Always Us

sister's keeper

"I gotta pee."

Gianna's eyes strayed away from her sketchbook to the tall, dark-skinned girl uncrossing her legs next to her. She smiled her acknowledgement.

While her new friend skittered off towards the bushes, her gaze fell back to the cartridge paper in her lap. Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth as her hand moved with a nimbleness that had become second nature over the years. The night was dark. Darker than usual.

Up in the hills, the sparkling city lights, miles and miles away, provided the sole source of light for her creative process. Time and time again, she'd been told that drawing in the dark would damage her eyesight, but she didn't care. This outlook at night was her sanctuary. One of many.

She reached for her eraser and just as the rubber made contact an arm slipped around her waist, tightening quickly before lurching her off the ground.

A shrill screech left her throat as she pointlessly kicked through the air. Whoever had her had a vice grip, but if she was going to go out this way, she wasn't going without a fight.

"Let go of me," she yelled as the person kept her tied to their side while they patiently collected her belongings. "My dad will find you and fuck you up—"

"Stop screaming, G."

Her mouth snapped shut. She didn't need to see the face to recognize the voice. "Oh, it's you."

"Don't sound so excited. What the hell are you doing out here alo—"

A second piercing wail interrupted their conversation, rattling the boy who was unaware of a third person.

"Calm down," Gianna grumbled. "It's just my brother."

Caleb set his sister down. "Who is that?"

Avoiding her brother's accusing gaze, she shrugged. "I dunno. Met her yesterday."

"G."

"What?" Gianna widened her eyes at her twin. "I was at an art exhibit. She was pretty."

A second deep voice called out from the driver's seat of the car that stalled on the side of the road. "Aye, you good?"

"Yeah," Caleb called back.

"Hi Dimitri," Gianna sang as she sidestepped her brother and sauntered over to the car.

Caleb's teammate let out a cackle. "Imma start charging for these little outings, girl."

Caleb grabbed the picnic blanket and abandoned bag of art supplies before nodding towards the car. "Let's go."

"Remind me to stop sharing my location with you," Gianna announced as her brother's bulky frame eased into the passenger seat.

"Who's going to keep you alive then?" he shot back.

She scooted over to the center seat and perched her chin on his teammate's shoulder. "Dimitri's doing a fine job."

"Keep me outta this, GiGi. I'm not messing with your daddy and all that security he got going on around that mansion of yours. I will enter and exit through the front door during acceptable visiting hours only."

"All to keep his wife and kids safe," Gianna recited, eyes rolling.

"That includes you, Gianna."

"Yeah, yeah," she brushed off her no fun counterpart.

"G, it's one in the morning."

"The night is young," she laughed. Her head fell back, and she caught a glimpse of her forgotten friend. A wicked grin spread across her face. "Where do we need to take you? My chauffeurs here can drop you off anywhere within LA County."

The girl, grown timid in a strange car, with strange men, mumbled, "I live in Crenshaw."

Gianna's smile brightened further. "We know that place well. To Crenshaw!"

"We got practice in the morning. This is the last time—"

Gianna cut her brother off, her tone louder. As always. "So Dimitri, you still with that girl?"
_____

"I owe you one," Caleb said, leaning into the passenger window. "Again."

"You know I always got you," Dimitri replied, bumping his fist against his teammate's. "Both of you."

From a few steps behind, Gianna waved, offering a soft smile. The ride back, listening to her brother and his best friend rap along to their favorites, had mellowed her out. It had been the most peaceful hour of her week, and sometimes she wondered if these small windows of calm with her brother were her true motive behind sneaking out of the house. Because she knew she'd gain more of these moments, before they all split ways.

Caleb turned to her. "You got everything?"

She nodded.

Avoiding the road that led to the front gate of their childhood home, the twins started their journey along the edge of the gate, always staying at least ten feet from the metal. Through experience, they had learned exactly which stretches of the gate were safe, and exactly where not to step so that they wouldn't trigger the flood lights.

When they reached the one blindspot, Caleb slid the bag off his sister's shoulder and interlaced his fingers for her to propel herself up off of. "Alright, shortstop."

Shaking her head, Gianna stepped onto him and reached for the top of the fence. She grabbed onto it and pushed herself up the rest of the way before straddling it and swinging her leg over to the other side.

In one motion, Caleb jumped up behind her, gripped the gate, and swung himself over the iron.

"Okay, no need to show off," Gianna scoffed, jumping down and leading them towards the house.

In silence, they walked side-by-side, past their owns cars they hadn't dared touch. Their mom would've known they were gone the second either of their front bumpers left the driveway.
_____

Patiently, Olivia leaned against the doorway to her daughter's room, arms-crossed, gaze focused. The sound of clambering proceeded the flash of braids, but it didn't take long for the first set of brown eyes to pop over the window sill and meet hers.

"Shit," Gianna hissed.

Caleb pushed himself up after her, avoiding his mother's gaze. Though she caught the flicker of apology in his eyes before he dropped his head and stepped around his twin. "Night, G."

On his way to the door, he dropped Gianna's bag onto her bed and stopped to give his mom a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, ma."

"I love you, baby." Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She considered reminding him, yet again, to stop going after his sister on his own, to come to her and Spencer so that they could handle it, but she knew he wouldn't listen. On several occasions, they had tried punishing him, but it didn't change anything. Her son was her most loyal, and there was no one who benefited more from his loyalty than Gianna James. So instead, she cradled his warm cheek. "Thank you."

Shutting the door behind him, Olivia took a moment before facing her daughter. Her charming, hilarious, witty free-spirit. She hated that she had to be so harsh with her GiGi, but the girl caused her more worry than the rest of the kids combined, and her daughter's love of the night and isolated locations kept putting both her and her brother in danger.

As she turned back around, she wasn't sure what she was going to say to put a stop to these late night escapades. She wished she could just hug her daughter tight and call it a night. But instead, she hardened her expression, crossed her arms, and hoped for the best.