𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 | 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 ¹

𝑶𝒏𝒆

Chapter One,
Vacation Gone Wrong

JUNE, her favoured month, the one she eagerly anticipates each year as it brings a fresh start, a hiatus from college, a vacation in an unfamiliar destination, accompanied by her parents, brothers, and dearly missed twin.

The last shared moments dated back to Christmas break, and now she finds herself soaring above the skies, en route from Spain to Georgia. The hours stretch, a countdown until she can be reunited with her family, embracing a week in Atlanta. She envisions exploring the city she's longed to visit.

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎

"Alli, get moving! Start packing," Chloe urged.

In a video call with her siblings, she encouraged her sister to begin arranging her belongings. Alli, fondly referred to as the family's turtle, tended to operate at her own leisurely pace, delaying tasks, and rescheduling appointments.

"Come on, Chloe. We still have time. Why the rush? I'm a woman who enjoys taking her time in everything," Alli protested.

"Yeah, yeah, 'takes her time in every task,'" Cody interjected, always keen to provoke his twin sisters and provoke varied reactions from them. "The family's little turtle, Alliana of the House Simpson, The First of Her Name, The Slowburn, Queen of Turtles—"

"Codes, not now, please!" Alli pleaded, halting her brother before he could unleash her complete GOT-style name, while Chloe erupted into laughter.

"Ah, Codes, you're a gem," Chloe chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Cody retorted, winking.

"I take it back."

"You only said that because I mentioned something about GOT, not because you meant it, baby sis."

"Well, you're insufferable! Screw you!"

"That's a GOT thing too. Your own brother? Damn, I always hated Cersei and Jamie for that."

"Ugh, gross," Alli feigned disgust.

"Hahaha, Codes," Chloe chuckled. "That's good."

"Very amusing, Chlo."

"Enough, let's get serious for a moment. This virus situation—what if we catch it in Atlanta? Is it really wise to go?" Alli interjected, steering the conversation into more serious territory.

"Alli, don't you dare ruin this for me! I've been waiting for this moment since our last vacation, to set foot on Georgian soil. Don't bring up that virus now!" Chloe exclaimed.

"For a second, I thought you were going to say 'set foot on the Moon'," Cody joked.

"I'm just saying, you know—" Alli began, only to be cut off by her brother.

"Little sis, don't worry. Your big brother won't let anything harm you, not even that virus. Don't stress about it," Cody assured her, wearing a sly grin.

"So, what are you now? An antibody?" Alli retorted, matching his smirk.

"No, I love bodies!" Cody quipped.

"Ew, what's wrong with you, bro?" Chloe chimed in, pulling faces. "Jeffrey Dahmer?"

"What? I love healthy bodies."

"I was trying to have a serious conversation, thank you for derailing it!" Alli playfully shouted at her siblings, feigning irritation.

"Oops, sorry. Where's Logan, by the way?" Chloe inquired about her sister's boyfriend.