Secrets Intertwined

XI

Aislyn stood up, gathering her books into her arms.

"Aislyn..."

"Yeah?" She replied, looking over to her brother.

"Why do you and Galen speak with those accents?"

"Serilda made us change them to remain more conspicuous. You may not realise it but each Community has a slightly different accent. It was a way to trace us back to where we're from."

"Oh."

"Ha, not the exciting story you were after?" she laughed, "I guess I tried so hard to perfect it, that I can't shake the damn thing anymore."

Walking over to the door, she turned around and said, "Galen will be staying with me until he leaves in a few days... if that's okay," she added as a second thought.

Jackson nodded his consent, "Okay, I'll get a room ready for him."

"Don't worry about that, he'll stay with me."

"With you?" Spluttered Tamani as Jackson said, "Oh no, that's not happening."

"You're joking, right? It's not like that!"

"I don't care, I'm not just going to let a stranger sleep in the same bed as my sister."

Out the corner of her eye, Aislyn saw Galen biting his cheeks to stop himself from laughing.

"Are you calling me a harlot, brother?"

Logan snorted.

"No, Ais, I didn't mean it like that-"

"Okay," she interrupted, beaming, "then there's no issue."

She started to walk out but her brother called her back.

"I'm being serious, Aislyn. No boys."

Aislyn couldn't help but snigger. Trying to keep a straight face she addressed her brother again, "Oh come on. Look, we're in a bit of a hurry, we have some things we have to do and we'll be back tomorrow morning. No point wasting time arguing over my platonic best friend staying with me. It- it's like if Logan stayed with me! You wouldn't care if he slept with me."

Aislyn smartly didn't mention Tamani. And no-one, smartly, brought him up either.

But Logan made a retching noise.

Aislyn, one hand against her hip, the other pressed to her chest, said, incredulously, "Ex-fucking-cuse you?"

"I don't think the sleeping arrangements are the most important thing right now," said Tamani, "Aislyn, what did you mean you had 'some things' to do? And you're coming back tomorrow?"

Taking a deep breath, she took the time to properly look at Tamani. Since she had come back into the room, he had remained noticeably quiet.

And it was a glimpse of the person he used to be.

Aislyn used to pester him about being so quiet, never really voicing his opinions if he was around too many people. It had been quite a shock to her when one day, out of the blue, Tamani had announced his plans to run with Logan and Tamani when the next elections came around.

But the silence he had been radiating moments ago, wasn't the same peaceful silence she recognised. It was a silence that spoke a thousand words.

Aislyn stole a glimpse at Galen.

"Uh, I- we," she corrected looking at Galen, " have to finish up some work."

"Really? You still have work after getting imprisoned? Whatever you did mustn't have been so bad then," replied Logan.