“You don’t really think your parents believe those bruises are from fencing, do you?” Giana faltered. She and Tori were changing out of their fencing gear and back into regular clothes. Vega was dozing off to the side, tied down to a bench. Practice had run late again today, the perfect excuse to avoid Xander.
The girl bit her lip. “If they don’t, they haven’t said anything.” She paused. “The ones on my arms are starting to fade, at least.”
“Hmm.” Tori put on her backpack, slinging her fencing bag over her left shoulder. She decided to change the topic: “I’m thinking of getting highlights.”
Giana smirked, letting out a laugh. “And you really think your parents will let you?”
“Hey, it’s my money.” They left the girls’ locker room and headed to the school gate. “Which reminds me: You’re watching the DeLaurentis kids tomorrow, right?”
She arched an eyebrow, adjusting her hold on Vega’s leash and harness handle. “Why?”
“I need money for highlights.”
They crossed the street and headed down a long flight of stairs into the T station. Pressing their student transit passes against the reader, they moved through the gate and squeezed through the rush hour crowds with their bags toward the platform.
“If you want to watch them, be my guest,” Giana offered. “I’m supposed to do it with Jack.”
Tori almost dropped her fencing bag. “Jack?” She shook her head. “Why the hell are you babysitting with Jack?”
She shrugged. “Something to do with fixing his and Xander’s car. That’s why they’ve been taking the T to and from school.”
It was then that Tori spotted the twins heading down the steps toward their platform. “Speaking of which…”
A Red Line train screeched to a halt in front of them. Attempting to fight the crowds, they got to the doors just as they closed again. The train took off. Vega stopped at the tactile marker abruptly, causing Giana to almost trip. “Damn it!”
The next train wouldn’t be for another ten minutes. Even though it was peak travel time, there were delays. Typical.
“Come on.” Tori grabbed her elbow and pulled her to the other end of the platform, away from the boys. She still had Jack and Xander in her line of sight. Locking eyes with Jack across the crowded platform, he nodded—and launched into distraction mode, feigning a fall down the last step of the staircase.
“Thank god,” Tori mumbled. They’d reached the far end of the platform and would now be getting into the last car of the next train. This meant a longer walk to get aboveground once they arrived at their destination.
Eight minutes. Another announcement came over the system to remind riders of the delay, only now more context had been provided—there was a mechanical issue, causing a train to be taken out of service.
Tori let go of her friend. “I think we’re good.”
Giana moved closer to Vega on her left and hid behind a pillar. She faced the platform. “I can’t keep doing this.”
Tori stood next to her, fully visible, facing the opposite direction. Her eyes were still trained on the boys, now snaking their way through the throngs of people. “I know.”
The girl slid to the floor, her back against the pillar, defeated. She clutched her backpack and fencing gear, wrapping an arm around Vega. “I’m tired.”
Tori locked eyes with Jack again. He mouthed “I’m sorry”. She noticed Xander was saying something, to which he responded and shook his head. She let out a sigh. “I know.”
“How can you fall down the last step?” Xander snapped.
Jack shrugged. “My foot must’ve missed it.”
“I don’t know how the DeLaurentises expect you to babysit their kids tomorrow.”
“I don’t see you doing anything to fix the car,” he countered.
Xander scoffed.
“Besides,” he continued, “I covered for you on countless occasions watching Andrew and Micah. You lied to Mom so you could go out with Giana.” He casually leaned against a pillar. “I know how to take care of kids.”
“I miss her.” Xander looked at the floor, balling his hands into fists. “I can’t believe she’s avoiding me.”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “I can. You treated her like crap.”
“Why do you get like that?”
“Like what?”
Xander ran a hand through his blonde hair. “It’s like I offend you every time I mention our relationship.”
His brother faltered.
Xander’s expression went blank. “You like her.”
Five minutes. Another announcement reminded riders of the delays.
Jack rolled his shoulders, and Xander started toward the end of the platform. “Come on. There’ll be less people in the last car.”
No, no, no, no. Jack tried to wedge himself in front of his twin and steer him in the opposite direction. “Maybe we should—”
The boy pushed past him, spotting a flash of dark hair and a bright pink bag near the end of the platform. “Tori!”
Tori pulled Giana to her feet and they dashed forward as soon as the subway screeched to a halt, sliding through the open doors. Avoiding shouts and dirty looks from the adults surrounding them, they pressed themselves into a corner next to a woman with a baby stroller.. A businessman stood immediately and offered Giana his seat. Normally she wouldn’t have accepted, as they weren’t going far, but she was grateful for the gesture. Settling Vega at her feat, she swung her backpack around to hold it in her lap. The fencing bag remained over her shoulder, laying to the side. Tori slid into the empty seat on her other side.
Xander sauntered through the open doors, pushing past some travelers who were trying to exit. Jack followed quickly behind, apologetic while Xander beelined it for the duo. “Can I stand with my girlfriend?” he asked the woman.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” Giana quipped. “I broke up with him.”
