Nephilim

39

Sophomore Year

"Come on, you already did it in Middle School, why not do it again?" Andi questions, dropping into the seat across from her sister, a lemonade in her hand. Kirstin stares blankly at the cup of... weird liquid in front of her, the group around her discussing an art show for the high school. They were trying to talk Maya into presenting her artwork during the show. Maya was refusing, saying that since she already did it once, she has no reason to do it again. They were at Topanga's, like usual.

Mason was quietly sipping a chocolate milkshake, watching the madness unfold, his eyes constantly moving between said madness, and the quiet friend he made last year. The madness being Riley Matthews personal mission to get Maya to do things that should make her happy. Kirstin didn't understand how an art show would make someone happy, she would be terrified if her work was shown. Of course, nobody really cared if her artistic abilities were recognized; her uncles and the Avengers were too busy saving people all the time to actually notice and Avery was too wrapped up in her first important relationship with Andi to even notice, let alone care, about her cousin's... anything, really. Not that Kirstin blamed her; this was the first time Avery has dated a girl, the first time she admitted that she wasn't into guys, it was big. Her dad, nor her uncles, (except Tony, and only because he caught the two in a compromising position) didn't know which didn't seem to affect her that much. She only talked to Sam, Cas, and her father on the phone maybe once a month and this wasn't something you'd say over the phone, at least not in her opinion, (she didn't want to make anyone else feel uncomfortable if they did think it was okay to say over the phone.) and she was trying to get them to visit. Avery had every reason to be a little caught up in it, in Kirstin's opinion.

Mason, who she didn't really think knew her all that well, didn't notice, and obviously, Andi didn't catch on. So Kirstin would sit and listen to them argue about how Maya was an amazing artist and she should want to be recognized, a pit growing in her stomach. She wanted that. Wanted someone to notice she had a talent, notice when she was sad, or when she was really happier, to notice that most of her smiles were forced. She wanted to be noticed, wanted to feel like she was special. Not different, not weird, not 'Tony Stark's Emotionally Unstable Neice', or 'The Baby Winchester', she wanted to be seen as Kirstin Black, who had talents of her own, not living in the shadow of everyone in her family. Of course, that was nearly impossible when the perfect Ava-Mary Winchester was in the same area code as her. The second she arrives, Kirstin doesn't stand a chance; Avery is funny, adorable, she dresses nice and acts the way a normal teenage girl is expected to act. She reads, she writes, she gets good grades, she likes to party but is loved by all the parents. She never had her mother and grew up in the Hunting life, but came out an almost completely normal person, unlike Kirstin. She can charm her way through any situation, just like her dad. Kirstin loved her cousin, she truly did, with all of her heart, but she was but a shadow compared to the sun that was Ava-Mary Winchester.

"I don't really think she has to do anything, Riles. It's her art, it's her decision if she wants people to see it." Ryder states, watching the blank-faced Kirstin stare at her odd drink. He didn't think she exactly knew what it was, but she swore she's going to try every drink on the menu and has so far kept her promise, always paying for everyone's drinks, despite the protest that Riley can get free drinks since her mom owned the place, and everybody else had plenty of money. He was slightly tapping the table, realizing that the whole conversation could blow back on him. They knew he could draw, he had painted Avery a welcome home picture when she got back from Kansas that summer. He had ended up buying Kirstin art supplies after seeing her doodle in one of her notebooks, though he just left it as an anonymous gift in her locker.

Kirstin had always thought it was some sort of fan, not that many people were fans of the black haired girl. Most people didn't even think she was related to Tony, making it up to get money. This was because the test results of Avery's blood test was posted on the internet, but Kirstin's was nowhere to be seen.