"That's it!" Octavia's aunt shouted grabbing onto Octavia's arm and pulling her towards the door. "I am not leaving you with these heathens!" Octavia gestured frantically and I ignored Sissy and Taylor moaning on the couch darting forward and saying, "She doesn't want to go with you. She says she is happy here."
The woman looked at me and snapped, "How do I know that's what she is really saying? How do I know you haven't used your deviant powers on her? How do I know she isn't brainwashed?"
Octavia made a sound of outrage and fought against her aunt's grip. I sighed disbelievingly and said, "I haven't brainwashed her." I didn't know why I was fighting so hard for Octavia to stay. This woman was her aunt, her legal guardian now that her father was dead. I should let her go...
"I'd like proof," I suddenly said and the woman looked at me, her hand hesitating on the door knob still struggling with Octavia.
"Proof?" she asked and I nodded saying, "Proof that you are who you say you are. Proof that you are actually her legal guardian. I won't let her go with you until I see a copy of her father's will." She glared at me for a long moment and I sighed looking down at the ground trying not to hear Sissy and Taylor grunting.
"Do you want to step out into the hall so we can discuss this like rational adults?" I asked and she seemed to be considering it. I glanced at Octavia and she wrenched her arms out of her aunt's grasp gesturing, "Why have a rational discussion when you can just make her leave?"
I shook my head at her and she sighed dramatically opening the door and stepping out. Her aunt followed her and I followed them. I shut the door and we stood in the hallway. I considered them both. Octavia chewing on her bottom lip, glaring at the floor. Her aunt with her arms crossed over her well-endowed chest glaring just as intently at me.
I smiled awkwardly and held my hand out saying, "Hi, I'm Chase. What's your name?" Her small blue eyes narrowed and after a moment of hesitation she took my hand and shook it replying, "Charlotte." I made sure not to let any heat pass from my skin into hers.
"Hello, Charlotte. It is very nice to meet you," I said and Octavia scoffed signing, "No, it's not!" I ignored her. I held Charlotte's gaze and said, "I am very, very sorry that I killed your brother. I didn't set out to, I need you to believe that."
Her hand jerked away from mine and she snapped, "You expect me to just forgive you?" I shook my head and replied, "No, I don't. I did an awful, awful thing. I know that. But I also saved your niece's life. Doesn't that mean something to you?"
"I refuse to believe Darrin would do something like that. Julie's death hit him hard, but he loved his daughter. He would never...he would never hurt her," she exclaimed and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. I felt remorse stab at my heart, but anger swell in my limbs.
"You can believe whatever you want, but if it weren't for me Octavia would either be dead or in the hospital. You haven't seen either of them in years. How would you know what your brother was capable of?" I snarled and she took a step back.
"What are you?" she murmured and I snapped, "What I am is none of your damn business! Either you come back with a copy of Darrin's will or don't come back at all. I'm not letting her go with you." I grabbed Octavia by the arm and threw her back inside the apartment following after her and slamming the door locking it tight.
I glanced briefly at Taylor and Sissy rolling around on the pull-out couch and made a sound of disgust before grabbing Octavia by the hand and leading her to my room.
"You can sleep in here," I said. "I'll wash your sheets when I get home tomorrow." She nodded and sat down on my bed asking, "Where are you going to sleep?" I grimaced and mumbled, "Sissy's room, I guess. She cleaned up in there. Hopefully she did her bed as well."
Octavia looked up at me and then down at my neatly made bed and signed, "You can sleep in here." I looked around and mumbled, "Alright. I think I have a sleeping bag here somewhere." She grinned and shook her head saying, "No, stupid. In the bed with me."
I stared at her and said, "I'm not sure that's a great idea considering." She made her weird laughing noise and asked, "What? Are you afraid I might seduce you?" I smiled and waved a hand at her saying, "I'm going to take a shower. Go to sleep or you'll be wrecked for school in the morning." She smiled and snuggled under my covers.
I sighed and grabbed my pajamas before heading across the hall to the bathroom. I closed the door and looked in the mirror. My face was full of color and life, my eyes bright and unable to decide if they should be green or blue making them a lovely shade of teal. My hair was shiny and soft. My body felt light, but my mind was heavy.
I had tried to remedy my guilt by telling myself that it was normal. I was allowed to kill. He was a bad man. I saved a life. I did the right thing for myself and for her. I hadn't considered other family members. I hadn't considered that there might be people out there that loved him. I hadn't considered anything in the moment. I had acted on pure instinct. It didn't happen often, but when it did, bad things happened.
I turned away from the mirror and flicked on the shower before removing my clothing. I got in the shower and felt the cool water rain down on me. It had been a long day. A lot had happened. Not all of it entirely fun, but it wasn't the worst day of my life.
I finished in the shower and brushed my teeth and then returned to my room to find Octavia fast asleep. I thought about how nice it would feel to sleep next to someone again. It wouldn't be like it was with Barapha. It would be soft and warm. I'd probably end up kicking off the blankets and ripping my clothes off. I shook my head and pulled a blanket and an extra pillow out of my closet and laid down on the floor next to the bed.
I used to sleep on the floor all the time when I was young. Mostly because I didn't have a bed. I could almost recall the smell of the dirt floor, the smell of wood smoke from the fireplace, my mother's herbs drying at the hearth. It was a comforting memory and to it I fell asleep.