The Duns

Crying On The Floor

Chapter Seventeen

Catherine

It's hot and I'm sweating, but I smile as he extends his hand, some of his blonde hair flipping onto his forehead. "Hi! I'm Lucas." I see Peter's icy glaze, his white eyeballs piercing into the person in front of me. I ignore it, smiling at his supposed jealousy, and shake Lucas's hand.

"Catherine," I say, "Peter and I are together." just to make it clear. Once again, I feel Peter's eyes turn a funny shade of purple- a color I've seen before- and laugh hysterically inside. I pull out my hand and face Lucas. He seems pretty Okay about it, as I thought he would. Poor Peter has a habit of thinking everyone's in love with me.

As I see Albert coming out of the door, now having introduced himself and his powers, I corner him, explaining and threatening him to contact Ester once more.

I look up in the middle of our conversation to see Max and Peter standing opposite of each other, Max's slightly taller frame holding back, his dark skin barely noticeable in the light.

Peter's eyes turn a ferocious shade of orange and with each second get more and more like red.

I step ahead, ready to interrupt, wishing I could read what was going on in his head.

And then surprisingly, Peter's light arms fall around Max's waist, as did Max's almost as if the past had never taken place, almost like best friends again, seeping bravery and comfort from each other.

How safe is this- their friendship just the same even after all that happened? Or maybe it's just me. Maybe it's because Max shot me.

Ester is waiting for us impatiently on the other side of the grass, waving like a maniac. We break into a run, sprinting through the darkness of the morning, hours away from sunrise, a little bit of the weight each of us carried, falling delicately off our shoulders- or so it felt, at least to me.

But as we try to fit into Peter's car, I notice another small, unnecessary issue climbing quietly up Peter's back: Lucas Royce. And probably me. I squeeze his hand, which is still in mine, and lean against his shoulder, in a way to signal to him, that for me, there was only one, only him, and that he doesn't need to worry about something this insignificant and ludicrous, but it only managed to delay the climbing worry.

I sigh, annoyed.

-

We reach home in forty-two minutes to be exact. The boys get out slowly, taking their time. Peter, Ester, and I walk ahead comfortably. The lights are dimly visible from the porch. A silhouette of two shadows is seen seated on the chairs at the table leaning forward as if in deep conversation. So like Mum and Dad!

I bump my nose into Peter, who is walking in front of me. "Ouch." I say, stepping back and rubbing my nose, "Why'd you stop, Peter?" Not getting any reply, I join him ahead. And I freeze, scared stiff.

The main door is left slightly ajar.

Fear hits me hard, as if my soul has just floated right out of my body. I lean unconsciously on Peter. Then, another thought sends a bolt of electricity through me, my body jumps ahead, alert, my gun in my arms, I throw open the door and run in. The sight in front of me causes me to drop down onto my knees, falling onto the floor.

No.

No.

No!

No. It can't be.

-

I feel like everything has fallen apart. The few drops of joy I felt less than an hour back disappears suddenly, to be replaced by permanent doom, by permanent failure- hopelessness.