More Than Us

Lily

Running cleared my head in a way nothing else could, but this was different. The houses never normally noticed missing children so quickly, and as the air was filled with sirens, I knew Sophie was different. I glanced over at her. She wasn't typically pretty, her collar bones stuck out and her shoulders were so tiny a bird could crush them. But her eyes were big and brown, and had a constant shine as though she absorbed the light around her and radiated it back. Her hair was now at her shoulders and was flat straight, but as she ran, the wind caught it as it flew back off her face, revealing her chiselled cheekbones. Her skin was clear and pale, but she had a hinting of freckles around her nose. I turned back towards the trees and weaved my way through them, checking Sophie was still with us. She was catching up fast, her long legs making up for where she lacked in speed. Nina was running along side her and I felt a pang of jealousy. Jack ran behind Nina protectively, and she turned every few metres to check he was still there. Leo was running next to Steph, her hand gripped in his. Alice ran at the back, keeping everyone going the right way. She was the mother and leader of the group, despite the shy exterior, she would fight for every one of them. Leo acted as the older brother, responsible and calm, and Steph the youngest, desperate for attention and love. Nina and Jack were the twins, inseparable and one human in two bodies. I was the reckless middle child whom everyone was worried about. I didn't know if Sophie could have a place in our family, and I knew Steph would back me up. My chain of thought was interrupted by the growing louder sirens.
"RUN!" Steph shouted and pointed to the high rocks. I sprinted ahead to check for a clear coast, and started to run up the rocks. High Rocks was the highest point for miles, and was always admired from a distance. Behind the mountains was miles of rocky ground, with tribes and groups of people trying to rebel against the soulmate movement. There were a few groups left, and I always looked forward to going to the rocks in case I saw my brother. I heard a scream behind me and I saw Sophie on the ground. Fear ran through my body and I jumped and ran to her side.
"Were you hurt?" I asked, checking her over.
"My foot," she said through gritted teeth. A long piece of glass went through her foot. Before anybody else had time to even come over, I lifted Sophie into my arms and started jogging over to the rocks.
"What's happened?" Nina pulled at Jacks hand.
"We can check at the top, you alright to carry her Lils?" Jack asked. I nodded and looked at Sophie. Our eyes locked, and again, that sense of home returned. My head felt calm and my heart felt stronger. I looked away and she tightened her grip around my neck and pulled her legs and head in, and I pulled her to me. Like clockwork, we knew what to do. I started to run up the rocks, looking ahead even though I could sense her little brown eyes looking up at me. My arms were aching from her weight, but motivation to not get caught or motivation to get her safe kept me going. We got to the entrance of a cave after the others, who had started setting up camp. Sophie and I looked across at the woods. The sirens were quieter, but lights flashed in the air, and gunshots pierced the air. I looked down at Sophie for the first time since I had lifted her, and she turned to look at me.
"You're pretty special then," I said, a statement rather than a question. She shook her head, back to her silent manor she showed when we first met.
"Do you want to talk to me?" I said impatiently, desperate for the attention she gave the others.
"Sorry," she said in her dark chocolate voice that matched her eyes. "I just don't know what to say."
"How about hi? Thanks for saving me twice? Thanks for the bomb ass hair cut?" I smiled. She giggled and her nose screwed up, and my smile grew.
"Bomb ass?" she said. I laughed louder and she started smiling too.
"It means, like, really really good," I said. She nodded slowly, her arms still round my neck.
"That was a bomb ass dinner?" she said questioningly. "Can I use it then?" I laughed louder and she joined in, our voices tainting the air with happiness, creating a song impossible to be recreated.
"Not quite babe," I smiled. "Let's work on it." She nodded and I felt the urge to hold her closer to me. I don't know how long we stayed like that, her in my arms, standing at the edge of the rocks with the view of towns and trees below us, but taking more interest in each other's eyes. Eventually I lowered her down, and she put her arm around my neck and hobbled into the cave.
"Alice," I said, and she dutifully walked over, not questioning where we had both been.
"I'll fix her up, this could've been a lot worse, you're lucky honey," she smiled at Sophie, who took her arm from around me and put it around Alice, and she hobbled away and sat down a few metres away. I suddenly felt naked without her near me, and I turned to see Nina looking at me. The ache in my chest felt stronger, but the warmth in my head returned. There was no way to describe how Nina made me feel, it was a mix of longing and love and pain and heartbreak, but whatever it was, I was addicted. I walked over into her arms and she hugged me.
"You alright?" I nodded, not wanting to disrupt this moment. I heard Jack and Leo's laugh fill the cave, and we both turned around. Sophie was standing with stitches on her foot in the shape of a lightening. Leo couldn't contain himself, and despite the situation, was on the floor laughing.
"She's fucking Harry Potter," he spluttered. We all joined in laughing as a confused Sophie stood watching us all. Steph put her arms around Sophie, who smiled and relaxed.
"Come on Potter," Steph said, which only encouraged Leo to laugh even more. "Let's make some tea and we can all decide what our next move is."