It was hours before Auden heard a timid knock on her door. She stood from her studies and walked to the door, cracking it open to see who was there. She tried to shut it when she saw a head of muddy hair, but Izzy shoved a foot through the door. "Go away!" Auden cried, leaning into the door to shut it... but Izzy was stronger.
She pushed her way inside and skipped over to Auden's bed, where her homework was strewn about. She sat down and tilted her head at Auden, her light brown eyes unreadable. "You just need to give him a chance."
Auden blinked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. Izzy had never said that before.. About any guy. She'd never defended them, as if she knew that they were actually a lost cause. Still, Auden was wary. "I've spent three years with him, Izzy. I know his reputation."
"But you don't know him." Izzy said with a mild tone. All of the wildness she'd worn just a few hours ago had disappeared. She almost seemed... like she genuinely cared, in a way. Of course, that was an impossible feat for Izzy.
"I know him well enough." Auden retorted, though her tone was softer than before.
Izzy sighed, "Obviously not, Auden." She adjusted how she was sitting, neatly folding her legs beneath her. She didn't further her explanation, nor the wistful look in her eyes as she thumbed through Auden's homework.
"You're going to give dad a heart attack one of these days." Auden said, trying to divert the subject. Neither of the Clark sisters clearly wanted to talk about Ben. Izzy's mouth curved into a smile, though she didn't look Auden's way.
A pang of envy went through Auden. Izzy had always been beautiful, especially growing up. She was taller than Auden by three inches, her body perfectly proportionate. She had the perfect feminine jawline, the slightly upturned eyes. She didn't even need makeup. Really, Izzy hardly wore anything but dramatically winged eyeliner and false lashes. Her brows were already naturally dark, just like Auden's. Auden had always felt an inkling of jealousy toward Izzy's effortless beauty, but that was about where the jealousy ended. Izzy was so wild.
"That's what he gets for electing you as his favorite." Izzy shrugged light-heartedly.
"Oh stop it, Izzy." Auden rolled her eyes.
"It's true!" Izzy laughed, but there was a deeper meaning on her face. "You're the perfect Clark girl. Everybody loves you."
"Everybody would love you, too, if you weren't such a heathen."
"But you would always be superior." Izzy said more softly. She didn't look angry. Reminiscent, if anything. "You're good at everything, Audie. I wanted to be best at something."
Auden raised an eyebrow. "Best at what? Being an animal?" Auden offered her sister a smile. "And I'm not good at everything, Izzy. You know that better than anybody. You're the first to tell me if I'm bad at something, remember?"
Izzy ignored her last comment. "I wanted to be the best at being bad. It's all there's room for. You have everything else covered." Izzy stood from the bed, coming in at the impressive height of 5'9'' and towering over Auden's fair height of 5'6''.
"That's ridiculous and you know it." Auden sighed as Izzy came to the door, opening it. She paused, eyes locked on the floor.
"No, it really isn't ridiculous." She said firmly. "Give Ben a chance. I think you'll like him better than you think you do, if you just listen."
Izzy eased the door shut, leaving Auden alone in her room. "I doubt that." She said to the empty room before she returned to her homework.