Twin fates

Story closed for Eklectikchic and myself. Read on and enjoy.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Nicolas was running with Gabrielle’s tiny hand in his own, trying not to stumble in the dark on the uneven ground which separated the town from the nearby woods. Their heavy breathing, rustling of their garments and the rhythmical pounding of their feet on the ground were the only sounds that a casual passer-by might hear. But the running pair could hear more than that: the pounding of their hearts, the dogs barking somewhere in the distance, men calling each other. They were behaving like fugitives – and quite rightly so, since they were escaping from Gabrielle’s father’s wrath. Surely he must have been furious to know that his daughter had finally decided to run away from home with that good-for-nothing, nearsighted student who was barely able to make a living by himself.

The night was not favourable for the escaping pair and the full moon seemed pointing at them with its silvery beams as if shouting “Here they are, Master Roseborough!” Anyone who distanced themselves from the lights of the town would have been able to see them run over the flat land towards the dark wall of the trees farther away. The circumstances were against them and Nicolas was aware of that. Twice he had tried to persuade Gabrielle that this was wrong but she had just glared at him and bullied him into escaping with her. He wouldn’t have been able to gather up the courage if it hadn’t been for her. It seemed that it was always her who was making decisions for the both of them and this time too she had to persuade him. He was afraid what might happen should they be caught but once again she pried all silly thoughts away from his head. It was also Gabrielle who convinced him that they should do it and it scared him more than the possibility of being drawn and quartered. But for the girl he loved he was able to do anything she asked, or rather forced him to do. But Nicolas didn’t really mind. After all, meeting her was enough luck for all of his life, even if it had to end prematurely. So now he was running, falling behind a little despite the fact that Gabrielle was wearing a dress.

What am I doing here? he wondered. He was just a poor student of anatomy while she was a daughter of a rich and prosperous merchant. From the very beginning everything and everyone were against their relationship so they had to meet in secrecy, stealing what few precious moments they could to share with each other. Until finally Gabrielle informed him that her father decided to marry her to the heir of the Rotsfeld fortune thus consolidating the long-term friendship of the two families. Nicolas had been heart-broken but poor as he was there was no way he could do anything. She decided for the both of them. He was to take that from the laboratory and meet her outside the town gates at midnight.

So now they were running, running away from their past to meet their not-so-distant future in those woods in front of them. Nicolas fingered his pocket for the small vial with his free hand and in the process lost his pace almost ploughing into the ground with his face.

“Gabrielle, wait, not so fast,” he panted. He was tired, his heart pounding so very hard and blood humming in his head, making it pulse unpleasantly. He was on the verge of giving up.

“Shut up and run, we’re almost there!” she scolded him with harsh voice and pulled his hand, urging him to continue their escape. But she was tired as well and wanted to be able to hide and rest in their secret clearing. Everything will be resolved there.

Gabrielle tugged frantically on Nicolas's hand, urging him to move on. "Lets GO!" She practically shouted, only she was out of breath, making her words come out strained and odd.

Nicolas stood and let her tug him along and together they began to run again, the voices trailing behind, echoing in the night.

"Almost there, almost there." She kept chanting between bursts of choppy breaths. Skirts flying around her legs, threatening to trip her, Gabrielle flew as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Nicolas was straining, but she wouldn't let up or let him go. Curse her father and his selfish and unkind heart. She wanted to marry for LOVE, not for money. She wanted Nicolas, who was soft spoken and gentle. Who used his brains and not brawn. Whose shy smiles made her heart melt like lump of butter on a hot day and made her senses tingle by just one gentle touch. He was hers and she was his, for always.

Cutting around trees, shrubs and vines, the two finally came crashing into their clearing. Leaves and twigs russled and crunched as they collasped together, drawing out ragged breaths. "The vial, the vial..." she wheezed out, her legs burning and lungs aching to draw a decent breath.

Nicolas fumbled and finally caught the little glass vial between his fingers and drew it out of his pocket. His eyes caught hers as he clutched it tightly in his hand. "Are you sure?" He whispered, feeling the cold trickle of sweat run down the length of his spine.

She nodded without hesitation. "Yes!" Her beautiful gray eyes met his own and held them, tears shimmering in their depths. "I love you, Nicolas. No one else! I will not live to be someone elses wife when you are the one I want to be with."

Kneeling before him, she clasped his hand, feeling the vial press against her soft, tiny hand. She clutch at him with her fingers, her pretty face shiny with sweat, but otherwise flawless. "If he takes me away from you tonight, I'll still do it. I wanted tonight to be perfect...to seal our love together. Please Nicolas...trust me."

Her one free hand rose and gently caressed the planes of his face, sliding up into his dampened hair. A soft smile played on her lips as she tugged him down and brushed a kiss against one cheek, then the other and braught the vial between their bodies. Her eyes were intense and filled with determination and love when she stared back at him. "Don't let me go Nicolas...we'll do this together."

“I won’t, Gabrielle, I promised… we promised,” Nicolas whispered in answer, straining his bad eyes to see better in the dim moonlight filtered through the thin canopy of leaves overhead. He wanted to burn the image of her face into his eyes so that when they close forever he might still see her and take that picture with him to the afterlife. In his right hand he was holding the flask that contained their release, it felt hard and cold to the touch, a dose of quick, painless death. And around his hand he felt Gabrielle’s warm fingers, reassuring and loving. What little hesitation there had been in his heart before they entered the woods evaporated once the first step of their escape was complete. They had but one more step to take and everything will have been solved.

