Friends vs. Family by C. L. Stone
“Where’d you learn how to do that?” I wasn’t sure he heard me. I found the toolbox and pulled it off the shelf.
He took the box away from me. “My dad’s a plumber,” he said.
I half expected him to say the Academy. I smiled to myself. For friends, we still hardly knew each other. I wondered how many other secrets the guys had, and was sure they had many more than I did. I felt as if they were helping a near complete stranger, which was so messed up because my heart was telling me I was much closer to them than my own family that I’d known all my life.
When we got back upstairs, North had the door off of the hinges.
Silas held up the tool box. “No wood,” he said.
“Damn,” North said. He blew out a sigh. “Okay, I’m going to make a new door and a new frame. Silas, you beat the shit out of it.”
“Yup,” Silas said, beaming.
“Sang Baby? Could you fetch me a pen?” North took the toolbox from Silas’ hands and opened the lid, pulling out a measuring tape and evaluating the other contents.
I sourced a pen and paper and gave them to North and headed down to my bedroom again. Mr. Blackbourne and Kota were next to the far wall, talking. The bed had been moved. Now instead of against the wall, the bed was sticking out lengthwise into the room, with the head of it under the window. The bookshelf was moved near the half door to the attic. It created another barrier, making a square space in front of the attic door.
“It creates an entry way,” Kota was saying, “but it makes it kind of obvious that she might be trying to mask that attic door.”
Mr. Blackbourne rubbed his palm against his cheek. “There’s no other furniture to work with. Unless they demand she move it, leave it there. We’re not prepared to escalate.”
Escalate? What did that mean? I moved further into the room, trying to figure out why they wanted to block the view of the attic door from the entryway. I looked at Kota, asking silent questions.
He smiled. “Gabriel,” he called.
The attic door opened and Gabriel popped his head out. “Yeah?”
“Show Sang.”
Gabriel crawled out of the space, with his two locks of dyed blond hair hanging across his forehead. The rest of his rich, russet brown hair was mussed in the back. His blond locks of hair hanging in his eyes and the rest of his brown hair mussed. He left the door to the attic open. He dropped on top of my bed and spread out a little.
“Go,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Gabriel leapt from the bed, dropped behind the bookshelf, slid across the floor and quietly shut the attic door behind himself as he crawled in.
“Horrible,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “You’re not fast enough.”
“Oy,” Gabriel called from the attic. He opened the door again, letting it swing and drift across the carpet until it stopped. “You try it.”
“You still need a security signal,” Kota said.
“We could just put a better lock on her door. One they can’t open with a push pin,” Gabriel said, crawling out of the space again.
I shook my head. Kota seemed to read my mind and knew the answer to this. “It’d be ideal but it probably won’t happen. They’d notice a new lock.”
Victor appeared in the doorway, his eyebrow going up at the rearranged furniture. “Mr. Blackbourne,” he said. “You should come see.”
I shot a questioning look at Victor but he waved his hand at me. I wasn’t supposed to go along.
Mr. Blackbourne crossed the room, passing me closer than he really needed to. I could smell his spring soap scent. “Stay,” he commanded of me in a low voice.
I rubbed at my eyebrow, feeling awkward. Mr. Blackbourne temporarily grounded me to my room.
“Trouble,” Gabriel said. He leaned off the bed so he could grab my hand. “Come show me the platform in the back.”
I sighed. “We need a flashlight.”
Kota pulled a set of keys from his pocket, Attached was a metallic green flashlight. He unhooked the light from the keychain and handed it to me. “Don’t hurt yourself in there.”
“Hey,” Gabriel said, pouting his lips in a way that made my heart melt. “You didn’t say that to me.”
Kota waved him off and strolled out of the room and down the stairs.
I walked around the bed toward the open attic door. Gabriel got on his knees behind me, ready to follow. I flicked on the flashlight and crawled on my knees through the attic space. Gabriel left the door open, shuffling behind me. He had another flashlight on, attached to his own keys and was shining it around the space, looking at the exposed beams of the house and the insulation.
