Fitting In

Chapter 2

“Well... I think so. We could fix this place up, it will be easy! All we need is some supplies and it will be good as new!” He patted the wall only to have pieces crumble to the floor.

“Jane, the mouse isn’t going to hurt you, you’re bigger than it. Besides, if you touch it, it will turn to ash so what’s to worry about?” My mum asked walking inside the house with Jane tailing her, looking white.

“It was huge though mum! Like humongous!” Jane tried demonstrating how big the mouse was with her hands, but it ended up as a slight exaggeration.

“Well... I’m just going to go find the rooms.” My dad stumbled over small piles of rubble and managed to make it to the hallway. “Look at this place...” Jane mumbled, tugging at my sleeve. “There’s bound to be other... slimy-“ she shivered, “ugly, creatures around here.”

“I wonder if it had mouse babies!” Flynn called out, his head poking out of the cabinet. “I’m going to get some more bags.” My mum turned and left the house once more.

“You’re disgusting!” Jane had her eyes squeezed shut, looking sick. “Says the twin...” Flynn laughed while picking at the splinters in the cabinet door. “There’s only one room... looks like the three of you will have to share.” My dad poked his head around the corner and smiled sheepishly.

“Share...” Jane repeated as if it were a foreign word. “Just as long as he doesn’t bring that mouse into the room I’ll be fine.” Jane said, scrunching her nose up in disgust as Flynn snorted, “we live under the same roof as fox girl and yet you can’t stand mice!”

The room fell silent and I glared at Flynn as if trying to burn a hole into his face. I wouldn’t let his words hurt me, he was just mucking around. He didn’t mean it. Flynn’s face contorted into one of pain, “I’m sorry Willow... I didn’t mean it; sometimes I just say things I don’t mean.”

A smile found its way upon my lips and I shook my head dismissively, “its ok... freak boy.” Jane laughed loudly from behind me, “that’s a good one.”

“What are they doing?” I heard my mum whisper to my dad who stood in the hallway, his arms crossed and a huge smile on his face. “Not fighting...” He replied as I turned and grinned at him, his brown eyes looking young and carefree.

“Willow, can you carry some bags to your room?” My mum asked as she patted two heavy suitcases. I groaned before reaching forward and pulling one through the mess and into the hallway. I reached a door that had a sign on it that said, Georgia.

I pushed the door open; the room was quite small but two beds had somehow managed to squeeze into the room with enough space for a mattress to fit on the floor in-between the two beds. A lamp flickered on and off on a desk that sat by a window on the right.

“Well at least our room doesn’t stink.” Jane said coming in and placing her suitcase on the bed to the left. “Flynn... you can sleep on the floor.” Jane told Flynn as he walked in, cradling something in his arms.

“What are you holding?” I asked taking a step back. He looked up and blinked a few times before looking back down, “my friend.”

“You mean you’re only friend...” Jane corrected him, grabbing the suitcase as a weapon. “Get rid of it or I’ll do it for you...” Jane hissed through clenched teeth as she kneeled on the bed.

Flynn moved his hands away from Jane’s reach, the mouse in his hands squeaked while trying to break free of his grip.

Jane screamed as the mouse squeaked again before dropping to the floor and running behind her bed. I dodged out of the way as Flynn dropped to the floor, “come here Bruce.” He cooed as he looked under the bed.

“There’s a huge hole behind your bed!” He yelled, his voice muffled as his head was still stuck under the bed. “If that rodent ever thinks of stepping one toe out of there, I won’t hesitate in frying it off!” Jane pulled her glove off and stretched her fingers, an evil glimmer in her brown eyes.

I moved to sit on what I assumed was my bed; it was a normal procedure for Jane and Flynn to start arguing over nothing.

“Willow... can we go exploring?” Jane’s voice broke the silence that had fallen upon the room. I nodded before standing up, Jane rushed to my side and pointed out the window, “it’s a stream.” She stated in awe, I followed her gaze and smiled; I had been too caught up in the house that I had barely noticed much of its surroundings.

A small stream bubbled not far from our house. A fallen tree was lying across it, making a bridge to cross into the forest behind it.

I took Jane’s hand in mine; Flynn had stopped searching for Bruce and now stood by the door waiting patiently.

Jane skipped ahead as we exited the house, she reached down and picked a flower before turning around and placing it in my hair, “for the prettiest girl in town.” She curtseyed while giggling. “Why thank you...” I curtseyed back before we turned and faced Flynn who looked unimpressed.

“And here’s a flower for the most disgusting boy in town...” Jane placed a flower in his untidy brown hair before turning and skipping towards the stream.

I laughed at the expression on Flynn’s face. He couldn’t fight back the smile. He picked the flower from his hair and twirled it between his fingers, “somehow we’re twins.”

“Somehow I’m related to the two of you,” I smirked as his mouth fell agape. “Hey bozo’s!” Jane called waving from the stream, “last one into the forest is a rotten egg!” I glanced at Flynn who looked back at me, I shrugged before leaping forward. My bones shifted around inside my body and I soon stood on four legs, my blonde fur glistening in the sunlight. I crouched down low before sprinting towards the stream.

“Hey no fair!” Flynn yelled as he chased after me; Jane clapping and jumping up and down as she watched from the stream.