"I have to go after her!" I screamed. It had just sunk in that Styx was really gone, and I wanted to follow her. Unfortunately, Peter had a different idea.
"Let me go talk to her. You and Luke can stay here, while I go and help her to understand. I caused this, I need to fix this!"
"No! I need to talk to her-!" my voice broke. Tears started to fall, and I wasn't in the mood to try and cover it up. Peter wouldn't let go of my arm, so I couldn't escape. I struggled against the strength in his arms, and was amazed by how restraining he was.
"No. I won't let you. I will go and talk to her." He spoke carefully in my ear. I knew that he meant that to be final, and I accepted defeat. I slumped into a chair with a sigh, and just let my tears flow freely. I lost everyone. Everyone!
…
Well…Everyone related to me. Peter and Luke are still around, but they don't count.
"Trust me. I will get her back here, and I won't let any harm come to you or her." Peter spoke only to comfort me, but I wasn't listening. I was far away, mentally that is, in a place where everything was as it should be. There were no portals, no secrets, and no pain. Everything perfect, and just the way that people always imagine a world should be like.
*****
I ran. I ran as fast and as hard as I could. I just needed to get away. Away from everything, from everyone.
Next thing I know, despite my mental groan of protest, I hear a car, speeding most likely, behind me. I knew there was no escape, so I slowed to a walk, and sighed heavily.
A window rolls down, and I see Peter's face. "She's really upset you know. You should be worried about her."
"She should be upset. But you know, I doubt she is even half 'upset'", I used air quotes to emphasize, "As I am. You have no idea what I'm going through."
"Yes. I do. Get into the car."
"No. You don't." I was being stubborn, I know, but I was a tad on the touchy side, and I wasn't going to take him seriously.
"I do. Get in the car and I'll tell you."
Amazingly, I did what he said. I don't know why. Curiosity, maybe? Maybe I was just tired of walking.
"I need to use the la toilette. Make this fast."
"Fine. I'll drive you to the nearest stop, and I'll tell you my story along the way." He looked at me with something similar to contempt. I could tell he preferred my cousin.
*****
"So…" I attempted to make small talk, but it was obvious that he was in no mood to talk.
"So what? She's gone, and he left to go get her. I would've done it myself if I hadn't broken my bloody leg." Luke looked mutinous, so I didn't contradict him, in fact, I almost agreed with him.
"What is it with you people?!" He obtained an appalled look, which remained until I explained further.
"What appealing charms does she have that forces every guy to chase her around in circles?! She wants to be alone, so why can't she be left alone!"
"You want her to go away?" He spoke in such a small, quiet voice that I almost didn't hear him, but it sounded so sad and he looked so confused that I took a gentler tone.
"What I mean is…Why did Peter have to go after her? I wish he hadn't gone." I tried to sound convincing, because that was the truth, and I was revealing a personal piece of information that I normally wouldn't have.
"Peter left… because he thought it was the right thing to do. He took responsibility for his actions. He didn't take the fact that Styx", I cringed at her name, which we hadn't so far spoken, "was a- is a bloody proud girl who likes to make her own plan. He thought she would follow him unquestionably just like you and me. Of course," He chuckled at this part, "we have other reasons to follow him. I've known him, and trusted him wholly, for a large part of my life. You, however, are infatuated."
At this point, my body burst into action. Before I could realize what I was doing, I'd stood up, walked over to Luke, and slapped him, hard mind you, across the face. He looked shocked when I did that. I sat back down with a little smirk of satisfaction.
"Did you just- What was that?!"
"Sorry, couldn't help it. I needed to, hehe, release some built up anger, so I probably hit you harder than intended. You got to admit, though, you deserved it."
"A what?! I deserved that?! My face with be red for weeks!"
"Don't be a baby. It'll only be red for a couple of hours."
*****
"Explain your story." I demanded wearily. He looked at me like I was a mule and shouldn't have been able to talk.
"Okay. But first, the toilet for you." He drove up to a diner, parked, and reached over to open my door. "Don't worry, I'm following behind you."
I got out and walked into the diner. It was designed to look like a 1950's place, and I wasn't impressed. I found the bathroom and went inside. When I came back out, fully relieved with my hair and face in better order, Peter was sitting in a booth with a menu in hand. There was another one on the table, in front of the booth across from him.
"Sit down. You might as well get something to drink while I talk. If anything, it should shut you up for 15 minutes."
I started to get mad, but decided it wasn't worth it. I sat down, across from him, and the waitress walked up. When she asked what I wanted, I only asked for a glass of water. She looked surprised, but turned on her heel and walked away. I noticed Peter watching her backside, and I added it to my blackmail arsenal.
The waitress returned with my water and left with one more curious glance in my direction.
"Spill."That was the last thing I said before I took a sip. After that first sip, self-control was history. I hadn't ever tasted anything as good as that water, and I relished it.
"The real reason I was in the area, nearby the portal I mean, was that… My younger sister was dragged into one of those portals 2 years ago. I only had my permit then, so I traveled looking for her with my parents. Then, on my 16th birthday, my parents were taken from me, so I was left to travel in my car alone. I was old enough to drive, and I had the motivation. That's why I was here. That's my main reason for helping you guys. I want her back. She's the only family I have." His eyes started to water, and I started to choke, I seemed to have swallowed water down the wrong pipe.
"So. That's my long term goal. My short term purpose is to get you back to Eris and Luke. They need you." He suddenly became a more focused person, and his eyes lost their glazed look.
"Pah! They don't need me! They have each other."
"What? What do you mean?!" He looked panicked, and I think I knew why.
"Haven't you seen the way he looks at her?! It's clear that he has a thing for her!" I crossed my arms with a look of "well-duh".
"What do you mean?! He looks that way at you!"
"Right. Definitely." I laid the sarcasm on thick with a hint of a laugh at the end to cap it all off. "You do realize that he asked her to hang out with him at the party?"
He suddenly became a statue. He prominently placed a scowl on his face and it seemed he was determined to get me out of there. "We need to go. Now."
"Okay." I smirked. I stood up with a flourish and walked steadily to the car. I could feel a flush on my cheeks from the water's rejuvenating powers.
*****
"How long do you think they're going be?!" I was pacing around the ruined room, with Luke's eyes following me. I could tell that he would also be pacing, were it not for his leg.
"I don't know." He muttered.
I gasped as a thought that could only be evil meandered into my head. "What powers of persuasion do you think he's using?!"
"Please. Don't go there. Have you seen the way he looks at you?" He sounded tired.
"But, he looks at her like that!"
"No. I look at her like that. He looks at you like that."
I giggled. "You're wrong. But you're right about one thing: You do look at her like that."
"What?! How can you tell?! Is it that obvious?!"
"Um, very."
"Rats. I thought I had it covered." He seemed very irritated.
"You probably fooled her." I rolled my eyes with a definite grin. Yeah right! She's not gonna be fooled. Wait. If I'm being fooled by Peter into thinking that he doesn't look at me like that, but Luke can tell, then maybe she's falling for the same thing, but with a different person!
…
What?!