I crawled inside about ten feet and found the platform in the back. I pointed the flashlight back to him to get his attention, swinging the light so he could see the one beam of wood that cut through the middle of the opening. I slipped between the beam and the wall, angling myself in. The platform space was as big as a closet, with enough room above our heads to stand up fully if we wanted.
Gabriel put his flashlight between his teeth and angled himself in. He got in on his knees, and sat down, crossing his legs. He sought my hand in the dark and tugged until I nearly fell into his lap. He held me with one arm around my waist, while he shined the flashlight around, checking how high the ceiling went. “You call us from here?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I think it’s above the laundry room.” I swallowed, the air was so dry and hot, I felt my throat getting scratchy again. My hands were pressed against his chest as he held me close. I squirmed, twisting to see where he was looking.
A playful chop landed on my head. “Stop wriggling.” He pulled his cellphone out. “We need Luke.”
“Why?”
Gabriel ignored me, pressing the phone to his ear. “Oy Luke, get up here to Sang’s attic. Have you been back here? Come check this out.”
A moment later, there was scuffling on the other side of the attic. I swung the flashlight around to help Luke find his way along. Gabriel did the same, casting us into darkness. I sensed his face close to mine and I held my breath, unsure of what he was doing. His tongue met my skin and he licked from my jaw to my cheek. I choked out a squeal, poking him in the stomach out of surprise. He lurched forward, laughing.
Luke popped his head up between the beam and the wall of the platform. “What’s so funny?”
I tilted the flashlight around to hold it like a candle between us, lighting up the area with a gentle glow. “Gabriel,” I whispered, “he...”
“Is a fucking handsome guy. He already knows, Trouble.” Gabriel smirked. “Luke, tell me we can take out that beam right there.” Gabriel swung his flashlight at the exposed 4x4 that split the opening. I had to go around it to crawl into the platform.
“Hm,” Luke said. He borrowed the flashlight from my hands. He checked out the beam and the surrounding wood. “Maybe.” He started to rise, putting a hand on my shoulder to steady himself as he crawled onto the platform. Luke leaned into me, and kept himself close. His chest was pressed at my back. His breath tickled my neck.
I pressed myself against Gabriel to give Luke more room. My insides flipped around. Being so close and in near darkness with these two left me blushing.
Gabriel rocked back, leaning up against one of the other beams surrounding the platform. His strong arms around my waist dragged me along. “Yes? No? What?”
“It doesn’t look important,” Luke said. He stood, finding where the wood disappeared further into the roof structure. He swung the beam of light around, reaching up above his head, trying to touch the ceiling above us. “Probably can take it out,” he said. “Not today though. It’ll take some work and we’re running out of time.” He crouched down again, his chest again close to my back and his face close to mine. “The space is small.”
“Good enough for her,” Gabriel said. I felt his lips moving against my forehead. It was way too crowded with three people. “You should walk the house and see if anyone can hear us.”
“You go,” Luk
“Call North.”
Luke pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “I’ll call Nathan. North’s run off to our house to grab another door.” He paused with the phone to his ear. He leaned his head forward, bumping his nose into my cheek. I twisted my head to smirk at him and he was grinning. “Nathan?” he asked, looking right at me as he talked. “Walk the house, see if you can hear me talking to you. Well stop being busy, we need to test this attic space.” He pulled the phone from his face a little. “Start talking so he can hear.”
I twisted my lips, rolling my eyes. “Luke,” I whispered.
Behind my head, Gabriel started singing the theme song to Friends. Luke started laughing, joining in. Gabriel’s voice was golden, but Luke’s voice was polished, too. I was giggling so hard, I pressed my forehead against Gabriel’s shoulder, smothering myself and breathing in the scent of a light fruity and spice musk. My shoulders shook as I laughed.
“What?” Luke stopped singing to talk on the phone. “Well I mean how much? Where?” Luke motioned to Gabriel, spinning his finger like he wanted him to keep going.
