Chapter Ten
They knew it was wrong.
Justin and Alex Russo were not stupid. They knew that what they were doing was taboo, morally wrong, a sin and something that could condemn them in hell for eternal damnation but they just didn't seem to care. The only issue was their family – they'd want to do what normal couples would catch little kisses off each other and hold hands when walking to school (without Max or Harper) and the best thing that they enjoyed was going to places where people didn't know them because they could hug and hold hands and kiss and no one would notice or realise that they were siblings, and only ever saw them as lovers. It was a nice feeling.
They weren't ashamed as much as they thought they could be – Alex rarely felt bad about
It was on nights when Justin would come home and openly justify that his grades were better than Alex's, followed by a sneer from his little sister and an insult, it was a normal ritual that would end the second one of them entered the other's bedroom for the night. No one really seemed to notice that they were staying in each other's rooms. Alex liked staying in Justin's room on weekends because they could sleep during the morning as Jerry and Teresa didn't check on them on Saturday and Sunday; but weekdays weren't that good because Teresa would wake each of her children up – meaning that Alex had to get up at around 6am and go back to her room for the next hour so no one would suspect anything. And besides, how weird would it be if you found your two eldest children naked in bed together on a Tuesday morning?
Alex would have little moments of guilt. She could imagine what Teresa and Jerry would do or say if they found out. She knew they wouldn't kick them out of the house because they weren't like that. Religion didn't play a big part in their family – they were wizards and God and magic didn't really mix so well. Alex believed that there is a God, while Justin was Atheist and Max just…well, he was agnostic. He was the kind of person that believed in the God of peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches, not the kind of condemning God you found in the Vatican.
And then there's Max – Alex didn't want him to grow up in a family where his older siblings, his role models, were sleeping with each other. She didn't want him to witness a dysfunctional breakdown at only 12 years of age.
Alex believed it was the day she found Teresa clutching a rosary in her left hand while reciting a line from the bible on the balcony did she then realise and accept the true nature of what they were doing. It was more than immortal – it was unforgivable. When Teresa left, Alex walked over the counter and opened the page where the bookmark was set. One of the verses was underlined:
John 4:18-19
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Alex froze. Did Teresa know? No fear in love? Fear was definitely a growing concern with Justin and Alex. And what made her feel even colder was the phrase fear has to do with punishment and she could only imagine what punishment they would get if anyone found out about them.
So Alex started to do some research on Incest. I mean, she knew what incest was – she just never really looked it up. She hit Google and started to read the Wikipedia page.
Let's just say she hasn't been sleeping well since.
She sat up in the bed she and Justin shared, wrapping the duvet across her chest, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed heavily. Alex kept silent as Justin sat up and rested his head on her right shoulder, rubbing her arm up and down. "What are you thinking about?" He whispered to her.
Alex moved her head to the side, away from him, as if she was suddenly ashamed. "I'm thinking about when we're going to have to tell our parents."
"Do you want to?"
Alex looked at him. "We have to. We don't have that choice, Justin."
She heard him sigh and pull back. He leaned against the headboard of the bed. "When?"
Alex leaned back against his chest, kissing his shoulder. "Soon."
Harper Finkle realised that something was wrong. Something was wrong with Alex and Justin but she couldn't figure out what. For one, they were different – she was sure of it. She had been observing them for a few weeks ever since she saw the stare Alex gave Miranda and Justin in the hallway. It wasn't her typical intolerable glare towards her brother – it was pure, steaming jealousy. And Harper couldn't figure out why Alex would be jealous of Justin or Miranda.
Harper had humanities class with Miranda Hampsen. She looked at her briefly a few times throughout the lesson and she really began to notice how much Miranda resembled Alex – same hair (although Alex's was longer, better conditioned and didn't have highlights) she had the same height as her, similar facial shape and lips and oh God – she even had her jaw. It was really weird when Harper thought that Justin was romantically interested in a girl that looked like his sister.
Harper stopped to think. She remembered the day that Justin and Alex started acting different. They would walk towards Tribeca Prep High School alongside each other and say goodbye upon separating for lockers. Harper would stand next to Alex, who seemed to be in her own world, and lunch was the weirdest – Alex never ate in the lunch hall, but low and behold, she found her sitting with Justin by the window. They were exchanging sandwiches because Alex liked Peanut butter and jelly and Justin liked chicken salad – they hadn't done that since they were ten.
