Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One


    Yawning, Lila knocked on Clare''s door, dressed and ready to go for her last game of hockey.


    "Yeah?" Clare called, her voice thick with sleep.


    "Are you taking me to hockey? It''s at Cedar Girls''."


    There was a pause. "Oh, shit, it''s Saturday."


    "Yup."


    "Give me a sec."


    There was some rustling before Clare emerged, rubbing her eyes with her right hand, keys jangling from her left.


    "Is this your last game?" she asked as they descended the stairs.


    "Yeah," Lila replied, gripping her hockey stick. "Until next year."


    "Well, your birthday is in January," Clare noted. "Gonna get your license then?"


    "Hope so."


    Clare was silent as Lila opened the front door. They buckled themselves into Clare''s car before Clare quietly said, "Not that I''d mind if you still need rides next year. This year especially has been… kinda nice. I feel like we''ve gotten a lot closer at least."


    Lila smiled, looking over at Clare, who seemed somewhat embarrassed. It looked to Lila that, despite Clare''s progress with telling Lila her feelings, she still had her moments of difficulty.


    "Yeah, we have. I''m really glad you''re my sister, Clare."


    Clare laughed, though her expression was touched. "Even though I''m deplorable?"


    "Clare…"


    "Just being dramatic," Clare grinned. She was in a significantly good mood as they travelled through Forestglade and towards Cedar Grove.


    "By the way," Clare said after a few minutes, "I ended up asking Melody about what happened."


    "Melody? Oh, camp girl."


    Clare snorted. "Yeah, camp girl. Apparently, the gossip I got was pretty accurate."


    "She actually admitted that?"


    "''Course. I mean, why wouldn''t she? We were talking about it half-naked last night as we were getting ready for our sets."


    "Well, what happened?"


    Clare smirked. "Melody ended up flirting a bit too hard, had a bit too much fun in a couple of guys'' tents, got sent home and suspended. My intel said she just changed schools, but she said she was actually formally expelled. Seems like they''re pretty no-nonsense with that kind of stuff."


    "She got expelled?"


    "Sure did. I won''t repeat what she was doing in said tents, but… I think I''d be more surprised if they let her stay. Not to say that you mustn''t do those kinds of things if you''re of age but at a school camp? It wasn''t even a teacher who caught her – it was a camp counsellor, both times. I think the school was pretty embarrassed."


    "I''m still surprised she told you all that."


    "She kinda seemed proud of it. The other girls that were on shift were laughing along and asking for all the details and she was smiling the whole time."


    "I guess it''s definitely a story to tell."


    "Yup."


    "Are you still bothered by her adding Alex on Facebook?"


    Clare glanced at Lila as she turned left before answering. "Nah. She seems pretty chill. I think it was only a moment of insecurity. Besides, after her camp story, I reckon she''s just got a flirty personality, rather than her intentionally targeting Alex."


    "That''s good. Not the insecurity part, just the fact that you''re not bothered anymore."


    "Thanks for clarifying," Clare joked.


    "Yeah, no worries," Lila snickered. "Does this mean you''re friends now with Melody?"


    Clare laughed. "You don''t have to be friends with your colleagues, you know."


    "Yeah, but it seemed like you had a good chat with her."


    Clare shook her head with a smile that wasn''t quite condescending, but close to it. "You''re so naive. A good chat doesn''t mean friendship. She''s fine, sure, but I don''t need to be her friend and she doesn''t need to be mine."


    "I see."


    "Not that she can''t be one day, but that''s just not today."


    They chatted some more about upcoming assessments for the both of them until Clare eventually slowed down in the carpark outside of Field 2 of Cedar Grove Girls'' College.


    "See you in a bit. Good luck. Knock ''em dead or whatever," Clare rattled off as Lila took her things out of her car.


    "Thanks, Clare."


    Lila stepped back, watching Clare zoom away before turning to the oval in question. She could see that most of her teammates were already warming up.


