Three strikes {M&V}

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 As he thought, Liliana was a bit less grateful than one might have hoped. Well, that wasn’t quite the right word. Maybe she was upset with the entire situation? Thinking back to the bike, he seemed to ond against what she was saying. Yeah, he’d be pissed too. “Excuse me I handled the asshole before, and I could have taken care of myself back there,” she snapped at him. The male smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

“You didn’t want your knight in shining armor?” he asked. “And besides what happened to ‘Don’t look back. Don’t speak. Don’t fight, just walk?’ I seem to recall those words being thrown out there.” He kept his eyes from her as they continued back towards the home. “I couldn’t have m’lady get injured in her royal court,” he said, knowing he was going to get hit for it. Instead, though. “I’m sorry…I haven’t had anyone fight for me in awhile.”

The male turned back towards her with a questioning look. The hand on his cheek sent sparks down his back and a scream through his head to abort mission. The girl kissed him on the cheek, something innocent, but something sly at the same time. “Thank you…that was sweet,” she was saying. Victor just stood there a moment, like an idiot, stammering a thank you as they concluded their walk. Before they reached the door, she had one more surprise for him. “This isn’t my real hair color. My eyes aren’t brown…they’re blue….and I wear glasses. I’m not a badass…well at least I didn’t used to be. I’m a theater nerd..” Victor took her by the arm and pulled her back, stopping her in her tracks. “You listen to me and you listen close,” he started, his voice low and gentle. “You never have to pretend with me. You are a beautiful girl who doesn’t have to hide forever. We all have secrets. All have things we don’t want said or shared. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. And one day I’d love to see your true self. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to show you mine,” he said and released her.

They reached the door and went inside before the female could fully process what was said. Scott met them at the door and started talking about someone who had showed up for the girl. A back thought told Victor it was a boyfriend she had forgotten to mention and she was now off limits. Tuning the two out, he grabbed a soda from the fridge just as Lilliana’s body language went from tense to frightened. “I…have to go…” she said, suddenly, dismissing herself and hightailing it to her room. Victor turned and looked at Scott. He shrugged, not knowing what the hell had happened. Without speaking to the other male, he went up the stairs slowly and knocked on the girl’s bedroom door. Almost convinced she was going to open it and throw glass at his head, he remained far enough back that he could doge if she came out swinging.

She yelled out, obviously upset. Without waiting for her to let him in, Victor opened the door and entered the room. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it, arms crossed, eyes worried. “I won’t make you talk. I won’t stay if you want me out. Something upset you about this person who showed up. And all I want to say to you is that if you need help…protection….anything…I swear to God I’m right here to rip him limb from limb. Just don’t run away,” he said. Turning the handle of the door behind him, he opened it and stepped out. “I’m here for you if you ever need anything,” he said, and left her be. Victor went to class and stayed out for the rest of the day, trying to clear his head and prepare himself for the very real possibility of the girl leaving before he was back. He didn’t return until later that night, having eaten dinner in town.

Victor went to his room without checking in on the girl, and went to bed without so much as making sure the other roommates were around. The next morning, Victor got up a bit later than he normally did and went downstairs after dressing in shorts and a shirt. Making breakfast in silence, he sat at the table to eat.

[DiamondHeart]

~Scott McCalester~

Scott found himself wondering about Lilliana and her reaction when she ran off. The younger male looked at Victor, "I don't know man...That was weird." He said softly, turning back to the sink which still had a few dishes. He sighed softly, thinking about the events that had taken place with his sister just minutes before. Scott walked out of the kitchen, a bit confused about everything that was taking place.

The male twin sat out in the living room, sipping on a beer. He really didn't know how to handle what the girls were going through. Mostly with his sister, he just didn't know what she was going through. She had built up so many walls through the years that it would take forever to knock them down. Although it was only fair since Scott himself was the same way. Never let anyone in, so no one could hurt him. At first it was hard to keep everything in, but through years of abuse, physical, emotional, and mental, keeping himself locked away had become natural to Scott.

With all the thoughts that plagued his mind, Scott could do nothing but wait for everything around the house to calm down. After a little while, Scott heard a door open and close upstairs. At first he thought it may be Trinity coming out of her room. When Scott turned around on the couch to look up the stairs, he noticed that instead of his sister, it was Victor. "Lilli alright?" He asked, but the other male didn't seem to hear him as he left the house once again.

It was hours before anyone was around the house again. Lilliana had stayed in her room, and so had Trinity. Scott made his way upstairs, and looked at the closed doors. With a sigh, the male twin walked up to his sister's closed door and raised his hand, lightly knocking, but there was no response, not even a 'go away'. Scott knew his sister was most likely asleep. With a sigh, the male went to the room of the other female, and lightly knocked before entering. There were clothes laying all over the floor, but nothing had been broken. It was a frantic mess, not an angry mess. "Hey Lilli...Are you alright?" He asked curiously. He watched the female lift her head from her knees. Her makeup was smeared and one could tell she had been just sitting there crying. "Who was that guy?" She probably wouldn't tell him, but he wanted to try. Scott walked over and sat down next to Lilli, pulling her over to rest her head on his chest. He stroked her hair softly and sighed, "You're safe here Lil..." He said gently, and just held her. The young female closed her eyes and sighed mostly out of stress, "8 years ago...when I was only 15...I was raped." She admitted. Scott put his hand lightly under her chin, and lifted her head to look at him, "Was it him?" Scott asked, only a look of concern in his eyes. Lilliana's eyes began to well with tears, "I believed him." She buried her head in Scott's chest, "2 years later before I finished school...He found me...said he could protect me as long as I promised to stay with him...I believed him." She pushed off of Scott and sat up. "Lilliana...You can trust us here...What happened?" Lilliana shook her head, " No more...it hurts too much." She stood up. The younger woman had put up her own walls.

Scott rose to his feet, knowing the younger female had shut him out. "I hope you can find someone to talk to Lilliana...sometimes its the only thing that will get you out of it all." He sighed softly, then left the room, shutting the door behind him. The male twin looked down the hall, watching Victor's door close. Scott shook his head and walked to his room. Everyone in the house was going to shut each other out before they could get close to each other. The younger male sat down on his bed, then laid back on his pillows and closed his eyes. It was hard enough holding his own demons at bay, but having everyone else's may just kill him. As the events of the day solidified in his mind, Scott felt his body grow heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, Scott was awakened by his sister's voice as she entered his room and laid next to him. He smiled a little in his tired state as she spoke about going to the circus. When she said his name in that sad tone, he wanted to just hug her, but he allowed her to continue. “He's still here." He could hear her words clearly, "Always in my mind, always haunting. I’m scared, Scott. He won’t go away,” He was tired, could barely keep his eyes open, but he understood her, he knew exactly what she meant, because he had the same dreams, heard that same haunting voice. As his sister pushed off the bed, Scott grabbed her arm lightly, and pulled her back. He held her close to him, hugging her as they laid in the bed. "You got me kid...You'll always have me here to beat him out." The male twin held his sister in his arms, but fell back asleep shortly after. Though he was asleep the male spoke out softly, "I hear it too...but you got me babe." He said. His hold tightened, ever so slightly, embracing her protectively. "He can't hurt you anymore...you're so strong...you're stronger then him Trin." With that the male twin loosened his grip and rolled over onto his back, cracked open his mouth and snored softly.

