Fall back

"What are you doing?" her tone was laden with exasperation. He didn't have to turn around to know she was rolling her eyes at him.

Jai put away his pen and pushed his textbooks and notebook close and cleared his desk in time for his sister to put down a steaming cup of cocoa.

Beautiful aroma wafted from it and snaked inside his nostrils making his body sag in relief and appreciation.

"It smells like heaven."Jai stretched back in his chair.

"And your room could knock a skunk out with its 'aroma'." She shashayed away to the window, her mug of cocoa in hand, and leaned across his unmade bed and pushed them open, allowing the chilled November dusk and shouts of brats on streets to pour in.

Jai yawned wide. The gloom outside made him realize how long he had been working.

"Thanks," he said.

"Sure."

Lara turned around and sat on the bed to face him. She had pulled up & folded one leg under her while the other dangled off the edge freely.

"Are you done?" she asked after a moment of companiable silence, during which Jai had slipped into his own head.

"What?" he blinked at her.

Kara narrowed her eyes. Her brother had a habit of geting lost with his thoughts if you leave him with them even for a short while. She knew he couldn't help it. Their father berated him constantly, and if for no one else but to gain his approval, Jai would have amended his quirky nature. But that's all about a time when he cared.

They no longer talk.

That, of course, didn't mean she got ticked off everytime he did it.

"I said," she started slowly, enunciatng each word careful in a soft tone warning him of terrible reprecussions were she made to repeat herself. "Are. you. Done."

Jai grinned at her. He couldn't help himself, even though he knew it would just tick her off and that her threats are never idle and always gruesome- though they are executed upon after several warnings: perks of sharing a last name.

Lara eyes slitted further and self-preservation instinct kicked out a reply through Jai's grinning maw before it was punched to a bloody mess.

"Yup." he said.

"Really?" Lara's brow jumped. "You solved it?"

"Yup."

"If you're messing with me, I swear..." she began winding up to pitch another threat but Jai cut her off.

"See for yourself." he gestured at the notebooks piled high on his desk with one one hand and picked up his cocoa with another.

Lara said nothing. She sat ram rod straight in the bed, sharp eyes assesing Jai critically for any sign of insincerity. Her knucles had turned white around the forgotten mug of beverage clutched in her hands.

"Show me." she spoke finally. her voice was barely over a whisper.

A hush had fallen around them. The dusk had deepened to night; the street lights had came on; kids were gone and the wind was silent. It had been a crisp clear morning but the night was promising to be blind with fog.

Jai took a sip from his cup. "It's right here," he said again. "All yours to see."

"Not that, you damn nerd." Lara snapped. Jai raised a brow at her, calmly siping his cocoa. It wasn't like her to let her composure slip. She was the perfect girsl, Daddy's little angel, the head of cheerleading squad, straight-A student destined to be the prom queen.

It was his job to be the family disappointment and ocassionaly-foul-mouthed object of ridicule and pity.

"If I could understand that jargon I wouldn't have need you in the first place," she spoke stiffly. "Show me if the mask and the cups work."

"Are you sure?" Jai asked slowly, like an adult asking their child if they were sure to wear a gorilla costume and run amok in a mall.

"Yes, I'm bloddy sure!" Lara's nostrils flared.

Jai raised hands in a placating gesture, which given he was holding onto his cup in one hand, seemed like giving an awkward toast.

He set his