    She trudged down the hill, stretching her arms. There were quite a few people in the stands today – likely because this was the last game of the season. Lila idly took a look at the stands as she passed before her heart stopped.


    Sitting in the stands was a picture come to life – one that Lila had studied over and over again.


    Evelyn Whitley, in the flesh, a scarf with Forestglade College colours wrapped around her neck. She looked elegant, her hair tied back into a bun without a single strand out of place, her clothes neatly pressed. Quite like a Vice CEO of a private hospital. Lila briefly wondered whether Evelyn had been fired or not, but that thought disappeared in the instant that Lila recognised the heavy, dark under-eyes still visible under all that makeup. It seemed that grief was winning the battle against the desperate attempt to hide it.


    Of course, while Lila knew exactly who Evelyn was, Evelyn had no reason to know who Lila was and didn''t even look her way.


    "Lila!" Alice and Willow called in unison, waving her over. Lila tore her eyes away from Evelyn and jogged to them, trying to shake off how unsettled she felt. Knowing so much about a person who had no idea of her existence was certainly odd. Was this how Piper felt?


    "Last game," Alice beamed, bending into a stretch once Lila joined them.


    "Yeah," Lila replied, her eyes darting to Evelyn once more. Then, she looked at Alice closely. "Damn, you look ecstatic about that," Lila commented, stretching her neck.


    Alice laughed. "Yeah, I''m pretty excited for it to be over. I almost didn''t wake up this morning. The tiredness is getting to me."


    Lila glanced around, trying to see if anyone was listening in.


    "You know, acting like that makes it more suspicious," Willow said lightly, shaking out her hands and feet.


    "Sorry," Lila murmured awkwardly.


    "Don''t worry about it," Alice replied, waving her hand reassuringly. "No one would put two and two together. At least, not from that."


    "How have you been going?" Lila asked quietly.


    "Pretty good, actually. Thursday was a success. I''ve already told Willow, but Lila – she''s everything she said and more. She''s even sitting in the stands to support me."


    "I-Is she?" Lila stammered.


    "Yep," Alice said happily, gesturing to Evelyn. "She''s just there. The lady in the green scarf."


    "I see," Lila tried to sound as though this was news to her, but she wasn''t sure whether she pulled it off. "I''m glad that you like her."


    "Same here. I''m… gonna tell my parents. Maybe not today, but soon. I''m ready for whatever the consequences are."


    Lila reached out and lightly touched Alice''s shoulder. "I hope everything goes well."


    "Same," Alice sighed deeply. "Like my life depends on it. Especially since it kinda does."


    "Your parents aren''t here, are they?" Lila asked.


    Alice shook her head. "No, thank God. Then I''d have to explain why I''m talking to Evelyn."


    "Good-"


    Lila was cut off by Ms Wright''s three sharp claps which forced their team to look at her.


    "Alright, ladies," Ms Wright grinned. "Last game of the season. Have fun out there, alright?"


    "We''ll win," Charlotte murmured, gripping her hockey stick in such a way that if it were a person, it''d pass out.


    Ms Wright glanced at Charlotte before continuing.


    "You''ve all improved tremendously. It has been a fantastic season and I hope you''ve enjoyed it as much as I have. Enough of the chit-chat, looks like the game''s about to start."


    Ms Wright hurriedly jogged off to the sidelines and the team scrambled into formation.


    Now that they were commencing without Lila having seen Asher, it felt like her whole world was thrown into disarray. Lila was once again impressed by Cedar Grove Girls'' prowess at hockey, as well as their height, and though she leapt to action when it was called for, she definitely didn''t play as hard as she normally did.


    At least she wasn''t the only Forestglade College player who seemed out of sorts – in fact, it was only Charlotte who was performing with determination. Alice was also going quite well, but Lila could tell that she was trying to fight against her exhaustion.


    Half-time was called with Forestglade College scoring no points and Cedar Grove Girls'' scoring one. Lila and her team collected their customary orange slice from Ms Wright before Lila stood off to the side with Willow and Alice.