Nicolas fumbled uncomfortably and put his left hand to Gabrielle’s neck, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. He looked deep into her eyes and saw the great determination and love she radiated; seeing and understanding this made tears appear in his own eyes as he leaned in and kissed her lips. It was a light, shy kiss by which he tried to convey all his feelings for her. It was a kiss that was supposed to take place of all the kisses they were supposed to share but weren’t given the chance to. Feeling her return his kiss with as much strength Nicolas thought that it was stupid to abandon this life but on the other hand he was aware there was no way for the two of them to be together. This was life and not some silly romance novel, their relationship would not survive the test of harsh reality. This was their only choice, the choice they were both holding in their right hands.

“I love you, Gabrielle. And I thank you for your love,” he whispered mournfully and flicked the cork from the vial with his thumb. He raised the flask to his lips, closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and sipped some of the sweet, thick fluid. He rolled it on his tongue for a moment and swallowed. When he opened his eyes Gabrielle was already done too and she let the vial fall to the ground and roll in the grass.

She embraced him and kissed him for the last time, he could taste the poison on her lips but said nothing. He just hugged her and let the kiss continue until he was too weak to kneel anymore and fell down. His body was becoming number and number and he had to fight hard to keep his eyes open. Mere inches from his face Gabrielle was trying to say something but no voice could be heard, a single teardrop fell from her eye. He understood though, their promise…

“Together… forever…”

Gabrielle lay limply against Nicolas, feeling strange lethargic. She struggled to stay focus, to speak to him and convey her love some more. she needed to reassure him, but the look in his eyes just before he drifted off told her he understood. Tears slipped from her eyes as the darkness began to close around her. It was soft and peaceful as her cheek dropped against his chest and rested there. Dogs and men shouted in the background. They had done it, Gabrielle thought and smiled to herself, surrendering to death to join her beloved with no fear, only love and happiness.

A moment too late, the men burst through and surounded the couple. Pressed close to each other, there was no mistaken that this was no false sleep. Gabrielle's father cursed and raged as he pulled his lifeless daughter into his arms. The small vial fell into the leaves and rolled near Nicolas's fingertips, a soft glint catching everyone's eyes. The source...the proof...the two were now eternally bound.

Gabriel

Gabriel is 18 years old. He is quite tall, slim and lank and there is something wolfish about his looks and behaviour. He has long, black hair usually gathered in a ponytail reaching the middle of his back, and grey eyes. He doesn’t talk much and prefers to keep to himself rather than indulge in idle chit-chat. His strange, lone-wolf behaviour makes other react violently toward him which causes him a lot of trouble with local bullies.
He doesn’t much care for anyone save for his twin sister whom he is very protective of.
- - - - - -

Some 300 years later

Gabriel sighed when three boys blocked his exit from the gym where he had been taking an afternoon nap. The afternoon classes were boring so he had decided to skip them today and hid in equipment shed to catch forty winks before going home. The warm spring weather was making him lazy so conversely he had to rest more. There’s no rest for the wicked, as they say however, so the moment he left his hideout he was spotted by the three guys who were making his life miserable. He sighed and shook his head.

“Get lost, I’m not in the mood for another fight,” he muttered and tried to force his way between them but a strong shove pushed him back.

“We don’t care. We figured we’re going to kick your ass good this time,” one of the boys said with a nasty smile and cracked his knuckles in a pathetic macho gesture.

“Bugger off, Moe. I told you I’m not in the mood,” Gabriel grumbled but made no attempt at leaving now. He was aware that a showdown was coming.

“Moe? What the hell are you talking about. You know damn well my name is James, you prick!”

“Ever hear of the three stooges? This is Curly,” he pointed at the shortest of the three boys. “this is Larry” he pointed at the one who’s name was indeed Larry. “So that leaves Moe for you.”

“I’ll wipe that smirk of your face…” James wasn’t given the opportunity to finish his threat because Gabriel, apparently tired of empty threats, decided to take the initiative and jumped forward and swung his bag at Curly hitting him in the face. At the same time strong hands grabbed his shirt, tearing the breast pocket off and pulling him outside. With more space around him, he was free to plan ahead. It wasn’t so easy, even with only two opponents against him and Gabriel earned a few hits before a window presented itself. He wasn’t about to pull any punches though. Hitting Larry in the solar plexus made him slump to the ground and Moe didn’t seem so sure of himself anymore with two of his buddies out of the game.

“I’ll get you for that, you shit!” James threatened. “Don’t show at school tomorrow or I’ll rip your balls off, y’hear me?”

“I won’t. Tomorrow’s Saturday, you dumbass,” Gabriel answered and wiped the blood running from his nose on the sleeve of his shirt which had been white this morning. Seeing that his last opponent lost the will to fight he picked his bag and made his way to the school gate where he was supposed to wait for his sister.

They were always going home together, no matter the time, weather or circumstances. It was their everyday ritual they had started way back in the kindergarten. Whichever of them was ready to go home first, always waited for the other to show up before leaving. It wasn’t even because their parents had told them to always stick together, they were doing this of their own accord not minding the weird looks from their classmates.

Gabriel sat in the shadow of the outer wall and tried to stop the bleeding from his nose. He felt tired and sore all over even though he received only a few hits. His lip hurt where it was swelling. Holding the sleeve to his nose he produced a book from his bag and tried reading to make the time pass faster.

Nicola

Nicola is Grabriel's twin sister. Although she's shorter than Gabe, reaching a height of 5'5", she is slim, with soft feminine curves, but nothing that would be eye catching hidden by her baggy clothes. She has a pretty face, with pretty gray eyes and stylish slim browns, with short black hair that is always neatly tucked behind her ears. Unlike Gabriel, Nicola likes to stay out of trouble. She's a bookworm at heart and most probably would associate as a 'geek'. Gabriel's reputation sometimes leads to unwanted attention, but the bond she shares with her brother is one she would die for.

