Glory & Gore

part 4

When I wake, I don't immediately know why but it doesn't take me long to realize that the slurred words and shrill giggles coming from outside my door are the reason. When I open my door, I see the couple spread across the couch, my sister and a man that I've never met before. The two are kissing passionately, his hands exploring her body. I cross my arms over my chest and clear my throat loudly enough to startle my sister. Iris pushes her companion off of her and sits up quickly, her face a dark shade of red. The man is so intoxicated that it takes him a moment to realize that I'm in the room. My sister tries to adjust her much too short dress and does her best to hide the red busies on her neck with her tangled hair.

"Clove," she says with a tight smile "I thought you were asleep."

"I was." I answer, leaning against the wall.

"Oh, well I hope we didn't wake you."

"You did." For a moment neither of us speaks and I watch as my sister squirms.

"Well, uh..." she looks to the man, as if he can help. He just stares blankly back at her. He seems like a keeper. "This is Harris" I glace at the miserable drunk beside Iris before fixing her with a cool glare.

"Can I talk to you for a moment. Alone." I turn and walk into our bedroom without waiting for her response. The clicking of her high heels against the wooden floors conferms that she has followed.

"What the hell Iris?" I hiss the moment the door is closed "you promised that you would stop bringing those creeps home?"

"You were asleep, I didn't think you would mind."

"You thought that I wouldn't know." I growl, "How many drunks have you brought here Iris? How many of them have been in your bed?"

"Clove" Iris reprimanded "keep your voice down."

"No." I insisted "what it wrong with you? You're disgusting!"

"Calm down!" Iris warned "it's not like I'm some kind of prostitute!" Her eyes cold, warning not to push her.

"You're right." i say cruelly against my better judgment "Prostitutes get paid for what you do." Iris flinches as if I hit her but her expression hardens.

"How dare you" she seethes before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her. I can't count how many times we've had this fight, and it always ends with one of us storming away, the problem never resolved.

My sister and I are mirror images of one another, both with long raven hair, pale skin and large dark eyes, but that is were the similarities end. We've always butt heads because of our diffrences, ever since we were children and Mother used to tell us that we were as different as apples and oranges. it wasn't until our father died that i saw how different we truly were. Iris is like my mother; when disaster struck, they fell to pieces. They could hardly dress themselves in the morning. I however, as much as i hate to say it, am just like my father, strong and stubborn. after the accident I worked harder, put up my walls and never cried. but then again, i didn't see my father's death as a tragedy.

  My mother pretends not to notice how much time Iris spends away, how many nights she doesn't come home,and how often the two of us fight, but i know it troubles her, adding another worry to her extensive collection. I hear the front door close and know that both my sister and her companion have left and I doubt she'll come home tonight.

I step out into the living room that is now littered with beer bottles and other garbage. why am I always cleaning up the messes my sister leaves behind? when I've tided the living room and done my best to  get the beer stains out of the rug, I collapse in the arm chair by the window, my head in my hands. I breath deeply and do my best not to implode. The knock on the window startles me, and i turn to see a familiar figure out side. i stand up and push open the window.

"Cato?" I question tentatively.

"Hey" he smirks

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you about something" he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Can you come out here for a minute?" There was something strange about his manner, while he's usually over confident he seems uneasy tonight.

"Um, alright" i answer uncertainly before i close the window and cross the room to the door. The cool wind hits me as soon as i step outside and i regret not grabbing a jacket. I meet Cato around the side of the house and cross my arms over my chest.

"How are you?" He asks after a moment of silence. How am i?

"Fine" i say skeptically "How did your meeting with Daren go?" Daren was our trainer and it's wasn't uncommon for the pair of us to end up in his office for something stupid we'd done, but i can't recall the last time he wanted to talk to one of us without the other.

"Well, uh" he fidgets slight "that's what i wanted to talk to you about." What is all the nervousness about? Cato is cool and confident, he never fidgets. He takes a step closer so that i could see him a bit more clearly. There was something different in his eyes, a softness replacing the usual icy strength, but his expression was tense.

"Well?" I ask.

Cato scratched his head and looked off into the trees before looking back to me with a kind of determination. in a single step he closes the distance between us and presses his lips to mine. it takes me a moment to realize what is happening and by the time i do he has already pulled away. I look up at him to ask what the hell that was, but his stare is so intense that i can't form the words. He then turns away, retreating into the trees.

"Cato!" I call after him once I regain my ability to speak, but he has already disappeared into the foliage.