    "Saddest part about the season being over is the absence of orange slices," Alice lamented through a mouthful of orange.


    "That''s the saddest part?" Willow asked, wiping her mouth. "Not the fact that we were wiped out this year?"


    Alice shrugged.


    "Damn, Alice, your priorities really have changed," Lila laughed. "To think, you yelled at me about not concentrating enough and goofing off with Asher just a few weeks ago."


    Alice''s face turned bright red. "Sorry," she mumbled, picking at her orange rind.


    "Water under the bridge. Besides, I have a feeling I know why you were so mad," Lila replied with a genuine smile. "All good. I was just feeling a bit down about the fact that he''s not here."


    "Surely you can go see him after this, though. No need to be down," Willow said comfortingly.


    Lila sighed. "I would if I could."


    "Are you guys still not seeing each other as much?" Alice asked.


    "Yeah. He''s focusing a lot on his studies."


    "He better focus on you once the holidays come up," Alice remarked with a grin. "Just not enough that you end up like me."


    "Alice!" Willow admonished. "You''ll scare her."


    Alice laughed, clutching her sides. "I''ve probably already scared her, Willow," she wheezed. With an exhale, she straightened up, wiping at her eyes. "Besides, Lila''s smart. No way she''ll end up like me."


    "Not that intelligence has anything to do with it," Willow frowned.


    "You''re smarter than me and haven''t had this happen to you."


    "That''s not-"


    "Either way, if I don''t make jokes about it, I''ll cry," Alice said, her humour disappearing in an instant.


    "Right," Willow replied awkwardly. "Sorry."


    Alice glanced behind her towards the stands and finished the rest of her orange slice. Lila and Willow exchanged an uncertain look before doing the same.


    "I can''t cry," Alice suddenly said, her voice only just above a whisper. "Otherwise, Jason''s Mum might think I''m having seconds thoughts and I can''t make her sadder than she already is."


    "Alice, I hope you''re not forcing yourself-"


    "I already told you I want this, Lila," Alice smiled, looping both her arms around one of Willow''s and Lila''s. "We''re talking too much about it. Let''s bin these peels."


    With that, it wasn''t long before the game started up again. As suspected, Cedar Grove Girls'' were on top of it today, scoring goal after goal, though a couple were thwarted. Rosa seemed frustrated by this every time the ball slipped past her defence and Lila and Willow were puffed from the chase as midfielders.


    ''It''s not just that we''re complacent,'' Lila thought, wiping the sweat from her brow as she watched Charlotte carry the ball to their goal, ''they''re also good.''


    Charlotte passed the ball to Alice who, just before an attempted tackle from one of their opponents, tossed it back just as quickly, allowing Charlotte to score the only point for Forestglade College. Lila and the rest of their teammates cheered for Charlotte, who beamed so brightly it was almost blinding.


    The cheering didn''t last for long, though – the referee blew their whistle for the final time for the hockey season and Lila let her hockey stick fall to the ground with finality.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Good game, guys," she said to Willow and Rosa, both of whom repeated the sentiment.


    Once all their teammates caught their breath, they gave sportsmanship handshakes to the opposition before being called to Ms Wright for one final discussion.


    "Alright team," she said, smiling at everyone gathered around her. "Good season, and good to see that you finished it with a respectable game against Cedar Grove. I''ve organised a joint end-of-season celebration with the soccer boys for next Tuesday during our usual training session-" a few tired ''whoops'' sounded from some of Lila''s teammates, "-so I hope you''ll all join us."


    "Ma''am," Charlotte''s voice sounded defeated as she raised her hand.


    "Yes, Charlotte?"


    "Ma''am, we didn''t make it to the semi-finals, did we?"


    Ms Wright''s smile turned from one of joy to sympathy. "No, Charlotte, we did not."


    Charlotte sighed in disappointment and one of the girls patted her on the shoulder in solidarity.


