until the very end

part 9

I froze halfway through my movement as I climbed through the window Brend’s house. He wasn’t alone.

I instinctively reached for my knife. I heard chattering and muffled laughter. I heard his voice and the high-pitched voice of a girl I didn’t recognize. At least it wasn’t Skyler.
Their voices abruptly stopped as I launched myself through the window. I stared into the wide-eyened faces of my brother and a thirteen-years-old blonde girl I vaguely recognized from Coates.

“Brend? Are you alright?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Who is this?”
“Oh, h-hi Gwen. This is Lucie.” Brend smiled slightly and the girl looked down, a blush appeaering on her cheeks. “She’s cool, I promise. You can p-put the knife down.”
“Right.” With a sigh, I put the knife away and extended my hand to Lucie with a raised eyebrow. She hesitatingly shook it.

“Hi. I’m Lucie.” She smiled a little. “You must be Gwen.”
“That’s me.” I smiled stiffly. I had not yet decided whether or not I trusted this girl. Maybe it was a good thing that my brother was finally allowing someone into his life again. And this girl didn’t seem much like a threat: innocence and excitement was written all over her face. She was short and she wore her light-blonde hair into a ponytail. Not the kind of girl that had evil in mind, but rather the kind of girl that needed someone to protect her from the evil in the world.

“Gwen, please be nice to her.” Brend shot me a warning scowl. “Don’t mind her, Lucie. Gwen is… very cautious with making new friends.”
I rolled my eyes as I put down the bag of food on the cupboard next to the bed Brend had claimed. “Anyways, I got you some food. You can take some as well if you want,” I said after a short hesitation, glancing at Lucie.
“Are you sure?” Lucie’s bright blue eyes fixated at the fish on the table as if she had not eaten in days. “What about you?”
“I ate already, I’ll be fine. Take it.” Technically, that wasn’t true, but I’d just have to go find some food some place else later today.

Both kids started to devour the food without thinking twice. I leaned against the wall, watching them.
“Thank you, Gwen.” Lucie smiled at me, her mouth full of food.
“Yeah. Anyways, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, Brend.” I crossed my arms. Brend nodded without taking his attention away from the food.

“So I know how much you like your solitary existence,” I started. “But Aria and I need a new place to live. Our own house… isn’t safe for her anymore. And I was thinking, it might be better for everyone if we stay together, so it will be easier for me to protect the both of you. Both you and Aria. This house is pretty big, would you mind if we take the two rooms at the top floor? We won’t be bothering you too much.”
Brend froze mid-bite. He frowned, thinking it through.

I sighed. “I promise. You won’t even notice we’re there, we’ll just slip you some food every now and then.”
“I don’t know,” Brend mumbled. “I don’t really like, you know, being around other people.”
“But Aria’s cool, right?” I said. “She’s not like those other kids that used to bully you or judge you for being different.”

He shrugged, still not looking at me. “She always asks me if I’m okay, with this worried look on her face. I don’t like it when people look at me like that.”
Lucie reached out to briefly touch his hand. He looked up at her, surprised, and then they both looked away blushing.

“I think it’s a good idea, Brend.” Lucie smiled encouraging. “I mean, it’s true. If Skyler or another scary person would break into this house, we probably wouldn’t be able to protect ourselves. I know my way around my bow and arrow, but that’s all, it’s nothing compared to people with knives and guns or powers. And you’re not much of a fighter either.”
“Bow and arrow, you say?” I tilted my head. “Interesting.”

She smiled shyly. “My grandfather used to teach me when I was a little kid. I liked to keep practising at Coates, but just at trees, I could never hurt actual people,” she quickly added.

I chuckled. “Where are you staying anyways?”
“I… don’t really have a place to stay. I change houses a lot. I don’t really like most of the other Coates people. I prefer to be with Brend.” She smiled at him.
I nodded. “Well, you’ll always be welcome here too, Lucie.”
“Okay then,” Brend said suddenly, after swallowing the last piece of fish. “But… promise me Aria won’t be trying to like, talk to me, okay?”
“Deal.” I breathed out with relief.
Lucie smiled. “It’s going to be so much fun! Like we’ll be one big family. The family I never really had.”
“Yeah. A lot of fun,” I said.
“Lucie occasionally works at the melon fields,” Brend said. “She says she sees it as her way to contribute to this town.”

Lucie laughed softly. “It’s not much, but I like to feel like I’m somehow helping, you know?”
“Yeah. Totally.”
“I’m thinking maybe I’ll join her tomorrow,” Brend added after a short hesitation. “I mean, right now I’m just sitting here, doing nothing, only eating the food other people need. I want to feel like I’m helping as well.”
“Are you sure?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve heard the stories about the worms, right? And what if someone attacks you out there?”

“According to Edilio, the worms are dealt with,” Lucie said. “And I’ll be there to protect him. We can protect eachother.” Brend nodded, excitedly.
“Yeah, I’m sure big guys with a gun wouldn’t have a chance against the two of you.” I rolled my eyes, thinking it over for a moment. “Fine. I guess I’ll just have to come with you to keep an eye on you both.”
“Really?” Brend sighed. “I don’t need a babysitter, Gwen. You’re acting like Myrthe.”
“Don’t compare me to Myrthe,” I snapped. “Don’t. Ever.”
Brend just stared at me.

“If you really want to help those crybabies to make something of this town, fine. I guess it’s better than being at home all day. But I’m not letting you go into that battlefield alone.” I swang the bag over my shoulder and got up.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing, Brend,” Lucie said. “It would feel like we’re on a family trip together!”
Brend just sighed.

I bit down on my lip to stifle a laugh at Lucie’s excitement. “Anyways, Aria is packing her stuff and we’ll probably move in later tonight. Are the two of you gonna be okay?”
Lucie nodded. “Thanks again for the food.”
“I’ll get you some more of it tomorrow.” I nodded to Brend, who avoided my eyes, before I smoothly swung my legs back over the window seat.