✓ | TWO YOUNG HEARTS◦𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓

29 - STRANGER DANGER

"Seriously?" Brian nearly shouted, startling both of his siblings despite them already looking at him. "Peter freaking likes you—like, like-likes you!" Alissa only scoffed, shaking her head in denial.

Carter nudged her shoulder, making her look over at him. "No, he's right. Peter does like you," he agreed, making Brian happily grin.

"Oh, c'mon," Alissa sighed. "He couldn't."

"Why? Because he's actually good at hiding when he likes someone?" Carter snickered, giving his sister a look. "No, he's not. He sucks at it. I know he does because he looks at you the exact same way you look at him. I've seen it on numerous occasions."

Alissa pursed her lips together, silencing herself. 'But not enough times with you,' Peter's words echoed in her head. The way his hand had brushed against her own flashed in her mind, her brows coming together as she remembered the way his fingers began to move to her hand. She sat up, more and more memories coming together of how Peter did something that was a little out of the ordinary for him to do to someone who was, sadly, still a friend.

Carter and Brian noticed the exprsssion change on their sisters face, sharing an unsure glance with one another. Alissa turned to them, a surprising thought sparking in her mind. "I guess, maybe, there's a chance—"

The garage door opening cut Alissa off, the three Caverly children turning to see their parents walking into the home, the two of them carrying Chinese takeout bags. They noticed their children, sharing a smile with each other as they placed the bags on the table, expecting their children to dig in. Instead, they were met with blank stares, Brian doing so while he stuffed his homework back into his folder.

"What? What's the matter?" Scott worriedly wondered, plopping down at one end of the table, his wife sitting beside Brian.

"Why are we here?" Carter blankly asked, not seeing a reason not trying sugarcoat the fact that he didn't want to be home at the moment.

"We're having a family dinner," Kelli cheerfully answered, sweetly smiling at her children. She and Scott began emptying the bags, passing around plates.

"Seriously? That's why you made us come home?"

Scott sighed, looking at his oldest child tiredly. "Why? Did you have something better to do?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," he snapped, eyes sharpened at Scott. "I—"

"But you said it was an emergency," Alissa interjected, trying to spare them all from a father and son fight. They were all on better terms, but there was still doubt plaguing Carter's mind, his instincts being going to fight rather than just enjoy the moment.

Scott and Kelli shared a subtly look, pausing their movements. Kelli sighed, handing a contained of fried rice to Brian, "Let's just tell them," Kelli said, ignoring the looks she received from her children. "They have a right to know."

As much as Scott wanted to deny what his wife said, she was right. Their children had a right to know why they were called home earlier than planned.

"Fine, okay, okay," Scott said, passing one of the bags of crab rangoon to Alissa who took it happily. "There. . .there was an accident at work—two, actually—and it's been handle, okay? Don't worry, but there's been some. . .reappearances of those that were affected, and we don't want any of you out and about while they're still out there."

"While who's out there?" Alissa asked, but she was met with silence while they began to eat. "You guys can't just tell us something like that and then not explain it. Like mom said, we have a right to know."