Sequel: Twisted Returns ›
Status: Complete - 71,220 words
Shattering Crystals
have to keep it a secret
"Connor..." Cody says, "who is she?" His eyebrows crinkle in confusion, but he leaves his hand with mine, sending that wave of heat to my cheeks.
"Diana," Connor replies, eyes darting around the room. He's most likely looking for a distraction, but failing. Cody's eyes are still glued to the spot where our fingers meet.
"A person, obviously." Connor replies, rolling his eyes. "And if you really wanna know so badly, why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Cody lifts his head up and gazes directly into my eyes, silently questioning. I glance between the two boys and I can't decide who's more attractive. As soon as I have that thought, I mentally slap myself.
"I, uh, can explain," I say, my mind formulating a plan at lightning speed. "But first, Cody, if you really want to know, you have to come with us."
"Where?" he asks. Connor shoots me a horrified glance.
"A place," I say, smiling at Connor to reassure him. "But you can't tell anyone. And I mean it.
“…what? Is this a trap or something?” Cody asks, and he lets go of my hand. I feel slight disappointment at this. He looks over at Connor.
“It’s okay,” Connor assures his brother, grabbing his bag. “But you seriously do have to keep it a secret.”
Cody’s voice says “okay”, but his eyes say “no”.
----
We walk into the cheerful, sunshiny kitchen while Connor scowls at everything he sees.
“Hey, isn’t this Grant’s house?” Cody asks. “You know, Connor, the one who stole your – “
“Just shut up, Cody,” Connor says, gritting his teeth, “and don’t talk about it.”
I wonder what had been stolen from Connor, but that isn’t the point right now. I then get distracted by low voices coming from the living room. It doesn’t sound like Dean or Lorraine’s. Curiously but cautiously, I walk in to find Dean sitting on the couch in front of the television.
“Hey,” he says, hitting the mute button on the remote. The reporter’s nasally voice is silenced. “I know I shouldn’t be using the TV, but I thought you were still sleeping.”
“It’s whatever. I went with Connor to his house to get some stuff.”
“Oh. But Lorraine said… never mind.” He turns towards Cody and then asks me, “Who’s this?
“Cody. But let’s save introductions for later. Where’s Lorraine?”
“Still sleeping, like I said.” I nod and turn to go upstairs, but he stops me. “Wait. Before you go, take a look at this. It’s us.”
I take a look at the television screen and see that he is right. Our school photos are blown up and displayed across the screen. Mine is particularly unattractive.
"That doesn't really look like you," Cody says to me, and I’m really glad I don’t look like that. "I mean, you do," he says to Dean, "but Diana doesn't."
“What do you mean?” I’m slightly surprised that he hasn’t figured out my real name yet, as it was just written on the screen. But I guess not many people pay attention to that. And either way, it doesn’t matter if he does.
"Well, your hair is different, but so is his," Cody explains. "But your face is different. Your eyes are a bit wider now, your nose is a bit smaller - thinner - and your lips are fuller. And I don't think it's the camera doing it."
I'm surprised at how observant he is, and that he actually said it. Does he think I'm pretty, maybe even beautiful? Does he – I cut the thought short and get back to business.
"It's not... But I can explain."
"Illegal plastic surgery?"
"No." I abruptly ditch the guys in the living room. They start to ask where I’m going, but I run up the stairs before they can finish their questions. I enter the master bedroom to find Lorraine still hunched under covers. I shake her lightly.
"Lorraine, wake up," I say softly.
“Go away.”
“No, you have to get up. This is important.”
"What? What's happening?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes and wincing as they adjust to the bright sunlight.
"Just brush your teeth and come downstairs. Don't bother changing your clothes, and hurry. It's important."
"Okay, okay, god. Don’t have to be so bitchy about it." I roll my eyes and tap my foot impatiently as she walks into the bathroom. I take off my sweatshirt while I wait, as it’s getting a bit hot in the house. I relax a bit as I hear the sound of running water. She comes back in a few minutes, more alert and with minty fresh breath, which I’m not used to.
“Done?”
"Yeah. So what's wrong? Did someone find us?" she asks, and I find the lack of her spicy cinnamon strange.
"Just come downstairs and you’ll see."
We go back down to the cozy living room to find Connor and Cody sitting on the chair in the corner, whispering about who knows what. Dean is seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are even there, and the TV is now off.
"Who's – " I hold up my hand to cut off Lorraine's expected question
"Save the introductions for later. We have some serious explaining to do."
"What do you mean, Diana? What's happening?"