After another 20 minutes or so, Scott woke up. He felt refreshed and ready to take on the day, or at least thats how he felt at the moment. There was no telling what this day would bring. The male turned and placed his feet on the hardwood floor with a shiver, feeling the cool floor on his bare feet. "Ooh good morning sunshine." He said sarcastically to himself, then pushed himself up, and grabbed a change of clothes. It was starting out as just another day. After changing, the male twin walked downstairs quietly, and began to enter the kitchen, but stopped and took a few steps back to be out of site when he saw Lilliana with her arms wrapped around Victor's shoulders. He stepped forward, and looked into the kitchen and saw Lilli had moved to sit in a chair at the table. "Good morning!" Scott greeted the two, no hint that he had seen them a moment ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

With every fiber of her being, Lilliana fought the urge to run out the door when Victor entered. "...Just don’t run away." She listened to him, it all felt like a bad dream, but Victor's next words brought her back, “I’m here for you if you ever need anything,” Lilliana was about to say something when Victor left. Maybe that moment wasn't the right time. She leaned back into her bed, and closed her eyes. It seemed so hard to let this feeling of uncertainty go.

The young female rested her head on her knees once again, and tried to hold everything back, but she couldn't. After a while, Lilli heard the doorknob to her room turn and she jumped a little bit, but then she saw Scott's face. She sighed softly in relief. Scott then opened his mouth to speak, "Hey Lilli...Are you alright?" She shook her head gently and held her legs tightly. "Who was that guy?" Lilliana took a deep breathe, and the next thing she knew she felt a gentle warm hand on her head, stroking her hair. The young female told Scott a little bit of the truth, feeling her heart become heavy. She could barely breathe by the time she was done. "No more...it hurts too much." She told him. Scott got up and spoke to her, "I hope you can find someone to talk to Lilliana...sometimes its the only thing that will get you out of it all." Lilliana knew that he was right, but it was so hard to deal with. With her head in a fog, Lilliana laid back on her bed, closing her eyes, and fell asleep.

"I'll never let anything or anyone hurt you again." Michael looked Lilli in the eyes. Lilliana's face was bruised, but she could still see through her swollen eye, "Michael?" Her voice was soft, and her words barely broke through her lips. "Yeah Lil...It's me." The female looked into his eyes, tears welled, but she held them back, "I...I can't...you already hurt me." She felt her chest tighten. Michael sighed, and placed a cool washcloth on her face, and gently wiped blood from her face. "I know...That was two years ago Lilli...I swear I've changed...let me protect you...Let me prove I'm different." Lilliana took a deep breathe, listening to his words carefully. His words sounded so sincere. "Michael...I just...I don't know." She said softly, pushing his hand away gently, and stood up from the kitchen floor. "I just don't know if I can trust you." She said, turning around to leave the kitchen. "Lil." Michael gently wrapped his arms around Lilliana's shoulders. "I'll make you believe me." He said softly and kissed her softly on the cheek. The kiss sent chills down Lilliana's spine, telling her to run, but her leg wouldn't move. She felt safe at the time, but this would not last long.

Lilliana turned in her bed, and eventually her eyes shot open and she took in a deep breathe. She sat up slowly, and took in a few deep breathes. She turned, placing her feet on the floor, and looked over at her clock. It was later then she would normally be in bed and Lilliana could hear voices coming through the wall from Scott's room. It was definitely Scott and Trinity. Lilliana listened for a moment, then laid back in her bed. She closed her eyes for a couple minutes. She couldn't fall back asleep, because her mind was reeling. The young female got out of bed, staying in her pjs. Lilliana walked downstairs, her soft pj pants were so warm and comfortable as they brushed lightly against her skin. She wore a light blue tank top and a baggy grey zip up hoody.

When the younger female reached the downstairs level, she saw Victor sitting at the kitchen table. Lilliana moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, placing her hands lightly on his chest, and put her head down over his shoulder. "I need your help..." She moved her arms around his shoulders just a little bit more. "I...don't feel safe...unless your there." She whispered softly in his ear. She closed his eyes, just resting against him. "But...no questions...not right now...just know that...I need you to be here..." She kissed him on the cheek softly, then sat in a chair at the table by him.

Seconds later Scott's voice entered Lilliana's ears, "Good morning!" He chimed. Lilliana sat back and looked back at Scott and smiled, "Good morning." She said sweetly, then stood up and walked over to the cabinet. "You want something to eat?" She asked him with a smile, then looked to the door way to see if Trinity would be joining them for breakfast. After eating, Lilliana got up, washed her cereal bowl and went up to her room to get ready for the day. She took a deep breathe and pulled out a pair of white skinny jeans and a black tank top with an olive green denim jacket and pair of black boots. After getting ready for the day, Lilliana emerged from her room, grabbing her bag and put it over her shoulder. With a deep breathe, Lilliana walked out of her bedroom, and took a moment outside her bedroom door to get her head clear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Trinity Carson McCalester

It was a swift motion, much too quick for Trinity to react to. He had taken her arm in his hand and pulled down. Losing her balance, she allowed herself to be forced back onto to the bed. After, what? Ten years? He was actually wrapping his arms around her, an embrace that she had only memories of. “You got me kid….You’ll always have me here to beat him out,” he was saying. Trinity doubted that. Their father was there. Coming for her. Haunting her dreams, driving her insane. It was just a matter of time before he forced himself out of her head and in front of her. Manifesting once more and actually doing physical arm. Of course the logical side of the female knew better than to believe the mirage.

“I hear it too…but you got me babe,” Scott’s voice cut Trinity from her thoughts. “He can’t hurt you anymore…you’re so strong…you’re stronger than him, Trin,” he whispered, drifting back into sleep before the female could continue. She remained next to him for a bit, moving over only once to lay her head on his chest as he slept. She had to confirm his heartbeat, remind herself that they had once shared the same heartbeat in the womb as they grew and matured before birth. They had shared years of fighting, learning, and growing side by side. And now….in seconds….their father was threatening to take the girl back to the hell she had once faced. At this point, Trinity couldn’t even remember if the man was still alive, or if her mother was still around. She knew about her mother. She knew. But….at the same time…she didn’t. Her memories had buried themselves from the happy childhood she only ever told people, to the reality of fear, craze, and loneliness that were actually housed behind their door.

She remained in the bed next to the male, though she was curled on the opposite side. She had refused to curl under the covers, but simply lay above them. She did not stir as he got up and eventually left the bedroom. Instead, she remained as she was, a bit calmer with the feeling of her brother in the same room as her. Even when he was gone, the lingering comfort that remained kept her sleeping soundly a bit after everyone else. Starling herself awake after another hour, Trinity sat up slowly. Looking around and realizing she was out of her own room, and pushed herself off the bed. A shadowy figure by the door caught her eye, and she looked towards it quickly.

A man’s smile glistened down at her, a sinister grin as a clawed hand reached out for her through the darkness. Trinity let out a whimper and moved back into the bed, prying herself away from the outstretched hand. “Aw, baby, come to Daddy.” The figure purred. Trinity shook her head, clasped her hands over her ears, shut her eyes tight, and rocked herself back and forth to get the image from her mind. He was there only in her mind. He couldn’t hurt her. Couldn’t touch her. It was as she felt his hand grab her leg and latch on that she almost let out a scream. Opening her eyes to fight, her eyes scanned the room. Nothing. No one was there.