* * *
Nicola stuffed the last of her books into her oversized backpack that always seemed three sizes too big for her small frame and then waved goodbye to a few of people that took the time to socialize with her. "See you Monday!"

It had been a long Friday and she was eternally glad that soon both Gabe and herself would be graduating and moving on to bigger and better things...hopefully better people. Sighing to herself, she swung her loads of homework onto her back and let out of a soft 'oof!' when it landed with a hard plop. It was time to go home.

Walking briskly through the exits, she wound her way around the building, away from her art class and smiled when she spotted her brother. His head was bent down into a book, but she could recognize him a mile away. The way he held himself screamed Gabriel wether he realized it or not. Picking up the pace, she struggled to keep her pack in place until she reached her other half and dumped it to the ground. Gabriel looked up, holding his shirt sleeve to his nose and saw the instant look of concern that crossed Nicola's face.

"Not again!" She groaned, tucking stray hairs behind her ears and then gently cupping his cheek before fumbling for a hanky. "When are those dumbasses going to get over this obsession they have trying to beat you up!"

She saw him grin and frowned, "It's not funny! You're always getting hurt!"

Taking the hanky from her hands, Gabriel wiped at his nose and sniffed. "I'm sorry. You just look cute when you're mad."

Nicola rolled her eyes and tried to fend him away from her backpack, but Gabriel wouldn't have it. Picking up her load and his own, he continued to wipe at his nose as they began their steady, but short walk home.

"I can't wait to get out of this place. Get away from here." She muttered to herself and shoved her slender hands into the deep pockets of her baggy jeans. "I hope people in college aren't all assholes."

Gabriel chuckled, making her smile. She had always loved making him laugh. "I vote for pizza tonight. I'm starving and I know mom has some sort of meeting tonight...another club that is saving the world, I'm sure." She added with a dry note and roll of her shoulders.

Gabriel

“Uh-huh,” Gabriel mumbled. “Pizza is fine,” he added, counting his money inside his head and shifting his shoulders to accommodate his own bag and Nicola’s huge, heavy backpack. It was uncomfortable and he wondered how vexing it must have been for her to carry this load every day from class to class with her slim frame. At least before and after school he was able to take this burden off her shoulders and make it easier for her. It was unimaginable for him to let Nicola carry something so heavy around every day.

He sniffed one last time and removed the hankie from his face, the bleeding stopped but now dried blood was stuffing his nostrils making breathing hard. “It’s a goddamn miracle they haven’t broken my nose by now,” Gabriel muttered to himself and out of the corner of his eye noticed his sister looking at him with concern. He put the handkerchief in his pocket, making a mental note to wash it before returning it to her.

“You should simply try to avoid them,” Nicola said softly. “Some day they might hurt you or you might hurt somebody.”

“I can’t just run away from them!” Gabriel protested.

“Can’t you just ignore them?”

“That won’t make them disappear, you know. It’s better they pick on me than steal some kid’s pocket money. I can defend myself.”

“But you’re always getting hurt!”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know… but I can’t stop worrying about you just like that. If something happened to you…”

“Don’t finish that, Nicola. We promised, remember? I keep that in mind always so trust me.”

“I trust you, Gabriel,” she said and smiled at him gently. He liked her smile, it was like a small piece of private sunshine lighting her features. Her smile made him think there was not a single care in the world and if smiles could remedy all that was bad on this Earth, Nicola would have been a saviour.

He smiled back at her although his face hurt and nodded. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Gabriel had no idea what was so special about him that always provoked others to attack or insult him. There was nothing mild or weak about his pose or features which would attract abuse and he surely wasn’t cute. But for some reason trouble was always finding him and he wasn’t one to turn tail and run, he was always meeting adversity head on. Sure, he was usually leaving the scene bruised and battered but most of the time he was the only one left standing in such situations. It was only the three stooges who couldn’t take the hint. Oh well…

Nicola

The silence that followed the rest of their walk wasn't uncommon...only to Nicola it really wasn't silence. She had never been able to describe it other than a sixth sense...it was comfortable and familiar to both of them. The lingering feelings of emotions and feelings that past between them.

"Home sweet home." She finally said, breaking the silent spell and even though she was smiling, Gabriel could tell that the fact their parents weren't home irritated her. She could almost hear her thoughts. What sort of parents left their kids alone all the time just because they could take care of each other? Why didn't they take the time to spread a little interests for other than themselves?

"I'll order dinner while you clean up." She told him, opening up the front door to let him in first. Their packs fell unceremoniously to the floor, making her wince. "Hey hey! I have art work in there!" She chided.

"Ah...sorry. Anything interesting?"

She laughed softly, "No naked women with big boobs, but I think it's interesting. Actually..." She said, her teeth snagging her soft bottom lip as she gave him her big innocent sweet-as-can-be-look, "I was wooondering if you could model for me. Just from the waist up. You can even keep your shirt on, I don't care. I just need mostly a face to sketch, but I might do more. I dunno."

She waited a beat, watching his face intently and knowing he hated this type of thing. "So...please? I'll do you a favor in return. Pleeeease Gabriel..." She pleaded sweetly, smiling at him.

Gabriel

Gabriel hated being stared at because it always made him feel like a freak or a bearded woman. It didn’t matter if it were only kids looking at him in passing, a girl checking him out or a policeman eyeing him for possible trouble. He felt uncomfortable when looked at for more than just a few seconds and the perspective of being forced to sit without moving for an extended period of time and posing for Nicola who would moreover be drawing him almost made his skin crawl. His usual reaction was to either turn his back upon the observer or plain leave the area but this wouldn’t be possible if he were to model for his sister. He slapped his forehead and shook his head. At the moment he wished he were fighting the three stooges and not facing his sister. There was no way he could refuse her and she was very well aware of that.

