what the hell happened to you?//five hargreeves

𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.

Y/n could remember it so clearly. Thinking of the memory was like looking outside, past the clean glass window. She could see it crystal clear, like it was right there in front of her. Like she was reliving every second of it.

When she had walked in front of the book store that day, she had no intent of going in that day. That was, until she saw the book in the front window. She would've just walked passed it, not realizing her was on the front cover. But, when she saw that picture on the front, she stopped. The girl looked so familiar. She looked down at her watch and shook her head, she still had time.

So she looked up and swung open the door. Walking inside, a wave of a new book and coffee scents overcame her. She sighed, relieving the tension in her body slightly. The smell of both of those things always calmed her down.

"Y/N?" the worker at the entrance of the door asked. "It's not a weekend or a Wednesday. What are you doing here?" the worker asked her, confused. The girl who worked there wasn't wrong. In fact, it was a Thursday. She hadn't even came in the day before. She had been so packed with grading her students' papers on a Shakespeare play of their choice, she had no time to stop by the book store.

"Oh, uh," Y/n started, trailing off and walking over to the display. She grabbed one of the books on the display entitled "Extra Ordinary." Flipping it over to the back and seeing the picture of the author, her breath hitched. "Vanya," she breathed out.

The girl walked up to her, looking at her curiously, "Oh, that new book? It's been selling like crazy. Vanya, that's your sister isn't it?"

Y/n ignored the girl and walked up to the cashier, placing the book on the counter.

The cashier looked at her and smiled, "Hey, Y/n. What are you doing in here today? It's Thursday." He paused, looking at her expression and back to the book he was ringing up. "Oh," he stated.

Turning to one of the other workers and shouted, "Go get Y/n her normal order from the coffee parlor would you?" The worker looked at the cashier and nodded, speed-walking over to the coffee parlor at the other end of the store.

"Vanya Hargreeves huh?" the man asked. Y/n cleared her throat, not saying anything and nodding. A travel cup of coffee was set down on the counter next to her. She opened her wallet and got out cash. Two ten dollar bills. One and a half for the book, and the other half of the one for the coffee.

The cashier took the two tens and started giving her back a five dollar bill. She furrowed her brows. "Coffee's on the house. Don't worry about it. Now, before I keep you here any longer, go home and read the book. I know you're anxious about it."

She nodded and smiled, walking out of the book store and to her apartment.

-

We were never a real family. We were our father's creation. Family in name, but not in fact.

She read. Damn, she thought, reading on.

In the end, after our brother Ben died, there was nothing connecting us. We were just strangers under the same roof.

She stared at the page, her eyes moving fast. If that's not the damn truth, then I don't know what is. She had thought, continuing to read.

———

The window rolled down as the car pulled to an abrupt stop. "Vanya!" Y/n yelled, waving her right arm. She winced slightly and brought it back down. It was still sore. Vanya walked up to the car, leaning down and looking inside.

"What are you doing here Y/n?" she asked.

"What does it look like? I'm picking you up. I'll drop you off at your place. I have to get back to the academy. It's on my way over there anyway."