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❝ BRANCHES OF A FAMILY TREE.❞
THE SUN WAS justbeginning to set as the demigods and Hawkins teens embarked on their journey home from the woods.
Dustin wasn't too sure how, but as they continued walking, the large group of fifteen began to slowly disperse into smaller groups, one group trailing after the other. Leading the pack was Mike and three demigods, followed by Max with two, Lucas with one, Will with two, and Dustin with two. Somehow, they had established who was going to be staying with who, all without words.
Except Lucas, of course. He had made it abundantly clear he wanted Madison staying with him.
Dustin could hear their conversation in front of him. Not wanting to intrude, Dustin had fallen back into step with Marie and Simon, who were trailing behind at the very end. They seemed distant, as though they were looking at the world through a foggy glass. As though they were constantly fading in and out of reality.
"Uh— Hi, I'm Dustin," he said awkwardly after a few minutes of silent walking.
Simon glanced at him, his eyes glistening like wet glass. "Hey, I'm Simon," he greeted. Words rolled off his tongue effortlessly with a humble warmth, the melodic tune of a mild British accent in his speech. "This is Marie," he said, tilting his head toward the girl next to him.
Marie had smooth, jet black hair that fell just below her shoulders, framing her thin face and casting soft shadows under her cheekbones. Light freckles danced across her high cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She had fox-like eyes, a homage of beauty to her mother's Vietnamese heritage.
"Hi," she said softly, but didn't look up at Dustin. She leaned closer toward Simon, holding his arm firmly the way a child would hold onto their parent when they were shy or introverted. Or sad. Perhaps she was all three, Dustin thought.
"I appreciate you letting us stay at your house," said Simon.
Dustin wanted to say, I wasn't really the one who agreed to it. But he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he plastered on a smile. It was only when an uncomfortable silence filled the air again when Dustin spoke. "I'm sorry about your friend Julian, by the way."
Marie's grip tightened on Simon, almost reflexively. Simon winced. His words were toneless. "Yeah, me too."
Dustin didn't even have to ask them if they were close to Julian. He just knew. It was the kind of closeness that tied people together, that synced up their hearts and their souls and their breathing. It was the kind of closeness that when one died, the shock of it sent the others into a bitter emptiness, a deep silence and stillness that was worse than if one was to wail and cry. It was the kind of closeness that made them numb to everything.