Gabriel started singing again, repeating the chorus as Luke rattled questions off to Nathan.
Luke hung up. “Okay, he can hear us on the back stairs and in the laundry room. We need to soundproof.”
“We should do that to her room, too,” Gabriel said.
“But then she couldn’t hear anyone coming,” Luke said.
“God damn it,” Gabriel said. He shifted his legs, moving me in the process until my body was tucked neatly into his chest, his hands against my back. “Fuck all this. Let’s just take her.”
“Gabriel,” I whispered.
A chop landed on my head again. “Shush,” Gabriel said. “Men are talking.”
I laughed, and I poked him in the ribs. He was always picking on me, but I secretly loved it. He was fun and amazing.
“Ow,” Gabriel said, letting go of me with one hand to rub at his ribs, feigning hurt and grinning.
“Hey,” Nathan called from the attic door. “You’ve got Sang back there?”
“Maybe,” Luke called back.
“Get her out of there. Dr. Green said it’s not good for her throat to get all that dry air.”
“God damn it, Luke, why did you let her come back here?” Gabriel shifted, pushing me off of his lap and onto Luke’s.
Luke wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me as we knelt together on the platform. Being passed around like that was making my stomach flip again.
Gabriel had to angle strangely around the beam to weave his way out. He let go of the beam too soon, and fell on his back. He grunted, picked himself up and turned around, reaching back for me. I took his hand, stepping out next to him, crouching again under the short part of the attic space. Gabriel crept ahead of me toward the door. I shadowed him on my hands and knees. Luke angled himself around the beam to follow.
“Oy, Trouble,” Gabriel called from ahead of me. “Like my butt?” He stopped and wriggled at me.
“I like Sang’s butt,” Luke said.
“Hey now,” Nathan said. “Stop talking about her butt.”
I stopped and crouched low, laughing against the floor. It was a mistake as I sucked in a lung full of super dry dust and I started coughing again.
Luke’s arms grabbed me around the waist and Gabriel gripped my arms. They pushed and pulled at the same time to get me out of the attic. I spilled out against the carpet next to Nathan and Gabriel. I coughed a few times. Nathan put a hand on my back, massaging.
I sucked in the cooler air. “I’m okay,” I whispered.
“You keep coughing like that,” Gabriel said, “your voice will never heal and we’ll never get to sing together.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” I choked out. “I can’t sing.”
I escaped the boys for a moment to find water from the bathroom across the hallway. Silas was still working in the bathroom. He was cursing at the pipes in the wall, smacking a wrench against one. I stood quietly to watch him work, lost in the smoothness of his strong muscles in his arms and the curve of his firm jaw. He sensed me and turned, his dark eyes focusing on my face. “Need something?”
I picked up a tiny paper cup from the counter, taking a sip of water from the sink. I held the cup to him. “Did you want some?” I knew I was whispering and he probably couldn’t hear me but he seemed to understand.
His smile returned. He reached out from the tub and I stepped in to hand the cup to him. Our fingers touched. A spark ignited in my stomach. His eyes held mine. “Thank you,” he said.
The moment was too intense for me and I turned from him, walking slowly back to my room. Why were my feelings so confusing? I felt the same flicker of excitement and fear whenever I touched any of them or any of them touched me. I couldn’t understand how anyone got used to those feelings. Part of me was afraid Silas would freak out on me again. Part of me wanted him to. I missed his arms. I missed Kota who was only downstairs. I wanted to crawl into their laps and remain forever. I didn’t want to be here in this house any more. I didn’t want them to leave me. How incredibly lonely I felt in that moment and they were all right there in front of me. I didn’t have the guts to ask for what I wanted.
I sucked in a breath, giving myself some control before I reentered my bedroom. Gabriel was on my bed, spread out on his back. Luke and Nathan were spilled out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. I sank onto the foot of my bed next to Gabriel’s legs. He shifted slightly to give me more room, bending his knees until his feet were hanging off of the bed. I sat cross legged near him. I wanted to hide in the attic with him again and sit in his lap. I couldn’t find the words or the right way to touch him. I couldn’t reach out to him.