Standing and exiting the room a bit faster than she meant to, Trinity hid in the bathroom for a few moments to gather herself, calm down, and reapply whatever makeup was left on her face. Only then did she venture downstairs. She had missed the whole exchange, but either way she wasn’t going to be left out. Holding up the four tickets, she looked to Lil and Victor. “We’re going to the circus this weekend. No choice,” she informed them before tucking the tickets back into her pocket.

-----------------------------------

OOC; 

In the Darkside of the Gardens,

There is so much you find

The only thing you have to lose,

Is a little of your mind.

Come play in my Garden.

[/quote]
text text text text

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 Victor had been sitting at the table, minding his own business when he felt arms reach around his neck and placed around his shoulders. He felt the weight of a female lower on his back and neck, and confused he turned his head slightly to see who it was. Obviously, it could only have been Trinity or Liliana, and he wouldn’t know why the hell Trinity would touch him, but he was still confused. Then he heard the familiar voice. “I need your help…” she started, to which Victor wanted nothing more than to run upstairs, don a suit of armor and go galloping into battle for her. “I don’t feel safe…unless you’re there.”

The male listened, though he wanted nothing more than to respond right away. He knew better, and kept his mouth shut until she finished. “But...no questions...not right now…just know that..I need you to be here…” she was saying, kissing his cheek before letting him go. Victor touched her hand momentarily as she sat down. “I can’t promise you the world. I can’t promise I can give you everything you ever ask for. I can’t promise I’ll succeed in keeping you safe. But I can promise I’ll die trying,” he said gently, looking her dead in the eye. “You have my strength,” he said.

“Good morning!” another male’s voice said behind them. Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly. Way to ruin the moment, cock blocker, he thought. Rolling his eyes playfully, Victor released Liliana’s hand and turned to the male behind them. “Excuse me, we’re trying to practice our part for Romeo and Juliet. Stop interfering, peasant!” Victor shot, though his grin told he was merely playing. “Morning, man. Where’s the other half? Sleeping still?” He asked, putting his own dishes away. Just as he was, Trinity had walked down the stairs and approached. Before Lil could disappear to get dressed for the day, the female flashed four tickets.

Victor raised a brow. “Clowns and I are sworn enemies. You sure you want the biggest baby jock out there screaming and running down the street?” he asked, though shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t mind going. Give us something to do. Could be fun. Liliana, er, sorry, Juliet, will you do me the honor of….” He got down on one knee, to which Trinity giggled. “Proposing so soon?” she asked, shaking her head. “You better have a damn good ring for her.” Victor shook his head. “scaring away clowns?” he finished, before standing up and grinning to his roommates.

Yes, he was a child at heart. Yes, he was weird. But, why the hell not? They were all weird, and it was a nice change from the way they all had previously lived. Victor finished cleaning the kitchen as Liliana went to get dressed. When she came back downstairs, he had a light jacket on and was holding his keys in his hand. “Can I drive you to class?” he offered, pushing his other hand into his pocket.

[DiamondHeart]

~Scott McCalester~

Scott looked at Victor, then quickly looked away, the other male did seem maybe a bit irritated, although he did to play it off well, "Excuse me, we’re trying to practice our part for Romeo and Juliet. Stop interfering, peasant!" The younger male just shook his head with a slight chuckle. When the other male spoke, inquiring about Trinity, Scott just shrugged, then spoke,  "Yeah, not sure. She at least had her eyes still closed when I was up there." After sitting down with a bowl of cereal, Scott heard his sister's voice come from behind him, "We’re going to the circus this weekend. No choice." The elder male's response was more of how Scott would want to react, at least the first part, "Clowns and I are sworn enemies..." Scott nodded, knowing the feeling. It would be rather interesting to see two grown men acting like babies compared to the two girls they would be with. "Aww...wait doesn't Romeo and Juliet have a terrible ending...clowns added to the Romeo and Juliet story." Scott made himself shiver thinking about a psycho killer clown mixed into a romance story.

Once the other two roommates had left the kitchen, Scott looked at his sister. "Hey kid...you know I've got your back." He restated to her, sincerity and determination in his eyes. Determination to protect her, and keep her close. He placed his hand over hers and spoke, "After we go to the circus...there's something else I think I need to show you." He told her, pulling his hand back, and took another bite of his breakfast. The secret he wanted to keep from her, he knew it would soon come back to bite him in the ass if he didn't tell her the truth. Scott rose from his chair at the table and rinsed out his bowl. He had heard Lilliana and Victor leave already and he turned to his sister, "Want a ride to class?" He asked her, hoping she would just take the nice brotherly gesture as it was and not try to read too much into it as she did once in a while. She had trust issues as did Scott himself, but they were brother and sister after all. If they couldn't trust each other, who were they suppose to trust? He was basically ready to go, just needed to slip on his shoes and grab his back pack.

The male twin pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket, leaving the light weight jacket on the hook. It was a bit too nice to wear that. He hadn't thought about it, but he had not actually driven in a few days. He smirked a little, then held the door open as his sister walked out, then he locked the front house door, and clicked the 'unlock' on his truck's key fab. The truck was a few years older, but it was one he had restored. He was proud of this truck, it was one of the only good things he had put his time into over the past few years. It didn't take long for the twins to arrive at the school. Scott turned off the ignition, and turned to his sister, "Look Trin...if you need anything...you know where and how to find me ok...send me a text that says 'code 1' or something to let me know where you are, and I'll come running to find you." He was concerned for her well being, but of course, how could he now worry, she was his sister, his flesh and blood.

After walking with his sister to her first class, Scott made his way to his own first class. A younger woman with black hair and brown eyes walked up to him with a sweet smile. "Hi there." She batted her eyelashes. She was about 5'5, and only weighed 110 wet. She was pretty, but not totally stunning, although she could definitely make her way around this place just fine. "Hey." Scott smiled back at her, not flirting, just trying to be polite. The girl smiled brightly, "I'm new and I was hoping that maybe you could show me around." She said, biting her lip softly. Scott smirked and let out a soft sigh. This girl could be trouble, but he couldn't be a jerk, and he had plenty of time to get to his own class, actually he had about 30 minutes. The male nodded and the girl seemed to brighten up. Lightly shaking his head when she turned away, Scott stifled a sigh. This was not his idea of laying low and keeping away from trouble. From what he saw, this girl had trouble written all over her. Mostly it was the way she carried herself, and spoke. Tone and body language say it all.

"So what's you're first class?" Scott asked the girl and she looked at her papers, a bit lost, "Oh um...Psychology." She said with a satisfied nod. Scott nodded, "Of course." He said under his breathe, then looked at the girl with a smile, "That's my next class." The girl beamed, "Oh goody! So I can sit next to you too?" She stated that as a question, but Scott knew he couldn't protest. The girl grabbed Scott's arm and almost skipped down the hall, Scott couldn't tell if the girl really was a ditz or if she was just playing, either way, Scott didn't like it already. "So what did you do to get here?" He asked the girl, and she smiled at him mischievously, "Oh I should just show you rather then tell you...maybe I could...pop by your place later." She winked at him while biting her lip gently. There was his answer, he knew exactly what girl she was. "Sounds like a great time, but I doubt my sister would care to have company stop by." The girl seemed just a bit put off by him mentioning his sister. She shook it off quickly though, "I'm sure I you could get her out of the house for a little while. I mean...it's not everyday you get to meat a girl of my...talents?" She smiled at him. Scott just shook his head. "Sweetheart thats nice of you but...you're not my type." He was at the point where he was getting to be tired of the girl's little game. The girl scoffed, and let go of his arm. "Whatever." She said and stormed off. Scott shrugged, "That was easier then I thought." He said and walked into his psychology class, the girl was no where inside which was a relief.

