Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 21 - I'm On To You

Figuring out what's wrong with Megan takes a certain level of skill to accomplish.

You can't just you know with it. You gotta ease the question out. Ask without asking. Make it seem like you care without caring, so she doesn't think you think something's wrong with her.

Subtlety is the key.

"Megan..." I walk into her room and close the door behind me. I pretend to look at some schoolwork on her desk. "So... What's wrong with you?" Perfect.

She gives me a flat look. "What, you think there's something wrong with me?"

Oh god, it's a trick question. If I say yes, she'll get mad. If I say no, she'll say I don't notice her pain at all.

Proceed with caution, I tell myself. I look for a way out. "Well, I was just wondering because I think there's something wrong with me."

She sighs and slips from her bed sheets, putting her unicorn night robe on. "Well, I didn't want to bring it up, but now that you mentioned it, I have noticed you've been acting strange."

Exactly. I'll make it about me and then I'll ask her what she thinks is wrong with me. In the process she'll reveal why she's upset with me. It should work. Should being the operative word.

She sits on top of her covers and pats the seat beside her. I do as instructed and wait.

"What seems to be the problem, Mia?" she seems like she's missing a cup of tea to stir around and sip condescendingly from.

"Maybe you already have an idea?" I ask hesitantly.

"Oh yeah," she pulls her robe tighter. "I have loads of ideas."

"Like...?"

She glares at me and I look away quickly, staring at the pastel pink walls and posters of Amandla Stenberg, John Boyega, and Selena Gomez saying inspirational quotes.

I remember putting those up with her. Helping her paint the walls. Talking about how nervous we both were about school.

"I miss you," she says.

A heaviness takes over my chest.

She scoots back so her back is against the wall and she crosses her arms. Her voice sounds all commander-y but not. "We used to hangout all the time, but we don't anymore. And Michael's always busy with Morph or playing legos with Charlie. And that stuff is cool, but it's not the kind of stuff I like. They never want to do my kind of things with me. They don't like bands or doing hair or writing stuff down in field journals. And they say my room is too pink to sit in. And I keep waiting for you to come home and hangout with me because you're my sister and you're the only one who likes the things I like, but you just want to hangout with your new friends. I don't have any new friends. I just have Madison in Orlando who can't sit in my room with me and talk about how much I really hate this town."

When I hear her voice break I scoot back with her and pull her into my arms. I rest my chin on the top of her head and let her cry and cry and cry into my shoulder. And somewhere in the midst of it I start crying too because I wonder when I started being such a bad sister.

I don't have time for anything or anyone anymore. Not Michael or Charlie. Not Megan or even myself. I can't remember the last time I asked my mom or dad, genuinely, how their day was. This whole Luna thing isn't going to work if I have to give up my family.

I tell her, "Let's have a day together this weekend. Just you and me. We can look for something worth liking about this town. It'll probably be hard, so we'll definitely need our field journals."