CHAPTER TWO: TETHERED SOULS

SOME YEARS LATER. LOCATION: DELAWARE, USA.

ALLEN'S POV:

Oh, come on, sis!" I sighed, letting the irritation seep into my voice as I slouched my shoulders dramatically.

She smirked, then pouted, pulling out her signature weapon—those puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh no, not the eyes!" I groaned, pretending to be horrified. She giggled and darted upstairs, her footsteps echoing through the house.

"Thanks, bro!" she called from above. "What would I ever do without you?"

I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. She'd tricked me into doing her dishes again—not that I minded, though. Her mischievous nature was part of her charm.

As I stepped into the kitchen, my mom leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching the whole thing unfold.

"She got you again, huh?" she asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered with mock defeat. "She's always 'busy with schoolwork,' right? Anyway, happy to help." I turned to her. "You should probably head to bed. I'm sure Dad's already waiting."

Almost as if on cue, Dad strolled in wearing his nightclothes. He shot me a playful wink before pulling Mom into his arms.

"There you are, sweetheart," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Ugh!" I groaned dramatically. "Seriously? Have you guys ever heard of this thing called a room?"

Laughter filled the kitchen as Dad lifted Mom into his arms like a scene from an old romance movie.

"Goodnight, kiddo!" he called as they disappeared down the hall.

"Goodnight, love!" Mom added with a smile. "And don't forget to check on your sister—she's probably knocked out with her nose in a book."

"Will do!"

I finished the dishes, wiped the counters, and double-checked that the doors were locked—Delaware was pretty safe, but you never know. Then I climbed the stairs to my sister's room and knocked softly. No response.

I pushed the door open and, unsurprisingly, found her face-down on her desk, out cold. Her math book lay open beneath her, a pen still clutched in her hand. I grabbed the blanket from her bed and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks, lil' bro," she mumbled sleepily.

I smiled, helped her into bed properly, and tucked her in.

"Love you, lil' bro," she whispered again.

"Love you too, sis," I murmured, closing the door softly behind me.

With a heavy sigh of contentment, I headed to bed.

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PROXY'S POV

The alarm blared, cutting through my dreams like a jackhammer. I groaned, slammed it off, and mumbled to myself, Just ten more minutes. My body relaxed instantly, and I drifted off again.

Minutes later, the sharp screech of curtains being yanked open and the unmistakable warmth of sunlight bathed my face.

"Wake up, dammit! You're already late!" Dad's voice boomed through the room.

I peeled my eyes open and squinted at the clock.

"Sh#t!" I sprang out of bed, heart racing.

"Watch your language, young lady!" Dad scolded from the doorway, though his voice held more amusement than anger.

"Seriously, Dad? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" I shouted, frantically gathering clothes.

"You're a big girl now, remember?" I heard the smirk in his voice without even looking.

I dashed into the bathroom, brushing my teeth while turning on the shower. Of course I'm late again. The morning bus was long gone, and the next one was notoriously unreliable. Ever since I turned seventeen, I told him I was going to be taking the bus until eighteen when I got my driver's license. But this morning, I may as well beg on my knees and dispose of my ego. I was already late and that was now becoming frequent these days.

Minutes later, I thundered downstairs, half-dressed and disheveled. Dad sat at the table, reading the paper. He closed it when he saw me.

"I packed your lunch," he said with a shrug, gesturing to a brown bag on the counter.

"Thanks, Dad." I grabbed a piece of toast from the plate and glanced toward the driveway. His car wasn't there.

"Wait...where's your car?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"Oh, your mom took it this morning. You didn't notice hers broke down yesterday?"

No, I didn't. My stomach dropped. That meant no car, no ride. Just a mad sprint to the bus station.

"Thanks, Dad!" I kissed his forehead and bolted for the door. "Love you!"

"Love you too! Be careful!" he called after me.

I sprinted through the neighborhood, my backpack bouncing on my shoulders. If I missed the 8:10 bus, I'd be stuck walking to school. And of course, today of all days, I had Miss Ellen's class first period.

The thought of her icy stare made me pick up speed. Miss Ellen would make sure she gave me the lectures of my life and my classmates would laugh their asses off, they already despised me. One of the reasons being BRIAN DAVIS. At the thought of his name, my heart flutters and a smile appears on my face.

By the time I stumbled into class, breathless and disheveled, the whole room went quiet. Miss Ellen's face dropped the moment she saw me at the door.

"Well, well, Proxy," she said with a sigh. "Did an asteroid hit your house this morning?"

Soft snickers echoed across the room. My cheeks burned.

"No, Miss Ellen. I'm really sorry," I muttered, eyes fixed on the floor.

"Sit down. But I'm not repeating the lesson."

I nod my head. But that's why we love Miss Ellen, she always likes carrying everybody along. She did a quick recap and then continued teaching.

"Hey. Hey." I hear whispers behind me. I already knew it was her. I turn quickly avoiding Miss Ellen's gaze.

"He almost freaked out this morning when he saw you hadn't arrived." My best friend and gossip lover, Frannah whispered to me. "You will see him later, yeah?" She continued, still whispering.

"Yeah. Yeah. I will probably see him during Mister Joe's class or after." I reply to her, whispering. She winks at me and lifts her head.

"Do you have anything to say to us, Proxy?"

F#ck! Miss Ellen caught me. I slowly bend my head. "I'm sorry Miss Ellen."

"You will come to my office after your classes today, let's have a chat." She said, I could hear the irritation in her voice. I hear snickers from my classmates again. 

F#ck you all! I say in my head. I look at Frannah who gives me a sympathetic smile. I jokingly glare at her then turn to face Miss Ellen.

********************************************

The siren blared, signaling the last class of the day: History. Normally, I loved history, but today's topic was Mythic History—werewolves, witches, and all that supernatural nonsense. I mean, why waste forty-five minutes studying stuff that doesn't even exist?

I let out an exaggerated sigh, loud enough for Frannah to hear. She turned to me with raised eyebrows, and we both stifled a laugh.

Since it was a combined class, we got to sit wherever we wanted. Naturally, Frannah and I snagged seats together near the middle of the room. I leaned back in my chair and did a quick scan of the room.

He's not here yet, I thought, biting my lip. He always came in with the BOYS—loud, confident, like they owned the place.

Just as I started to turn back to Frannah, I felt it—massive hands wrapping around my waist from behind. I gasped, my heart racing. From the size of those hands alone, I knew exactly who it was.

The audacity. Only one person could get away with pulling a stunt like that.