𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐄𝐫𝐚

Chapter 17

As Victoria climbed back through the window of her room, she was greeted by her brother James's booming voice echoing through the space. "OH THERE SHE IS! You've been gone for three hours! How dare you!"

Victoria blinked in surprise at the sudden onslaught of maternal scolding from her usually carefree older brother. "I don't understand when you became a full mother?" she retorted, unable to suppress a smirk.

James's gaze flickered to the new set of clothes adorning Victoria's frame, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Sirius lounged on the bed, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he observed the sibling dynamics unfolding before him. "Whose are those clothes?" James demanded, crossing his arms over his chest in a gesture of authority.

"They're Emerson's," Victoria replied, her tone defensive as she braced herself for James's inevitable interrogation.

James rolled his tongue in his mouth as he processed this information, his brow furrowing in confusion. "So you left to have a fashion show without me?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch with each word. "I'm your older brother, how could you leave me out of this!"

Sirius chimed in with mock indignation, adding fuel to the fire. "Yeah, and me too! What if I wanted to dress up?"

Victoria's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realized the gravity of her oversight. "We're going to the shops probably tomorrow, so you should be fine. Now get both your arses out of my bedroom!" she scolded, grabbing her pillow and swatting at them until they finally retreated.

Once they were gone, Victoria rushed back to the window, beckoning for Emerson and Regulus to join her. "They're gone, you both can come up now!"

Emerson nudged Regulus to the side as she climbed through the window first, her movements graceful and fluid. "I don't understand why we can't just enter through your door. Your mum loves me!"

Victoria shot her a pointed look, her expression tinged with exasperation. "Right, but what about Regulus? Sirius is here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustle of fabric.

"He's like camouflage. You wouldn't even notice him," Emerson replied breezily, launching herself through the window with surprising agility.

Regulus tiptoed around the desk, his movements cautious as he tried to avoid knocking anything over. "I'm still here, Em," he muttered, shooting his sister a pointed look. 

Emerson turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hey, mother said if I go out, you have to come. So here you are!" she declared, jabbing a finger in his direction.

"And you listened to her?" Regulus retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "That's a shocker."

Victoria intervened before the banter could escalate any further, pulling Emerson towards her closet. "If you're trying to put me back in the closet, forget it! I spent many years in there as a closeted lesbian." she proclaimed, her voice ringing with determination.

Regulus's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, his gaze flickering between his sister and Victoria. "Repeat that?" he stammered, his mind struggling to process the unexpected confession.

Emerson rolled her eyes, her expression unapologetic. "Regulus don't act shocked," she stated.

"Why didn't I ever know about this?" Regulus asked, his tone tinged with bewilderment.

"I assumed it was obvious" Emerson replied with a shrug, her nonchalance belying the significance of her words.

Regulus nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful as he considered her response. "Fair point," he conceded, a small smile playing on his lips as he realized the depth of his sister's convictions.

☄. *. ⋆

"It's a backbend," Victoria tried to explain, her voice slightly muffled by the strain of the position. "Can you not do it?"

"No," Emerson replied, her eyes wide with terror as she watched Victoria contort her body. "Because a back isn't supposed to bend like that!"

The trio had snuck outside to Victoria's backyard, hoping to avoid her family and, inevitably, Sirius. Victoria led them to her favorite spot, a secluded area filled with trees and plants that offered a sense of tranquility amidst the chaos of their lives.

Regulus settled himself in front of a tree, his head resting against its trunk as he delved into a book Victoria had recommended. Meanwhile, Victoria attempted to teach Emerson some of the tricks she used to scare James when they were younger.

"Look," Victoria exclaimed, transitioning seamlessly from a backbend into a chest stand. Emerson recoiled in horror, averting her gaze, while Regulus squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to witness the contortionist display. Emerson found the display both impressive and disturbing, unable to comprehend how someone could manipulate their body in such a manner.

As Victoria returned to a seated position, she gazed expectantly at Emerson. "Cool, isn't it?" she asked, a hint of pride evident in her voice.

Emerson scoffed, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "That was bloody weird, but it could be a great prank idea!"

Regulus looked up from his book, a curious expression on his face. "How so?"

"She could just do that in the dark, and bam! We could even scare Minnie!" Emerson suggested, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"She'd murder us if we tried," Victoria remarked dryly, brushing off the idea as she stood up. "Markie would be a much better target."

As they began their walk back to the house, Emerson seized the opportunity to start a snowball fight. Pretending to tie her bootlaces, she quickly fashioned a snowball and lobbed it at Regulus when his back was turned.

"Ow!" Regulus yelped, clutching the back of his head where Emerson's snowball had struck him. Upon realizing Emerson's mischief, he retaliated by pelting her with a snowball, his aim surprisingly accurate. Victoria burst into laughter at the sight of their antics.

Undeterred, Emerson formed another snowball and hurled it at Victoria, hitting her squarely in the face before it slid down into her sweater. "Now, that's funny," she declared triumphantly.

This sparked a full-blown snowball fight between the three of them. Emerson grinned from ear to ear, determined to emerge victorious. Victoria couldn't contain her laughter at Emerson's failed attempts to aim accurately. Even Regulus found himself smiling genuinely, his worries momentarily forgotten as he immersed himself in the joy of the moment.

But beneath the surface, beneath the laughter and the camaraderie, lay a nagging sense of unease. In just a few years, everything could change. Lives could be lost, friendships strained, and dreams shattered. A few years from now, they might find themselves facing challenges they never imagined, their carefree days may be nothing but a distant memory.

As children, they had dreamed of being teenagers, of causing trouble and having fun. But now, as teenagers, they were beginning to realize that adulthood came with its own set of challenges and uncertainties. And in just a few short years, they would be thrust into a world where their childhood dreams would be put to the test, and the consequences of their actions could shape their futures in ways they never anticipated.

(edited)