    "You can have another crack at it next year," Ms Wright said, her tone chipper. "For now, just enjoy the next few weekends without this commitment."


    "Where will the finals be held?" Rosa asked.


    "It depends on how the semi-finals go," Ms Wright replied. "I''m not sure on the progress of the other schools, but after talking to the Cedar Grove Girls'' coach, I think they''re in for the semi-finals."


    "Boo," Charlotte pouted. Ms Wright evidently decided not to say anything as she continued.


    "I can send you the details of the finals if you''d like to attend," she said.


    "Yeah, that''d be great, thanks Coach," Rosa grinned, placing her Goalie mask on her hip. "Since it''s my last year, I think I''d like to see the season through to the end."


    "That''s a nice idea," Willow said, looking at Alice briefly. "I might join you, Rosa."


    "Same here," Alice replied.


    "What about the soccer boys?" Christa Nguyen asked, running her fingers through her ponytail.


    "What about them?" Ms Wright responded, her tone bemused.


    "W-Well, just, how are they going?"


    Lila side-eyed Christa, noticing quite the blush appearing on her face. Christa was in her cohort and it definitely seemed that she was interested in one of the soccer boys.


    Ms Wright waited a beat – one that was slightly too long – before saying, "Generally?"


    Christa immediately became flustered and Ms Wright laughed. "Only teasing. Annoyingly so, they''ll likely progress to the semi-finals. Mr Kovac is very pleased about that."


    Christa looked relieved and Ms Wright glanced around at her charges with a warm, proud smile.


    "I am serious. You all should be very pleased with yourselves. You finished strong – it was very close, getting into the semi-finals. See you all next Tuesday."


    The team chorused their goodbyes before trudging off the field and up to the carpark.


    Lila wandered up by herself, eyeing Evelyn as she did so. Alice headed straight for Evelyn, grinning broadly and pulling Willow by her wrist. It seemed that introductions were in order and Lila was very glad to escape those.


    Clare''s car was idling in the carpark. Lila tossed her hockey stick in the back and plopped into the front seat, the fatigue from today''s game finally hitting her.


    "Did ya win?" Clare asked, pulling out of the carpark and heading home.


    "Not even close."


    "You don''t seem upset by that."


    "I was kinda hoping to lose, actually."


    "You? The competitive one? Who hit you on the head?"


    "No one," Lila said, rolling her eyes impatiently. "Asher''s team are progressing to the semi-finals and I want to see them play."


    "I guess that''s a good reason," Clare conceded with a nod.


    The rest of the car ride was devoted to Clare''s plans for the weekend – working tonight, then hanging out with Alex on Sunday night – and Lila''s theory about Christa liking a soccer boy.


    They finally tumbled out of Clare''s car once she parked outside the house. Lila slipped into the garage, putting her hockey stick, hockey shoes and shinpads amongst her Dad''s golf clubs and other sporting paraphernalia.


    Her pocket buzzed as she wearily climbed the stairs and she saw it was a message from Asher. She slipped up the steps, catching her footing just before she slammed her face into the landing.


    "I know I''m pretty important, but you don''t need to bow down before me," Daniel smirked as he observed her from said landing, an empty cup in his hands and headphones on his head.


    "Shut up," Lila snapped, standing properly and glaring at him.


    "I''m not the one who decided to kiss the floor."


    "I''ll throw you down these stairs myself."


    "I''d like to see you try."


    They glared at each other for a few moments more before Clare piped up from behind Lila.


    "If neither of you get off the stairs, I''ll toss both of you down here at once."


    Lila glanced behind her, seeing Clare look entirely serious, and she and Daniel both immediately passed each other without another word. Out of the three of the Moloney siblings, there was no doubt in Lila''s mind that Clare could and would toss them down the stairs.


    Lila scurried to her room and closed the door, sitting down on her bed. She pulled her phone out again and now opened Asher''s message.


    Hey, it read.


