the spider whisperer

Legal Guardian [chapter 12]

"Come on, y/n!" Cairo called out into their small apartment. He impatiently tapped his foot against the floor with his arms crossed and furrowed brows, "Let's get going already."

His sister came rushing out of their room, her clothes messily thrown on with a purse slung loosely over her shoulder. She stumbled over her feet as she tried to make it to the door in a hurry. Even if she didn't really know where she was being taken. All she knew was that they were running on a time schedule. And, apparently, they weren't on the correct imaginary schedule.

She hopped on one foot as she tried to smoothly put her shoes on, "Where are we even going?" She failed miserably in being smooth. Instead, she ended up on the floor, slipping on her shoes as if she were a toddler.

Cairo couldn't help but chuckle at the scene in front of him. It brought him back to when he used to have to help her get dressed before he walked her to school and the rushed to his own so he wasn't tardy. But he still didn't provide her with an answer, "Cut the talking. We were supposed to leave, like, yesterday."

"Okay, okay," she finished tying up her shoes and stood up.

She followed her brother out, waiting for him to lock the door before they headed down to the street. Cairo led the way, his younger sister following closely behind.

During the walk, they stayed silent. His mind went off to what he was going to do to support them after college, and she was thinking of where they possibly could be going. They always seemed to think opposite of one another. Cairo would be thinking about income, and she would be thinking about something in the moment. And then the roles would flip.

It was like they took turns worrying about the money.

"Would you get mad at me if I started working full-time after I got out of college?" Cairo asked abruptly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, refusing to turn around and see her face. If she had a bad reaction, then he'd feel bad for even proposing the idea. It was better to just wait for a verbal answer.

She paused for a moment, "I wouldn't like it. You would be away from the apartment from before I even wake to after I've finished dinner. Right?" Her eyes landed on the back of his head, and she was given a curt (and frankly, disappointed) nod. "But I would understand if you did. We'll need to start making our own money eventually.I could even start working part-time somewhere if it helps! Then we would t have to rely on our 'parents' who we only ever see every few years."

"Wait— no!" Cairo stopped. He turned around and looked to his younger sister with furrowed brows. "I didn't mean for you to start planning this out. I was just trying to see, since I'm starting to look into interning, what you would think."

Cairo let out a sigh, hooking his arm around hers, "You're still a kid. Act like one while you can."

"But you're only five years older than me—"

"And yet you've still been put under my care," Cairo continued on down the sidewalk. He ignored the passing cars and various street cats. "I'm you're legal guardian; it's my job to take care of you. Not the other way around. So let me do that."

"You shouldn't even be my legal guardian," she stated sourly. Her nose scrunched up and a frown tugged at her lips.

Sure, she loved her parents, but every now and then, she couldn't help but resent them. Why did Cairo have to take care of a kid who he didn't even have? She was his burden because her parents weren't good enough to raise her themselves.

"I know," Cairo mumbled, a slight downcast look flashing across his face. He was quick to perk back up though, "But that's just the way things are. And it's fine. Because people are always willing to help us out." He paused for a second to think of somebody, "Like Old Lady Margret!"