Façade for a Fantasy [Book 1 | Connivance Series] -- REVISING, SEE NOTE INSIDE

Contracts and NDA's

Out of the blue and into the black.
They give you this, but you pay for that...
And once you're gone, you can't ever come back,
when you're out of the blue and into the black.

There's more to the picture,
than meets the eye.

---

Half past eight. Anne laid back on the far too comfortable couch, watching TV to kill some time. Her father had gone, muttering something about having to arrange some things. She was absolutely thrilled—thrilled hadn't even covered it—that her father had agreed. Anne believed the project was something else entirely, something shocking, perhaps immoral... she knew that much. Her father hadn't been secretive about how other people might think about it.

It was science elevated to a higher level, a level average people would fail to understand.

Anne frowned. It was only a matter of time before she would know if she was average. Her mother hadn't understood...

Stumbles on the stairs pulled Anne from her thoughts. Glancing at the staircase, two pair of feminine and masculine legs entered her vision, followed only naturally by the rest of their bodies. Sophie was wearing a pair of heels under a pair of ecru shorts, which made her pale legs seem significantly lengthier. A silken, olive green top graced her chest, matched her green eyes and made her ginger hair stand out.

Jack was wearing navy shorts and a grey blouse. Anne instantaneously regretted donning a navy skirt.

"Morning," Sophie chirped, breaking the tension. Please don't involve Jack into your problems. "Feeling any better, Anne?"

"Peachy."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yeah." Sophie raised an eyebrow at her brusqueness, a warning of some sorts.

"Are you going to work?" She asked, disregarding Anne's attempt to elude conversation. Sophie eyed her outfit, navy skirt, white blouse and a dark blue leather jacket. She had straightened her hair, was wearing her glasses... Anne hummed in response. Sophie grinned. "That's good, isn't it?"

Of course it was. It meant that she wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night because she felt obligated to comfort her sister while puking.

"Yeah, it is. I'm happy." Anne smiled genuinely nonetheless. It was a good thing to her as well.

"Have fun then, but don't exhaust yourself... like father does. I know how you tend to take after him."

"I'll try my best."

"Jack and I are going to hit the city. Maybe the beach as well, the weather is going to be lovely." She looked over her shoulder at Jack, beaming. Jack stifled a smile. Sophie turned around and shoved him playfully. "Don't pretend it is the end of the world, a day out."

Anne knew he wasn't pretending. Jack knew that she knew that he wasn't pretending, she could see it in his face as he looked at her over Sophie's form. But he made no comments. Maybe Anne had made an impression on him this morning.... to back the fuck off.

They left the living room. From the foyer, Anne could hear Sophie saying bye before the front door shut. Anne slumped back into the sofa, into a position her mother wouldn't have approved of. It wasn't very ladylike.

The television informed her of various events around the world, but the news... it didn't quite reach her. Anne seemed to be aware of the fact and turned off the TV.

She reached for her cell phone, attempting to go through the pity messages once again. One message specifically caught her eye.

Dear Anne,