After class, Scott walked down the hall, making his way to the courtyard to grab a bite to eat for lunch. He grabbed his phone and sent a text to his sister, 'Lunch?' was the simple word sent. He sat next to a table, waiting for some sort of reply from his sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

Lilliana stared at Victor for a moment as he joked kneeling down on the kitchen floor. She felt a bit childish actually being a bit excited about going to the circus. This would be her first time going. She had never seen a clown in real life, and although she had seen plenty of 'killer clown' movies in her day, they never really bothered her. "Yeah sure." She answered Victor with a soft chuckle, and then walked up stairs.

After getting ready, and coming down stairs, Victor stood with his car keys in his hand, "Can I drive you to class?" Was the question he posed. Lilliana knew right away that the answer was yes, and she felt her face get warm, but she didn't blush. Instead of answering right away, Lilliana took a moment, placing her hand under her chin. "Hmm....I don't know..." She smiled sweetly at him after a minute, and nodded, "Of course...Thank you." She walked to the door and opened it, walking out, and looked back, waiting for Victor. She held back the urge to hold his hand. Although it would have helped to calm her nerves, she didn't know who could see, or exactly how far Michael was from here. The last thing Lilliana wanted was to have Michael come after Victor. 

Lilliana sat down in Victor's car, setting her book bag on the floor, she buckled in, and looked straight ahead. After the car began to cruise down the street, she looked over at Victor, "How did you get here?" She asked curiously, "I mean...you seem like more of a slightly nerdy, goofy, sweet guy...at least more then a criminal." She just watched him drive for a moment, then giggled softly, "Don't get me wrong, your a good looking slightly nerdy, goofy, sweet guy...like I said, I'm a theater nerd myself." She blushed a little and turned to look away, not wanting him to see her little bit of embarrassment. Lilliana turned her head to look out her window and started to sing quietly. One of her favorite songs played in her head, and she sang along softly. Actually her voice was quite sweet and light. She was a soprano who could reach low alto notes. The sound of her voice simply floated lightly in the air.

The car pulled up to the school and Lilliana turned to Victor once again. She put her hands on the sides of his face and leaned in. Instead of kissing him on the lips or the cheek, she kissed him on the forehead this time, "Thank you...really." She said, holding her hands there on the sides of his face for a moment. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't. Her chest felt tight. She was dealing with a mix of emotions. She wanted to get closer to him, but she didn't want to be hurt again, or get anyone else hurt because she hadn't been able to bite this in the first place. How could she describe the feeling she felt in her chest, the lightness of her heart was like nothing she had ever felt. Lilliana slowly pulled hands back from Victors face and turned in her seat to face forward. She took a moment to compose herself, then turned to Victor and smiled, while she grabbed her bag from the floor. "Alright my dear...I should probably head off now." She nodded, mostly trying to push herself out the door and in to class. "Right...Here I go." She took a deep breathe and placed her hand on the door handle and opened the door slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Trinity Carson McCalester

Struggling with putting on shoes, and hopping around on one foot, Trinity almost missed what the male said next. “Hey kid…you know I’ve got your back,” he repeated to her. The female looked up mid-jump, a dazed expression on her face, like she wasn’t fully comprehending. “Oh, right. Yeah, I know. You’re more like attached to my back like a growth.” She responded, pulling the second shoe on with a bit more ease. “After we go to the circus…there’s something else I think I need to you show you…” he informed his sister, who merely glanced back up. So what? He was engaged? Had a girlfriend? Had three kids already? Was leaving the school? Didn’t want her around? Her mind flashed with possibilities, the worst case scenarios playing quickly in segments. Trinity simply nodded, unsure how to respond to the statement, and unsure if she truly wanted to know what he was going to have to tell her.

“Want a ride to school?” the question itself caught the girl off guard and caused her mind to blank from the fear that was rising in her mind. “Sure,” she said slowly, following him to the door like a puppy. Climbing into the truck silently, the female closed the door and struggled with the seatbelt for a few moments as Scott climbed into the driver’s seat. She buckled, then felt his eyes on her. “The car did it,” she said quickly, taking no blame for her lack of ability to buckle up. “Look…Trin….” She tensed as he started. This was a lecture. He had gotten her in here to lecture her. Or to tell her to leave. “if you need anything…you know where and how to find me ok…” she relaxed slightly. How to get a hold of him? He hadn’t been there for years. What made him suddenly think she needed him now? She scoffed to herself. Who was she kidding. She did need him. But he couldn’t know that. “send me a text that says ‘code 1’ or something to let me know where you are, and I’ll come running to find you.”

Her eyes faded to a memory as he finished speaking, and didn’t answer until they pulled into the school parking lot. As they got out of the car, Trinity’s light eyes returned to their sparkling self and she moved around the truck to her brother. Wrapping her arms about his waist, she held on for only a few seconds before releasing him. Without words to tell him how she felt, the gesture was all she could give. As they walked towards class, she held onto her one textbook like she was cradling a baby, or a sack of potatoes. “Scott…if dad comes back…if he finds us….if he finds me…where else to we have to run? Where else can we hide? And what about mom? What about….” She trailed off, her eyes looking straight ahead instead of at him. “I’ve questioned everything in my life. I don’t have the answers. I simply cannot remember anything more than dad. I don’t remember mom. I don’t remember her voice, or what she looked like. I don’t remember us being together as a family. I remember the facts. I know she left. I remember she left. But everything in life has been a blur. I’ve pushed it away for so long. I don’t remember our childhood. Just pieces. Just memories. Fragments. And sometimes I question at all if we’re family. I question dad. I question mom. I question myself. I wonder if I’ve come up with an elaborate story just to hide from my own truth. And I’m confused. I’m scared. I’m alone,” she paused, taking a slight breath.

“I’m scared to wake up one morning and you be gone. I’m scared to find out you never existed at all. You were just a boy I once knew and created a fantasy to hide from reality. I question if I’m here every day. Reality seems like a dream. Dreams seem like reality. I’m lost. I’m insane, and I’m slowly losing myself. I guess I just don’t know who I am anymore. Where I came from….where I’m going,” she trailed off again, stopping outside the building to her classroom. “And I guess I’ll never fully know. I just want to work it out. Be good. Start my life. But I can’t. I’m stuck. Somewhere between being a kid and never truly growing up. I’m lost. And I fear I’ll just never be found….”

Trinity opened the door, giving one last glance to the male behind her. “I don’t ever expect you to understand me. I don’t ever expect my problems to make sense. Maybe it would have been better if I had not come to exist at all. But, because I’m here, I’m trying to figure it all out. I just don’t know where else to turn. I’m drowning,” with that, the female disappeared to her classroom, more so to just take notes than actually listen to whatever lecture was on that day’s agenda. She didn’t honestly care about anything the teacher had to say at that point. She had far too much on her mind.