"Call me by my real name, Lorraine."
“What? Why?”
I take a deep breath and continue. "It's time to tell them who we really are."
"Diana," Connor replies, eyes darting around the room. He's most likely looking for a distraction, but failing. Cody's eyes are still glued to the spot where our fingers meet.
"A person, obviously." Connor replies, rolling his eyes. "And if you really wanna know so badly, why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Cody lifts his head up and gazes directly into my eyes, silently questioning. I glance between the two boys and I can't decide who's more attractive. As soon as I have that thought, I mentally slap myself.
"I, uh, can explain," I say, my mind formulating a plan at lightning speed. "But first, Cody, if you really want to know, you have to come with us."
"Where?" he asks. Connor shoots me a horrified glance.
"A place," I say, smiling at Connor to reassure him. "But you can't tell anyone. And I mean it.
“…what? Is this a trap or something?” Cody asks, and he lets go of my hand. I feel slight disappointment at this. He looks over at Connor.
“It’s okay,” Connor assures his brother, grabbing his bag. “But you seriously do have to keep it a secret.”
Cody’s voice says “okay”, but his eyes say “no”.
----
We walk into the cheerful, sunshiny kitchen while Connor scowls at everything he sees.
“Hey, isn’t this Grant’s house?” Cody asks. “You know, Connor, the one who stole your – “
“Just shut up, Cody,” Connor says, gritting his teeth, “and don’t talk about it.”
I wonder what had been stolen from Connor, but that isn’t the point right now. I then get distracted by low voices coming from the living room. It doesn’t sound like Dean or Lorraine’s. Curiously but cautiously, I walk in to find Dean sitting on the couch in front of the television.
“Hey,” he says, hitting the mute button on the remote. The reporter’s nasally voice is silenced. “I know I shouldn’t be using the TV, but I thought you were still sleeping.”
“It’s whatever. I went with Connor to his house to get some stuff.”
“Oh. But Lorraine said… never mind.” He turns towards Cody and then asks me, “Who’s this?
“Cody. But let’s save introductions for later. Where’s Lorraine?”
“Still sleeping, like I said.” I nod and turn to go upstairs, but he stops me. “Wait. Before you go, take a look at this. It’s us.”
I take a look at the television screen and see that he is right. Our school photos are blown up and displayed across the screen. Mine is particularly unattractive.
"That doesn't really look like you," Cody says to me, and I’m really glad I don’t look like that. "I mean, you do," he says to Dean, "but Diana doesn't."
“What do you mean?” I’m slightly surprised that he hasn’t figured out my real name yet, as it was just written on the screen. But I guess not many people pay attention to that. And either way, it doesn’t matter if he does.
"Well, your hair is different, but so is his," Cody explains. "But your face is different. Your eyes are a bit wider now, your nose is a bit smaller - thinner - and your lips are fuller. And I don't think it's the camera doing it."
I'm surprised at how observant he is, and that he actually said it. Does he think I'm pretty, maybe even beautiful? Does he – I cut the thought short and get back to business.
"It's not... But I can explain."
"Illegal plastic surgery?"
"No." I abruptly ditch the guys in the living room. They start to ask where I’m going, but I run up the stairs before they can finish their questions. I enter the master bedroom to find Lorraine still hunched under covers. I shake her lightly.
"Lorraine, wake up," I say softly.
“Go away.”
“No, you have to get up. This is important.”
"What? What's happening?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes and wincing as they adjust to the bright sunlight.
"Just brush your teeth and come downstairs. Don't bother changing your clothes, and hurry. It's important."
"Okay, okay, god. Don’t have to be so bitchy about it." I roll my eyes and tap my foot impatiently as she walks into the bathroom. I take off my sweatshirt while I wait, as it’s getting a bit hot in the house. I relax a bit as I hear the sound of running water. She comes back in a few minutes, more alert and with minty fresh breath, which I’m not used to.
“Done?”
"Yeah. So what's wrong? Did someone find us?" she asks, and I find the lack of her spicy cinnamon strange.
"Just come downstairs and you’ll see."
We go back down to the cozy living room to find Connor and Cody sitting on the chair in the corner, whispering about who knows what. Dean is seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are even there, and the TV is now off.
"Who's – " I hold up my hand to cut off Lorraine's expected question
"Save the introductions for later. We have some serious explaining to do."
"What do you mean, Diana? What's happening?"
"Call me by my real name, Lorraine."
“What? Why?”
I take a deep breath and continue. "It's time to tell them who we really are."