BIG SIS

12.1 Flattery Won't Get You Everywhere, but Cookies Might

Derek was gone in the morning. He'd slipped out sometime during the night – and left the window open, the bastard. Collin woke up cold and achy and in no mood to deal with anything. Especially not a chipper Iris smirking at him over waffles.

"What's so damn funny," Collin growled.

Iris smirked some more. Collin stuffed half a waffle in his mouth so he wouldn't be tempted to say something he'd later think he ought to regret. He mustered a smile for Mrs. Weaver when she passed him on her way to the coffee pot. She smiled back, wan but sincere. Something in Collin settled a little.

"So? How was your first Student Council meeting?" Iris asked.

Mrs. Weaver almost spilled her coffee in her haste to set the cup down. "Oh, that was yesterday, wasn't it? It completely slipped my mind, what with – well. Did you have fun, dear?"

Collin smiled woodenly. "It was alright. Not sure I'm gonna get in, but the people seemed nice."

"Why wouldn't you get in?" Mrs. Weaver scoffed. "You are a sweet boy. Your grades are very good, and your teachers have only nice things to say about you. They'll be lucky to have you. Isn't that right, Iris?"

"Yep. Lucky," Iris chirped, not looking up from where she was cutting her waffles into tiny squares.

Collin cleared his throat. "Anyway," he said, then floundered for a new topic of conversation. "What's up with, uh," he waved at the window. "Are they really gone?"

Mrs. Weaver followed the motion. Her mouth tightened briefly; Collin immediately regretted speaking.

"They're gone," Iris confirmed.

"Why?" Collin asked, then winced internally. This was the opposite of not talking about it.

Iris shrugged. Mrs. Weaver bit her lip, eyes on her coffee.

"Corporal Jones must have arranged it," Mrs. Weaver said at last.

"Confidentiality is crucial in active investigations," Iris hummed.

Mrs. Weaver shot her daughter a forbidding glance. Iris pretended not to notice, slurping at her coffee obnoxiously.

Collin swallowed his questions. It didn't seem like the right time, and really, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. "Anything planned for today?" he asked instead.

"I'm going to the mall," Iris announced.

"You are most certainly not!" Mrs. Weaver exclaimed, outraged. Iris stared back at her without a hint of emotion.

"I already promised my friend," Iris said.

You have friends? Collin did not ask. "What friend?" Mrs. Weaver demanded, doing the job for him. Collin just knew she was thinking of Derek. The murderous sparkle in her eyes gave it away.

After last night, Collin wasn't too keen on having the guy around, either.

"Kira," Iris said.

That gave Mrs. Weaver a pause, and Collin, a heart attack. "Kira Leger?" she asked.

"Mm," Iris agreed, "Collin's girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Collin protested, and was ignored.

"I'm happy you are making new friends, Iris," Mrs. Weaver began, "But it's really not a good idea right now. We've just only managed to get the press away from the house. How about you invite Kira over, instead? I'll call your father, make sure he gets some snacks. You could have a movie night – or a sleepover!"