The 8th Sparrow

Ball of Twine

Five POV

I stood in front of the Ball of Twine with Cathy lay down on the car knocked out in the backseat. I sighed as I stared upon the ball.

"I expected it to be way bigger," Klaus said as he looked at the huge ball of twine.

"Looks pretty big to me," I said and stroked the twine, that's when a little voice joined in.

"Everything's bigger than you," Cathy yawned out, as she walked out of the car next to me.

"You're literally shorter than me," I stated as I patted her head, but, she brushed off my hand.

"Oh, well," she said as she turned her attention away from me and to her cuff, "I just need any type of strong energy break me out of this," I heard her mutter.

"Why?" I asked her but, she looked surprised because I heard her.

"I have pure energy injected in me, so, whatever type of energy on my skin, I will be strong enough to use some of my powers without-," she started, but, she got interrupted.

"Do you know how I found out that my birth mother was in Pennyslianna?" Klaus asked himself, I rolled my eyes he just interrupted what Cathy was going to say, ""Well, because I was on the ass end of the two-week bender, and I can't tell you the exact date because we were boofing Xanax and the whole business, but Amy Winehouse was at the top of the charts. So that puts us somewhere, where? In the mid to late aughts? I helped myself into Dad's office, looking for the key to his safe 'cause he had Pogo lock up all his stealables. But instead, I found a treasure trove of our family history told in expired check stubs. Rachel Herschberger? I was too messed up to, uh, do anything about it, too scared to look her up. But always in the back of my mind, I wondered why she sold me off for three grand. I mean, come on, she couldn't have held out for five? Six?" 

I wondered how Klaus got so talkative, like, when we were 10 he barely knew how to read. Maybe, Vanya tutored him, because Vanya was like the smartest person in the house except me of course. I brushed off my thoughts and asked him what I really wanted to,

"Found anything on my mother?" I said staring at the grass, I really wanted to see my mother. I haven't seen her since my birth, I wonder how much she sold me and my twin for. Luther was my twin if you didn't know.

"No. Sorry," he muttered as his expression fell, and I saw Cathy's expression soften. But, I quickly changed the topic.

"Why now?" 

"Well, duh! Dad disowned us, Grace isn't Grace, Ben is... gone," he said as Cathy scoffed, "You have a heart for a certain sparrow," I caught Cathy blushing but I brushed it off, "Now just felt like a good time to find out who I could've become if I didn't grow up in this stupid family."

"Well, can you call what we had a family?" I asked myself and felt the joke my siblings usually toss around coming up.

"No, it was more like a-" Klaus started

"Institute for snarky delinquent," We finished together, laughing our lungs out. 

"But what is family? What is it?" Klaus asked suddenly, which Cathy surprising answered.

"It's what you guys have, being there for each other, supporting each other, not just living for the name of it," she answered walking into the car.

"For me, it's like a giant ball of Twine, That can never be untangled," Klaus described a minute after Cathy left.

"A giant ball of obligation i've been pushing uphill my entire life"I breathed staring at the big ball of Twine.

"And the older you get, the bigger it gets, and the more you try and untangle it..." Klaus added

"You watch it roll down the hill..." I finished his thoughts.

"What's the point?" We both asked each other, I swear I heard a snicker from the car.

"Hey, I'm glad you came along" Klaus says turning to me and look at the ground

"You're a good brother...And sister-in-law," Klaus adds the last part in a really load voice, I felt my cheeks go red but I maintained eye contact with him and tried not to look at Cathy. " Alright, Alright, My turn for compliments,"

"Sure," I heard a sarcastic voice from the car.

"Uh, Let's find your stupid mother," I said as I patted his shoulder and walked to go to the car and sat on the front seat. 

"Love you too, little dancer!" Klaus replied as I fastened my seatbelt, as Klaus starts the car. I looked back to see Cathy looking through the CD cards, I guess we need music? She chose one of the CDs and gave it to me then she gave me a look to open the music which I did. It was a pop song and I was like why the hell not? I heard Cathy humming along with the song, god, her voice was amazing.

Cathy was looking at her cuffs and I could just see how much she loathed the cuffs. She was okay  so, I looked away outside the window. It was all peaceful with the music on until Cathy started screaming and I whipped my head back.

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked as Cathy stopped screaming and it was just really heavy panting.

"I'm alright," she replied sarcastically trying to calm herself, I didn't know what was going on until I saw her wrist it was red.

"Cut the sarcasm, You tried to use your powers? No?" I questioned her, which she rolled her eyes to, but I knew it was that she tried to use her powers.

"Yes or no?" I asked her sternly, she just looked away and nodded.

"Words, princess," I teased but like sternly.

"Yeah," she said blushing a light pink, I just took her wrist and scanned it. Her healing factor was working after than a normal human but not that fast as she used to be on the balcony.

"You'll be fine," I said as I dropped her hand, she scanned her own her hand.

"I know," she replied with an attitude I knew too much.

"Get Sleep," I commanded as she scoffed and actually listened to me. In a few she was quiet with  really quiet snores ripping the air.

"I ship you guys!" Klaus said that I didn't quite understand. So I asked.

"Where?"