Blue Fire

19 | Pretty Rebecca

Travis

I swear to god, if these sixteen-year-olds went skinny-dipping right now in the ocean, I'd tie them up and electrocute them with a-

My mouth dropped open in horror as my sister started peeling her shirt off her body.

"Cornelia Connor," I thundered, "keep your goddamn clothes on!"

They giggled obnoxiously at my command, making me bristle more, before running barefoot on the wet sand and waddling into the water.

At least they kept their freaking clothes on.

Luke snickered beside me, a breeze ruffling through his hair. He stretched his hands towards the bonfire we'd made, warming them. "You're really good at keeping her in line." He looked at my wild sister, who was laughing loudly with her friends as they splashed water around at each other.

I shrugged. "She loves me, so she listens to me."

He hummed in response to that. "Touché."

He cast his eyes upward, and a shadow formed over his face. He was a pretty boy, no doubt. His hazel eyes looked sad as he watched the dark sky with all the shiny stars sparkling across it like a scene from a magical place.

"Your parents are fighting again, aren't they?" he asked quietly, even though I bet Heath, who was sitting on the blanket on the other side of me, calmly drinking chilled soda in his usual laid-back style, could hear him.

"Yeah, they are."

Being my "best" friend since childhood, Luke had witnessed me go through my highs and lows, and no matter how vague I was about my parents' issues, somehow he figured it out. Even if not the exact details. There were moments when he'd felt tension radiating at the dinner table when he visited.

It was impressive how my aunt, Miranda Connor, always stuck by my mom. Their bond was unshakable, even though my dad was Miranda's younger brother. She was the living example of a "girl's girl."

A victim of a cheater, she never for once supported my dad's lifestyle. I couldn't count the number of times she'd stormed into our house to give him a hot piece of her mind, and I loved her for it.

Miranda divorced her cheating husband though, and I knew it wouldn't be long until the day came when she would finally succeed in convincing my mom to dump her brother.

"Sorry, man."

I didn't know what to say, so I merely nodded. I'd never discussed anything like this with him.

"And I now understand why you were so curious about Rebecca," he went on. "She's the mirror of Rach."

"Rachel is the mirror of Rebecca."

"Is there even a difference?"

I didn't know, but I knew Rebecca was better. Stronger. Truer. Even if she was also very much bullheaded.

Heath laughed. "You should've seen how he looked at her this morning, with his mouth hanging open like a damn fool."

"Man, I was shocked." He defended. "Jesus, it was creepy and amazing at the same time. I swear I feel chills running down my spine whenever I look at her. But man, she really is different."