~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
He claims he's innocent, but I can smell the guilt on him. His pearlescent white teeth mask the rot he really spew out into my courtroom. I've been here so long, I saw this building be built, and helped, so how dare he impede on my justice. He's just rambling with more lies, more rot!
His hair is all slicked back into what would be a comb over if he hadn't gotten hair replacement surgery, with taxpayer's money. Taxpayer's good, hard-earned money that they worked hours for and gave to the government for better roads, better healthcare, you name it. But they didn't give that money for this screwy guy to have better hair, no-sirey. I can guarantee you that one fact.
I can smell the lies he pours from his mouth, taste the deceit! But he still just won't stop. I want to say something, but that would be disrespectful to the judge if I interrupt. When he's done with his sentence, I shout, "Objection!"
"Excuse me?"
"Huh?" I say looking up. Mr. Beq is looking directly at me. I'm in seep shit now…
"Would you mind saying why you object to the plain facts I have written on the board?" he questions, looking almost comical with his raised eyebrow.
"I don't, sorry, I was just in my thoughts, I shouldn't have shouted out or let my thoughts wander, sorry," I apologize. He gives me a curt nod and continues with his lesson. You always need to treat your teacher like the judge of a courtroom, and all the students are the accused.
~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
"Get out of here, you bastard. I don't want you in my house anymore!"
"Fuck no, my clothes are in your room."
"Well they'll be on the porch in five, get them or don't."
"I'm not waiting that long!"
"Well you better, or the cops will be called."
"Fine, fuck you bitch, I hope you and your asshole family all die in a godforsaken hole."
"Fine!"
I hear a sound of heavy stomps and a door slam, then only slightly lighter steps coming up the stairs. Once they pass my room, my door creaks open. "Hey, Vriska?" I don't look up. "Vriska…"
"Go away," I huff.
"Now why would I do that? I'm your older sister and you know how I care about you," he voice is soft, soothing if I didn't know better.
"Aranea, fuck off," I say shortly.
"Vriska, I will not fuck off. I want to help you through this, like I wish someone did with me. I want to be here for you, honestly… Please, let me help," she looks worried, I can see through my one eye when I look up.
"What happened the last time I let you help me?" I flip the conversation the only way I know how.
"That was years ago, Vriska," she states. I listen to mom's footsteps running down the stairs with Rodney "the rod"'s stuff before answering.
"You still haven't answered."
"You fell out of a tree and snapped your shoulder, rupturing the nerve and having to get it amputated..?" she whispers, looking down. How I despise her.
"Exactly, that is why you're a bitch!" I yell.
She sits there, wide eyed. Looking down, she adjusts the base of her dress, tracing the hem with her index finger. She looks so lost, like she's about to start crying. Weak, that's what I call it. "Grow up and get out of my sight!"
Aranea stares at me for a few seconds, then stands up, walking past mom on the way out, slamming the door.
~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
"Hey, we're going to the range! Want to invite Ms. Leijon and her family?" Horrus exclaims down the stairs.
"Of course," I shout back. "They always go unless they're busy!"
"Well check!"
I grab out my phone and call the house number.
"Hello, Leijons! This is Meulin."
"Meulin, do you and your family with to go shooting at the range?" I inquire. There's quite a bit of shouting from one end of the house to the other. The typical. A woman's voice comes on the line.
"Hi, Equius. The church doesn't need me today, so I'm pretty sure we can make it. The usual?" Ms. Leijon asks. I shout to my father and he confirms.
"That would be an affirmative. See you there in ten, then?"
"See you then! Love you," she adds in.
I sigh, then reply with the customary response of a "Love you too, goodbye," before I hang up the phone. As I jog up the stairs, I hear Horrus fumbling about in his room. I open the door and look in to see a ripped bow bag and a quite guilty face. I give him a long glare before relaying the information about the Leijon's whereabouts in the next ten minutes. I also notify him that he'll have to ask Nepeta's mom to sew him a new one.
~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
Man, I can just see all the twisty swirls and the colors. They're like little miracles, floating about. It was better earlier. It's starting to turn into just a big dull blur. It's never been the same since the first time. It was all too good when I first tried the miracles, but the miracles haven't all up and been coming to me as often. I stand as the wave does and just go with the flow. I'll end up in my next class somehow.
When I sit down I just go back into my little pocket of euphoric ecstasy. Most of my day is all like this. Days blur together, I couldn't even tell you the date. I haven't seen my best friend today, either. I know he's okay though, the miraculous messiahs have got him. My big bro and I are going to a meeting tonight.
