The Devil's Assistant

Home... or is it?

So, the chapter you've all been waiting for. Tiffany goes home. Here it is. Enjoy.

   P.S--> There's quite a bit of cursing in the chapter. F.Y.I.  xD

C.H.A.P.T.E.R. 8

      "Tiffany?" he squints, taking me in. "Holy shit!" His eyes widen and his lips part slightly. "Are you serious?"

      I give him a small smile and nod. He grins and grabs me, wrapping his arms around me. Out of his mouth comes a low stream of curses, mainly from shock. I hug him back, unwillingly to let go. When I finally do, it's only because I have a sudden to urge to see what other changes have happened since I left.

      "I still can't believe this," Gabriel says and glances at me as we walk into the house. "Where have you bee--"

      "Who was at the door?" I hear a voice calling from up the stairs. Finn saunters down the steps, wearing a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt and jeans. He looks exactly like Gabriel, just as always. And there's the telltale freckle above his eyebrow, the one that's immediately raised at the sight of me.

        Finn gives me an appraising look. "Who's that?" he addresses our brother, nodding towards me.

       "Our sister, dumbass," Gabriel tells him. 

       "What the hell are you talking about?"

       "It's Tiffany!" Gabriel practically yells. I just stand there, feeling awkward.

     Finn gives me blank stare. Um. I don't know what I was expecting-- an onslaught of "Yays" and "I missed yous" would be nice. A hug, at least. But no, Finn's giving me a look. A look that I know all too well, because I've given it way too many times.

      "Tiffany's gone," he says flatly. I blink. What. The. Hell.

       "Finn. . ."

       Finn glances at Gabriel, as if he's the world's dumbest guy. "The real Tiffany ran away three years ago. Why would you believe this chick? She's probably just an actress taking advantage of your stupidness." He scowls. 

      "Finn," I say speaking for the first time. I narrow my eyes. "I can assure you I'm not gone, and I'm not a fake. I'm your sister!" His expression doesn't budge.

      "Prove it," he says, and crosses his arms. I throw up my hands.

      "Ask  me something. Anything."

      He pauses. Gabriel watches us both, now unsure of who he believes. I give him a pleading look, but see by his face that now he's inclined towards Finn's argument.

      "Well, Tiffany," he starts. "What did I name the caterpillar we found in West Virginia when we went in the summer of 2005?" He raises a brow. I see I'm going to have to work hard at this, and use every bit of memory I've got.

      I rack my brain for the answer. Suddenly it pops into my brain like a lightbulb being flicked on. "Katie. Because Katie was the name of the girl you had a crush on then, back in fifth grade." I can see surprise register in Finn's eyes, but he holds his ground.

      "And what did our mom always say to us right before she hit us?" His eyes sparkle-- he knows that there's no way someone that's not in our family could know that.

      "Zasługujesz na to, czego się," I whisper. She always used to say it, whenever she took out her belt. It meant: you deserve what you're getting.