What It's Like Loving an Idiot

Thirty Seven || Strangers

It's not only me who's surprised by her actions. James furrows his eyebrows at her. Did he want them to stand there for another half hour until someone got shot? Or was he just genuinely surprised that his sister would do that after all that talk from her.

Soon as her gun is out of her hands, Kamer puts his away as well. Unsurprisingly, he looks intrigued by her actions too. He doesn't say anything to her, though. Autumn's eyes look travel away from Kamer to James. She shakes her head at him and goes to leave the apartment, "Let's go," she tells Kamer, but doesn't look at him. After that exchange, I wouldn't look at him either. At that, he smirks at James and I, clearly proud of himself and follows Autumn out, not a word said.

As soon as the door shuts, I feel thousands of questions begin to bubble up inside me. "What was that?" I turn and look at James, my arms still crossed over my chest. That look on Autumn's face when she looked at James, it was pleading, almost like embarrassment. It was weird and completely out of her nature. I believe that she's the type that thinks that she's better than everyone else, that she can do whatever she wants and everyone will listen to her. Clearly, today has taught her something quite different than that.

James shakes his head, running his hand through his hair out of pure exhaustion. "God, I don't know, Vena. I have absolutely no idea," he sighs thoughtfully.

I nod because if he doesn't know what's happened here, there is no way I am. "Let's just go to sleep," I offer, looking at him.

He nods, "Yeah, let's go," he agrees, softly.

I lock the door and turn off all the lights. I'm so ready for this day to just be over.

~

~

The next morning, I'm awaken by rummaging sounds in the room. As soon as I open my eyes, they are intruded by the bright sun shining through the windows. I groan and sit up on my elbows to see exactly what is going on. For some unknown reason, James is rummaging through a plastic bin, full with things that I can't really make out. I rub my eyes, trying to clear my vision a bit. I soon realize that he's going through papers, clearly looking for something.

"James?" I question him.

He looks over at me, his eyes leaving the papers in his hands. "I'm sorry if I woke you, Baby."

I groan and lay back down on my back. "What are you doing that is so urgent that you had to do it so early this morning?" I ask him, staring at the white ceiling.

"I'm just looking for something, that's all," he tries to reassure me as I hear him continuing to look through the papers.

I don't say anything for a moment. What could he be looking for that's so important that he finds right now? "What is it?" I ask him. I'm not going to have another self-conflicting conversation with myself about this again, at least, not this time.

The rummaging stops. "A letter from my parents."

I sit up immediately and look at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? I thought you haven't spoken or even seen them in years?" my mind begins to fill with questions.

He gives me a small smile, like as if he's amused by my constant curiosity.

"About a year ago, I got a letter from them. Both of them. It was... Surprising. I sure wasn't expecting it. Anyways, it was about Autumn and I. Of course, they talked about the Vultures and how they're after us and such. It had some more information that Autumn needs, and apparently it is had something in it to get this entire situation under control, so that's why I need to find it," James explains with a certain urgency to his tone.