The Normals | ✓

S I X T E E N

When Gwen leaves a while later, giving me some encouraging words and a new resolve to talk to Lyra, I feel a lot better. Maybe things aren't as bad as they seem. Maybe I can still find my place here.

But no, I promised to Sniper that I'd make a difference. I have to do something, anything that will change someone for the better. My mind argues with me and says I already have -- by just existing, I've impacted Arden, Lyra, and Gwen's lives -- but I won't be satisfied until I make a real change.

I open the front door to the house and step inside. All the lights are off but the sun lights up the rooms anyway, giving them a calm glow. I recognize Arden sitting alone at the kitchen table, running his hands through his longish black hair and mumbling to himself.

"Arden?" I say, motivated by Gwen's words to start over with him. No more eavesdropping, no more secrets. "Earth to Arden?" I say, walking over to him and sitting on the stool next to him. He doesn't move, so I put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

He yelps and jumps out his chair, shoulders tense. Seeing me, they relax a bit. "Oh, it's just you. Wait, where have you been?"

"I was out," I say. "With Lyra. She came back, didn't she?"

Arden's eyes widen and he stares at me. "With Lyra?"

"She didn't tell you what I did, did she?" I ask, cringing.

He runs a hand over his face. "Please tell me you didn't do it." When I don't answer, he surprises me by letting go of a stream of profanities as he leans into the kitchen counter, his fists balled.

"Arden?"

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" he yells, whirling around to face me. "Do you have any idea what could happen to you if someone found out?" He runs a hand over his face again. "Thank goodness Gwen wasn't there."

"Gwen?" I ask. "Oh, she was really helpful. I ran into her on my way in and we sat and talked."

"You told her what you did?!" Arden practically shrieks. I tense and back away. He looks like he wants to choke the nearest thing in his reach. Which is, unfortunately, me.

"I... yes? Should I not have told her?" I stammer. "I just needed someone to talk to and she was there and she was being so nice."

Arden turns around and digs his palms into the kitchen counter, his shoulders rising and falling much too aggressively for my liking. "That's the thing about her, you moron! Gwen is a lying, manipulative snake! She'll act all sweet one moment and the next, she's about to stab you in the back! She'll twist your words, Arthemis. Trust me, she will. And the next thing you know, they'll be shipping you off to Pacifica again."

I raise an eyebrow. "...Right."

Arden turns back around, looking crazed. "Arthemis, you have to believe me on this! She'll come back, I know it! You have to hide. We don't have a basement but maybe the closet will do..." He grabs me by the wrist and starts pulling me down the hall, looking for a place to hide me.

I slap his hand off. "I know what I'm doing, Arden!" I yell at him. "Gwen was the only person who listened to me, who I felt accepted by. You can't take that away from me. Not when everything else has been!"

He looks pained. "Arthemis, I'm not trying to. I'm trying to protect you from her!"

I scoff. "I'm pretty sure you and your future wife need to be protected from me."

He opens his mouth to say something again, but I don't let him, and storm into the guest room, pushing the chair up against it so he can't get in. He tries to get me to open the door, standing outside it and talking to me, but I ignore him until he finally gives up and goes away. I spend the rest of the day in the room, coming back out only once after I make sure Arden's gone. I don't know where Lyra went -- maybe back to her classes -- but she isn't here. Neither are her and Arden's parents. I have the house to myself, but I don't risk staying out of the room for too long. I trust Gwen, but what Arden said has me on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone's watching me.

But no one comes.