Shades of Moons
The Second
The youngest, and only blonde, of the four children was laying across her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her champagne curls fell over the edge. Long, pale-skinned fingers tapped a rhythmless beat on her stomach as she prayed that her brother was safe. Minutes later her ringtone sang out.
"Unlock your window, E," Io stated before she had the chance to say hello.
Europa breathed a sigh of relief that Io was at least safe enough to climb the tree and into her window. "It's been unlocked, I. You know I don't lock it after you leave," she told him softly.
"You really shouldn't do that," he said, anger that his sister was putting herself in that position rising quickly.
The youngest shook her head sighing, "Your anger and worry are placed ironically, I." She ended the call then.
When her window was pushed open, Europa was still laying with her hair hanging over the edge, but she was on the phone again. Io climbed in and glanced at her quizzically. Giving him the one minute finger, she continued her conversation.
"No, Stace, I didn't tell anyone." Pause. "I don't understand. Why would I tell anyone? Besides you, who else would I tell?" Pause. Stacey had nothing to say and it was beginning to bother the older girl. "Do you know something and that's why you're accusing me?"
"Is there something to know?" Stacey asked, her voice laced with venom.
The blonde sighed, obviously frustrated. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and sat up gracefully. "No, obviously. You know if there was something you should know, I'd tell you," she spat. Her thin legs were crossed in front of her; she rested her elbows on them.
Stacey laughed; it was full of sarcasm. "I don't know that that's true, Europa. I'm not going to name any names, but I heard that you've been sneaking around with Daniel. He's my boyfriend."
Tears slid down the blonde's cheeks. Her brother's face twisted with confusion and he slipped behind her to rub her shoulders. "Fuck you, Stacey. Why don't you just say that you think I'm a whore?"
"I think you're more than a whore. You act all innocent and like the good child, but I think you'd be the first person to stab someone in the back. No one's that perfect without faults, darling." Stacey stated bluntly. The line beeped and the called ended just like that.
Europa continued crying as she placed her phone on the bed. Her tears and quick breaths soon became sobs. This always happened. Someone would say something and she'd lose her only friends. Now she was alone, again.
Io, hating when this happened to his sister, pulled back the covers from the top of the bed. Picking her up easily, he moved her under the blanket. She curled into herself instantly, her sobs continuing. "E, please stop. Beautiful girls can't cry like this as often as you do."
"I," she said, laughing at him. "You have to tell me that. We're family. That's what we do."
"I don't have to," he explained. "C doesn't tell you that. Hell, he doesn't even talk to us. And I don't care when G cries. So really, I don't have to. I just think it's true." He shrugged and pushed her hair off her face.
"How did you do tonight? You aren't hurt, are you?" she asked, finally calming from the tears.
"I won, just like always, E. I might have a bruise tomorrow, but other than that, I'm good." He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and showed her. He smiled shyly and she laughed.
"Someone's the favorite." She shook her head. As much as she hated it when he went, she knew it would come home with money. Since he refused their parents', it was good that he was supporting himself. "I love you, but go to bed." She rolled over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
"Anytime, E," he said, smiling. "See you in the morning bright and early for school." Then he retreated to his own bedroom.
"Unlock your window, E," Io stated before she had the chance to say hello.
Europa breathed a sigh of relief that Io was at least safe enough to climb the tree and into her window. "It's been unlocked, I. You know I don't lock it after you leave," she told him softly.
"You really shouldn't do that," he said, anger that his sister was putting herself in that position rising quickly.
The youngest shook her head sighing, "Your anger and worry are placed ironically, I." She ended the call then.
When her window was pushed open, Europa was still laying with her hair hanging over the edge, but she was on the phone again. Io climbed in and glanced at her quizzically. Giving him the one minute finger, she continued her conversation.
"No, Stace, I didn't tell anyone." Pause. "I don't understand. Why would I tell anyone? Besides you, who else would I tell?" Pause. Stacey had nothing to say and it was beginning to bother the older girl. "Do you know something and that's why you're accusing me?"
"Is there something to know?" Stacey asked, her voice laced with venom.
The blonde sighed, obviously frustrated. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and sat up gracefully. "No, obviously. You know if there was something you should know, I'd tell you," she spat. Her thin legs were crossed in front of her; she rested her elbows on them.
Stacey laughed; it was full of sarcasm. "I don't know that that's true, Europa. I'm not going to name any names, but I heard that you've been sneaking around with Daniel. He's my boyfriend."
Tears slid down the blonde's cheeks. Her brother's face twisted with confusion and he slipped behind her to rub her shoulders. "Fuck you, Stacey. Why don't you just say that you think I'm a whore?"
"I think you're more than a whore. You act all innocent and like the good child, but I think you'd be the first person to stab someone in the back. No one's that perfect without faults, darling." Stacey stated bluntly. The line beeped and the called ended just like that.
Europa continued crying as she placed her phone on the bed. Her tears and quick breaths soon became sobs. This always happened. Someone would say something and she'd lose her only friends. Now she was alone, again.
Io, hating when this happened to his sister, pulled back the covers from the top of the bed. Picking her up easily, he moved her under the blanket. She curled into herself instantly, her sobs continuing. "E, please stop. Beautiful girls can't cry like this as often as you do."
"I," she said, laughing at him. "You have to tell me that. We're family. That's what we do."
"I don't have to," he explained. "C doesn't tell you that. Hell, he doesn't even talk to us. And I don't care when G cries. So really, I don't have to. I just think it's true." He shrugged and pushed her hair off her face.
"How did you do tonight? You aren't hurt, are you?" she asked, finally calming from the tears.
"I won, just like always, E. I might have a bruise tomorrow, but other than that, I'm good." He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and showed her. He smiled shyly and she laughed.
"Someone's the favorite." She shook her head. As much as she hated it when he went, she knew it would come home with money. Since he refused their parents', it was good that he was supporting himself. "I love you, but go to bed." She rolled over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
"Anytime, E," he said, smiling. "See you in the morning bright and early for school." Then he retreated to his own bedroom.