Quicksand

The past hour Theo had spent alone. In the basement. Running on the treadmill in the large gym that was just opposite the indoor pool.
Right after I had shown up, I promptly fell asleep, proving that meeting the family you were unaware existed would be up there in the ‘high stress’ category. Theo, however, took a different approach and was now listening to A Day to Remember on his iPod at full volume in an attempt to forget everything.
It wasn’t until an ear bud was yanked out of his ear that he stopped.
“What are you doing?” Demitri, his best friend, asked as if the very prospect of being down here was one step below worshipping Satan and dressing in drag.
“What does it look like?” Theo panted, worn out from running.
“Well, it looks like you’re being a huge pussy-bitch and avoiding facing your sister,” Demitri read his best friend like a book with a smirk on his face.
Theo stared at Demitri with a sigh. “It’s complicated,”
Demitri grabbed Theo’s face in his hands. “I know it’s difficult but you have to be a man about it and, instead of alienating this poor girl who must be scared out of her brain, going upstairs and sitting with her,”
Theo turned away from Demitri and took a deep breath. “Where’s my father?”
“He’ll be back by this evening, as will I,” Demitri said.
“You’re leaving me alone with her?” he shouted.
“You’re acting as if I’m leaving you alone with a homicidal paedophile with rabies, Theo,” Demitri said with a smile. “I will be back at dinner, but for now, I’m going home,”
Theo frowned, but nodded.
Demitri went to exit but then stopped. “Theo, don’t do anything stupid. Go and have a shower, calm down and then go and just talk to her, explain everything, y’know?”
“Easier said than done,” Theo said with a short smile.
Demitri gave him a one-armed hug and poked his tongue out between his teeth. “Be good,”

I had regained consciousness about half an hour ago and was lying in the large bed of the room I was carted off to. The bed alone was larger than my mother’s bedroom in my old house and it was a four-poster plush with neutral colouring. In fact, the entire room was neutral coloured to accommodate absolutely anybody.
The large bedroom had a walk-in wardrobe on the left, and an en suite bathroom on the right. It had a television on the wall directly opposite the bed and a desk with a telephone and a simple white vase with a simple flower in it. Basically, summed up, I felt like I was in a hotel. A fancy, over priced, ritzy hotel that I couldn’t afford with my life savings.
I awoke wearing my underwear and the tank top I had arrived in, hoping beyond hope that my brother had not undressed me and wondering where on earth my clothes were. I had just stepped a foot out of bed when a tentative knock on my door sounded.
“E-Elizabeth?”
“Come in,” I called, hopping back into bed.
In stepped Theodore, who looked nervous and uncomfortable.
“Hey,” I breathed.
“Hi,” he said and stood completely still.
“Do you want to sit down?” I asked, indicating the portion of the bed I was not occupying.
“I think so. Maybe, pass out or something,” he chuckled nervously.
I nodded and an uncomfortable silence passed between us in which Theodore came and sat beside me on the bed. We both avoided eye contact until we both let out a sigh.
“This is so messed up,” we said in unison, then laughed.
“We must be related,” Theo said rubbing his eyes. “So, you had no idea I existed up until now?”
I shook my head. “You?”
“Nope. Apparently our parents decided we would be better off not knowing each other,”
“I wonder if they ever spoke to each other without telling us,” I mused aloud, lying back on the bed. “Like, when my- our mother would say that she’s talking to one of her friends or something,”
Theo gave a grimace. “Whenever I asked about my mother, Dad would mumble something about an ex-girlfriend or ex-wife or something,”
“Mother would say something about a one-night stand,” I told Theo who rolled his eyes.
“Our parents seriously fucked up,” he muttered.
“It feels weird to have a sibling,” I said with a sheepish smile.
“Twin,” Theo corrected and then sighed.
“So give me a run-down on everything I’ll have to know,” I said with a smile. “Tell me about yourself and that blonde guy I saw you with,”
“Demitri? He’s my best friend,” Theo smiled. “Been best friends since we were six or seven over a mutual love of Pokémon. He’s usually around here because he has two sisters and no Dad,”
“So, why isn’t he here now?” I queried.
“He went home to give us some time together, but he’ll be back for dinner,”
“And what’s the deal with our Dad? And, where is he by the way?” I asked wondering why the man himself hadn’t graced me with his presence.
“You ask a lot of questions,” Theo chuckled.
“Can you blame me?” I giggled.
“How about we get some food first?” my brother enquired with raised eyebrows just as my stomach gave an ungrateful rumble. “I will take that as a yes,”

