Re-Arranged

Extra: Times Have Changed

Sawyer had, in over two years of being here, understood some power dynamics which basically boiled down to his cousin Kelly being the boss of the household and more often than not, there was no chance for her husband Darian to win an argument. And yet, this fine morning, those dynamics seemed to have evaporated entirely from under this roof.

Kelly was squirming in her chair, her eyes unfocussed, and was barely eating her cereal. In fact, all she did for a while was spoon the mixture around in the bowl. Sawyer gagged at the degree to which the sogginess had increased.

Darian, meanwhile, was the chirpiest anyone had ever seen him. His head bobbed from side to side, he hummed while he chewed, and his cereal was all but done.

Sawyer turned to his right and found Aunt Katherine just as taken in by the scene before them. She caught his eye and nodded towards them. He shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what was happening!

Kat took matters into her own hands. "Why is the environment so strange today?"

Kelly sighed and let go of the spoon. She steepled her fingers and rested her forehead against them. Beside her, Darian scooped up the last spoonful of his bowl, his shoulders dancing.

"It began two years ago and it's been a hell of a long ride," said Kelly slowly. Darian's humming grew more animated. She looked up at the two curious parties, her eyes dark and grave. "I'm about to lose a decade of a debate very soon."

Sawyer considered his dripping spoon for a second and then his cousin, and shook his head. "Should've guessed you'd be dramatic for nothing."

Kat still persevered. "What on earth do you mean, dear?"

As if in answer, the front door was flung open and startled, Sawyer exclaimed, "Why wouldn't you lock the door!"

Ben Lark, fourteen and of the same height as two years prior, tore his mask off and huffed for a good minute. After the usual routine of washing his hands at the kitchen sink, he surveyed the table and stomped over to Kelly. His fingers tapped on the back of her chair as he said in an urgent voice, "We need to talk. This is a crisis, a travesty, a blundering mishap about to blunder so bad!"

Behind him, Evelyn sauntered in, as pleased as a button, and she did the courtesy of closing the door. The autumn chill was choked in its advent. Washing her hands as well, Lyn approached the dining table and her grin spread from eye to eye when she locked eyes with her brother. Without a word, she raised a palm and Darian happily struck it with his own.

"Oh, I can see now this is a very silly thing already," Kat began, her eyes travelling from two sad, worried faces to two barely hiding their excitement. Something in the back of her mind trudged forward and her expression cleared. She clicked her fingers and declared, "I remember now! They are releasing a fourth movie! That's what this is about, isn't it?"

Mirroring each other, Kelly and Ben jutted out their lower lips, set in a deep frown, while Darian and Evelyn chorused out, "Yes!"

"Why am I living here still?" muttered Sawyer, pushing his empty bowl aside and bringing Kelly's soggy mess towards him. She had barely touched it and he was oddly still hungry, something felt missing... "Oh, right. Matrix. I completely forgot!" exclaimed he, dropping his spoon. A smug grin spread across his visage and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I believe I won the debate as well, even though I was a late joiner."

Ben bared his teeth and hissed at him.

***

"The Resurrections— yeah, sure. You killed our precious debate and you call yourself 'The Resurrections'," grumbled Ben half an hour later, slouched over the couch.