The Exile

Chapter 7: Fights and True Love

Man, I'm liking this story a lot! 

Whatcha think? 

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Fletcher manages to get inside before I do. 

My lungs are burning by the time I get inside, seeing the snowy footprints leading inside. I rush into the kitchen to find Fletcher climbing the cupboards, trying to get to the pie first. I run forward and grab his small body. 

"No, it's mine!" He shouts and flails in my hands. 

"Finders keepers!" I set him down on the ground and, with my height advantage, grab the last piece and inch it closer to my mouth. He latches onto my leg, which makes me fall. I manage to keep the pie afloat in my hand and Fletcher climbs over me. He manages to take a bite out of it, but I brings it toward my face and stuff my mouth. He grabs my wrist and yanks it back toward him to finish the rest of the blueberry goodness. 

Fletcher looks at me, then at my hand, then back at me. And he shoves my sticky, blueberry-covered fingers in my face. 

"Augh! You little brat!" I shove it back into his face, as if he didn't already have a ton of it on him already. 

"Whoa," Koul says from the dining room, area. She clearly didn't expect to see this. 

Two people, covered in snow and blueberry sauce. Gotta say, it'd surprise me too. 

"Erin, are you okay? You left kinda abruptly there," Koul says. 

I sit Fletcher back up on his feet and begin to take off his coat for him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Looks like I have my own therapist to talk to." 

Loud voices echo from upstairs. All three of us turn our heads to the ceiling at the same time. 

"They're fighting again," Fletcher sighs. 

"Fletch, why don't we go and watch TV?" Koul suggests, wisely. She holds out her hand for him. 

"Eh, might wanna clean his face first," I say. "I'm gonna go talk with the loving couple upstairs." 

Koul grabs my arm. "Be careful, Erin. Okay? I don't like that Darius guy."

"Don't worry," I pat her hand. I lean in close and whisper. "Just make sure the volume is turned up extra high." 

"I will." 

I clean my face off and walk up the stairs. 

I raise my fist to knock on the door, when it opens up the second I'm about to knock. Darius is standing there, looking very pissed off. He reaches his hand out and pushes me back and walks away. 

"Darius!" Myrina yells after his back as it retreats down the steps.

"Is everything okay?" I ask, stupidly. 

"No, everything's not fucking okay!" She yells at me. Then she quickly sobers up. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed." 

The door slams shut downstairs and by the sound of the car tires squealing away, I knew Darius had left. I grab at the back of my neck, suddenly feeling too responsible for this turn of events. 

Myrina laughs, but it's void of any kind of humor. She walks inside, not bothering to close the door behind her. I don't know if it's okay to walk inside, so I just stand there, in the doorway. 

"He's a real asshole, don't you think?" She angrily pulls apart the curtains to watch the car leave down the road. "I knew he didn't like you, but that just went too far." 

"I'm not offended." 

"Oh, clearly. That's why you got up the way you did." 

"Okay, that's a lie. I was offended. But I can assure you I'm fine now. I can go after him, if you'd like?"