    Hey, Lila replied. How did your game go?


    We won. Heading to the semi-finals at Sandy Lakes on the 9th


    Congrats! Can''t wait to watch you play


    There was a pause before Asher sent:


    Can I give you a call tonight? Just for a bit. I miss you


    Lila smiled, though he couldn''t see it. Of course. Call me whenever


    Okay


    She watched her phone, waiting to see if he''d say anything else but he didn''t. With that, Lila decided to fill her time with taking a shower and finalising assessments that were due next week.


    Dinner passed by and Lila still hadn''t heard from Asher. He was going to call, right?


    She absently scrolled on her phone, trying to not get overwhelmed with anxiety. It was hard not to think in the back of her mind that perhaps Marlene had finally made her move and harmed him somehow.


    ''You''re being stupid,'' she chastised herself, scrolling faster and not taking anything in. Of course Marlene wouldn''t do anything to Asher. He was probably just sidetracked with his studies-


    Bzz. Bzz.


    Lila almost dropped her phone, seeing Asher''s name flash at the top of her screen. She swiped to it and accepted the call.


    "Hey," Lila said breathlessly.


    "Hey," he said brightly. "Did I catch you in a bad moment?"


    "No, no," Lila combed through her hair and readjusted her seating position on the bed. "I was wondering when you''d call."


    "Sorry. I wanted to call earlier, but I found an error in my Chem assignment."


    "Guessing you fixed it?"


    "Fixed and sent it."


    "Sent it? You sure you didn''t want to spend more time on it?"


    "Definitely not. I''ve got other stuff to work on, after all."


    "I see."


    "So how''d your game go?"


    Lila gave him a quick run through of how it went, including her theory that Christa liked one of the soccer boys.


    "Christa?" She could almost hear the frown through the phone.


    "Yeah. Nguyen. I think she''s in Lucas'' class."


    "Christa Nguyen… I''ve seen her talking to Harrison a couple of times, but it was about English a while ago."


    "Harrison? If she likes him, I''ll have to warn her."


    "Yeah. He''s still a bit of a dick."


    "Ugh."


    "I heard we''re having a joint celebration on Tuesday. We could play matchmaker since Isaac and Elise won''t get it together and Harrison would get with anything that moves."


    Lila wrinkled her nose. "Not sure if I want to subject Christa to that. Besides, she might like someone else."


    "True, true."


    There was a pause in the conversation and Lila sighed.


    "What''s that sigh for?" Asher asked pleasantly.


    "… I also saw Evelyn today."


    "Evelyn? Like Jason''s Mum Evelyn?"


    "Yup. Recognised her immediately."


    "Why would she be at a hockey game?"


    "To support Alice, apparently."


    "Ohh," Asher breathed. "Right. That''s nice of her."


    "Yeah. Alice said their hangout on Thursday night went well and she seems like how Alice envisioned her."


    "That''s good."


    They then quickly started talking and laughing about all sorts of things, the time flying so quickly that Lila was sure they''d keep talking into Sunday.


    This didn''t come to fruition though, since her first yawn signalled the end.


    "You need to sleep," Asher said quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice.


    "I don''t want to."


    "Lila… I''ll call again tomorrow."


    She huffed before yawning once again. He chuckled.


    "If I could come and tuck you in myself, I would," he said.


    Lila''s heart skipped a beat. "I''d wait up for you."


    He chuckled again. "Maybe once I get my license."


    Lila pouted. "When''s that supposed to be?"


    "3rd of December."


    "3rd of December?" Lila tried to think what that meant, but her brain started to shut down because of how tired she was.


    "Yeah. I was born the year before you."


    Lila gasped. "Maybe that''s why you''re so smart!"


    Asher laughed with surprise. "Just ''cause I''m a month older?"


    "Yeah. A lot can happen in a month. I mean, we''ve been together for over a month."


    He laughed again. "That''s true. Maybe you''re right."


    "I''m always right."


    "True again."


