AN I thought that there was no way that Susan could fade away from her family without some major arguments, so I came up with this.
Susan twirled her hair absentmindedly as she listened to Majore Redgrave's story. All of a sudden, Majore stopped talking, and the laughter stopped. Her friends' eyes were fixed just behind her.
She turned to see her younger brother, face set as cold as stone.
"Edmund!" She cried in surprise. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"Susan." He greeted formally. "I need to speak with you."
Susan tossed her hair. "Can't it wait?" She asked, irritated. If this was about Narnia, she would kill Edmund! Honestly, her sibling's refusal to grow up would be the death of her.
Edmund's voice never wavered. "Don't worry, it won't take long."
Susan sighed in annoyance, but gestured to a chair. "Fine."
Edmund took the chair she had indicated, and sat down gracefully. Susan frowned. There was something about the way he was acting that was setting off alarm bells in her head.
"It's been a while since I've seen you Susan." Edmund observed neutrally.
Susan smiled to hide her nervousness. "Has it? I'm sorry Edmund, but I've been busy. There are a lot more mixers this time of year."
Edmund smiled back, this time reminding Susan of a handsome man with dark skin and hints of violence in his eyes. "Of course. So many parties, so little time, eh Susan?"
He laughed harshly. Susan's friends tittered nervously, not knowing what else to do but desperate to relieve the tension. Their attempt failed when Edmund's face changed, no longer the forced neutrality of before, but pure fury, as cold as ice and all the more devastating for it.
"Such a shame you couldn't make it to Peter's twenty first. He had two, one for his mates and one for the family." Edmund informed her. "Lucy was the joy of both parties, as always. Daniel Harding seemed quite taken with her. For the other party, Peter decided to get Lu to teach him how to bake a cake. I went along to act as the voice of sanity." His eyes softened deliberately. "Lion be praised that rationings over with. We were as white as the sand at Cair by the time Aunt Polly and the Professor arrived. Eustace and Jill couldn't stop laughing."
"Jill?" Susan queried, clinging to the unfamiliar word like a drowning man to a life belt.
The look Edmund gave her could have turned her to stone. "Jill Pole. She goes to Experiment House with Eustace. She's been a Friend for three years now."
Susan could hear the capital letter in Friend, but could not (would not) comprehend. "Oh." She said, rather pathetically.
"That's all you have to say." Edmund shook his head in disgust. "I should have known."
He stood to leave, and the Cafe lights made a silhouette of his figure. Susan was struck by a memory of that shadow with a crown and sword. How strange memory was!
"Wait!" she called. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Edmund looked at her. "It was always going to be one of us who ran away from the family. Peter's too protective of us to even consider it, and Lucy's too faithful. You and I doubt more than they do. The only difference between us is that I made my mistake, and learned my lesson, whereas you refuse to admit there's a lesson to be learned."
He began to walk away, before pausing and turning back to the table. His voice was clear in the sudden silence of the cafe. "Susan, you are my sister and for that I love you, but I can remember a time when that was merely one reason, instead of your only redeeming quality."
Then he left for real, leaving a stunned table behind him.