Later that evening, I was sitting with Theo and Demitri in Theo’s bedroom, which was very decadent and prestigious. Demitri had returned after a few hours, however our father was still nowhere to be seen. Theo and Demitri’s relationship, I had observed, was close to that of brothers, having being close enough since such a young age.
I stayed quiet, too intimidated by all the wealth and prestige to say a word. However, when the topic of Demitri’s mother’s clothing line came into conversation, it caused me to startle.
“Hang on,” I blurted. “How are you so wealthy?” I directed to Theo.
Theo and Demitri exchanged a glance with a furrowed brow.
“Have you never heard of the hotel chain Trent Towers?” Theo asked slowly.
I jumped. “You’re joking,” I breathed.
Demitri slung an arm around my shoulder. “Not in the slightest. Your family owns the second highest chain of hotels in the country,”
Once again, I felt faint.
“Don’t freak out,” Demitri chuckled. “We just have to take it one step at a time with you,”
“So maybe we shouldn’t enrol her just yet?” Theo questioned.
“School?” I moaned. “I thought you’d all be home schooled or tutored or whatever,”
“No Bethy, we go to school just like everybody else. Thankfully it’s a co-ed school, so we can keep an eye on you,” Theo said, warming up to me nicely.
“Okay, no more bombshells,” I said with an embarrassed smile.
Demitri and Theo smiled at me with care. Sitting on Theo’s bed with a red cover, I observed that his room seemed to be a great deal bigger than mine, even though it came complete with an en suite and a full-length sofa.
“Nicholas should be home soon,” Demitri said, getting to his feet and stretching so his shirt rode up over the top of his jeans.
“I never have any idea, did you guys want to get the cooks to make us something?”
“Cooks?” I rasped.
Theo winked at me and got to his feet. “Come on downstairs,”
Having been given a tour earlier that day, I had a vague idea as to where the kitchens were in the large mansion. Following behind Demitri and Theo in the large house, I observed what would be priceless art hanging in the hallway. Although Theo had explained what majority of the rooms were, I could barely remember where my bedroom was.
I had told Theo and Demitri about my old home life, including my best friend, Parker. Thankfully, they didn’t seem too disgusted by my alcoholic mother and run down, one-bedroom house. However, they did seem to be determined to get me accustomed to their lifestyle as rich, young socialites.
At the bottom of the stairs, there was a gentleman with glasses on the end of his nose. He had greasy slicked back hair and an attitude of superiority, despite his clipboard and Bluetooth headpiece, which he was furiously talking into at a warp speed.
“Meet Randall,” Demitri whispered into my ear with a snide sneer.
“He’s my father’s assistant, has his nose so far up Dad’s ass he could probably taste his breakfast,”
I scrunched my face up at the mental image, and my heart began to beat faster at the thought of finally meeting my father. Randall, noticing our presence, acknowledged us with a nod before turning back to his clipboard, chatting away.
When the double doors opened and a figure that looked like a grown up Theo stepped through, I almost had to do a double take. I felt Theo grab my upper arm to stabilise me, before he pulled me forward to meet my father.
“Father,” he said shortly, Demitri trailing behind us.
Nicholas looked up and caught my eye, his face paled and he lost his footing slightly. “Elizabeth?”
“Beth,” I croaked, correcting him before I was enveloped in a hug by my father. For a while, we stood there, not caring about how long it had been. He was my family and for the first time in a long, long time I felt as if I could finally relax.

That evening I was lying in my bed, Theo and Demitri sitting with me.
“Well, that dinner certainly wasn’t awkward,” Demitri said sarcastically.
I nodded awkwardly, it was quite apparent that Nicholas had no idea what to say to me or how to act around me. He had asked me pleasantries and questioned about my schooling, but once those topics were exhausted, he proceeded to push his food around his plate.
“Is it usually that bad?” I asked.
Theo nodded. “My father and I don’t usually converse unless it’s about business or finance,”
“That’s probably why he got you and our mother got me,” I said. “I wouldn’t know anything about business,”
“You’d learn. You will learn,” Theo said, biting into a large block of chocolate.
“I don’t intend to take over anything concerning the family business, it’s yours for the taking,” I said, putting my hands up.
Demitri settled down onto my pillows, cradling his head with his hands. Theo smacked his stomach with the back of his hand, causing Demitri to sit bolt upright and rub his stomach.
“Wha-a-at?” Demitri whined.
“C’mon, bed time,” Theo said, getting to his feet.
“I’m comfortable here,” Demitri winked at me.
“I will smack you again,” Theo warned without humour.
“Please, like you could hurt me,” Demitri lifted his shirt to reveal a very impressively toned torso.
I inhaled sharply at the sudden appearance of my brother’s best friend’s chest. Demitri flirtatiously winked at me, making an obvious show for Theodore’s benefit. Theo narrowed his eyes and grabbed Demitri’s hair, hauling him out of my bedroom.
“Good night, Beth,” Theo said with a smile.
“Night Bethy baby, I’ll be back later,” Demitri called as he was pulling over the threshold, minutes after I heard the sound of a hand making contact on skin and the loud whine of Demitri.
I grinned and wiggled myself into the spacious bed, stretching out my legs into a starfish shape, which I could never be able to accomplish in my former sleeping quarters. It wasn’t until I had reached a comfortable position that my phone rang from my bag.
I jumped over to where it had been dumped on the floor and answered my phone.
“Hello?”
“Forgotten about me already?” came the snide voice I had learnt to love.
“Never,” I grinned and proceeded to inform Parker of everything that had happened that day.