Red

14.

After school I was laying down, watching TV when someone knocked in my door.

"Come in."

Kit walked in. I paused my show to talk to him.

"Are your friends here?"

"Yeah. We're in my room. Come, they're excited to meet you."

I stood and followed Kit to his room.

"I'm excited to meet them too."

Inside Kit's room were 2 kids.

"This is Zeke and that's Paige. Guys this is Victoria, my cousin."

"You can call me Tori if you want."

I told all three of them. Kit never calls me Tori, which I think is weird because more than half the family calls me that.

"Hi it's so nice to meet you. Kit has told us so much about you!"

"Aw, has he really? I mean we are eachothers favorites in the family."

A week later

I went to get myself a snack from the kitchen. I had been in school for a week and so far I've been doing fine. I heard some shouting from one of the game rooms and assumed the triplets and Mateo have friends over. I tried my best to not react every time I heard the shouting but it was hard not to when my ptsd is lurking around the corner in my brain. I sat down in the living room with some crisps while looking at Instagram. The shouting was still going on, somehow I managed to tune it out. Actually I tuned everything out saying I didn't notice I was still reacting to it or that someone had come up behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and immediately stood up going for the knife on my waist band.

"Woah...it's just me. I was just going to ask the cooks for a snack and saw you flinching every time of the guys yells. Just want to make sure you're okay?"

It was Saylor.

"Yes. I'm fine. Just don't walk up behind and touch me."

"Well I said your name a few times but you didn't respond."

"You did? Sorry then...I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on around me."

"Yes, I did. You're fine though. Anyway, is there any chance I could take those chips from you?"

"Crisps. They're crisps. But sure. Here. I was going back to bed anyway."

I handed Saylor the crisps and started for the stairs.

"Wait a minute."

Saylor grabbed my wrist like, but for some reason this time it hurt. Oh wait...the cuts. I pulled away from Saylor and just looked at his confused state for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry...? Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to. I swear. I am so sorry if I-"

"You didn't...It was nothing. I don't know why I reacted that way. Get back to my brothers before they come looking for you and find me. They are the last people I want to see right now."