    Lila yawned once more.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll have to go," Asher said gently. "Like I said, I''ll call again tomorrow."


    "Promise me."


    "I promise."


    "Good. Goodnight, Asher."


    "Goodnight, Lila."


    <hr>


    Thump, thump, thump.


    Lila opened her bleary eyes, looking around for the source of the noise. It was pitch black. What time was it?


    SLAM.


    ''The heck?''


    Lila hunted around for her phone and opened it. The searing pain of the bright light in her eyes made them water and she blinked furiously against the tears.


    ''2.37?'' It didn''t sound like an intruder, at least. Was it Clare? Lila had never heard her come home before – at least, not like this. Usually, she was dead asleep.


    Lila turned her phone off, placing it next to her head and slowly drifted back to sleep…


    <hr>


    Lila had barely remembered the sounds from last night as she ate her cereal, watching a YouTube video on her phone in the kitchen.


    That was until the sound of thundering footsteps joined her in the kitchen.


    "Jesus, Clare," Lila said, blinking at her sister as she threw open the fridge door, a bottle of ketchup flying out onto the floor next to Clare''s foot. The sisters both stared at it until Clare slowly bent down to pick it up and shoved it back into the fridge. It wheezed into place.


    Lila held back her instinctual laugh and instead kept her eyes on Clare, who turned to face Lila.


    "Hi," Clare said through gritted teeth.


    "That''s certainly a greeting," Lila blinked.


    Clare exhaled deeply, sounding reminiscent of a dragon sniffing out intruders in its treasure horde.


    "Melody''s a bitch."


    "Uh… huh…" Lila nodded in bewilderment, encouraging Clare to go on.


    Clare began to pace, stopping only when the fridge beeped as the door was still open. She slammed it shut and then paced again.


    "So, it''s not a secret that I''m, like, the top performer – at least one of. I''ve got a fanbase and all that."


    "Right…" Lila remembered the cheers for ''Roxy Wurld'' and the reviews noting her as a fan-favourite.


    "So, I get to perform alone."


    "Yeah…"


    "So then fucking tell me why in the middle of my set, Melody – no, sorry, Candy Bliss, decides to crash it? I''m literally swinging on the pole and almost knocked her out with my heels since I wasn''t expecting her. The crowd went wild ''cause she''s hot or whatever, but she ruined the whole thing! Took half my tips even though she wasn''t supposed to be performing."


    "That''s a dick move."


    "It was all anyone could talk about! The clients ''cause they thought it was a new performance, and the team ''cause they were so confused and mad on my behalf. She''s never done that before with anyone else and she knew she wasn''t supposed to be up there. She just freestyled whatever the hell she was doing."


    "Damn. Any reason why she''d do that?"


    "I''d love to fucking know. She just straight-up ignored me before and after our Manager talked to her. I was tempted to march up to Gabriel, but I didn''t want to cause a bigger scene. If she does it again though, I''m going to throttle her. That''s seriously one of the rudest things you can do. The biggest faux pas for dancers. It''s, like, the biggest rule – respect the set." She glared at the coffee station before marching her way over. "I need a coffee. And a shot. Coffee first."


    "Do you even have anything here to take a shot of?"


    Clare clinked her coffee mug onto the counter. "Nope, but I''ll fucking juice potatoes with my bare hands if I have to."


    "Or you could just drive to the liquor store."


    "I can guarantee I''d feel better breaking those potatoes open."


    "Well, we don''t have potatoes, so you''ll have to go to the store anyway."


    Clare glared at Lila, who gave her a cheeky grin. It seemed to cool Clare down as she switched the kettle on and leaned against the countertop, her arms folded across her chest.


    "You know how yesterday, you asked if I was friends with her?"


    "Yeah. Guess that''s out the window."


    "Abso-fucking-lutely. I''m starting to see why she hasn''t stayed at a nightclub for long."


    "Maybe she just doesn''t know the rules."


