"What happened TO HIS FACE?" I shouted into the room. Both Luke and Eris whipped their heads in my direction. They had shocked, incredulous looks on their faces, and they clearly weren't expecting to see me again so soon. Only an hour and a half had passed since I walked out, but it felt like forever.
"I'm only going to repeat myself once. What happened to his FACE?!"
"I- err- I slapped him."
"Are you sure, it looks more like a hickey to me." I said with a sneer. I was deeply disturbed. They were sitting in a close proximity to each other, and I didn't like it.
"Oh yeah, because your rosy cheeks don't tell us a thing about his powers of persuasion." Eris retorted rather easily, and at that I flushed even more. For a different reason of course. I flushed because I was mad, and because Luke looked murderous.
"For your information, his 'powers of persuasion' consist of allowing me to go to the restroom in a shabby diner, getting me a rejuvenating glass of water, hence the rosy cheeks, and telling me a very intriguing story. And all of that was accomplished after chasing me down in his car and before having an interesting talk about the, cough, two of you." I said most of that to her, but the last part was for both. In the middle of my speech, Luke seemed to believe me, because he had paled to his usual skin tone. At that last statement, however, he turned even more red and furious looking than I had ever seen him.
"Oh really! What was your talk about her and me consisting of?!" He seemed to emphasize her. That almost made me doubt my ideas of them together, but then Eris erased all doubts in one sentence.
"Why, are you worried we might, you know, hook up?"
Next thing I know, Peter has a choke hold on Luke, and I had just slapped Eris across the face. She was speechless, and Luke couldn't speak either, though that was due more to the choke hold than my action.
*3 minutes later…*
I was sitting in a chair. I don't know how long, but I had been sitting, and calming down. I got up. I walked over to Eris and held out my hand, in a sense of apology mixed with "we-are-both-almost-adult-woman-who-don't-need-to-squabble." She slapped my hand away and turned her head with a snort.
I just stood there. About two minutes earlier, Peter had released Luke, and they had already mentioned the "no hard feelings" line.
Eris finally stood up, and to my surprise, she faced me. She looked like she could slap me herself, so I was doubly surprised when she simply talked.
"You are a right, piece of work. You know that?"
"Sure." I replied in a calm manner. I think that ruffled her edges.
"You know what?"
"What?" I was truly puzzled by that.
"Stop flirting with Peter!"
"I haven't been flirting with Peter." I was confused.
"STOP LYING TO ME! I know you two did something while you were gone!"
"You're mistaken. That's you and Luke. You two are an item, aren't you?" I flinched a little when she yelled, but then I was over it.
"No..." Luke whimpered off to the side. Peter looked down at Luke with a stare like a laser pointer.
"Why aren't you getting mad? Cum on! HIT ME AGAIN!" She started screaming.
I turned my attention from the guys to Eris after her little announcement. She slapped me harder than I had slapped her, or any one else for that matter.
Wow. She slapped me!
"Hit me. I dare you."
"No." I spoke only loud enough for the guys to also hear us.
"What?!" She seemed awestruck by the idea of me being a part-time pacifist. "Are you scared?"
"Why aren't you?" Peter looked like he hated me. That was probably because I had shocked him by not doing what I would have usually done.
"Why aren't you?" Luke, however, was looking at me like a saint. Apparently he very much liked the idea that I wouldn't hurt anyone.
"Are you scared of me?" Eris asked in a voice that you would use when talking to an infant.
"No. I just… You're the only family I have left. I don't want to hurt you any more than Peter wants to hurt you. Now, Peter would probably benefit from me hitting you because then he could swoop in like a savior, but I'm not going to give him that luxury." I realized that I actually meant that halfway through. I heard Luke give a low whisper.
"Wow."
*****
Yeah right. Peter doesn't think of me that way. But then again… I tossed a curious glance in Peter's direction if he doesn't have some interest in me, then why did he put the choke hold on Luke when I mentioned hooking up? Hmmm…. This is so….dehydrating. I'm thirsty! If she gets a drink, then I do, too.
The building we were in for the reunion was a multi-room building, complete with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a couple of bathrooms (which were, unfortunately, blocked by the explosion), and one big mess hall. We were standing in the middle of the mess hall, and the kitchen was off to our left, with the doors to the outside world to the right.
I lithely stood up, and carefully picked my way through the debris to my left. I heard murmurs, in the form of questions, no doubt, behind me. I had expected this. It wasn't unusual for people to wonder what I was doing. Being a girl with a short stature, only 5'2", and with dark blue eyes, most people were curious when I did something unexpected. Granted, my brown hair with green undersides should have given away my difference, but no one took the hint.
"Where're you going?" Peter called out behind me. I didn't bother to answer him. I kept walking in the same general direction.
Styx could be heard talking to him. She seemed to be saying something along the lines of "She's going to the kitchen. Isn't it obvious?" Clearly, she didn't get the whole idea.
"What are you doing?" She questioned me, as though questioning my sanity at the same time.
"What do you think I'm doing in the kitchen, I'm getting something to drink?" I carelessly threw those words over my shoulder without turning around. They would catch the gist of what I was saying.
"Oh! She must be thirsty!" I rolled my eyes and laughed quietly to myself at Styx's slow processing ability.
I walked to the nearest cabinet, worried about not being able to find a cup. I quickly noticed that each cabinet was labeled with a list of its contents. I found glasses after a speedy search, and grabbed the nearest one I could find.
I then carried the glass to the tap at the sink. I turned the knob on cold, but nothing came out. I tried hot next, but I think the portal explosion ruptured a pipe underground. The fridge managed to save me, however. There was a pitcher full of purified water sitting in the refrigerator section, and it was cold and delicious. I giddily downed a whole glass and refilled another.
I took the glass of water with me into the mess hall, and resumed my original sitting position in the same chair. The only difference was the water, which I sipped now and then.
Peter cautiously walked over to me from the far wall. He and Luke had already given up on death glares, and had been murmuring. My guess was it was about who's with whom.
"Are you two done fighting?" He cast a furtive glance at Styx and me before returning to his casual, but wary, stance. "We need to start our move. You know we can't just sit around here while our families are trapped in another dimension." He gave a little laugh that was practically a sigh.
"I know." I hardly said anything. I was too thirsty to speak much, but at that moment, Styx found her tongue.
"Okay, now that we're all on friendly terms-"I sent her a glare that she dutifully ignored. "- or at least tolerable terms, we can get a move on. I for one think that we should go to the nearest portal, but I'm afraid that it lies off continent, and I don't think we can currently afford four plane tickets to a different country. How do we get there?"
Peter looked up at her, and then turned his head to me.
"Easy, we sail."