Us Against the World || Simon Brown x Reader

Chapter 15

The next day

Simon's POV

After yesterday, I'm started questioning why I felt disappointed at the beach. It was fun and Y/N was there and we flew a kite. She looked so free when I handed the string to her, her eyes shining with happiness and her h/c hair blowing in the wind. But I guess all good things do come to an end. Y/N was so excited, saying she had never flown a kite, smiling brightly. I don't want that smile to disappear from her face.

Great Aunt Adelaide is supposed to come for tea and I'm not looking forward to it. I finish brushing my teeth, spitting into the basin, and stare at my nice clothes hanging on the doorknob. I hate wearing them, they're tight and itchy around my neck, and I look like a posh kid who goes to one of those boarding schools. 

I don't want to. Why don't the animals need to wear clothes? What if I don't wear these clothes? The animals will wear clothes! I smile to myself in the mirror, I really am a genius.

"Guys, let's put our clothes on the animals! That way, we won't have to wear them!" I shout to the others.

"Si, I don't think that's a-" Y/N started.

"Who cares, come on!" I sprint toward the door and race down the stairs, hearing my siblings' thundering footsteps in tow. I throw the front door open, my siblings trailing out behind me waving their clothes around in the air as we approach the animals grazing in the yard.

Time Skip

I smirk as I watch Aunt Adelaide's face contort into distaste but change back to calm instantly when she sees only Y/N in nice clothes upon her arrival. She walks down the front path and we greet her when she reaches the front door. 

"Welcome back, Great Aunt Adelaide," I try sounding formal like Father does when she visits us, "How are you doing?"

"I'm not well at all, you see- wait, there's eight of you now! And only one of you is dressed in an orderly fashion! Outrageous! Cedric, how are you raising these children of yours?"

"Ah, Great Aunt Adelaide, it's great to see you again, do come in," Father comes to rescue us from this trainwreck of a conversation, and we move so Great Aunt Adelaide can go inside. 

"Tea should be ready in ten minutes, so you children don't get up to any shenanigans, alright? And didn't I tell you to wear your nice clothes?"

"Cedric! Come along!" we hear Adelaide holler from inside, making Father give us a hard look, and strides inside.

"Yes, Father! Bye!"

"Yes, Cedric." 

Once he's out of earshot, I turn to Y/N and Chrissy, who straighten, attentive and ready to receive their assignment. 

"Go spy on the adults, and report back when you hear something interesting," I command jokingly, pointing inside. Chrissy nods, salutes, and scurries inside and Y/N smiles and follows Chrissy, leaving us behind.

We make our way to the treehouse, one by one climbing up the ladder. When I ascend, everyone is already up, sitting cross-legged on the wooden floorboards. There is more space than usual, now that Chrissy isn't with us in the treehouse. I stare off into space as my siblings engage in conversation, thinking about what Chrissy and Y/N could be hearing while they're eavesdropping.

Y/N's POV

I try to step quietly so we don't alert the adults of our presence, nearing the dining room door where Chrissy stands in the shadows. I crouch down next to her, hearing an old female voice.