    Clare sighed. "Maybe."


    "You said she ignored you, but maybe she was embarrassed. You should try and talk to her again when you''re on shift."


    "I''ve got a bartending shift on Monday," Clare said reluctantly. "I think she''s on. I''ll see what she says."


    "Was Alex there?"


    "Yeah. He said that she looked awful next to me and it was clear that she wasn''t part of the set, but he''s also seen it a billion times."


    The kettle clicked off and Clare busied herself with making her coffee. It seemed like she was defused enough by the time Lila was finished with her cereal, so she rinsed it in the sink and headed upstairs to study.


    Lunch was signalled by a knock on her door.


    "Yeah?" Lila called, spinning in her desk chair.


    "It''s me," Daniel''s voice replied.


    "You can come in."


    He poked his head in, his eyes wary.


    "What''s wrong?" Lila asked.


    "Do… you happen to know why Clare''s running around in the backyard, yelling and throwing rocks at the ground?"


    The image of such almost sent Lila into a choking fit of laughter.


    "W-What?" she managed to say through tears.


    "Yeah. I can see her from my window."


    "Daniel, I feel like you see the weirdest stuff from windows."


    "Yeah, I''d rather not see this. She hasn''t broken up with Alex, has she?"


    "Definitely not."


    He looked suspiciously at Lila. "You know why, don''t you?"


    "Yeah. Something to do with her job."


    "Oh. Is she thinking of quitting?"


    "Definitely not."


    He continued to look at Lila expectantly.


    "I''m not going to tell you. You can stop looking at me."


    "Sis…"


    "Calling me sis isn''t going to work, either."


    "C''mon. She''s rabid out there."


    "Ask her yourself if you''re so pressed."


    He ruffled his hair. "Maybe I will. Either way, lunch is downstairs. Come eat, nerd."


    "Okay, rude. Now I''m definitely not going to tell you anything."


    He smirked and she followed him downstairs. Sure enough, she could hear Clare yelling incoherently in the backyard.


    ''I thought she''d cooled down,'' Lila thought as she plated up her food. ''Did something else happen? Or did she rile herself up again?''


    Both were equally plausible, considering who Clare was.


    "Well, I may as well see what''s going on," Lila commented to Daniel. He nodded, his eyes watching her as she passed him with her food. Their parents were in the living room and she was about to pass them when her Mum called her back.


    "Yeah?" Lila asked, spooning some of her curry into her mouth.


    "Do you know why your sister''s acting like a maniac?"


    Lila nodded slowly but didn''t elaborate.


    "Is it to do with her boyfriend?"


    Lila swallowed. "No. Some new girl at work is ruining what she''s doing. You know Clare. She''s a perfectionist."


    Lila''s Mum sighed, shaking her head. "If it''s upsetting her this much, she should quit."


    "Mum, after the fight it took for her to stay, I''m not going to suggest it to her. She might throw rocks at me instead."


    Lila''s Mum sighed again. "Alright, alright."


    Lila carried on through the backdoor, watching as Clare threw a rock on the ground with a banshee-like wail.


    Lila decided not to say anything and instead slowly sat down, lotus-style, on the concrete in the alfresco, looking on at the spectacle. Clare didn''t seem to notice, though Lila heard the rattle of the sliding door and she turned her head to see Daniel, also with a plate of food. He silently sat next to her and they both watched Clare, eating as they did so.


    Eventually, huffing and puffing, Clare turned. As soon as her eyes landed on them, she screamed in surprise and tripped over her feet, falling flat on her butt.


    "How long have you been there?" she asked from the ground. Lila and Daniel simultaneously showed her their empty plates.


    "Long enough to finish these," Lila commented.


    Clare flopped backwards, staring up at the sky. "I… just had some residual energy."


    "I think we can tell," Lila replied. "You''re worrying Daniel, you know."


    Clare raised her head and squinted at him. "Don''t worry about it."


    "I don''t think I can do that," Daniel responded flatly.


