❝ there was a difference between living and existing, and for the first time, phoebe felt like she was living. and wasn't that a marvellous thing?❞
[book 1]
in which a boy calls a girl irrelevant, but somehow manages to fall in love with her anyway...
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"What do you mean, home?" Susan's voice was cautious but angry. She clearly wasn't all too happy with her brother - neither was Phoebe, for that matter. She thought they'd already had this discussion, way back at the Beavers' dam. Perhaps Peter was just in a mood to bring up some old quarrels. Peter glanced over to Susan, his brow furrowed as if he was deep in thought.
"Home, as in back through the wardrobe." Indignant splutters came from Susan, while Edmund fixed his features in a glare and Lucy picked quietly at her food, clearly angry about her brother's decision. Phoebe rolled her eyes. Peter and his ridiculous hero streak. "Lucy, you almost drowned! Edmund nearly died! I promised mum I'd protect you! So far, I've been doing a singularly horrendous job." Phoebe scoffed at that, and Peter turned his eyes to her, a silent question.
"None of us are dead yet, are we?" He looked poised to reply that they could die at any moment, but Phoebe held up a hand before he could. "I don't see how you can uphold your promise if only three children come back, and none of them are you. You can't just sacrifice yourself because you think it'll save us. That's idiotic and you know it. Yes, Lucy almost drowned, but I saved her, didn't I? We have a higher chance of surviving if we're there to help each other, you idiot. You can't just bundle your siblings off back through the wardrobe to hope and pray that you survive. Narnia needs all of us. You have to remember that. We'd rather fight alongside you." Peter blinked a few times, unsure of how to reply, and Phoebe raised her eyebrows as if to challenge him. He couldn't possibly send them home. It made no logical sense.
"Phoebe's right, Peter," Edmund said, his voice solemn, "I've seen what the witch can do. Helped her do it, even. I'm not proud of it, but we need to stay. All of us need to stay." He gave his brother a pointed look. Peter was blushing, though Phoebe thought it must've been from shame. He'd been rather spectacularly shut down.
"I suppose that's it then." Susan stood, her bow sitting rather haphazardly on her shoulder. She looked prepared to forgo breakfast entirely. "I'm not leaving, you dolts, stop looking at me like that." Edmund snorted at his sister's brazenness. "Might as well get some training if we're going into battle." She began to walk off, striding purposefully. Phoebe supposed her idea was a good one, and she jumped up to follow her.
"A little practice throwing knives can't hurt," Phoebe said, grinning, "See you later!" She laughed a little at the expressions on their faces after the mention of knives before running off in pursuit of Susan. She could hear the boys laughing and resuming their breakfast, and she smiled to herself. She could get used to this - family.
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Peter laughed as Phoebe walked away, but he could feel both his younger siblings' eyes on him. He knew them well enough to also know that they were both, undoubtedly, smirking. Even Lucy, who he'd thought to be innocent, had a rather vibrant wicked streak that only ever emerged rarely. "Shut up, both of you." He muttered under his breath, feeling his blood rush up to his face. At least he hadn't blushed when Phoebe had been next to him - that probably would've been worse.
