CERISE COULD NOT GET THAT MAN out of her head. Her hands were firmly gripping the black leather of her steering wheel, her sweaty palms sticking onto it. Cerise could have sworn she had seen that man before several times in her dreams, but she shook it off, considering it sounded absurd for it to ever become a reality.
It was nearing sunset when Cerise arrived back at Family Video and her mind was exhaustively engulfed in jitteriness and nervousness. She shakily retracted the keys of the ignition of her car and shoved them into her bag.
Her face felt like it lost all of its colors and her trembling body was a conspicuous sign that something was disturbing Cerise. Knowing Steve would read her without blinking an eye, Cerise quickly scrambled from the lessons she was taught one semester in drama class to hopefully divert her brother's suspicion.
She put her hand on the bracket of the door, not even able to open her mouth when Steve emerged from nowhere, folding his arms across his chest and standing in front of her. Steve's appearance was so sudden, that Cerise didn't even realize she slammed onto his chest.
"Where the hell were you?"
Oh.
"I told you, I was with the cheer squad–"
"Bullshit, I called Kimmy and she said there was no mention of a meeting this week, so where the hell were you, Cerise?"
Steve was pissed. Cerise hasn't seen him this angry ever since she told him that she was going out with Billy Hargrove. That conversation led to regretful words from Steve and Cerise was starting to get a sudden wave of deja vu, wondering if that similar conversation was about to resurface.
"I told you, I had a meeting with the cheer squad. Kimmy wasn't there and it was only with some of the girls, not everyone. End of story," Cerise spat, her tone of voice rising, earning wary stares from Dustin, Max, and Robin who were sure that a fight was going to unravel between the Harrington siblings.
"No—don't tell me that crap again. My god, do you think I am that stupid to not tell when you're lying?" Both Cerise and Steve's voices were increasing by the decibel, the gradual rise in their tones starting to become unsettling.
"Are you sure you're thinking straight Steve? Or are you too dumb to comprehend that I am telling you, I was out with the damn cheer squad? Get your shit straight, and shut up."
Realizing that Steve's fists were clenching in pure anger and his eyes darkened to obsidian, Robin stepped up, her nervous tone starting to become fearful of what was about to happen between the siblings.