At the end of class, Trinity exited. Thoughts of the circus kept her going, with the hope that they would all actually go and have a good time together. At least, she could only hope. Her phone vibrated in her back pocket, causing the female to stop in the middle of the sidewalk and fish it out with her free hand. Unlocking the screen, she swiped it open and saw a lunch text from the other half. A slight smile played on her lips as she texted back and accepted the invitation. ‘Meet you in the middle of the courtyard once I find something decent to eat in this dump.’ She responded. There were a couple of small vendors the college kept to feed students, and Trinity chose the one that housed sandwiches. Grabbing a turkey meal, she then proceeded to venture around the courtyard, looking around for the male. It was a stroke of luck and her keen eyesight that caused her to find her brother. Sliding into the table across from him, she said her hello and slid a bag of chips towards him. “I refuse to eat it. So you’re going to have to,” she informed him, a smile on her face and a bit of a playful smirk.

As she took a few small bites, her eyes collided with the male’s. She expected something to be said. She wasn’t quite sure what yet, but she expected…something. Anything. Anything but the silence of them simply staring at each other would suffice. Even him yelling at her. Hitting her. Something. She just couldn’t take the silence. The emptiness. The years of loneliness. Anything would be better than him just silently stare. Putting the sandwich down, she blinked at him, unsure if she should begin the conversation, or if he would. Or, if she should get up and leave. Run, before things got out of hand.

-----------------------------------

OOC; 

In the Darkside of the Gardens,

There is so much you find

The only thing you have to lose,

Is a little of your mind.

Come play in my Garden.

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 “Yeah. Sure.” Was the female’s response. It wasn’t as flowery or dramatic as Victor had expected, but the acceptance was thrilling enough. So it was a date! He smirked at the thought, though didn’t share it aloud. He wasn’t really in this to get into a relationship, but it was funny how fate was working out.

It was pretty much slapping him in the face with a pretty girl and demanding that he protect her. Odd world they lived in. Odd world, indeed. It was reassuring, though, when she accepted his driving offer as well. It was nice to hear two happy responses in a row, but Victor wasn’t going to push his luck by trying for a third. At least not yet.

As they crawled into his vehicle, Victor started it and locked the doors as he backed out of the parking space. “How did you get here?” the female asked. Ah, now the question. He smiled at her flustered finish. “I mean..you seem like more of a slightly nerdy, goofy, sweet guy…or at least more than a criminal…” She followed it up with, “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a good looking slightly nerdy, goofy, sweet guy…like I said, I’m a theater nerd myself.” He laughed slightly, shaking his head as he put the car in drive and started down the road. He settled back slightly and decided to just go ahead and let it out. What she thought of him afterwards, would be her decision to make. Hopefully she wouldn’t hate on him too hard, and if she did, hopefully she’d let him down easy.

“I was caught driving a stolen car. I ran it off the mountain roads, and ended up in the hospital. The police were there, and I was taken to jail as soon as I was medically released. I was a street racer by trade, well, more into the car stripping industry. I took cars, stripped them, sold them for parts. Or I’d make cars really fancy and sell them for more than their value. Mostly used for street racing. I’m actually not who I say I am, either,” he paused, looking over to the girl with sad eyes. “What I’m going to tell you, you make think of me differently for. And that’s okay. I just ask that this doesn’t get made public for the world to know. I would appreciate that more than anything else, okay?”

He looked back to the road. “My name is actually Tyler. My father, Mr. Greyson, yes, the owner of the stupid software company, drove me to the point of insanity. I didn’t want his business. I didn’t want what he provided. I draw, actually. Comic strips, mostly. But my father was totally against the idea, and made me believe I was gay for several years because of my drawing. I was a bad boy, I suppose. Got into fights, got kicked out of high school at sixteen. So, I ran away. Plain and simple."

"I ran away from home, and ended up in another town. Basically joined a gang just to survive, but that didn’t end very well. I got my A.A. degree and was doing fine hot-wiring and just living day to day. But I swear someone tipped off the police. Someone had to have said something. Anyway, yeah, cops caught up, dragged me to jail. The judge ordered I come here and finish school here, like some sort of guinea pig in their trial program. I don’t know. But, yeah, basically been running my whole life. Don’t speak to my parents. Don’t talk to no one. I’m Victor Vanquez, as far as the rest of the world is concerned. I’ll never again be Tyler.”

He turned towards the girl as they parked into the school parking lot and he left the engine running. “That’s who I am,” he finished. As a response, or maybe a reflex, Liliana turned towards him and moved closer. He thought at first she was going for his lips, and he almost panicked. Instead, though, she kissed him on the forehead and left it at that. “Alright my dear…I should probably head off now.” His own thoughts were spinning as she spoke, and his voice almost caught in his throat. Almost.

“Right…here I go..” It took literally everything Victor had not to stop her, kiss her, and just have it all be laid on the table right then and there. Instead, he gave a slight laugh and nodded. “Call me if you want to be picked up. Don’t do anything crazy. We have a circus day soon,” he said, letting her leave and watching her walk away before driving off himself. Making his way back to the house, he opened the door and locked it behind him, knowing the three would be off at school for a while. Making himself lunch wasn’t hard, but he had the nagging suspension the idiot of the ex would appear into their lives again eventually.

[DiamondHeart]

~Scott McCalester~

Scott looked at his sister and nodded. He took the bag of chips she offered and opened them. The young man found himself lost in his own mind, mulling over his sister's words from earlier. He really hadn't known what to say at the time, and there really wasn't anything he could say that would make sense. When Trinity looked up at him, he could see the slight bit of panic in her eyes begin. "Sorry..." He shook his head and looked down. "Look Trin...I don't know what to say about...everything." He said with a sigh. There was a moment of silence, then the male's lips parted again, "All I know is that...even if I'm not really...here...I'm here." He said and thought about it for a moment, "I know that doesn't really make sense, but...Even if I'm just in your head...you know me well enough to know I'll protect you...even there." He nodded a little, "We've been through so much...you feel like your insane...I black out and wake up not knowing where or sometimes who I am." Scott took in a deep breathe, then continued. "The only thing I know for sure is that I love you sis...and even in your mind...I'll stick by you...never leave you. If not to protect you...then just to help you stay out of that pit thats been dug for you in your head. It's you and me babe." He smiled at her sincerely, then pulled a couple chips out of the bag.

After the two had lunch, Scott looked at his sister again, "I only had the one class...How about you?" He asked curiously, mainly just wanting to know if she would like a ride home now or later. After asking her, he heard someone clear their throat behind him, which made him turn around to see the girl from the hall. "You know...you could have told me you had a girlfriend...you didn't have to come up with that crap about your sister." She seemed a little angry, then leaned in, placing her hands on the table, one on each side of Scott, making him move back till he could't move any farther back. "I can work with the girlfriend thing." She smiled, looking over at Trinity and winked, "Besides, she's pretty hot...I think we could have a pretty fun party with that." She smiled playfully and looked back at Scott in front of her. Scott looked back at Trinity, then shivered, "Alright now I'm gonna be sick...I don't think you get it...that really is my sister...actually my twin." The girl looked at Trinity again and smiled, "Oh then...you could play with me later." She said playfully crawling her fingers up his chest. The girl leaned in, but was pulled back quickly by another slender hand.

"Actually I'm the girl friend." A familiar voice reached Scott's ears and he looked around his new 'friend' to see Lilliana. "And I don't play well with others...Nor do I like to share my toys." Lilliana stepped forward with a little force, causing the other young woman to fall back onto the ground. "Damn, I'm just having fun...he's hot...and if you weren't such a bitch I'd say I think your hot too, but damn." The girl began to stand up, but Lilliana pushed her back down and knelt in front of her, staring her square in the eyes. "I'm very protective of my boys...if I ever see you messing with him again...I'll fuck you up damn good...m'kay pumpkin?" She asked with a sweet smile at the last sentiment. "What are you a pimp or something?" The girl asked, but seeing the look in Lilliana's eyes, the other female nodded, and Lilliana allowed her to run off. "That's the one thing I hate...Girls like that are just...wrong." She shivered a little.

