Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

Moody Boys

I wish I could write faster because I am so happy to give you these updates- especially since you've asked for them. Thank you for reading! 

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"Taylor!"

Taylor folded the book on his chest and gave me a smile. "Up here, Kell!" he yelled back.

I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs, and Kell's head emerged a moment later. He looked at Taylor's head on my lap, and I couldn't help the flush that overtook me. I pushed my lip to my teeth and waited nervously for him to say something. We'd had our own moment earlier and now here I was, playing with Taylor's hair.

"What are you doing?" he asked, propping one arm on the railing and watching my hands. I quickly folded them in my lap.

"Homework," Taylor said, as it it had a double meaning.

Kell raised an eyebrow and Taylor held up the book. "Homework," he repeated.

Kell looked at me and smiled. "This must be your influence," he said in a friendly tone. "Taylor never willingly does homework."

I wasn't sure how to answer. He had gone from angry, to questioning, to joking in a moment. I was feeling nervous about saying something else that may set him off, so I looked down at Taylor.

"I..." I stopped and started again. "I have to babysit, so I don't know if I'll have time when I get home."

At the mention of home, I saw Kell's eyes flicker to Taylor, who moved into a sitting position. They seemed to be saying something to each other without saying a word.

"Where do you need to go?" Kell finally asked. His face seemed to darken again.

I could feel my palms start to sweat and I rubbed them against my jeans. Why was he so angry?

"Um," I replied. "I babysit for Mrs. Jocelin, the gym teacher. She lives just outside of town, on Route 1. Her mother watches her son during the day, and we switch after school."

Kell nodded. "James will arrive shortly to bring you there," he told me.

I got the feeling I was being dismissed and stood up. "Oh. Okay. I'll just get my clothes and wait outside for him. Thank you for bringing me here, to do my laundry, and for earlier as well," I said politely and started down the stairs.

"Jesus, Kell," I heard Taylor breathe. 

I just wanted to get outside before I did something stupid, like cry.

Kell stopped me as I would have walked by. "Lyric," he said quietly, his hand gentle on my arm and his dark brown eyes flashing at me.

I watched him questioningly, and he sighed. "You don't need to wait outside."

I looked at the floor and kept walking down the stairs. I wanted to get out of here, away from the beautiful boys in the beautiful house full of food and back to my life. It hurt too much to have just a taste and know the whole time I didn't belong.

As we came down the staircase I saw my clothes folded neatly on a upholstered chair.

"Do you mind if I change quickly?" I asked.

"Of course not," Kell answered, and opened the door to the room I had been in earlier.

He closed the door behind me and I quickly stripped out of Taylor's clothes and pulled on mine. I put on the t-shirt I was wearing yesterday and grabbed the cable knit sweater that I had paired with it. I saw that I had managed to tear a hole in the elbow from my fall off the bike. I hadn't seen that last night and it felt like the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen. It was stupid really; it was just a hole. I could find some scrap fabric and make patches for the elbows, but did everything I own have to have a hole in it?

I choked on a sob and put my hand up to cover my mouth. I took some deep breaths, biting my lip, but then I caught my reflection in the beautiful vanity. My face was red because I was holding my breath, trying to keep in the sob, and my mouth was all drawn up. 

I look so ugly! I thought, and that was it, the sob I had been holding in came out.

I heard a knock at the door, and Kell. "Lyric?" he called, "Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, and called out, "I'm fine," in probably the most pathetic voice I had ever heard emanate from my throat.

"Lyric," I heard him say, then I heard a thump, like he had banged his head on the door.

"I'm coming in," he said a moment later.

"No!" I cried out, hastily wiping my face with my sleeve. "Don't come in!"

But the knob turned and he was entering, his strong brows drawn together in concern. "Priya," he breathed when he saw me, closing the door quickly behind him and walking over to me.

He cupped my cheek in his hand and tilted my head back so I was looking into his eyes. "Priya," he whispered. "What's the matter?" His accent was thick which made it hard for me to understand him.

I tried to look down, but he tilted my chin with his fingers so I couldn't. His eyes searched my face, both hands moving to cup my face while his thumbs wiped under my eyes.

"I'm hideous," I said, sniffling.

His deep dimple appeared in one cheek and I saw him bite the inside of his cheek. "Impossible," he whispered, staring into my eyes.

"I have holes in my sleeves," I added, whispering.

"Holes are very fashionable right now," he replied, and I couldn't help smiling.

"Then I must be the height of fashion, because everything I own has a hole," I said seriously, making the smile disappear from his face.

I reached up to grip the hands that still held my face in order to move away from him, but after wrapping my hands around his forearms, I stopped when his eyes seemed to blaze at me. He tilted his face closer until I could feel his breath and all I could see were his eyes. I struggled to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to look away; whatever was going to happen, I wanted to see it. Kell leaned his forehead against mine and his dark eyes closed, his thick lashes laying like crescents against his cheeks.

"What are you doing to me, Priya?" he asked, almost to himself.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

His eyes opened, and it was like staring into a fire. "Don't be," he said passionately. "because I am not."