“What’s going on?” I asked. They were quiet enough that I thought someone could hear.
Gabriel turned his crystal eyes to me. He heard. “Hm?”
“What are they talking about downstairs?”
“We’re trying to listen,” Luke said. He put a finger to his lips as he gazed up at me from the floor. He pressed his ear to the carpet.
I slid off the bed, crawling between Luke and Nathan. I put my ear to the carpet, too, and held my breath to hear better.
Kota and Mr. Blackbourne talked over each other. Victor and Dr. Green occasionally cut in. I couldn’t really understand what anyone was saying because of distance and how everyone was talking at once.
I caught one phrase from Kota, “Sang isn’t ever going to know.”
My hand fluttered up to my mouth, and I shoved my lower lip into my teeth. More Academy secrets?
I realized as I was listening that I was staring at Nathan’s chest while on my side. I looked up, catching his blue eyes gazing back at me. He caught my hand at my mouth and brought it to his chest, warming it. He pressed his palm over the back of my hand as he looked at me. “Don’t listen anymore,” he said softly.
“But is it about me?” I asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
Nathan’s face darkened and he reached out to me, pulling me across the floor to him. His arm wrapped around my waist, his fingers spread across my lower back. He held up his head with his other arm as he looked down at me. “We’re listening to conversations not meant for us. They’ll tell us when they want us to know.”
I swallowed. The secrets hung in the air like spider webs. They tickled across my skin but I couldn’t collect them to examine them.
“Sang should know,” Luke said. He rolled across the floor, bumping into me, pressing me back up against Nathan and smashing me between them. I smirked, trying to roll back into him and push him back. He kept coming, grinning.
“We’re not making that decision,” Nathan said.
Luke shoved me into Nathan again.
Nathan grunted, pushing at my back so I rolled against Luke.
“Hey, what the hell?” North called to us from the doorway.
I sat up on my knees to look at him, confused. Nathan propped
“I leave for a minute and you’re all fucking around with Sang on the floor.”
Luke sat up. “We were just...”
“I don’t care,” North growled at him. “Stop it. Mr. Blackbourne’s going to come up here and kick the shit out of you and then we’ll all get it.” He pointed a finger at Nathan. “You come with me and help me haul this shit up. The rest of you find her homework and help her with it.”
There was a collection of groans. I blushed.
North caught my look and he pursed his lips. “Sang, keep these boys in line, will you?” He disappeared down the hallway. Nathan jumped up, following him down the hall.
Luke fell on his back against the carpet again. “Nag.”
“I don’t feel like doing homework,” I whispered.
Gabriel slid off of my bed, dropping in a heap on the floor. The glint from the light above caught in the three black rings in his ear, and sparked to life the green stones in his lobes.
“Let’s pretend we’re doing it,” he said.
My heart tripped. “Okay.”
Gabriel smirked and shook his head.
Luke picked up my textbooks off of the bookshelf. I grabbed my book bag sitting on top of my trunk against the wall. I sorted through the books, pulling notebooks out of my bag. Of all the things to worry about right now, homework and school were far from my mind. Still, with the work spread out in front of me, I thought if we were going to waste time anyway, I might as well actually do the work. I found a pencil and a sheet of geometry problems.
Gabriel randomly opened a notebook, thumbing through it. “What’s this?” Gabriel asked, holding on to some folded notes.
I blinked at him, sitting up again from the floor. “I thought my mom got all those,” I whispered.
Gabriel unfolded the notes, his lips moving as he read it over. “Goddamn. They’re nasty.”
“What’s that?” Mr. Blackbourne asked, walking in. His eyebrows furrowed and he was frowning.
Kota trailed behind him, his eyes sought out mine. His skin bunched around his eyes, a painful stare. His fingers curled into fists.