Scott sat in awe for a moment, then shook his head, "So um...you're not worried about Victor hearing you said something like that?" He asked curiously. Lilliana looked back at Scott, "You...need to stay away from creepy skanky girls like that." She gave him the 'mom' look, trying for a moment to change the subject, but she saw that he really would push the subject, "I'll just tell him what I saw...Like I said...I protect my boys...you three are all I have, so girls messing with you and Victor, or if someone messes with Trinity...You're all I have." She smiled and nodded a little, "Alright I should get going...I have one more class, you guys have a good rest of your day." She waved and walked off. Scott watched Lilli walk off then turned back around, and looked at his sister, "Alright I've had enough adventure for one day." He said and rose to his feet. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

After exiting the car, Lilliana took just a second to take a deep breathe. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, something she hadn't felt since she was a kid and felt the thrill of her first bike ride without training wheels. It was a bit of a rush and she hadn't felt that just by sitting in a car and talking with a guy. She thought through what Victor had told her. He let her in so far. Weather he was telling her every little truth, she didn't care, he told her the truth, or at least she believed him. Maybe someday she could tell him. No, some day she would have to tell him about herself. How she didn't actually know her parents, how she was passed through foster homes like a bean bag. Yes, someday she would let him in. Let him see the little girl inside.

The young brunette walked through the school halls a small hop in her step. One other girl looked at her and walked up next to her with a smile, "Someone looks happy...Get laid or something?" She asked. The blonde was in her theater, and also choir class. She found the girl a little annoying, but she wasn't the worst one around. "No...I haven't been so lucky." She said with a chuckle, and shook her head. The blonde pouted, "Aww you poor thing...That roommate of yours is pretty hot...What's his name?" Lilliana looked at the girl, and shrugged, "Who Victor? Or Scott?" She asked. The blonde beamed, "Oh my god!!!! Their both rooming with you?! Holy crap how have you not gotten laid? Two MAJOR hotties in the same house." The blonde stared off dreamily, "I'd die for just one of them to touch me, but ooh that Victor...Yummy!" Lilliana stopped and grabbed the blonde's arm. The other female stopped, "Oh what's wrong sweety...did I hit a nerve?" The blonde asked sincerely. Lilliana took a deep breathe and released her hand quickly, "No it's just...their both off limits alright?" She said. The blonde nodded, "Alright...got it." Her next comment was quiet, but Lilliana still heard, "Maybe if I said it about Scott you wouldn't have a bug up your ass." Lilliana rolled her eyes and opened the class door, the blonde walked in before her and Lilliana followed into the atrium. She took a deep breathe and walked into the class herself, finding a place to sit down.

After class finished, Lilliana made her way out to the courtyard to find that her roommates were enjoying themselves. She began to approach slowly, not wanting to just barge in, but another girl with black hair and brown eyes cut in on their sibling moment. Lilliana only heard a little bit of the conversation, but she could tell that the girl was making Scott quite uncomfortable. The female approached her roommates, and grabbed the new girl's shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face Lilliana. "Actually I'm the girl friend." She purposefully separated the 'girl' and 'friend', but the girl wouldn't have noticed something like that. "And I don't play well with others...Nor do I like to share my toys." Lilliana stepped forward with a little force, causing the other young woman to fall back onto the ground. The other females words made Lilliana's blood warm just a little, but she held herself back from what she knew she could do to her. After the exchange, Lilliana just shook her head. 

"So um...you're not worried about Victor hearing you said something like that?" Scott's words made Lilliana pause for a moment. She fought the urge to blush, and she took a deep breathe. She glared at him for a moment, "You," She pointed at Scott, "...need to stay away from creepy skanky girls like that." She sighed, "I'll just tell him what I saw...Like I said...I protect my boys...you three are all I have, so girls messing with you and Victor, or if someone messes with Trinity...You're all I have." She nodded, then thought about what time it was. She shook her head. The young brunette only had one class left. She could get through it and maybe spend some more time with Victor. The thought made her heart skip. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She smiled and nodded, "Alright I should get going...I have one more class, you guys have a good rest of your day." She turned and walked back to the school, the lightness had returned to her step as she walked.

Her last class seemed to take forever although it was only actually a one and a half hour class. She walked back outside, pulling her phone out of her pocket, she began to text Victor, seeing if he would be free at the time to pick her up. She wanted to see him and talk to him. Just spending time with hime made her want to smile like a little kid who tasted their first piece of candy. She couldn't help it. She really didn't know what it was about him. Maybe it was his goofy personality. Maybe it was purely a physical attraction. Whatever it was, Lilliana hadn't even felt this when her and Michael were together, not once. The young female sat down under an oak tree at the end of the school's front parking lot, so she could still se Victor, and he could see her. Sitting with her back to the tree, no one would really be able to sneak up on her. At least they wouldn't be able to do it easily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Trinity Carson McCalester

Trinity had been right. He wasn’t going to say anything. Wasn’t going to respond the way she had wanted him to. What did she expect, though? She didn’t know, herself, what he could say to make the situation fine and dandy again. She, herself, was unsure what could happen to make all the fear and demons go away. They wouldn’t, she knew. It would be a silent suffering for the rest of her life. And even when she grew up, got married, had children, that would be the demon that lurked within her for the rest of her life. She would have to fade out. Be alone. Or, like her mother, run away. Her mother. Was she really her mother? Was anything really part of her anymore? She brushed the thoughts aside as Scott began to speak, refusing to be sucked back into the uncertainty.

“Look Trin…I don’t know what to say about…everything.” He paused, giving the female enough time to bar her heart against whatever he was going to say next. Anything he continued with wasn’t going to be good. “All I know is that…even if I’m not really…here…I’m here.” Yeap, she was right. Anything he said now wasn’t going to save her. “I know that doesn’t really make sense…but…even if I’m just in your head..you know me well enough to know I’ll protect you…even there.” Trinity tried not to scoff at his comment. Tried to be good. But it was so hard not to lash out once more. “We’ve been through so much…you feel like your insane…I black out and wake up not knowing where or sometimes who I am.” Her eyes narrowed, and she turned her face down to her food to keep herself from being noticeably irritated. ‘Yeah, we’ve been through only whatever adventures I’ve made up. None of it really happened.' her mind shot to her, trying to barricade any emotions from her own self. That was it. She hated him. ‘I never know who I am. So if you sometimes know who you are, you’ve done a pretty good damn job,’ He was still speaking when her mind focused back on him and out of her own thoughts. “The only thing I know for sure is that I love you sis…and even in your mind…I’ll stick by you…never leave you. If not to protect you…then just to help you stay out of that pit that’s been dug for you in your head. It’s you and me babe,” he finished.

