[✔︎] 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 ✫ POST-DESCENDANTS TWO ⁶

✖︎ TWENTY SIX: Without a Reason ✖︎

HJ stayed behind the bookcase, wondering how Sam had seen him. He'd been quiet and she hadn't made it seem as though she hadn't noticed him. Why had she waited until the end to acknowledge it?

Hesitantly, he walked around the bookshelf, raising his arms up in surrender. Sam crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. She raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, sitting down at the chair at her desk. She gestured at the chair in front of her which he took.

"Hi Hector." Sam said nonchalantly, acting as if there was nothing wrong. "How are you?"

"I'm alright." HJ said, not liking how calm she seemed. "What about you?"

"Same old, same old." Sam shrugged, brushing her hair away from her face. "It's just strange that you'd come this early in the morning. Why are you here?"

Translation: why are you spying on me?

"Just came to check on you." HJ said. "I couldn't sleep and when I came you seemed...busy."

"I'm fine thanks." Sam said dismissively. "And I am busy sure. But I always have time for you. And I saw you because there are mirrors on the fucking ceiling. Gotta thank Evie for that one."

"I feel like you made me listen to that on purpose." HJ said.

"Maybe I did." Sam said. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Why would you want me to hear that?" HJ pondered aloud. "You know I don't like Jackson. You know Heather has liked him since forever."

"Why don't you like Jackson?" Sam asked, a smile toying on her lips. HJ shook his head.

"I don't know why now." HJ said. "But I know why I did before."

Sam opened a drawer and pulled out a calendar, crossing the day off of it. HJ didn't know when she got it but it was littered with notes for each day, telling her what meetings she had to plan for, what things she'd promised to do with people.

"Tea with Audrey?" HJ asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you hated that bitch."

"We started off on the wrong foot." Sam said. "She's an interesting person."

"You're friends now?" HJ asked. "What changed your mind?"

"She reminds me of someone." Sam said. "And she's nice in her own way." HJ tilted his head to the side. "Yeah okay she's not nice but I have to be her friend because Ben wants me to. It's not that hard."

"I knew you wouldn't want to be friends without a reason." HJ said, propping his feet on her desk.

"Stop talking about me." Sam said. "This is about you."

"I was hoping if I distracted you, you would forget that." HJ said as Sam swatted his feet away. He met her gaze, noticing the flecks of gold that glittered in her eyes. He wondered why he hadn't noticed before.

"Well I didn't." Sam said, straightening the papers scattered across her desk. "Now let's get back to business."

She picked up a file with Heather's name on it, sliding it across the table for HJ to see. He flipped through it, seeing that it was filled out in Sam's handwriting. He realized that there were so many files on the desk, of many people that lived on the Isle.

"It's been three months since the Coronation." Sam said. "E wants to bring more in time after graduation, which we get to partake in. They want to change things. Make the Isle more habitable. Name streets after the VKs. An orphanage that Carlos wants to sponsor. And I'm going to supervise them. Its suppose to be done by March, the new VKs come in May so that they can have all of summer to assimilate."

"Wait you said that you're leaving?" HJ said. "If you're going, I'm going. I'm not staying here if you're not."

"I know." Sam said. "You're coming with me obvi."

"You're talking like her now." HJ said. "Sam should I be worried?"

"No." Sam said. "You don't have to worry about a single thing Hector. Relax."

"Aren't you due in May?" HJ asked as Sam shrugged.

"I'm due the twenty first." Sam said. "Well be back before then because Evie said so. They're coming a week after on the twenty eighth whoever they are."

HJ chuckled, spinning in his chair. He still felt Sam's gaze on him so he stopped and turned to her.

"Yes?" HJ asked as Sam smiled.

"You still like the fairy?" Sam asked. "The one Heather hates."

"You mean Talia?" HJ asked. "I mean I've liked her since I met her that first time, you know when she was stuck in a jar and we helped them."

"Heather accepted that." Sam said. "Why you can't accept who Heather likes?"

"I see what you did there." HJ said. "And I guess I can. I just don't want to see my sister hurt."

Sam's attention was drawn to her phone, as she read a lengthy text message from someone named Hattie.

"It's just um Maddie had a dream about Heather." Sam said.

"Quinn's sister?" HJ asked in clarification.

"Quinn's sister." Sam said. "Heath is with your mom and you're mom is trying to convince her to do something crazy."

"What would that be?" HJ asked. His mother had always been a little out there, most of her plans were psychotic.

"We don't really know." Sam said as HJ nodded. "She's going to do something drastic."

HJ knew that he couldn't make choices for his sister. He didn't know how willing she was to break the rules to get what she wanted. He knew she'd said something about doing anything until they were together again but he hadn't paid it any mind. Now he was worried.

"So uh what were those street names?" HJ said, trying to get his mind off of it all. He was sure that wouldn't change anything. His mind kept thinking about the things his mom had done to get Heather to come visit. Heather wouldn't have gone there if she was thinking clearly. There had to be something wrong.

"Jay's Way, Carlos' House, Evie's Alley, Maddie's Lane, Quinn's Plaza, Hanna's Road." Sam rattled off. "Gigi's Avenue HJ's Corner, Sam's Terrace,Mal's Court..."

HJ hadn't been listening when she started but he appreciated her effort. All he could think about was his sister and what trouble she had gotten herself into this time.