Chapter Text
I walked out of the room, tugging my sleeves down. I joined Judd, Lia, Dean, Micheal, and Sloane in the living room of the house we all shared with an ex marine sniper and 2 special FBI agents. I had no idea what they were talking about while she was spiralling in Sloane, and my room, all I could think about was the fresh cuts stinging lightly in wake of the fabric brushing against them.
Sloane took one look at me in long my sleeves and said “it’s currently 26.4 degrees celsius outside. Why are you wearing long sleeves?” Sloane squinted, as though she could figure me out, just by looking at me, even though that was really more Lia and Micheal’s thing.
“I-it was the only clean thing” I stuttered.
“Lie” Lia called out. Damn you Lia.
“Flustered along this a heaping side of guilt and shame and trying especially hard to hide the fear.” Micheal murmured from his position on the couch arm. “What are you hiding Colorado?”. I glared at Lia and Micheal and stormed back my room so I couldn’t be caught in another lie. Lia followed. She found me curled up in my room pretending to read a book.
“Are you ok?” I went slightly rigid at those words.
“Yes” I said. “So you’re not having an existential crisis about what you’re hiding under those sleeves of yours? Cos If you are I’ve been there and know exactly what you’re hiding” she said. I knew Lia had found out.
“Theoretically speaking if you did in fact guess correctly, can we just ignore it out this conversation” I said. She sighed. she stroked my arm gently and I leaned into her shoulder. “I know haven’t been handling your mother’s death well Cass”.
“ I know” I murmur. “You know you can tell me anything right?”. The front door opens and slams. Thankful for the distraction, I walk out the room with Lia trailing close behind.
“We got a new case” Sterling announced. Celine waltzed in at that exact moment. I wasn’t entirely sure why she was living at Quantico as she technically wasn’t officially a Natural yet. I wasn’t sure but I thought Sloane had something to do to with it. Since they had their first kiss a few days ago, they’ve been inseparable. And Sloane didn’t do inseparable, so Celine was something different. Sloane had told me barely a day after it happened. Sometimes I find them curled up in the lounge room snuggling and watching Netflix. It’s always really easy to tell Sloane tries hard to get Celine to like her.
“Victim is mara Quin.” My head whipped up “Mara?” I thought. I froze. It was a name I hadn't heard in years, a name I thought I’d buried.
“It’s just a pack of gum”. The flashback came before I could stop it. Before I knew It I was 12 again, staring nervously at the cornerstore shelves. “You know what I keep saying. ‘If you live far from the edge you’re taking up too much room.’” Maras eyes were shining with a familiar intensity. Despite her reassuring demeanour I hesitated “I don’t know M. Wha if we get caught?” I was unsure “puh-lease I’ve stolen before.” Before I could protest she walk down the aisle and subtly slipped the pack of gum up her sleeve and slowly walk back to me. “See? It’s not that hard”. “If you say so M.” She hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s go home. I could kill for some chips”. “Legal ones?” I asked. She grinned. “We’ll see”.