It's something we swore not to talk about, even in our heads.
Anyone could be all up and listening to this shit.
Imagine who's listening to my head. Losers. What's in my old noggin that they want to listen to?
Lunch bell, time for a smoke.
~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
"Cronus, what is that in your mouth?"
"What, this?" he gestures to the cigarette in his mouth.
"Yes, that shit. You know dad w-will be pissed if he sees you with that," I say to him. My stutter irritates me a lot. I hate it. It's been around since I got bullied for being gay in fifth grade. I hadn't come out yet, but still. It has never stopped since. My dad doesn't know. God, I can't imagine what would happen if my dad found out. He's been a navy captain for ten years, twenty years of service prior. I really don't want to disappoint him.
"I don't light it. It's a metaphor. You put the killi-"
"Don't care. I saw it on tumbr like, a month ago. It's old as shit."
"Da book's still in style."
"You don't even like that genre!"
"Maybe me liking it is another meta-"
"No. No. W-what are you even wearing, Cro?" I exclaim, looking at the rags he calls clothing.
"Vhat? It's my greaser outfit. What do you expect me to wear?" he complains. His accent is so fake, I hate it.
"Actual clothing without holes. When the bloody hell has leather jackets been in except for fifties biker gangs?"
"Excuse me, but cool guys wear them."
"Umm, no. W-wear one of the nice jackets I bought you for your birthday."
"Nah, they're too girly."
"Too girly? W-what do you mean too girly?" I inquire incredulously.
"I mean too girly. And anyways, there are still biker gangs that wear stuff like this," he states, an overly smug look on his face.
"Yeah, well fuck you!"
"Hey, we're brothers. I think that's a little thing called incest. Plus, I'm not gay," he retorts.
"Oh my god Cronus, that is not what I meant and you know it. Also, you're gay as hell, don't deny it."
"I am not gay vwatsoever."
"Oh, do you need me to prov-ve it?"
"Go ahead, what evidence do you have?"
I immediately take out my phone and pull up a picture, showing it to him. He takes a look at it and blushes furiously. "W-Where'd you get that?!" he exclaims, grabbing the phone from my hands. His whole face goes red with embarrassment, his mouth and eyes going wide open with shock. Cronus's face then contorts into a wicked snarl, staring right back at me.
"How in the fuck did you get this?" he leaps forward and pins me against the wall by my throat, showing me the picture. By now he's totally forgotten about his fake accent and has lapsed into Scottish. "Answer me, you son of a bitch."
"You two w-were in the fucking orchard on the day the maid and I w-went to check on the apples. She didn't see anything, but I sure as hell did," I reply, trying to keep my cool.
He stares at me for a while, then shoves the phone into my hand and storms off, letting go.
I look down at the picture of my older brother and Kankri kissing under one of the trees in the apple orchard.
~-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-~
Jeez, who even let this chick in? I mean, really, she isn't even wearing the uniform. Not that she'd look anything like me in it, but still. She could at least get in the damn thing.
"Hey, new girl, where's your uniform?" I yell across the pool.
"I left it in the locker room… why?" she looks up.
"Because, in case you didn't get the memo, you wear it to all practices, no matter what," I say as I start walking towards her.
She looks around, blinking a bit before looking at me.
"Why is it in the locker room?" I interrogate. She mutters something that I can't hear. "Gill, you're gonna have to speak up."
"It's too small. You gave me a size too small and it digs into my ass crack," she says. Does she even know who she's talking to? If I were to guess, I'd say no, since she said something like that. Her voice is weird and guyish and nasally and it grates my ears. "I'll wear the uniform if you get me one that fits."
"Umm, do you even know who I am?" I ask innocently.
"Yeah, Feferi Peixes, I know who you are. Vriska calls you bitch of sea."
"What did you just call me?" I demand. How dare she? I am enraged.
"I didn't call you anything, I was only relaying information, hence quoting what miss spider said to me earlier." Geez, this smug bitch better have a good excuse.
"You want me to kick you out of swim club?" I ultimate. I'm getting pretty pissed now.
"Even though I am under your jurisdiction, how would it be unbiased to kick me off without even knowing my skill level? And anyways, Angela moved, so you need a new member, and cannot compete without the minimum number of participants. Technically, it would hinder you more if you kicked me out than it would hinder me," she argues. Little know it all.
"Fine, go look in the cabinet by the gym teacher's office, you'll find a few extra suits. What's your name, anyways?"
"Terezi."