“I’ll make sure that this favour compensates those hours of sitting motionless with you staring at me and giggling to yourself,” Gabriel grinned evilly and grabbed the strap of his bag and lumbered upstairs to his room.

Once there he threw the bag under his desk and removed his shirt. Sadly it was beyond repair with the pocket torn off and the left sleeve ripped at the seam. Cursing he threw it into the waste basket and went to his bathroom to wash his face from blood and look to his bruises. They weren’t as bad as he feared they would be but they were showing nonetheless. Gabriel cleaned his nostrils, snorting and puffing like a whale and washed his face, hissing when he irritated the tender skin. Done with himself he produced the bloodied and wrinkled hankie Nicola had given him and he washed it carefully and hung it to dry.

Back in his room he took another white shirt from his wardrobe, buttoned it up casually and pulled the sleeves up. For some reason he liked wearing clean, white shirts every day and when his peers usually wore regular t-shirts or jumpers, Gabriel preferred elegant shirts… even if he wasn’t wearing them exactly the way they were supposed to be worn.

Refreshed he returned downstairs and put his share of money on the kitchen table.

“You want something to drink?” he shouted as he opened the fridge to fish some soda out but no answer came. Nicola was probably in her bathroom so he took out two cans just in case and poured them into tall glasses and added a few ice cubes. He took the drinks to the living room and set them on the table. There was probably nothing interesting on TV but he turned it on and skipped channels, looking for something to watch.

Nicola

Nicola clapped her hands happily and hurried to get her things put away. She heard Gabriel in their adjoining bathroom and smiled. She knew he hated doing art projects with her and it was times like these when she loved him the most and knew he would move mountains for her if she needed him to.

Smiling happily, she wiggled out of her clothes and slipped on a pair of old khaki shorts and a white tank top, leaving her feet bare as she pulled her hair back with little clips and grabbed her sketch pad.

She heard Gabe's muffled question, but didn't respond. He wouldn't have heard her anyway as she washed her hands and face before joining him downstairs. "Hey! I have my stuff..." She told him and dumped her half of the money on the table next to his. "I ordered too while you were cleaning up. Should be here in 30 minutes...or an hour. You know how that goes."

Moving around the living room, she plopped down on the other end of the couch and pulled her knees up to hold up her pad of paper. "You ready? You don't have to be stone still, OK? Just relax...keep watching TV. I'll stop when the pizza gets here."

He let out a soft little grunt and she hid her smile. Wiggling her toes into the cushioned seat, Nicola began her sketch, glancing up from time to time as she studied her brother.

Gabriel

Gabriel tried to look natural... or casual at least but being aware that Nicola was looking at him intently form time to time and drawing him did little to remedy the uncomfortable feeling that nested itself deep in his stomach. TV programs provided little in the way of entertainment and were generally unsuccessful in drawing his attention so after a while he just switched it off and reached for the hi-fi remote and turned the radio on to create some background noise and help his thoughts wander freely. Maybe that will make it easier for him to weather this mental and emotional torture.

It wasn’t the fact that Nicola was watching him that disturbed him, he always felt at ease and comfortable in her company. Gabriel recalled the mocking sessions he had had to endure when he was younger when other kids made fun of him because wherever he went, his sister always tagged along. Other children usually felt embarrassed to be found playing in their sibling’s company but this was never the case for Gabriel and Nicola. Most of the time they were spending their free time together even if they weren’t playing together per se. Very often they could be found in the same room or in the garden of their house busying themselves with different activities. The presence of each other’s company was somehow soothing and reassuring for the both of them and Nicola did a lot to calm down Gabriel’s rash temper and eagerness to solve any conflict or disagreement with his fists.

“Come on, Gabe, stop fidgeting. I can’t draw your shirt if you keep moving like that,” Nicola scolded him gently which made him utter a resigned sigh.

Ever since he could remember he had been trying to make her stop calling him Gabe because he found that version of his name silly and childish but she was relentless and just wouldn’t listen. He’d managed to make his parents stop calling him that but Nicola was either finding some pleasure in irritating him or it had some special meaning for her for she continued using it. Eventually he had stopped correcting her and let the matter rest, seeing that she just wouldn’t give in.

It was taking too long for his liking so he glanced over at Nicola who had her attention directed completely at her sketching pad. “How’s it coming?” Gabriel asked.

“It’s coming,” she answered slowly, as if absent-mindedly. “Be patient.”

“Patience is something I haven't been endowed with, sorry,” he said bitterly. “Can’t you just copy one of my pictures?”

“It wouldn’t be the same. Now be silent, I need to sketch your jaw.”

“I swear, you’re in for a session of tickling tortures,” Gabriel grumbled and shut up.

Nicola

Nicola let out a little snort at the idea of tickle torture. That had always been Gabriel's favorite way of getting even when they had been younger. He had loved coming up behind or around her and pocking her ribs or grabbing her sides, sending her into fits of giggles. The only time she really seemed to let loose on her laughter and then turn a pretty shade of embarrassed pink but her out of control outburst.

Her hand moved quickly over her paper, drawing out the details as fast as she could before he moved away. She could smooth things out later when she got a moment.

Startled by the sudden sound of the doorbell ringing, Nicola curse and muttered, then protested when Gabriel shot up. "Hey! I'm not done!!"

"Pizza!"

