The Runt of the Litter

This is How Families Fall Apart

Note: Alright, babes <3

I revised this chapter today. I wanted to fix up some of the older stories in this series to read more like some of the newer ones. Anna's character has developed a lot since I wrote this, so there was a lot of editing work to do. I also added one scene and rewrote another one. So there's some fresh content in here for you <3

Anna and Kate are both fifteen.

This is How Families Fall Apart

Anna hung up the call and pulled her phone slowly away from her ear. For a minute, she just stared at it in her hand. Her eyes were drooping with exhaustion, and her stomach hurt somewhere that couldn't be reached. 

Her mind buzzed with questions about love and family and loyalty, and she couldn't come up with a single answer. She'd spent days trying.

And it didn't make sense, any of it. It was Kate's family that was splintering, not hers.

She didn't know what to do, but Anna did know that she couldn't just stay there alone in her room. She was downright sad, and a little scared, and she needed someone there. Nearby, at least. Hell, maybe... maybe someone could help her answer a few of those million questions she had swirling around in her brain.

Anna pressed her palms against the soft fabric of her bedsheets and pushed herself upright. The soles of her feet brushed repeatedly against the cold floor of the bunker as she walked down the long hallway in her socks. There was a warm light emanating from the door to the library, and she followed it. A little light, a little warmth, both sounded nice.

Sam was there, laptop open and focus evident. His shoulders were hunched as he leaned toward his computer screen. It was an instant comfort, seeing such a familiar scene. It was almost a warm enough image to make Anna smile.

But she remembered Kate's unsteady voice in her ear, and all the questions came back. All the sadness came back.

Anna inhaled deeply. This sucked, and it was going to be hard. But Sam was a total genius. He was sure to have some answers for her, and maybe he could help her find some peace of mind about this whole thing. Maybe he could tell her something that she could pass on to Kate. Slowly, she let the breath out as she walked into the library. She sat wordlessly in the chair by Sam's.

Anna stared at her brother for a minute, at his sharp nose and focused eyes that flicked her way once and then focused back on the laptop screen. She thought about just sitting there in his company without asking a thing. She felt marginally better just being near him. She felt safer, though she'd never been in danger. This whole thing was so stupid. 

"Can I help you with something, Ladybug?" Sam asked after a minute. He had a faint, amused smile on his face.

Anna decided that she was going to say no. This was Kate's family, not hers. She didn't get to feel freaked about any of this. She didn't get to be confused. She just had to be a supportive friend and fucking deal with it. But her mouth, as per usual, made its own decision, independent of her brain. She asked, "As an adult, you have, like, life knowledge and stuff, right?"

It came out so clumsily that Anna was surprised when Sam didn't start laughing. In fact, he looked pretty serious when he closed his laptop and swiveled in his seat. Anna had his full attention, and that was comforting, but it made her stomach ache too. 

"I guess so," Sam replied. "I mean, that depends what 'life knowledge' entails."

"Good, cause, like, I'm really confused, and I don't know what to do."