you coming with us for next period?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm just gonna stay here this morning. I'll go this afternoon," Mara simply answered, not feeling like going to school today.

She knew that wasn't how the world functioned, she couldn't just not leave her room whenever she felt like having a lazy day, but she was also hell-bent on enjoying this kind of liberty while it lasted. High School wasn't that demanding in matter of personal work and investment.

"You know it's not a good sign when I'm the one being assiduous?" Chris asked before leaning down and kissing her. It was always the best part of the day: kissing Mara. All the more when he expected to spend the day without getting any private moment with her.

"The door's wide open and William could walk in, you know that?" Mara asked as she pulled back just enough to talk. Chris smirked as only answer and kissed her again, lightly, quickly. It was as if she had dreamed it.

"Who do you think he'd kill first if he caught us?" Chris wondered out loud.

"Me if he has any mercy," Mara huffed, her hand finding Chris' and her fingers tracing loops around his knuckles. "I'd rather not have you being murdered before my eyes be the last thing I see."

"And I do?" Chris asked in bewilderment, pointing at himself. He tried to stay serious but a wide grin appeared on his face as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Methinks I'll be too dead to care," Mara snickered back along with a click of the tongue. Ensued Mara and Chris' usual banter until William's head popped through the door, looking as though he had just seen a dog walk on his forelegs.

"I'm ready," he said, making them stop talking and turn to him. "Am I interrupting something?"

The second the words were out there, Mara noticed how stiff Chris had become, so she spoke up before William saw it.

"Chris is criticizing my taste in books again!" She said, sticking out her lower lip and making puppy dog eyes to her big brother.

"Don't listen to him," William laughed as Chris walked out of the room, not without one last smirk and wink over his shoulder. When he was out the door, William whispered to Mara, "I'm not even sure he can read."

"I heard that!" Chris shouted from the hallway.

Yeah, they weren't doing so bad. They stole kisses from each other every chance they had, their eyes lingered a few seconds too long on each other, they sat slightly closer than they used to, but nothing too blatant, nothing alarmingly suspicious. Most of the time, it was the same as before because they had always been in each other lives, they had been there for each other through thick and thin for the longest time. Heck, some people even believed they were together until William made it clear that 'no Penetrator shall date Mara' was the cardinal rule. Mara understood Chris' way of thinking, and Chris could always tell the difference between what Mara said and what she meant. The intimacy was the only real change, because there was no getting closer than they already were on a spiritual level.

For a frighteningly long and clairvoyant second, Mara thought that maybe – just maybe – Chris and her had virtually been in a relationship for longer than either of them thought.