She mumbled and sighed, looking down at her page and hid a smile. Flipping the pages over to cover her work, she slipped the art book under the couch out of the way and stretched her legs out over the couch. A minute later Gabriel returned with a large pizza box and a 6 pack of cokes.

"Time to eat!" he announced, grateful that she had put away her things.

"You're just happy I'm not drawing you anymore. I got most of it done though...so I guess you're off the hook." An amused glint flickered in her eyes. "Now hand over some food before I dwindle away to nothing."

"You could use a few pounds." He teased her, dodging the pillow she sent flying past his head.

Chuckling he set down the pizza box and cokes, opening the top. Nicola shifted and swung her legs over to lean forward and grab a slice. "Heaven on earth...that's what pizza is." She mumbled over a mouthful, rolling her eyes back and moaning softly.

Sitting beside her, their thighs unconsciously touched and bodies brushed as he got himself a piece and ate it leaning forward so that the bits that missed his mouth at least landed on the floor and not on his shirt. Nicola wasn't too concerned, but instead lay back on the pillows and ate with one hand, while the other absently played with his long pony tail...

Gabriel

“Sure is,” Gabriel mumbled in reply as he was munching on the slice he was holding in his hand. He tried to eat carefully so as not to soil another shirt on the same day but at the same time keep a good tempo and not fall behind on his sister who enjoyed a good pizza as much as he did. It was only after sating the first hunger that he noticed Nicola’s hand stroking his ponytail and touching his back in the process as well. “Hey, grow one yourself if you want something to play with,” he said, peeking over his shoulder with one eye as he tipped the coke can to his mouth.

“Wha… oh, sorry,” she replied and reached past him for another piece of pizza.

Gabriel chuckled. “It’s okay, I was just kidding. I don’t mind, it’s feels kinda nice really so just help yourself.” Nicola’s fingers resumed their journey on his back. “You’ll just have to comb it real nice tonight,” he added and yelped when she pulled his hair in response. “Ouch! What was that for? Do you know what horses do when you pull their tails?”

“No, do tell…” she said with an innocent face.

“So watch out or it’s Mr Tickler for you!” Gabriel threatened pointing at the ceiling with a stiff index finger and laughed.

“You wouldn’t dare, Gabriel!” she said.

“Sure I wouldn’t, just teasing you here,” he said, suddenly serious. “I love you, sis.”

They continued eating in silence, listening to the music playing from the hi-fi and the small sounds of each other’s breathing. There was nothing uncomfortable about this silence, after all they could almost exactly tell what the other was thinking or feeling at the moment so from time to time no words were necessary among them. Having stuffed himself full, Gabriel reclined with a can in hand and glanced at his sister who was slowly eating watching something outside the window with vacant gaze. Gabriel smiled.

“Is that drawing just some practice or are you going to hand it in as homework?” he asked, suddenly feeling terribly self-conscious in case she would be showing it around.

Nicola

"Huh?" She mumbled and then blinked and nodded, "Oh...yeah, it's homework, but only for the teacher. Don't worry..." She said with a smile and patting his knee, "I won't post it all over school. It'll just go in my portfolio of art and be graded. Unless you let me use it...then I'll probably put it up in the art fair when it comes around."

She felt his tension ease a bit and had the sudden urge to hug him close and sooth his nerves. Instead she polished off her pizza and gulped down her drink, letting out an unlady-like belch and giggling. "That was gross." He muttered, but grinned.

"Yeah yeah...I know. It's OK for guys, but us girls have to run and hide whenever some sort of bodily function kids in." She teased and glanced at the wall clock. "Well, it's official. Our parents just don't give a crap about us." She sighed dramatically and shook her head. Standing to pick up the nearly empty box of pizza and leftover drinks from the table, Nicola felt his strong hands suddenly grasp her waist and pull her down onto his lap. She let out a little shriek of surprise and then squealed when he ran his fingers over her ribs. "YOU PROMISED!!" She yelled through the giggles and gulped in a breath he stopped and hugged her.

"Yeah yeah...sorry. I just hate when you get upset over them. We don't really need them Nicola. Pretty soon we won't need them at all." He told her softly.

"I know." She muttered against his shoulder, squeezing him close.

She wiggled against his lap and snuggled closer, feeling safe and loved, "And I love you too." She said softly, giving his cheek a small kiss.

"KIDS!!" Their mother's voice broke through their moment and made Nicola jerk away, almost self consciously. "I'm home!!"

Gabriel

“Jeez,” mumbling, Gabriel got up from the couch and shook his head. He had to retire to his room quickly or when his mother sees the new bruises on his face there will be no end to her nagging. Giving Nicola a meaningful look he picked up the pizza box and the empty cans and started towards the kitchen. He knew she would try to stall their mother to give him time to escape upstairs. He threw the cans into the waste basket and put the box vertically next to it and waited for a good moment to make a dash for the stairs. Hearing the voices in the living room he left the kitchen as silently as he could… Not silently enough, it turned out.

“Gabriel!” he heard as he tried to mount the first step and stopped. The storm was about to start.

“What is it, mom?” he asked, trying to make his voice sound as boring as possible in hope she would just ask him how was school and let him go to his room.

“I hope you don’t have any plans for tomorrow…”

“Not anymore, I guess,” he muttered under his breath.

“…cut the grass and paint the shed. You know how busy your father is.”

“Okay, mom,” he sighed with resignation. It was father who wanted to have a nice garden to rest in during summer evenings but somehow it fell to Gabriel to take care of it most of the time and it was rarely used, if ever. “I’ll do it,” he said and moved up the stairs but his mother’s voice stopped him again.

