𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

15. inside heads

Pandora stopped as her hand reached up to knock on Clancy's door. She leaned closer, listening in to Ruby and Clancy's conversation. She was showing him something in their minds. Pandora gasped gently as he revealed what they were thinking about. "You erased yourself from your parnets memories," He stated. Pandora's hand slowly moved to her mouth in shock. She couldn't be mad that Ruby never told her, Dora had never told anyone but Liam about her father. However she couldn't push away that little sliver of anger which came with knowing that Clancy knew before any of the other five did. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to," Ruby was crying, she had shown Clancy a large part of herself and felt vulnerable. Pandora sympathised but then realised what she was doing. She stepped back hastily, the creak of the floorboards making a loud noise. "What was that?" Clancy asked, standing and making his way to the door. Pandora's eyes widened, her body letting them glow purple. When Clancy opened the door, all he saw was a small bird flapping around. "It's just a bird stuck in the room," He cooed, smiling at Ruby before opening the window and encouraging the bird to leave. 

Pandora gasped as she shifted back into her human self, smiling at the idea of flying. "You okay, love?" Liam walked out from the bathroom in Cabin 18. Pandora proceeded to tell him everything that Ruby and Clancy were talking about. "She- she never told you anything about her family, did she?" Pandora asked, hoping that she hadn't. "No, nothing," Liam shook his head, a bolt of relief running through Pandora. She thought Ruby and her were close after running away together and although Pandora put herself first in the game of survival, she'd hoped that Ruby would've told her. "Speak of the Devil," She muttered bitterly, watching Ruby walk in. "You guys okay?" Ruby asked, looking at their sullen faces. "How was it?" Liam asked, Ruby responding accordingly. "You guys are getting pretty close," Pandora stated, clenching her jaw. Liam glared at her so she returned to picking angrily at the feather sticking out of someones pillow. "What does that mean?" Ruby asked with an offended face. "Nothin-" Liam tried to fizzle out the situation but he knew deep down that Pandora was unstoppably stubborn. It was one of the things he loved most about her but right now the situation would not be helped. "Why couldn't you tell me the truth? Was it because I was too blunt or stubborn? It clearly wasn't a trust thing because you've known me a hell of a lot longer than you have Mr Heart Eyes," She spat, Ruby stepping back a few paces. "Dory let's just not right now," Liam tried to grab her but was shrugged off. "Are you scared of me?" Pandora asked, reaching out to see Ruby step away again. "I'm not scared of you, I'm trying not to hurt you,"  Ruby raised her voice. "I don't care if you touch me, what do you want to know? I thought we were closer than that," Pandora continued. "It's not that, I don't want to do to you what I did to my parents," Ruby pleaded. "Which I wouldn't have known about because you haven't told me anything," Pandora was now shouting. 

"Yeah, like you tell me anything! I had to find out about your dysfunctional abusive family in my own way," Ruby yelled. The air stilled. Liam blinked in shock. Pandora just stared at her in silence. A moment went by before Pandora's shouts filled the air. "YOU LOOKED INSIDE MY HEAD?" She screamed, her fist swinging into Ruby's face by itself. "YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT RUBY DAILY! THINKING YOU CAN TALK TO ME LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE FUCKING FEAR I FELT FOR 10 YEARS! SCARED THAT IF I LOOKED AT MY FATHER SOMETHING FUCKING WRONG I WOULD BE BEATEN UNTIL I COULDN'T BREATH?" Tears filled her eyes. "YOU THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT?" Pandora screamed. Ruby was on the floor, clutching the right side of her face which Dora had punched. "I cannot believe you would do that you self-righteous bitch," Pandora ignored the tears which streamed down her face as she stormed out the cabin, clashing shoulders with Clancy who ran into the room as he'd heard the screaming. "Fucking pathetic," Was all he heard coming from her venomous mouth. "DORA!" Ruby called, scrambling to her feet. She tried to go after her friend but Clancy stopped her. "Whatever it is you can fix it but give her some time," His hand graced her jaw. "Did she hurt you?" His eyes hardened in anger. "No, I just... ran into the bed," Ruby shrugged his hand off her. Her brown eyes turned to Liam who was still staring at her. "I thought you were better than that Ruby, I really did," He shook his head in disappointment before rushing out the room to find out where Pandora went. 

...

Pandora had run off to the pier, sitting on the edge and dipping her feet in the cool water. Tears fell down her face. She wasn't Ruby's sister of anything but she could not believe someone she considered a friend would look inside her head without her consent. She smashed her fist into the pier, letting the wood splintered and her hand scream in pain. Blood spilled from her split-open knuckles. She watched as people passed the end of the pier, nobody disturbing her. Everyone must've heard the screaming match - gossip travelled fast in the haven. "Dory," Liam's voice echoed down the pier. "Leave me alone," She hated how clogged up and emotional she sounded. She closed her eyes as she felt his presense next to her. He sat down, taking off his shoes and dipping his feet in as well. It was mid-spring and it had been very hot in Virginia, the lake clear and warm. Pandora rested her head on his shoulder, letting him take her bloodied hand and wrap it in cloth he'd ripped from the bottom of his shirt. "She didn't have the right to do that," He whispered, Pandora nodding and letting the tears silently stream down her face. "No right at all," She echoed, letting the sadness send her into a slumber.