Brightside | ✓

54 | songbird

"Oh, good! You're here! We've been waiting for you!"

At least that time the door was slammed in Eddie's face because her sister was looking forward to seeing her. Well. Looking forward to meeting Axel. Who was escorted into August's house by her twin sister while she left her actual twin outside.

Eddie supposed she shouldn't have promised Axel before they left that she wouldn't leave him alone with her insane family. Whoops. She tapped her knuckles on the door again.

Lockwood opened it. "I've heard you're allowed in now. Door was unlocked. Did you even try?"

"Please tell me Indy hasn't brought out our yearbook."

"I haven't seen it," Lockwood said. "But she did say something about how she really wants to French braid your boyfriend's hair."

"It's... surprisingly braidable." Eddie had considered doing so for the occasion but settled for fixing it with gel herself. No need to relive the You Can't Kill Rock And Roll red carpet. Less was more. He looked handsome. And his hair was easier to braid when it was longer anyway. She could wait a couple months.

"I'd actually never touch that greasy mop," Lockwood said. "But whatever."

Eddie swatted him in the stomach. "Be nice."

Lockwood laughed and stepped out of the way of the door. "Go rescue him if you feel like it. Or let him suffer, I don't care."

Eddie walked into August's house. Welcomed. The air a little less thick than it had been previously. She and August still had a long way to go, but the fact she was allowed in spoke wonders to August's kindness and their progress.

"Oh... yeah." Axel wasn't the best at keeping a poker face and somehow, it showed in his voice. At least he was trying his best. Eddie could tell from the moment she entered the room.

Axel looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. A surefire cry for help. And considering what he'd done to Giovanni Perez the week before, she figured she owed him. Well. That and the fact they were dating. She supposed that factored into the rescue.

Indy was showing Axel old photographs in an album. Which, to her credit, was basically a stamp of approval from the woman who had never liked anyone Eddie brought home.

Eddie walked behind the couch and leaned on the back of it. She figured she'd be on August's kill list again if she sat on the back of it. "Did you even give him a tour before you bombarded him with this?"

"This was a trip we took to LA one summer." Indy pointed at a photograph, ignoring her twin. She snorted out a laugh. "God, look at Eds' bangs."

"Hey."

"She cut them herself with kitchen scissors."

"Axel, I can give you a tour."

"Hold up," Axel said. "Kitchen scissor micro bangs?"

"I..." Eddie rolled her eyes. "I cut where my eyebrows were. But they were raised and I didn't take that into consideration."

"You didn't even realize it," Indy corrected.

"I read a tutorial in one of her stupid magazines and..." Eddie waved a hand in the direction of her photo. Fourteen. Micro banged. Braces. Pimply. "Voila."

Axel tilted his head a little at it.

Eddie gave him the smallest slap on the shoulder. "You can laugh. They're horrible."