WitchBite

The Sister

 The grin of Aramis spread wide, as he stood in the door way. I couldn't tell if he was surprised that I turned up, or if he was just smug that I did. Either way, there was a certain. Enrapturing charm to the way he cocked his head to the side, in a curious manner. Despite clearly being an overwhelming extrovert, I found that, while I wasn't paying attention, I had smiled in response.

"And this must be your, girlfriend right?" He asked, snapping me from my daze as he gestured to Victoria, which caused us both to grimace ever so slightly. She cackled loudly in response before introducing herself:

"As if! He's essentially my brother" She bawked, "I'm Victoria. Most people call me Vicky though. Victoria makes me sound like some old widow standing vigilant at her balcony hoping that her husband who was lost at sea would return."

"A pleasure to meet you, Victoria" He smirked, bending at the waist as he bowed low in a gratuitous manner. Vicky giggled, giving a dramatic curtsey as she pinched the ends of her dress with the tips of her fingers.

"And a pleasure to meet you too, uh..?"

"Aramis. I don't have a nickname. You guys should probably come in now. Come along! I'll show you around!" Aramis gestured, stepping to the side so that we both could enter. I could feel him smirking behind me. His eyes watching me all too carefully.

Their house was beautiful. For people who had recently moved in, they seemed to be already unpacked. Which, considering the amount of furnishings it would take to fill such a house, is a marvel unto it's own.

They had a fondness for reds, blacks and maroons. A good portion of the décor that saturated the odd room we walked through was dedicated almost entirely to those colours. Floor rugs spilled out atop soft, wooden, floorboards like rose-coloured moats. Candle-sticks of iron found an almost "altar-esque" place perched on ornately carved side tables, and beneath haunting paintings of, I'm assuming, relatives passed.

I scanned each one I could, trying to find the family resemblance between them and Aramis. Not a single one caught my eye. A lot of them seemed to be wrinkled, old, misers. Their postures proud. Their expressions, upturned to the point were their judgement oozed from the painting on to all who would look up on their splendour. I was surprised to see that paintings more fit for a horror movie, were still a fashionable choice. But my inner-goth was loving every second of it.

We passed a set of stairs when it hit me again. The Cunning. It wrenched alarmingly at my stomach as we paced onwards. Aramis chatting away to Victoria who had a question about every piece of décor she came across. They were muted to my ears as I searched around, the hair on my body tingling as it stood on end. How had Vicky not felt it?

My eyes were drawn to a figure standing at the very top of the stairs. They caused me to stop, barely noticing that Aramis and Vicky moved onwards.

She was looking down towards me, a delicate, pale, hand resting so feather-light on the bannister that it needn't be there at all. She was poised with all the graceful musings of a house cat, playing with a mouse beneath its paws. The mouse would never know the paws house claws until it was too late, and looking upon her I wondered if she had the same idea for me. She smiled, as the mossy pools that were her eyes looked downwards. She was quite beautiful. Her features were soft and round. Almost eerie in how symmetrical they were. Her hair was impeccably straight, with not a single stray hair to be found as it poured down behind her, held back from her face by two meticulously tailored braids on either side of her head.

She stepped downwards. Each clop of her shoes, threatened to stop my heart completely. Her dress was white and blue, with a pattern that seemed like it would be more at home on a fine china plate than a summer dress.

My hands were balled into fists, and I suddenly became aware that it must have been an eternity that had passed since I stood here. Staring.

Some would say luckily, a confident hand hit my shoulder, shaking me from my almost trance like state.

"Avery! We thought we'd lost you there buddy" It was Aramis. Something comforting me about his arrival, caused me to give an awkward smile as I relaxed every so slightly, rubbing the back of my head with a forced chuckle, before I could splutter out an answer Aramis spoke:
"Ah, I see you met my sister; Bethany" He grinned, placing his arm around my shoulder. It was then that I was suddenly aware that she was also standing beside me. I hadn't taken my eyes or ears off of her for longer than a moment, and she had cleared the rest of the stairs and stood a step or two above the floor. Smiling sweetly.

"I uh... Hadn't introduced myself yet" I croaked, clearing my throat earning a mischievous giggle from Bethany.

"The pleasure is all mine" she smiled. There wasn't much of a family resemblance between the two if them either. Maybe Aramis was adopted?

"Shouldn't you be making googly eyes at your boyfriend Beth?" Aramis prodded, earning a swat and a glare from Bethany who, in an instant, returned to a state of eerie composure, smirking proudly.

"Yes, you're right. I wouldn't want to stop you from making googly eyes at your boyfriend now would I?" She poked, sticking her tongue out as she nodded her head in my direction. I immediately felt my cheeks begin to redden, and not so deftly wriggled my shoulders out from underneath Aramis' arm. To which Bethany, once again, laughed.

"That's it!" Aramis proclaimed, darting towards Bethany, arms out stretched. She ducked beneath it with the subtle grace of a dancer. But didn't see his follow up as he pinned her arms to her sides beneath a bear hug.

"You'll mess up my hair! Stop it!" Bethany scowled at Aramis', letting out a squeal as he lifted her from the floor.

He eventually relented, dropping her down with her shoes giving a loud clacking sound as they landed on the wood.

"You're such a child!" She spat, straightening her dress. I couldn't help but fail at stifling a laugh. Which was immediately silenced by a death glare from Bethany, before she turned down the hall and walked off.

Aramis finished giggling, turning to me and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't mind her. She likes to think she's older than she is, which is tied with her favourite hobby. Pretending she's better than everyone else. She's not that bad once you get to know her" He said, smiling gently. I returned the smile, before looking to his hand that was still upon my shoulder. He removed it, chuckling slightly.

"Let's go get a drink. Oh! And you've got to meet my mom. She is hosting this party after all, and I am sure she'd love to meet you"

"Do you introduce everyone so... Enthusiastically, or just me?" I questioned, suddenly biting my tongue as I felt that come out a bit blunt.

"Everyone really. Everyone deserves to feel special at some point in their lives, and if I can do that for just thirty seconds a day to everyone I meet, then I am set on good karma for a good while!" He said cheerfully. I furrowed my brow uneasily as I followed beside him. Was this boy just pure sunshine? It was strange. I had never met someone who was simultaneously so genuine about being so nice, and so... eccentric. A weird sense of style. Weird family. Weird demeanour. The whole thing had me so confused that it hurt trying to unravel how felt about the whole situation.