The woman shrugged. She moved across the car to an empty seat, situating the stroller in front of her.
Xander took her spot, ignoring a glare from Tori. He eyed Giana. “Why are you avoiding me?”
“Not now,” she warned.
Tori fiddled with the strap of her fencing bag. “How are you, Jack?”
Jack’s gaze flickered between the two girls, locking eyes with Giana before she quickly looked away. “I’m fine. You?”
She bit her lip. “I’ve been better.”
Xander leaned in closer to Giana. “Well?”
She cast a glance at Tori. “We’ve been busy with fencing. And homework. You know how it is.”
“You’re not answering my calls.”
She stared straight ahead, her mouth closed, biting her tongue. Fishing her phone from the outside pocket of her backpack, she pretended to check missed notifications.
The train slowed down at their destination. The girls stood, Giana directing Vega to follow the crowd through the subway doors and out onto the platform. Xander slowed his pace to be in stride with them. “Leave me alone,” she demanded.
“You can’t ignore me forever.”
“I can try.”
She dropped Vega’s harness handle and just held her leash, running ahead past Jack and Tori, cutting it close as the red Don’t Walk signal flashed at the opposite side of the intersection. As soon as she cleared the street, the trio were stuck with oncoming traffic, having to wait for another cycle.
“Did you forget she ran cross-country last semester?” Jack laughed. “Good luck catching up to her; she’s probably at her house by now.”
Xander made an agitated noise as he waited painstakingly for the light to change again. He gave Tori a sidelong glance. “Why are you still here? Your house is in the opposite direction.”
“Yeah, Xander. We’re neighbors,” she said dryly. “Giana and I still have to finish our history project.”
“Oh, we have to work on that too,” his brother reminded him. “Let’s go home. Now.”
“Fine.” He stalked off in the opposite direction. “Meet you there.”
Tori looked up from her phone, responding to a text from Giana. “Do you believe him?”
Jack shook his head.
“Neither do I.”
Giana hid around the corner of a building, trying to calm her breathing. She sat, knees drawn to her chest, back pressed against the brick façade as close as it would go. She rolled up the sleeve of her jacket and was pleased to see she’d been right: The bruises on her arm were, in fact, starting to fade.
Vega nudged her arm and she felt her guide dog’s body wiggle as she wagged her tail. She didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching them. “Giana?”
Startled, she stood in a flurry and took off running again.
Jack stayed still, holding his arms out by his sides. “It’s me.”
She turned around, shoulders slumping, her backpack hanging loosely on one shoulder while she clutched her fencing bag in her right hand, Vega’s leash and harness in her left.
“Tori went to find Xander,” he explained. “He said he was going home, but… you know how he is.”
She did.
“Come on.” He motioned for her to follow. “I’ll walk home with you.”
She fell into step with him as they approached the corner and crossed. Traffic here was lighter, and there were more pedestrians around.
“You okay?”
She didn’t know how to answer.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he offered. “I know Xander’s an ass. I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” She moved closer beside him as they approached her street.
He decided to change topic: “What time do we have to be at the DeLaurentis’s tomorrow?”
“Seven.” She felt herself relax the slightest bit. “They just want us to put them to bed and that they should be back around midnight.” She paused. “I think they’re leaving us money for food.”
“Should be fun.”
They’d reached her parents’ driveway. Jack peered around the corner into their backyard, behind the trash and recycle bins, and through the window into the garage. “I think the coast is clear.”
Giana started laughing.
He smirked. “What?”
She took the steps leading up to the front door. The sun was setting, a cool breeze rustling the tree leaves and moving her long hair. “Thanks, Jack.”
He waited at the bottom. “Of course.”
The door flung open. It was Sonya, the De Luca’s housekeeper. “Giana—” She noticed Jack. “Oh… Xander?”
Giana’s entire body turned white as paper. The boy frowned. “It’s Jack, ma’am.”
Sonya clasped her hands together. “I am so sorry—you look so much alike…” She addressed Giana: “Your parents are held up at work, and Nico went to Charlotte’s to study for an exam. He said he’d have dinner there.” She eyed Jack, lowering her voice. “Tori just came in through the kitchen a few minutes ago, saying something about how you were being harassed? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she responded tightly. “Thanks.”
Sonya’s gaze shifted between the two as Jack fidgeted with a zipper on his backpack. “Dinner’s almost ready.” She closed the door.
The boy headed for the sidewalk. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to finish that history project.”
“Xander’s not helping you?”
“Have you ever known him to participate in group work?”
He had a point.
“Thanks again,” she said, taking a step toward him.
His green eyes sparkled in the setting sun. “Anything for you.” He turned to go.
She stayed rooted to her spot on the stairs. Vega sat next to her, looking up at her owner. “You can come in if you want,” she offered. “I mean, if Xander’s not helping you, I’m sure Tori would be fine with you joining our group.”
He faced her again, flashing a smile that she couldn’t really see. “I’d really like that.”