Evangeline
The boy glares at me with pure hostility. I struggle to speak under his gaze. "I'm, um-"
"You must be Evangeline." A mellifluous voice rings out, clear and sharp. Another boy with metal studs and rings lining his earlobes, and blonde hair so pale it is almost white steps out into the foyer, followed by a dark-haired carbon copy of him with the same piercings.
The first thing I notice are their eyes. They are the same cornflower blue as Mariam's. The blonde grins wolfishly. "Asher, didn't you know? That's our stepsister."
Asher does not look pleased in the slightest at this statement. Instead, shoots me a final glare before turning around and storming up the stairs. Upstairs, a door slams shut somewhere.
Both their eyes land on me. I see surprise and shock flit across their faces as they catch sight of my bruised cheek. The blond remains unruffled. "Pardon my idiot brother's rudeness, Evangeline. He reaches out his hand for me to take. "I'm Christopher, age 15. Pleasure to meet you, dear sister."
I shake his hand. He absolutely towers over me. I have to crane my head back to meet his eyes.
The dark haired one steps forward, extending his hand as well. "Maxwell. We're twins." He speaks in a deep baritone, smiling nervously as he gestures toward Christopher.
He takes my hand, shaking it gently before releasing it.
"Likewise," I say quietly, backtracking several steps. I'm still standing awkwardly in the middle of the foyer clutching my backpack. All my belongings are in there.
They seem to realise this, and usher me inside. They start bringing me on a mini tour around the house. Max offers to take my bag for me, but I politely decline. I saw the look he and his brother gave me when they first saw me. I don't need his pity, nor his help, for that matter.
Christopher eagerly leads the way. I follow him, with Max trailing behind. The foyer has two sets of fancy looking glass stairs that curve upward to the second floor. Christopher promises that we'll head up once we finish touring the ground floor.
There are four bathrooms in this house, one being on the first floor. To the left of that is a densely carpeted living room. One side of the wall is made entirely of glass, allowing the afternoon light to stream in. A couch, coffee table and flatscreen dot the space. The television has an Xbox hooked up to it, making me wonder if my stepbrothers enjoy gaming.
Next is the kitchen. A small island sits in the middle of it. Matte black cabinets with gold handles line the walls, complementing the white marble countertop and checkered floor. Not too far away sits an old looking dining table made of wood.
Sliding glass doors lead to a wood-plank porch at the back of the house, where a fairly sizeable pool filled with glimmering water sits halfway under the shade of the roof.
I am brought upstairs. Cut glass steps meet briarsmoke flooring. "Down there is the master bedroom, the twin's room and Lucas's." Christopher gestures at one end of the hallway. "Opposite side would be your room, and Asher's. I hope you don't mind sharing a bathroom."
I nod slowly. I'm actually more concerned about whether or not Asher is okay with that, what with his earlier behaviour.
What crawled up his ass and died?
I am brought to my room at the very end of the hallway. It is sparsely decorated, with only a white painted armoire pushed into a corner, and a single bed next to that. A light breeze blows in through the open window overlooking the garden. From there, I can see the neighbour's window.
"Sorry it's so plain right now," Christopher says, brining my attention back to him. "We can go shopping for more stuff later, if you'd like."
"It's fine. I'll start unpacking," I reply. They nicely don't comment on the fact that the tattered backpack is all I brought.
"If there's anything you need, let us know." Max asks.
"I'll manage."
Christopher speaks to Max in a low voice. I pretend not to notice, simply taking out whatever I have with me and laying it on the bed.
Max gives me a small smile. "Ignore Asher's behaviour. Just know that we're glad to have you here."
"Thanks."
