What Am I Doing In Here Again? (Closed)

[Risk]

"But I'm not sleepy, Macbeth!" whined Risk, following her inside the girls' bunkroom.

[Macbeth]

Macbeth whirled on him, astonished that he'd followed her in. When she answered, her voice was actually kind of terrifying. She wasn't shouting or glaring, but there was this sharp edge of irritation that suggested she might finally punch him for real if he wasn't careful. "And you want me to entertain you how, exactly?"

[Risk]

Risk stopped in his tracks, frowning. "Geez, Macbeth, I can't just spend time with you?"

[Macbeth]

"Not when you're like this." The truth was, the other guy's comment had scared the living daylights out of her, and she was wary about anything Risk might have to say right now. She gave him a dark look, then sighed, jerked her head at the window, marched across the room, and climbed out, heading for the roof. There were girls in the bunkroom trying to sleep, after all.

[Risk]

Risk thought he was going to make her go back downstairs by himself but beamed once he noticed that she was leading him towards the roof. He followed her quietly, trying his best to not disturb any or get noticed. Once they were upstairs, he ran towards the ledge, promptly sitting down like he always did on the rooftop.

[Macbeth]

"Don't fall off," she muttered, sitting down with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, and a good few feet between her and Risk. She was tense and exhausted and didn't even know what she was doing up here.

[Risk]

"I won't," he smiled reassuringly as he looked over at her. "I never do. Hey, Macbeth, I have a question."

[Macbeth]

If she was tense before, every muscle in her body was taut now. "Yeah?"

[Risk]

"Do you really think I'm that bad of a person to not have my sister believe in me?"

[Macbeth]

Well, that wasn't what she'd expected to hear. Her shoulders actually relaxed. "I don't know you that well," she said distantly, looking out over the city. After a moment, though, even she thought it would be kind of cruel to leave it at that. "You hurt her and you ain't made up for it yet. That's for her to decide, not you. But I know you're trying," she finished grudgingly. And gave him a menacing look, as if she was just daring him to be grateful that she'd said something almost nice.

[Risk]

"There's just so many things in the way," sighed Risk dejectedly. "Mush always pops up before I know it... and you're always giving me grief, er, but in a good way. At least you talk to me. Wait, how's Jo?"

[Macbeth]

She scowled at the building across the street. "Jo's fine. Jo has a goddamn half-brother and -sister. I'm s'posta go to Brooklyn so she can bond with 'em." Kind of a blunt way to make the announcement, but she was a blunt person.

[Risk]

"There's more of them?" gasped Risk, amazed at how fast Jo's family was growing. "And they're Brookies?"

[Macbeth]

"Yeah, apparently Tristan fucks anything that moves," Beth growled. "Me and Jo met up with him in the park...him and this little kid, Mikey, younger'n her. There's a baby, too--Lucy, just three months old. Guess Tristan married her mother, so I hope to God that'll stop him from producing twenty more bloody kids." She shook her head and glanced at Risk. "She oughta meet 'em, though. Right?"

She didn't want to go to Brooklyn. She didn't want to have anything to do with Tristan or his wife as long as she lived. But those kids...well, they were Jo's brother and sister. As much grief as Ada had brought her, Beth couldn't imagine a childhood without her sister.

[Risk]

"Yeah, of course," nodded Risk. "As much as it hurts right now, Jo'll be thankful in the long run. It's really up to her what she does with that though."