Trinity remained facing downwards. So, in many ways, he was admitting to being a figment of her imagination. Something that had never been there at all. If that were the case, then who was she? Where was she? Her mind spun at the questions, a turmoil of doubt and guilt filling every ounce of her body, until a woman’s voice startled her back to reality. “You know…you could have told me you had a girlfriend….” Was literally all Trinity heard before her eyes collided with another female’s. Scott was doing what?!?! Her eyes narrowed, and she almost spoke up when the female began touching her twin. Everything in her was ready to lash out and literally rip her limb from limb. “I can work with the girlfriend thing. Besides, she’s pretty hot…I think we could have a pretty fun party with that,” Ah hell no! Trinity pushed her arms against the table, and stood up. But she was far too late to react as Scott told the female they were siblings. “Oh then…you can play with me later.” “Over my fucking dead body,” Trinity hissed, but was cut short as the female was snatched back by Liliana. Perfect timing.

“Actually I’m the girl friend.” Trinity smirked, catching the pause between words, but still about to take the slut’s head off and using it as a basketball. “And I don’t play well wth others…Nor do I like to share my toys.” That was all Trinity heard before her mind cascaded back to her own insecurities. Yeah. She was losing her brother. Even though it wasn’t to this hoe, she had to accept that one day he’d find one. Like Courtney. That dreaded word. Girlfriend. And he would be gone. Like that. In the blink of an eye, he’d be gone. But, to be fair, one day she would too. Maybe not to a significant other, but she’d be gone too. Live her own life. Detach the cords that connected them. She would have to. To survive. “Alright I’ve had enough adventure for one day,” the male’s voice suddenly snapped her back to attention. Liliana was gone, and so was the other female. Trinity was still standing, her eyes pressed into the table with enough force to hold her upright, though she had never made a move to attack anyone.

Scott was standing now as well, looking at her like he was expecting her to do something. Trinity relaxed her grip and picked up her plate. “I think I’m going to walk home,” she almost whispered, absentminded to his facial expression. She turned, not pausing to wait for anything he had to say, and took off at a brisk pace to the trash can. once emptying her hands, she made a beeline for the sidewalks, and headed towards the direction they lived. Clutching her book to her chest with both hands, Trinity rested her chin on the edge as she walked. She was hardly paying attention to anything around her, but was just focused enough to keep going the right way. Her mind swam with reactions to the entire situation, though her body remained fazed and unresponsive to any outward stimuli. It wasn’t until she got home that she came to and dropped everything in her room once more. She didn’t wait to see if Scott was there, or if he had driven off. Instead, she headed back out with nothing but her house key in her pocket, and went on a walk around town.

She stayed out the rest of the day, walking, clearing her mind, and simply avoiding all human contact. It was only as the sun was beginning to set on yet another day that Trinity sat down on a park bench, curled her knees to herself, and simply sat. it didn’t bother her to be outside in the dark, even without a phone to call for help if she needed it. All she wanted was to leave. Curl up. Go somewhere else. Anywhere. Out of state. Out of country. Just go.

-----------------------------------

OOC; 

In the Darkside of the Gardens,

There is so much you find

The only thing you have to lose,

Is a little of your mind.

Come play in my Garden.

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 Victor watched the female leave the car and watched her walk away. Only then did he put the car in drive again and head back towards the house. He was thinking on the drive back, his mind clouded with the thought that the female would tell his secret. It wasn’t like it would do any harm, but he just didn’t want anyone to know who he actually was.

Especially ---- his eyes narrowed as he gripped the wheel tighter. Something in his mind clicked and he got back to the house and made lunch without truly letting the thought sink in. He rapped his fingers on the table as he ate, the thought filling his mind like a plague of death.

He knew. Everything. It all made sense suddenly to him. He was livid about the situation, knowing what he knew now. But he would have to wait to confront them about the situation. It had to wait. Patience was a virtue, and Victor had plenty of it. He was like a spider waiting for a fly. He knew how to wait for things to come to him. That’s how he stole cars so well.

He, of course, didn’t know of Liliana’s adventure with the twins, but felt the twinges of discomfort that came with the feeling that something was wrong. He couldn’t place it, nor tried to, but simply went about his business like he knew nothing at all. This was simply better. Safer, even, than to fully allow his mind to wander to those awful thoughts. None of them new, but he did. It all made sense to his past. How it happened this way, he wasn’t sure. But the coincidences aligned perfectly. He would, of course, have to do a little digging into the twin’s lives before he accused anyone, but this made perfect sense. That, or he was just looking for a scape goat, someone tangible to blame. It wouldn’t really matter if the others knew who he was. His name didn’t hold much value. Maybe his father did and the company, but not himself. Victor….Tyler….didn’t much better. Victor threw his plate at the wall in a fit of rage, his eyes wild with the thought of his parents. No. He had killed Tyler. Tyler no longer existed. He was Victor. Victor!

Victor threw his cup at the wall next, letting out a hot breath, a slight yell escaping his lips as he realized just how much like Trinity he was acting. But the very thought of knowing who this ‘S’ was just pissed him off. Thankfully no one was in the house. No one would know. Cleaning up the mess took a bit longer than you thought, giving himself a good half hour to calm down first. By the time he got the glass in the trash can and made sure the room didn’t look like he just tried to break it, his phone vibrated and let out a ring. Pulling it out, he saw a text from Liliana. Could he pick her up? He’d be happy to. Texting her to reassure her that he would be there, Victor finished cleaning and making it seem like he had been calm the entire time. At least no one had been home when he snapped. He just needed to let that out.

Moving back outside to the parking lot, he kept his eyes and ears open. Not wanting to live in a world of fear, but wanting to be aware of the unexpected, Victor kept his ears peeled for anything the crazy male could pull. As he moved to road and began to drive towards the school, Victor allowed his mind to wander while still paying attention to the road. ‘She could be lying, you know,’ his mind informed him. ‘They could actually be lovers and she’s just trying to cover it up.’ He shrugged the thought away. It was always possible to lie, but he had to learn how to trust. His own story could have been a lie, easily, and she would have to decide if she believed him or not. Letting out a heavy sigh, he pulled into the parking lot of the school. Today just wasn’t his day. He needed to calm down, relax, and not let his roommates know that there was anything wrong. He was good at this. Hiding his true self. Lock the emotions away.

Climbing out of the truck, he sent a text to the female to let her know he was there. Walking through the parking lot, he scanned the area, trying to find the female who would probably be waiting nearby. He saw her probably before she saw him, leaning against a tree and only half paying attention to him. He didn’t even attempt to sneak up on her, didn’t really want to scare her. Or get hit trying.

“Hey,” he called as he approached, giving a slight wave. “Ready to go?” He questioned, helping her up and leading her to the car. “How was class?” he offered, providing small conversation as they drove home. He was interested, truly, but wasn’t quite sure what to say. He did ask about her class and her major, and did try to engage actively in the conversation. But, like a typical boy, he was clueless and sometimes stupid. After they got back to the house, Victor led them both inside the house. Upon entering, Victor almost slammed into Trinity who was on her way out. She didn’t say anything, but Victor apologized for the almost run in. Instead of answering, the female took off down the hall and exited the building. Looking briefly back to Liliana, he gave a shrug. Whatever her problem was, he wasn’t going to let it interfere with his own emotions. She would come around eventually.

As they went inside, Victor moved so Liliana could do whatever she needed to, and went to watch TV on the couch. He was there probably several hours, before the idea of dinner struck him and he moved to the kitchen to prepare. By now, it was sundown, and Trinity had still not been home. Of course, as a guy, Victor didn’t notice, but it was just a fact that she had not yet returned. Making pasta for the lot of them wasn’t a hard meal, and he was happy to do it. Although, Victor did get burned on the oven trying to take out the garlic bread.