“Wait, son, I’m not done yet. I have a meeting at the Grants’ tomorrow morning so I want you to take my car and do the shopping.”

“Before or after I paint the shed?” Gabriel asked, letting annoyance creep into his voice.

“And after dinner…” he never got to hear what he was supposed to do after dinner because when Nicola breezed past him up the stairs, escaping the attention that was centred on him, his mother came down the hall and looked at him. First she gasped and then she groaned. “Whom did you beat this time?!” she cried.

“I tried to kill some time but he had a pickaxe and gopher repellent. Jeez, mom, why am I always the bad guy? It’s not my fault they are always picking on me!” he tried reasoning but it was clear as day she wasn’t listening to him, already lost in the fire of her self-righteous anger. He stopped paying attention after the sacramental Is that how I brought you up? and just stood there sighing and nodding, waiting for the storm to pass. Then he just stormed to his room and slammed the door.

Nicola

Nicola cringed when she heard Gabriel's door shut with a bang. When their mother had tasks in mind, nothing, not even she could really stop her from getting what she had to say out. She had tried making idle chit chat and tried to show her some of her art work to catch her interest for just a moment. Long enough for Gabe to make his escape, but this evening their mother had goals set in her mind and they would be executed before they messed her plans up.

Crawling over her bed, she pushed the play button of her small stereo/alarm clock by her bed and let the soft music filter through her mind. She could sense Gabe's annoyance and it always made her edgy. Flipping over her sketch book, she lay on her bed and regarded her work a moment before continuing her project. She need distractions right now and tried to block out the sounds from downstairs. Their mother's tendency to speak too loudly and excitably always got on both their nerves. Nicola wondered then why she even cared if their parents didn't seem to really pay them all that much attention. She supposed it was because they took it for granted that they would do their biding, no questions asked. Mow the lawn, paint the shed, plant the flowers, pick up some food, ladee-da!

Frowning, she let her pencil fly over the sketch that was quickly becoming more intricate and detailed...a perfect likeness of Gabriel.

With the hours ticking by, she lounged on her bed, done with her project, but too worn down and lazy to move. She studied her work and added a little of this and a little of that to make it just right until fatigue finally took over and she let herself drift off to sleep, pencil still loosely clutched in one hand...

Gabriel

Annoyed beyond all measure, Gabriel paced his room back and forth, cursing under his breath and muttering violent incoherencies. Finally he sat down on his bed and buried his face in his hands but since it didn’t help to calm him down he got up and opened the window. For a moment a thought to go to the baseball field crossed his mind but there was a possibility some of his enemies were playing the Friday game there so he had to scratch that idea. He had no buddies to hang out with and since Nicola was busy with her drawing project there was no way they could go downtown to the movies or spend the time otherwise. Frowning, Gabriel took his guitar and climbed outside the window to sit on the garage roof and play a bit. After fifteen minutes or so he heard someone calling him.

“Is that you, Gabriel?” a faint voice sounded from behind the fence so he crawled to the edge of the roof and peeked over. Just as he thought it was little Jeannie, their neighbours’ fourteen-year-old daughter who for some lost her sight at the age of six. Jeannie was a sweet little girl who struggled to make best of her life. He and Nicola used to babysit her from time to time when she was younger.

“Wassup, Jen?” he called to her and saw her lift her face a bit in his direction.

“My dad asked me to tell you that you shouldn’t use the shed at school for napping for a while. Some teachers want to catch you red-handed skipping classes so be careful, ok?” Jeannie’s father was the local team’s baseball coach.

“Alright, thanks for the tip, Jen. And thank your dad, too, willya?”

“Mmmhm, I will. Now play Yesterday for me in return for the warning.”

“Okay,” Gabriel laughed, forgetting the earlier anger. “But no singing this time.” He noticed the girl pout a bit but she smiled the moment he started playing his guitar again. He was by no means a good guitarist and wouldn’t be able to earn a living playing but he was good for an amateur and Jeannie seemed to enjoy his plucking so there was no harm in playing for her. At least her parents didn’t forbid her to talk to him or come over for visits when his doubtful fame had begun spreading around town.

“Thanks, I gotta go now,” the girl said and slowly went back home.

Gabriel remained on the roof playing and thinking about stuff until late in the night. He didn’t answer his father’s calls when he returned home from work or wherever he had been spending time instead of taking care of his family. Even though he couldn’t care less he had to admit that Nicola was right about them. Just the siblings were more of a family than the four people living in this house taken together.

Nicola

Early the next morning Nicola woke up with a small start. Something had woken her up, but she wasn't sure what. Laying there, she strained to hear for any particular noises, when the sound of her mother's car backing out finally made her realize the source. Probably another slammed door. People really had no consideration.

Stretching, she yawned and groaned as she uncurled herself from her sleeping position and started at her hand with amusement. She was still holding her pencil. Shaking her head, she tossed it to the side and made sure that Gabriel's picture was in tack. Only, one thing made her pause.

With her brows creased in a curious little frown, she picked up her sketch book and for the first time she noticed the subtle differences. Why it had escaped her, she wasn't sure. "No long hair..." She muttered. It was true. For whatever reason Nicola had somehow sketched Gabriel to perfection, only his hair was short and styled in a sort of half unkept way. She silently cursed and wondered what on earth had been going through her head last night. Closing her book, she stifled another yawn and padded into her bathroom.

Grabbing her toothbrush, she began scrubbing at her teeth as she waited for her shower water to be just right. After a quick rinse and gargle, she happily stepped under the spray of warmth and lathered herself up. With any luck, she would help Gabriel out today, then they would be free to do what they pleased...