    Clare sighed, placing an arm over her eyes. "It''s just work bullshit. It''ll blow over, but it''s frustrating at the moment."


    "Alright."


    None of the siblings moved a muscle. Then –


    "It''s kinda a nice day out here, isn''t it?" Clare asked.


    "Uh huh," Lila agreed.


    "Sure," Daniel said.


    "… we haven''t hung out as siblings for a while. Not since we opened that bank account for Daniel," Clare said softly.


    "Is… this hanging out?" Daniel asked. Lila elbowed him in the side.


    "Guess not," Clare replied. "Let''s… set aside a day in the school holidays. I''ll take you guys somewhere – my treat."


    "Sounds ominous," Daniel said darkly.


    "Oh my God, Daniel, do you exist just to be rude?" Lila snapped.


    "Yeah, it''s my right as the youngest."


    It seemed that it was the right thing to say to get Clare laughing. Both Lila and Daniel joined in her laughter, though her laugh quickly turned hysterical.


    "Should we call those guys with the white jackets?" Daniel asked Lila.


    "No, I think she just needs a minute," Lila said, watching as Clare clutched at her sides. "Like… a good minute."


    "Okay."


    Eventually, Clare sat up, looking at them both with a sad smile.


    "Sorry for worrying you guys. I''m okay. Just needed to process. I''ve worked really hard to get where I am at work, and I hate that someone who just started thinks she can just run the show and ruin everything for me. I''ve never come across someone who''s such an asshole."


    "You''ve met Daniel."


    "Hey!"


    Clare''s smile twitched into a grin. "That''s true."


    "Ugh, you guys are the worst."


    They laughed again, this time without Clare getting into hysterics.


    "C''mon, let''s get inside. We''ll all get an ugly ass tan," Clare said, getting to her feet. Lila and Daniel did too and they filed back into the kitchen, with Lila and Daniel putting their plates into the dishwasher and Clare placing food on her own plate.


    Lila and Daniel headed upstairs and exchanged a look in the hallway separating their bedrooms.


    "She''s not okay," Daniel said.


    "Yeah, definitely not." Lila bit her lip before shaking her head. "There''s nothing we can do, though."


    "Surely we can go to her work and, like, explain? Or get them to do something?"


    ''Got kicked out last time,'' Lila thought. "Nah. She''s a big girl. She can handle it. Trust her. It''s Clare – she can make anything happen."


    "… Okay."


    Daniel opened his door, taking one look back at Lila. "If you can figure out a way to help, tell me?"


    Lila smiled, though she knew there was no way for them to help. "Yeah. If I do, I''ll tell you."


    He nodded and slipped into his room, closing the door behind him. Lila headed into her room and closed the door as well, contemplating Clare''s plight. There really wasn''t anything she could do… unless she spoke to Asher about it and he relayed it to Gabriel.


    Just as she reached for her phone to ask when he''d call, a message lit up her screen.


    Sorry, Lila. I won''t be able to call tonight.


    Lila''s heart dropped.


    Why?


    It turns out I need to redo my whole Physics assignment. I misinterpreted the aim of the whole thing, so I need to shift the tone. It''s due on Thursday, so I have to get it done for us to hang out


    I see.


    I''ll make it up to you. Let''s get Tuckshop tomorrow. Have a walk around the campus, see some sights


    Ok.


    Lila saw him ''typing'' for what felt like hours.


    I''m really sorry.


    I know. It''s okay. The longer we text, the less time you have. Goodnight, Asher


    Thank you. Goodnight, Lila


    Sighing, Lila plugged her phone in. She''d have to ask him tomorrow, it seemed, though it hurt her heart to not be able to hear his voice today.


    ''Thursday. From Thursday, we''ll be together until Sunday. Then we can make up for lost time and hang out.''


    Pep talks to herself weren''t as effective as those said by others, but it would do. She repeated it several times as she threw herself into studying, and even as she tried to fall asleep that night.