[DiamondHeart]

~Scott McCalester~

There was really nothing else to say. The male was terrible with words, he never seemed to say the right thing when it counted. Although being a guy that should not have been a surprise. He knew who his sister was and that was all that mattered to him. Even if she went completely off the deep end, he would never leave her side. Never, as long as there was a breathe in his body could he ever leave her. With those thoughts in his head, Scott watched his sister leave him standing there. There was no way to change her mind, she was as stubborn as ever, just like himself. Nothing could change that for the twins.

"Nothing will ever change...You'll never change." The young male looked down at his father as he lay on the ground, broken bottles scattered over the floor. "Why did you have to make her run off?" He asked angrily. "Trin is gone and its all because you had to be such a bastard." Scott looked down at his father and shook his head. "Are you proud of yourself?" He asked sternly, knowing fully well that his father was unconscious. "You must be...I'm all alone now...just you and me left old man." The male said with a sigh and began to clean up the broken bottles. It was the only thing he could do until the man inevitably awakened to begin the cycle once more.

The father stirred from his unconscious state, and looked over at the younger male. "What are you crying about boy? You gonna be a little pussy boy?" He asked, staggering to his feet. He looked around, and his eyes rested on Trinity's opened bedroom door, some clothes were scattered on the floor, drawers hung half way out of their place. "So she left you too huh?" The elder male hit the side of his balled fist against the door frame in frustration. "You just can't do anything right...Couldn't even keep your own sister around...Your twin...shouldn't you two have some connection?" The father asked, the smell of booze stained the very air that they inhabited. "It's not my fault you stupid asshole." Scott scolded his father with resolve in his voice. He had no reason to stay here. "So it's my fault..." The elder male laughed, "I didn't really touch her...I'm not sick...she's my daughter...maybe...I don't even know if you two are mine." He laughed as he spoke to himself, "Isn't that something...your mother was a damn whore..." Scott grabbed his father's shoulder and turned him around so they were face to face, and Scott quickly moved his fist to his father's face.

Scott snapped himself back to reality. First thing he noticed was that he had made it all the way home. Their childhood home, a place that was only happy for a short time. There was no telling what time it was or how he had actually gotten there. Scott didn't remember driving there, but it was evident that he had pretty much been on auto pilot. The male looked at his hands and saw his car keys sitting in one hand, he was still sitting in his truck. Scott reached for the door handle of the truck and opened the door. As he exited the car, he couldn't help but stare up at the familiar, and yet unfamiliar home. It had been at least 2 years since he had last stepped foot near the old house. There was a new fence put around the front yard, a new paint job and a new front door. The outside may have looked different, but the inside of that house was the thing that could never be changed by a fresh coat of paint and new furniture. At least a new family could maybe make happy memories in the hues, but for Scott it was a pit.

There was nothing else to do here, so Scott turned back to his truck, and looked up at the sky, seeing the sun set below the horizon. The male turned the key in the ignition and began to drive down the road back to his new place of residence. The sky grew dark before he knew it, and soon he turned on his headlights. It didn't take long before Scott reached an old park and saw a familiar figure sitting on a bench. The male parked his car in the parking lot and exited his vehicle. The next thing he felt was very unwelcome at a time like this. Scott felt a cool raindrop hit his hand, causing him to flinch slightly, and look up to the sky. It started to rain soon after, and Scott ran over to see that it was indeed Trinity sitting on the bench, contemplating no doubt. Thinking about leaving, or staying, where to go, who to go to. "Hey..." He said, announcing his presence to his twin before approaching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

Lilliana looked at the older male and smiled brightly when he approached. “Ready to go?” He questioned and helped her to her feet. "Yeah." She beamed. The female couldn't take her eyes off of Victor as he spoke again, "How was class?" He questioned and the younger female shrugged, "Oh you know...same shit...different day." She said shaking her head, debating on if she should tell him about exactly what happened. With a nod, the female decided there should be nothing to be worried about. He had laid everything out for her, she shouldn't hide anything from him, no matter how silly. The female slid into the vehicle and looked at the male with a smile, "There was a girl kind of hassling Scott and Trinity, so I stepped in." She sat up straight, and shook her hands just a little, "Nothing physical...ok I pushed her but I didn't hit her." She smiled sheepishly, "She was thinking Trinity was Scott's girlfriend, then when they told her otherwise, she kept going after Scott, so I stepped in and said 'Actually I'm the girl friend, with a break and everything..." She looked at Victor, "Not that it would really matter I guess." She sat back with her back relaxing against the back of the chair "I mean...There's nothing going on here...Probably not for you at least." She sighed and looked out the window.

The vehicle parking in the parking lot and the two room mates went into the house. Trinity unfortunately had decided to somewhat storm out when the two entered. She watched Trinity, and took a step to follow, but stopped, understanding the girl needed some alone time. As Victor moved out of her way Lilliana entered the house and went to her room to change into some different clothes for the night. After changing into a pair of shorts and t-shirt, the female went back downstairs and joined her male roommate on the couch. After a little time of silence between the two, Lilliana grabbed the remote and turned off the tv, "I...I'm an orphan." She admitted to him. "I was bounced around from foster home to foster home from 3 to 17 when the family I was living with didn't ask questions when I was living somewhere else...As long as they got their money from the state, I guess they didn't care." She sat sideways on the couch facing the male, her feet pulled up on the couch. "The girl who was my best friend...like a sister to me." She shook her head, "She betrayed me...She used me, and let me down." Lilliana's voice waved with every word. "I never thought anyone could make me feel so alone." A sigh escaped her lips and she looked at Victor, "There's so much more...I'm broken in ways you can't imagine...Ways that I hide...and I've become good at it...That's why I'm a con artist by trade." She took a deep breathe and looked deep into his eyes, "But I feel like I can trust you." She informed the male. The two sat in silence for a moment, then Lilliana stood up, "Well I'm hungry...How about dinner?" She asked with a smile, and quickly made her way to the kitchen.

Lilliana looked back at Victor who was pulling garlic bread out of the oven as she stirred the noodles in the pot. When she saw him burn himself, she pulled the noodle spoon out and walked over to him quickly, grabbing a couple paper towels, and getting cold water on them. "Wow you'r cute when you cook." She said, teasing him a little bit. The female grabbed his arm gently and placed the wet paper towel over the burn. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes at the time, but she blushed all the same. Even after telling him the little that she did about herself, she felt closer to him. She sighed softly, "Look I don't know what...this may be...but I like you...When you talk to me, or even just look at me I feel butterflies in my stomach...something I've never felt before." Lilliana looked up at Victor, "Wow ok sorry....Forget I said anything...That was...so stupid." She let go of his arm and walked over to the stove, turning off the heat under the noodles.

Time around her seemed to stand still. The young woman felt like the next few seconds were hours. 'How stupid can you be?' She thought to herself, beating herself up for actually saying what she felt out loud, it was so unlike her. 'Seriously, what were you thinking? How could you tell him all that stuff about yourself, then think he could still possibly feel the same way about you. If he felt anything for you in the first place.' Lilli fought back more tears. She hand't felt like crying this much in years. She felt as though she would crumble right there on the kitchen floor. She reached up to the cupboard to grab the strainer, and pulled it down, placing it in the sink. She stopped for a moment, and stared down at the empty sink, not knowing what to do with herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~