Gabriel

Gabriel woke up early, too early for his liking, but with the tasks he had been ordained it was probably better to get up now and get done with mowing and painting before the sun gets too high and starts baking. Quickly he got out of the bed and entered the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower. He sighed when he noticed an ugly shade of violet on his left cheek. Putting on a pair of old cargo trousers and not bothering with a shirt so as not to soil one during the work Gabriel trotted downstairs and quickly downed a bowl of cereal for his breakfast. Cold milk chased away all the remaining vestiges of sleep. Taking the key to the shed padlock from the key cabinet he left the house through the kitchen door and opened the shed.

He decided to do the painting first so that the paint would have more time to dry in the sun therefore he took the paint bucket and the brush, put a cap on his head to protect his hair and began his work. Halfway through he heard the front door being slammed somewhat hard and cursed whoever did that for their lack of consideration for those who were still asleep. He knew it wasn’t Nicola, first of all she never slammed doors and secondly it seemed to him that she was still in the Never-Never Land. Concluding it was probably their father leaving for his morning jog he continued painting. It was only when he heard a car engine start he realised it was something else. Peeking around the corner of the house he noticed his mother taking out her ford out of the garage and leaving.

“Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Gabriel swore and threw the brush on the grass with all his might. It was simply outrageous! First she had told him to take her car and go shopping which he wanted to do right after finishing the shed so that people around could sleep some more before he starts the lawnmower but how was he supposed to do that without a car! Moreover, the Grants whom their mother was supposed to visit lived just two blocks down the street so hardly anyone in their right mind would use a car to cover that distance. If his mother thought that he was going to go there to remind her that he needed the car she was in for a surprise.

Pissed off once again Gabriel picked up the brush and returned to finish his task. This was proving to become one hell of a weekend. The only thing he needed more was a thunderstorm.

Nicola

After showering, Nicola slipped on a light tank top and pair of old shorts, then lotioned up her skin with sunblock so that she wouldn't burn to a crisp. Another curse, but what was one to do? She hadn't made it past the kitchen when she heard her brother's curses and peaked out of the window to see him furiously painting. She cringed as he brutally abused the paint brush and decided to forget breakfast and join him. Grabbing a soda, she walked outside and let the back door click softly behind her.

"Hey! I'm reporting for duty, boss!" She chimed, trying to sound lighthearted.

Gabriel turned slightly and gave her a nod. "Hey yourself...I can't believe mom took the car! I was supposed to go shopping!"

"Oh..." She murmured and popped the top of her coke and took a tentative sip. "Well, we can just go and hunt her down. Isn't she just down the street?"

Gabe grunted and she smiled. From behind she gave him a quick hug and touched the base of her soft drink against the bare skin of his neck. He flinched and cursed, making her giggle. "Come on Gabe! I want to help...may as well make the best of it." She said softly and gently scratched his bare back. He stiffened and then relaxed, leaning into her touch.

Smiling, she picked up an extra brush and dipped it into the paint. "I'll tackle the other side and we'll meet in the middle. Then once we track Mom down, we'll just splurge on a few things that aren't on her list." She said, giving him a playful wink and mischievous grin.

Gabriel

His mood was lifted a bit by Nicola’s appearance but he was still annoyed by yet another display of their parents’ carelessness. Luckily he managed to channel this anger out by making wide, energetic strokes with his brush that sent small droplets of white paint flying this way and that. At least he didn’t have to stifle it inside like he had yesterday and later he would spend some more energy dealing with overgrown garden. And unless some new task appears Gabriel would try to escape after mowing the lawn.

The day was proving to be quite a hot one and even though it was barely 11 he was already sweating from the light exercise. From the other side of the shed he could hear Nicola hum to herself merrily while she was painting her side. He smiled a little, his mood instantly improving.

“How are you doing on your side?” he asked as he was nearing the corner.

“Almost done here. You?”

“Yeah, me too. One, two, three. Done… finally. Shit, never again. Weekends should be for relaxation.”

“You’re relaxing most of the time anyway, you lazybones. You think I don’t know you’re skipping classes?”

“Not anymore, I guess,” he sighed. “Jeannie told me yesterday that I shouldn’t be using the equipment room for napping anymore. Guess I’ll have to attend classes or something now,” Gabriel said ponderously.

“Yep, it’ll do you a world of good. Here, I’m done as well,” Nicola chirped handing him her brush. “Go wash them and then we can hunt mom down. Hurry up, okay?”

“Hurry up?! Hey!” he tried arguing but Nicola was already gone, having ran inside the house.

Shaking his head Gabriel washed both brushes, secured the paint bucket and locked the painfully white shed. As he entered the kitchen he found his father preparing breakfast. Their eyes locked for a moment, the older man’s gaze lingered around the bruise on Gabriel’s cheek but he said nothing. Mother had probably informed him of his son’s misbehaviour already. Without a word Gabriel put the key back into the cabinet and moved towards the exit to go to his room. Upstairs he quickly showered and put on a clean shirt and his regular trousers. When he left the bathroom, Nicola was already waiting for him, sitting on his bed and wiggling her cute toes.

“You ready?” she asked seeing him and returned his smile.

“You betcha,” Gabriel put his arm around her shoulders as she got up. “How about we sneak out all quiet-like and take dad’s car while he’s busy with his breakfast?” he asked in conspiratorial whisper and sniffed the air next to her ear. “New perfume…”

Nicola

Nicola was all for sneaking out and avoiding their father and their mother. She hadn't uttered much of a word to him, flying by to quickly change so that they could get their chores done. She giggled and grinned wrapping an arm around Gabe's waist when he pulled her close and made his secretive suggestion. Then his breath fan the side of her ear and neck, catching her off guard and sending a strange shiver down her spine. "New perfume…”
He noticed.