They were getting along just fine. Almost inseparable. On the subway home, Justin would stand beside or behind Alex. Harper observed Justin's face – the strange way he just went rigid stiff when Alex dropped something and bent down to retrieve it. When the subway stopped at a station and people had to move out of the way, Alex was forced to turn around and face Justin. Harper couldn't hear what they were talking about, but Justin seemed to whisper something into her ear, and when she turned back Alex's face went bright red.
One day after school, Harper went to the sub shop and saw that, per usual on a normal day after school, it was empty. She knew that Alex had her shift after school with Max. She walked towards the kitchen, but heard murmurs. She stood before the half-closed door but didn't look in – she listened to the conversation she could hear.
"This has to stop." It was Alex's voice, thick with emotion.
There was a strange silence, before someone else with her spoke. "Do you want it to stop?"
Harper frowned, she was trying to recognise the voice but she couldn't put her finger on who it was, but it was definitely male.
"I…don't know. I don't know Justin. I don't know what to do." Said Alex's voice.
Harper gasped. Justin. It was Justin – what were they talking about?
"Then do nothing. I love you, Alex. You love me and we love each other. It's all that matters."
Alex snorted. "You've been watching too many rom-coms lately, loser."
Harper's face was mildly horrified. Alex still called Justin 'loser' like a little sister would to her older brother yet she was doing what she thinks she was doing?
"Alex," Justin began gravely. "If you want to tell them then I'm not stopping you, but I'm not agreeing with you either."
"Goddammit Justin!" Alex hissed at him. "Why can't you just…just…"
"Just what?" Justin's voice got lower. "Tell me. Go on."
"Why can't you just…." Alex trailed on. Harper, this time, peered through the little space between the doorway and watched as Justin approached Alex very slowly, cornering her off by the counter. He stood before he, pressing himself against her front, and Alex let out a little, exasperated sigh. She looked up at him, as he looked down at her. "Oh, fuck it." Alex said, and reached up, grabbing a tuft of hair from the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss.
Harper did everything she could not to gasp loudly enough for them to hear. Instead, she headed for the entrance of the substation and ran as fast as she could. Harper knew.
When Alex called Harper to see if she was alright, she could tell that Harper was lying over the phone.
"Alex." Said Harper. "Have you got something you need to tell me? I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything."
Alex considered it for a second, but with a shake of her head, decided that some secrets are best laid undiscovered. "No Harper. I'm fine. Nothing is going on."
She heard Harper sigh. It was a sigh of disappointment. "Goodbye Alex." And she hung up.
Harper stopped returning Alex's phone calls.
They stopped talking for a while, now.
Justin was slowly turning into Alex's best friend as the days went by. They got ready for school together, ate together and went together. Alex saw Harper in the hallways, but she was doing her absolute best to avoid Alex altogether. Sure it hurt for a while, but somehow Justin managed to distract her.
So one day after school Alex stayed behind to finish some work for art class. Justin stayed with her and watched as she painted, while he would sketch designs for his new robot in the back of the class. Miranda Hampsen was looking for Justin, as Zeke Beakerman had told him that he was staying with his sister until 5pm. As Miranda rounded the corner of the art corridor, she saw the art teacher leave the classroom briefly. They greeted each other, and Miranda kept on walking. As she came to the front door of the art classroom, she recognised Alex and Justin standing beside each other, talking about Alex's new canvas. Miranda abruptly stopped for a second to take the CD Justin had loaned her out of her bag, and when she looked back up she heard a moan – and watched as Justin lifted Alex by her legs for her to wrap them around his waist, pulling her into a kiss.
Miranda gasped, dropped the CD, and ran back down the hallway.
Justin and Alex broke apart, but neither saw anyone in the hallway. Alex shrugged and went back to her work while Justin checked outside the classroom. His foot stepped over something plastic, which broke, and when he looked his found his tears of blood CD cracked on the floor.
Justin's eyes widened.
Miranda saw.
Miranda knew.