Chapter Text
I woke up startled as I felt freezing cold water dripping on my head and down my neck. “Lia, girl, what is wrong with you?” Listen I love my roommate but she can be a real pain in the ass, like all the time.
She just walks off, muttering something about me being lazy. I’m not lazy, just annoyed. After laying in my bed for a while I finally decided to get up and walk downstairs. As I go into the kitchen I’m welcomed with the smell of pancakes, courtesy of Judd, and the sound of Sloane rattling off random facts. God, who gave her coffee?
“Morning sunshine,” Lia says from her spot perched on top of the counter while offering the box of Lucky Charms out to me. “You’re up after Cassie, that’s a shock.” I just shrug my shoulders and walk off into the living room, after greeting Judd, where everyone else is and plop down on the couch next to Sloane.
“Violet, did you know that ferrets often perform a dance known as the weasel war dance which can involve hopping, jumping, and arching their back? It’s a sign of joy although most people think it is a form of aggression or anger!” Sloane smiles up at me from her spot on the couch, slightly shaking from the caffeine.
I take another bite of cereal before speaking again, a small smile on my face. “No Sloane, I didn’t know that.”
——
Late summer, early fall, the best time of the year. A small breeze blew over the backyard while the sun went down. The six of us were in the backyard and we finally gained a sense of freedom after solving the Mackenzie McBride case.
“Sloane, Violet,” Lia yelled from her spot in the yard with Cassie. “Get your butts out here.” Sloane stood up from her spot next to me on the stairs and reached her hand out to me, dragging us both to where Lia and Cassie were badly dancing.
Suddenly after seeing Michael and Dean out of the corner of my eye, I turn towards them. “No.” Dean said. “Absolutely not.” It was getting dark enough that I couldn’t make out Dean’s expression but I could imagine he wasn’t pleased with my idea.
Michael didn’t appear to be against it. He walked over to join us, walking with a noticeable limp, but he managed to bounce on one leg just fine.
Lia cast her eyes up, “You’re all hopeless.” She told us.
Michael shrugged, then threw in some jazz hands. “It’s one of my many charms.”
Lia looped her arms around the back of his neck and pressed her body close to his, still dancing. He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t push her away. If anything he looked amused.
Gross. I don’t mind that they’re in a relationship, if that’s what you could call it, but I do feel bad for Cassie and Dean. The girl just can’t seem to make up her mind.
Beside me, Sloane looked at Lia, then Miachael, then at Dean. Then she came closer to me. “There’s a forty percent chance this ends with someone getting punched in the face.” She whispered in my ear.
I lean closer to her, “Fifty bucks says it's Michael getting hit.” She just nods back at me with a slight smile on her face. I look up from where I am, “Dean, come on! You know you want to!”
Lia looks at me with a smirk on her face before turning back to Dean, “Come on Dean-o,” Lia called “Join us.” Her words were part invitation, part challenge. As Michael’s body moved to Lia’s beat I realized Lia wasn’t putting on this show for Cassie or Michael but she was doing it to get a rise out of Dean. Based on the expression on his face, it was working.
Lia and Dean were the first members of the program and acted like siblings. Right now Dean looked exactly like a protective older brother.
“Come on Dean,” Cassie said, intervening before Lia could say something else. “You don’t have to dance. Just brood in beat to the music.”
That somehow brought a laugh out of Dean, along with me. That peace was soon pushed away when Michael brought his attention to Cassie. “Care to dance Colorado?”
Lia narrowed her eyes at the two, and then quickly recovered by pulling me and Sloane into a group to dance. “Lia, what is it with you always trying to cause trouble?” Even though I was genuinely asking, I said it in a slightly playful tone.
“I don’t know, maybe I was just in a mood for chaos,” Lia said softly, even though we fight often, she’s nicer to me and Sloane than she is to anyone else in our group. “But what’s new about that?” She said with slightly more spark before turning away. “You sure we can’t talk you into dancing?” Lia calls out to Dean.
“Positive.”
“Well in that case…” Lia cut in between Michael and Cassie and the next thing I knew, me and Sloane were dancing with Cassie and Lia was back with Michael. As she looked up at Michael with her hand on his chest. “Tell me Townsend,” she practically purred, “Do you feel lucky?”
This will not go well.