"Yeah." She managed to whisper back, the hand that rested on his hip lightly tightening a second, then relaxed. "Lets go."

Shaking the weird fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Nicola wiggled out of his hold and grasp his hand. Putting a finger to her lips, she shhhhhhd him and together they walked about into the hallway carefully. They had two options. Scale the trellace outside her window or sneak past their father by the kitchen. Nicola opted for the easiest route, but of course, Gabriel changed the gears and pulled her around, making her follow him. "There is no adventure that way."

She rolled her eyes and grinned, carefully following him down the stairs as they listened to the sounds he made in the kitchen. She watched her brother peak around the corner and stiffled a giggle. He looked so serious, but this was a game they had played often as children. He gave her a sideways look and flashed her a devilish grin that made her stomach suddenly clench.

Too preoccupied, he missed her lack of response and pulled her along to their quest...

Gabriel

Passing the hall with Nicola in tow, Gabriel quickly put his hand into their father’s jacket and deftly fished out the car keys. A few seconds later they were both outside and after closing the front door ultra-quietly they gave each other a high five and rapidly made for the car lest their escape be noticed. Luckily for them their father rarely put his car in the garage as he was using it quite often so when Gabriel bleeped the locks open, Nicola quickly slipped in the passenger’s seat giggling merrily all the time. In a moment he too was inside and starting the engine, then they sped away as fast as possible, only to notice in the rear view mirrors that their old man ran into the street. They both laughed out loud.

“Alright! Score one for the good guys!” Nicola shouted, whooped and punched Gabe’s shoulder.

“Yeah, we rule, sis!” he agreed and chuckled. “We make a good team, you and I. I knew it all along.”

“Yeah. Just like we promised,” Nicola said softly and fell silent, watching the surroundings pass outside the car.

Gabriel patted her knee reassuringly and turned on the radio to put some music on. They drove in silence for most of the way to the supermarket, sometimes exchanging glances or smiles, enjoying the ride together, not really minding that they might get scolded afterwards. After all, nothing really mattered right now save for their own company, as it was most of the time anyway.

“You know, I was thinking…” he began.

“Mmm? About what?”

“How about we take the bikes this afternoon and ride somewhere? To the lake or wherever. I don’t really feel like staying at home today. So, what do you say? I’ll take care of that blasted lawn once we get back and then we can sneak out again… You could do some more sketching…” he tempted.

It was a wild idea but it had been some time since they took an excursion. With Gabriel’s face as it was going downtown wasn’t really an option if he wanted to stay out of sight and avoid being stared at by total strangers and accidental acquaintances. Leaving town for a ride was a much better idea than staying home and doing nothing or actually doing something.

Nicola

"Well..." She paused for dramatic effect, slanting him an impish grin. "I supposed that would be fun. We haven't done anything like that in a while! I'll pack us a picking bag to go along and swimsuits and sun-block and..."

Gabriel chuckled and Nicola joined in. "OK, so it sounds really good! A break from this place would be like heaven! Almost better than pizza...almost."

Falling silent again, Nicola mentally made a list of things they would need. A blanket, towels, food, sun-block...excitement bubbled through her belly, making her restlessly shift. Pulling into the parking lot of the local supermarket, she hopped out of the car as soon as Gabriel set the car into park.

He shook his head in amusement. "Slow down...we'll be done soon."

"Yeah, I know. Besides...we can pick out a few picnic choices for later that I can pack."

He nodded, grasping her hand and automatically putting himself between her and the slow passing traffic of cars trying to find a spot to park. She smiled to herself...Gabriel, her protector.

The market was packed as usual. While he produced a list the size of his arm out of his pocket, Nicola grabbed the cart. "All set...just don't loose me."

"Not a problem." He promised and took his place along her side as they began their shopping expedition.

Gabriel

For Gabriel shopping was tedious and annoying, he hated it when people left their carts in the middle of an isle to look for something on the shelves or bumped their cart into his because they weren’t looking where they were going. Housewives who couldn’t make up their mind as to which floor detergent to pick up we pissing him off and kids throwing tantrums over stupid toys made him want to strangle someone. For Gabriel, just like for majority of men, shopping narrowed down to picking the necessary items up as fast as possible and making it out of the shop even faster. Nicola, on the other hand, obviously enjoyed prancing about, pointing to various available products and commenting what she had read in one magazine or the other. He patiently followed her from aisle to aisle, packing their cart more and more with things from the list and items she felt were necessary for one reason or another. Actually, if it hadn’t been for her he would have been completely lost with regard to the general direction and placement of products.

“Are we done yet?” Gabriel moaned after forty minutes as he was pushing the cart before him, following Nicola who stood looking around, tapping her cheek with a finger.

“No, not yet. We still don’t have the sun-block and the drinks… That way!” she pointed and urged him on with a wave of her hand.

“Aye aye, cap’n,” Gabriel muttered and lumbered onward. He though that if his sister hadn’t been with him he would have probably gone crazy with frustration and anger. As such, he could only feel a faint buzzing of annoyance that he was being looked at because of the ugly bruise on his cheek. Moreover, she was fun to watch. Gabriel chuckled and pushed the cart with more energy. The sooner they are done with the shopping the sooner they will be able to leave for the picnic.

“That’s it! Now we have everything,” Nicola trilled dumping soda cans into the now fully loaded cart.

“That’s a pretty big it,” Gabriel commented with a chuckle. “Here, help me push it,” he said stepping a bit to the side, making some more room at the handle. Nicola stepped in next to him and with their shoulders touching they moved towards the registers.