Cloudy Sky: The Unlucky Thirteen

52 - Where We Burn

"What did you mean to say then?" I ask, a little teasingly. I guess later I can worry about our friendship changing with the event of my stupid little confession.

"I meant to ask you if I could kiss you," Ari mumbles, exhaling a long breath that blows over my face, but I don't pay the ticklish feeling it causes any mind as I mentally freeze. Did I mishear that? Am I delirious? As I don't answer, Ari adds quickly, "if you don't want to that's really fine I just -"

"No," I interrupt, my mouth barely forming the words I want to come out, "I do. I really do."

Ari lifts my chin slightly until our noses touch, angling his head slightly to press his lips against mine. I let my body lean into his, my hand holding his shoulder lightly. It only seems a few seconds, a few seconds where my mind is buzzing and frozen and I can't really think, I'm just waiting to wake up.

"Pisces, come here," the authoritative voice of my older sister declares.

"That's disgusting," Pisces's voice complains, most likely in mock childishness.

"I know, child. And that's why we don't fall in love," Aquaria's voice turns a bit more motherly.

Ari separates from me, his hand still on my chin as he glares at Aquaria, who has Pisces embraced in her arms. She's covering his eyes with her hands.

Though my mind is still blurry, I automatically snap back at my sister. "You're seventeen, act like it!"

"Aqua, I've seen worse," Pisces whispers in a honeyed innocent voice. "You left your phone open once and I think that was the day I lost my innocence -"

Aquaria covers Pisces's mouth fast enough that her hand is a blur, snapping, "Why would you look through my phone?"

"Because I'm innocent baby?" Pisces's false innocent voice is even more mocking.

"You're going to die," Aquaria sighs, her gaze flicking to me. "And you too. Caprice will kill you, sister. I ain't wasting time coming to your funeral."

"I wouldn't want you there," I answer cheekily, my lips spreading in the shit-eating grin I would wear during whenever we were bored of fighting the Darktales and instead fought each other.

Pisces speaks in a muffled voice from behind Aquaria's hand, "Seriously Aquaria, your search history traumatized me."

"WHY WERE YOU LOOKING THROUGH MY SEARCH HISTORY?"

"Why did you have a porn stash on your phone?"

-

Aquaria and Pisces dragged their sorry asses back because they'd found another vent in the system and were tired of venturing through trap-infested ventilation ducts, understandably.

And that's the short story of how I'm standing on Ari's shoulders, my outstretched fingers barely brushing the vent top. Before I can open it, it's flipped open by a hand belonging to a girl I vaguely recognize.

"You guys really do make dramatic entrances," Peridot says in disappointment. "Want a hand up?" she addresses me offhandedly.

I hook my hands up, gripping the floor as I haul myself up. It's painfully slow, but pettiness runs in my blood.

"How the hell are you here?" calls Aquaria in vague curiosity, seeming slightly offended at the fact that Peridot exists.

"I was born," answers Peridot sarcastically, "like all of us."

"I genuinely don't care unless she can tell us if there's a way out," Pisces mumbles.

"The way out is back where I've come, in case you want to know," Peridot instructs.