The Forest

-23-

Lucius was going through his wardrobe when the door rattled. He jumped and dropped the pile of too-small shirts. Brianna sat bolt-upright where she lay on the bed, Viridis' head in her lap. She looked to him for instruction. Lucius waved his hand for her to hide. The door opened just as Bree pulled herself and Viridis under the pillow, nestling into the fabric shadow.
"Darius, hey." He kicked the clothes back into his wardrobe and went to the door. Elnora was standing in the hall.

Lucius froze.

Elnora's arms were folded. She wasn't as tall as Darius, but by the way she stood you might have thought she was. The key he had been carrying around had somehow ended up in her left hand.
"Huh." She said when she saw Lucius. Just huh. Her voice was mild and disbelieving, "You actually are back."
Lucius didn't have a name for the complicated mix of emotions that took shape when he stood face to face with his older sister. There was surprise first. He had supposed subconsciously that she was away studying somewhere, as usual. A distant panic flared in the back of his mind for Bree and Vids, here was another threat for them to hide from, but it was drowned out by other feelings. Uncertainty. Warmth. The last memory he had of her was a face in the upstairs window, watching the car take him away to school. She had never come to visit him. Their parents hadn't let her.
"Hi." He managed. The voice was breathy and not his own.
She didn't say anything.

Lucius couldn't take his eyes off her newly blonde hair, cut above her shoulders. In his every memory her hair swayed long and mousy, she wore pastel jumpers and wandered the house in socks. Her jeans swept down to her ankles, a blouse tucked into them at her waist. She wore a single black ring on her middle finger, but no earrings or bracelets. They weren't allowed to wear jewellery. Though it looked as if there was a gloss of makeup on her face. Their mum had always worn it, so maybe Ellie was allowed now that she was older.
"I like your hair." Was all he could think to say.
Her lips pressed together.
Oh. Lucius knitted his hands, lowered his face slightly. Her reaction told him that was a stupid thing to say.

"I-"
"Don't natter." Ellie frowned. "I don't want to talk to you. I just wanted to see if the rumour was true."
He fidgeted with the bottom of his jumper as the words processed. "What-"
"The rumour that you're back." She tucked a strand of wayward hair behind her ear. "Everyone is talking about you. Darius told me it's because you came back." Her voice went soft. "I didn't believe him."
That made Lucius go funny inside. "Everyone?" It felt like a big word.
"Mum and Dad's friends?" She rolled her eyes, "Who else would I mean?"
Lucius couldn't think of anything to say. He didn't know. She was waiting for his response, but he was still stuck on the fact that her hair was blonde, and she was taller, she was suddenly nothing like the girl he remembered. His face grew redder and redder in the quiet.
His sister turned to go, bored with the conversation.
Lucius panicked, "Ellie?"
"Don't call me that."

The floor was sticky on his feet. He was sinking. Ellie, Elnora, was looking at him like she would look at a baby with mess all over their face. Lucius didn't know what to do. He didn't understand. He felt angry and upset at the same time, he felt ashamed of himself, like her sudden coldness was his fault even though he didn't know what he was doing wrong.

"What do you want? I'm busy."
She wasn't how he remembered her. But she's still Ellie, he told himself. Ellie had always been frosty to strangers, always a little self-conscious of herself. A long time had passed since they last saw each other, so of course things wouldn't be friendly right away. But their bond ran deeper than his and Darius'. It always had. She would remember.
"It's nice to see you." Lucius tried.
She had started scrolling through her phone. "Huh?"
"It's nice to see you." He repeated. Lucius scrunched the bottom of his jumper into a ball. "Missed you at school."
She smiled at something on the screen before remembering he was talking to her. She glanced up, "What, sorry? At school?"
Lucius gritted his teeth. She was looking now, listening.
"I missed you." He whispered. "At school." Old memories swelled in bruises, bloody noses, in hurting that wasn't physical but somehow cut deeper. Emotion glistened in his eyes.
"Thanks."