Shattering Crystals

"Your brother? What about him?" I ask.

"Oh, Connor?" a deeper voice asks. "Who's that? And where have you been?"

"Uhh... my friend. And I've been... places."

I look over Connor's shoulder instead, curious about Cody. It isn't too difficult seeing as Connor is almost a whole head shorter.

"Hey, is that a girl?" I see a blond haired boy who looks very much like Connor, although there are the differences. He’s sitting on the bed, and the room is just about as messy as any other room in the house, but not quite..

“Yes,” Connor says simply.

"What are you doing, bringing a girl home, when no one else is home? Taking her into your room and-"

"Shut up, Cody," Connor says, cutting him off. It makes me wonder about what Cody was going to say. "It's not like girls are some other species, and we're just friends anyway."

"Well, I thought you ran away or something, and you were never coming back. Does that mean you thought it over and want to come home now?"

"Yeah, I did run away. And no, I'm not staying. I'm just here to get some stuff."

"No, you're definitely staying," Cody says. "I can't let you leave, now that you're here. And why are you with her anyways?"

"Because she's my friend?" It warms me a bit inside to know that Connor accepts me as a friend, and that he's not just with me because it's easier that way. Unless he doesn’t mean it, of course.

Cody stands up and walks closer to us. Only then can I get a really good look at him. At first, Connor and Cody really do look alike, almost identical. But up close, I can see that they are different.

While Connor is mainly considered cute, Cody is... different. Not to say that he is ugly though, because it seems that their whole family is good looking, judging by the photos I saw in the hallway. He’s hot, my mind tells me. His hair is shorter than Connor’s, his eyes a deeper blue.

"I'm Cody," he says, ignoring his brother for the moment and grinning at me. "And you are?"

“Uh, Da – Diana,” I say, almost forgetting to keep my identity hidden

"Why would a girl like you be with my loser of a brother?" he says, his grin widening.

"Uh..."

"Cody, stop bothering her," Connor says, walking towards his closet. He looks through a pile of what appears to be clothes, but I can't be sure.

"Aww, you're never any fun, Connor."

"Yeah, it's okay," I say. "It doesn't really bother me."

"I knew you liked me!" Cody says.

"Mhm, sure..." He walks closer to me, towards the door. I sit on the messy bed - it reminds me of my own, far, far away. Cody shuts the door.

"Yeah, well, even if you do, I can't let you leave. I’m pretty sure you’re the girl I saw on the news. You have to be, I know everyone in this town. I'll have to report it. Really sorry, but I just think you should go home."

"No! Why? I haven't done anything to you!"

"Yeah, I know that, but I'm being serious here," Cody says. Connor mutters something under his breath that sounds like "for once". Cody ignores this and continues. "Connor, I gotta call mom and dad, they're been crazy looking for you. Me, too."

"Then why are you just sitting here, in my room?”

"Because I was looking through your stuff. Maybe you wrote down where you were going, or something. I don't know what goes on in that fucked up mind of yours."

"You really think I'm that stupid?"

"Maybe you wanted me to come with you, or something." Cody shrugs.

"But I know you wouldn't have. So there would be no point to that."

"Well, you thought right. And I'm also home just in case you decided to come back," Cody explains, "which seems to have worked well, seeing as you're here now."

"Well, I'm leaving," Connor says firmly. "I think you should come too, it's much better where I'm staying." I know that it’s sort of a lie, but at the same time it isn't. For him, at least.

"Do you really think being on the run is better than being comfortable at home?"

"It is. But not for you... you were always the favorite."

"Okay, I will admit that, it was just true, even if it was unfair. But still, is it really? And what about Diana? She's probably uncomfortable too. Where are you sleeping? Park benches?" I smile a little when I hear him say that, because he's partially right. But my smile fades as I remember how uncomfortable that had really been.

"Never been happier," I whisper, so if it’s lie, he won’t hear it in my voice. I don’t know if it is or not, but I’m afraid of what he’s going to say next.

"Are you sure about that?" He sits down on the bed beside me. As he gets closer, I can feel a slight tingling in my fingertips. He turns to Connor. "And this pretty girl here. I can feel sparks flying here, but she still has to go home."

I blush slightly as he says that. Surely he doesn't mean it. But he smiles back at me and I wonder if my self-image has been wrong for all these years.

"Cody, it's none of your business. Just leave her alone," Connor says, still packing up things in his closet.

Cody shakes his head. "I can't. I just want to do what's right, for once. I really did miss you, Connor,” he says, wrinkling his nose. “Ew, I sound so girly." He gets up to get the phone on Connor's desk.

"Don't!" I yell, grabbing him by the arm. A shock passes through us, and we both jerk back.

"What was that?" he says in surprise. "Static electricity?" He starts walking towards the desk again, and realization forms in my mind.

"Wait!" I say. "Before you do anything, give me your hand!"

He raises an eyebrow in curiosity but extends his hand to me, palm up. I slowly place my hand in his and a warm light starts glowing. Connor looks up at us in utter confusion.

"Sparks," I whisper.