Chapter 10 – 'That was fast."
"You're up early."
I jump at the sound of Nan's voice, almost dropping the glass in my hands on the black and white tiled kitchen floor. My reflexes snap into action and within the second of me even releasing the glass the other hand shoots out to catch it.
"Quick reflexes."
I spin around, shoulders tensed and lips pursing as I loosen my grip on the glass, feeling it groan under my clenched fingertips. I carefully, silently set it safely on the black marble side before I actually drop it.
What is she doing up?
With a clenched jaw I turn to meet Nans blue-grey eyes as she stands before me in a pair of long grey dress trousers and a white shirt tucked into it, her short raven black hair straightened and curved to perfection around her thin face, looking every bit like the business woman she is.
I can see the suspicion in her eyes as she studies the glass, I'd inhumanly stopped from dropping to the floor.
Play it cool Johnstone, play it cool.
Shrugging my shoulder's, I half-lie "I have a younger sister, I have to have good reflexes." She raises an eyebrow at me from where she stands in the doorway, watching me with sharp grey eyes that seem to be searching for something, but from what I can tell she isn't able to find it as I return her quizzical look with a blank expression. And it'll stay that way for as long as I can keep up the cold shoulder.
I.e.; a very, very long time.
"Yes, I forgot how excitable she is. I can imagine she gets into all sorts of trouble" my eyes narrow at the way she stresses trouble. I have a feeling she's not talking about my sister anymore.
"Nothing Mum and I can't handle."
Nans expression remains calm and collected "you didn't say much a dinner last night."
"Nothing to say."
Nan barely reacts to my words, her expression infuriatingly calm regarding me as she says softly "Are you sure? I find talking about our issues and opinions can help air out any tensions between everyone."
My jaw clenches and I rapidly feel the heat rising in the pits of my stomach and I respond coolly "you really don't want me to do that."
"Scarlett. I think we've picked off on the wrong foo..."
"No." the word loudly and firmly escapes my mouth. I myself almost jump at the sternness in it but I try to remain collected as I meet her eyes.
Nan's eyes flash, swirling in an almost piercing gaze that makes it hard for me to maintain eye contact but I clench my jaw and narrow my gaze... it's almost as if she's challenging me. For a second her grey/blue gaze darkens into indecipherable stormy clouds as she stares coolly at me. The hairs on my arms rise as my jaw ticks and I suddenly feel overwhelmed by the instinct to look away.
Anger flashes through me, igniting my determination as I force myself to remain defiant. Don't you dare let her win. This is a battle she won't succeed in.
The moment quickly dissolves as a look of surprise flashes in Nans stormy eyes which slowly return to their softer hue. Her lips pull into a tight smile as she takes a deep calming breath carefully clasping her hands in front of her before repeating "you're up rather early on a Sunday morning."
Obviously, we're pretending that never happened.
I shrug my shoulders again, not sure what to even do as I clench and unclench my fingers uncomfortably as the nervous determined energy sputters out.
