Daylight

TWELVE

Third person...

Tori grabbed her backpack and stood at the doorway.

"Are you sure your going to be fine?" She asked Elizabeth.

"I'll be alright, Victoria. It's just a check in with my situation."

"Right... whatever that means. Behave?"

Elizabeth saluted and Tori left with a smile.

Charles waited politely in the kitchen, tapping on his coffee mug. Tori had gotten it for him last Christmas. It had a rainbow flag, and said "WORLDS BEST DAD". Aaron had one too, though he drank anything out of it.

Elizabeth sighed and headed into the kitchen.

"You look like crap," She chuckled.

I'm so done, Charles thought. "I haven shaved," he said, feeling the stuble he had started to grow. He had thought about shaving it that morning, but the memory of Aaron stopped him.

He had told him the night before, after Charles had kissed him goodnight, that he enjoyed the stuble. He said it was a good tickle. Since Charles always shaved and had baby smooth skin, it was strange to be one being commented on about a stuble.

"I'm guessing your not going to either." Elizabeth said as she pulled out a chair and sat in front of him.

"No, Aaron says he likes it."

Elizabeth laughed, then her happiness eased into a chuckled and a sigh.

"So... what is this about?"

"I thought you'd be able to figure it out. Guess I was wrong." Charles said, sipping coffee. He noticed Elizabeth had her hands down, her head to.

"I have a lot on my mind. Maybe I'm just too distracted." She smiled weakly. Charles looked down to his mug, then smiled himself.

"Right... well, I guess we should get to it." Charles pulled out his phone and set it in the middle of the table. It was recording. "I'm recording this in case of any event that comes to harm you or our project. I'm going to be asking you some questions, and you will answer honestly. Do you swear to say the truth?"

Elizabeth gulped.

"I swear."

...

Tori snatched Natalie away from the building and brought her to sit in the only bench in school. It was a spot they had, mostly used during break.

"But I was just about to get a paper for a re-"

"Natalie!" Tori whined, "You can't have this entire time for school! Think about me?"

"But I see you everyday. Your face is getting old."

"Ah-" Tori clung onto her like her life depended on it. "So you don't love me anymore? Is that it?"

Natalie pushed her off, and Tori snickered. To make it up to her, Natalie ended up buying her a bunch of snacks from the vending machines. Tori refused to share any, and before Nat could snatch one, the bell rang.

Both girls went their separate ways.

In the music room, everyone was already taking their place on the small bleachers in the back of the room.

Tori took her place on the second step with all the other Altos.

Her eyes swirled around the classroom, looking for the teacher. Instead, she found a boy sitting behind the piano. Evan.