Reagan's Readings

Chapter Six

"Yoshi is coming home with us?" Venice asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet and I closed the door to the shop and locked it.

The three boys were standing behind me and waiting patiently for me to finish so we could go home.

Yes. All three boys.

"Yes," I grumbled out moodily.

Truthfully, I didn't want Yoshi in the apartment. He had invaded enough of my space here at the shop and had essentially turned life around for my brothers and I, but I figured I should be grateful. If not for his slip up, I'd be in the dark about my brothers.

My brothers. They were the only reason I was bringing Yoshi home. I couldn't help them learn to control their powers because I had never learned myself. Yoshi, on the other hand, knew discipline if nothing else.

"Hey," the aforementioned man said indignantly. "Just because you're not insulting me out loud, doesn't mean I can't hear you."

"Stop listening then," I snapped, unable to control my anger at my thoughts being invaded. Again.

"I can't help it!" he snapped back, just as testily.

Venice's little hand was shaking when it snaked up to grab my own and I felt my anger simmer down. Now that I knew he was an empath, and probably a pretty strong one if our grandfather's power's were anything to base his off of, I needed to work on control my emotions for his sake.

So do you, Yoshi. I directed this thought towards him, knowing he could hear me. He sighed and I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

We could do this. We could be civil for the sake of Venice.

This was proven untrue as Yoshi and I argued the whole way back to the apartment. I tried to keep it in, I did. He just knew exactly what was going to piss me off and used it to his advantage.

And my disadvantage.

"No," I said through gritted teeth. "I have not contemplated the possibility of selling my family's story to the press. Making a profit off of my abilities in the shop is bad enough. I'm not gonna use the people I love to make a paycheck!"

Somehow, I knew - whether it was the look in his eye or the quirk of his lips - I knew Yoshi had been testing me out with that statement. Something like respect radiated off of him and that dimmed the outrage I felt from his silly question.

I would never complicate my brother's lives even further by subjecting them to the media. What kind of big sister would that make me?

What kind of person would that make me?

The answer to that question is an awful one.

The four of us approached the apartment and I was so relieved to be home. However, I was also slightly nervous. We didn't live in a shithole, but we also didn't live a glamorous lifestyle. I didn't want that to be the subject of Yoshi's joke.

A reproachful noise sounded from beside me and I looked at Yoshi.

His eyes seemed to say, I'm not that kind of person.

I didn't smile at him, but I let my worry leave my face and my mind. He seemed content with that.

I unlocked the outside door and started making my way up the stairs. As per usual, Venice was chatting away to anyone who would listen. I wasn't focusing on his words though, I was fully intent on getting to our small apartment.

My intense concentration might be the reason I was so startled when I saw Oakley pop her head out of her apartment door and call out to me.

"Reagan! I figured you'd be in late so I made some extra food for you and the bo- guys," she said, faltering on the last word as her eyes caught sight of Yoshi among their group.