---
Mari leaned back, controller in hand, a smirk still playing on her lips. "Alright, let's see if you're actually good at this or just hyping yourself up."
I rolled my eyes, laughing softly as the game loaded. "Trust me, I don't just hype myself up—I prove it."
She clicked into a match, eyes sharp with focus. "We'll see."
The room was quiet except for the low hum of the TV and the occasional soft breaths from my sister, still sound asleep across the room. The tension from earlier had faded, replaced with easy comfort.
Minutes passed as we played, bantering back and forth, until Mari suddenly paused mid-game, tilting her head slightly.
"You hear that?" she asked, voice low.
I frowned, pausing the game myself. "Hear what?"
She didn't answer immediately, but her gaze drifted toward the bedroom door, as if listening.
A faint shuffle.
I turned my head slightly, brows furrowing. At first, I thought it was just the normal creaks of the house—but something felt off. The sound wasn't coming from inside. It was *outside*, just beyond my bedroom window.
I glanced over, my stomach tightening.
Nothing. The blinds were pulled halfway down, leaving only a small gap.
Mari narrowed her eyes, exhaling sharply. "Weird."
I forced a chuckle, shaking my head. "It's probably nothing."
She hummed, unconvinced, but let it go. "Alright, alright—back to the game."
Still, as the screen lit up again and the controllers buzzed in our hands, I couldn't shake the feeling that *something* had been there. Watching.
---
Two hours passed in a blur of button mashing and competitive banter, the room filled with laughter, frustration, and the occasional playful shove when one of us made a bad move.
Eventually, we set the PS4 controllers aside, stretching out on the bed. The game could wait.
Mari grabbed her phone, and I did the same, scrolling aimlessly as we snacked, the wrappers crinkling softly between us. There was something easy—comfortable—about just laying together, unwinding.
Outside, the world felt distant, but here, in this moment, everything was simple.
We stayed like that for a while, phones in hand, snacks within reach, the quiet hum of the house settling around us.
Mari nudged my arm with her elbow, a lazy smirk on her lips. "Alright, what's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you lately?"
I groaned. "Why are you like this?"
"Because it's fun," she said simply, scrolling through her phone. "Come on, spill."
I hesitated, then sighed, shaking my head with a chuckle. "Fine. I almost fell down the stairs the other day trying to carry too much at once. I caught myself, but it was bad. Like, *cartoon-character-trip* bad."
Mari laughed, loud and genuine. "Oh my god, I wish I saw that!"
I threw a pillow at her. "You would've just stood there and laughed instead of helping."
"Absolutely." She grinned.
The conversation drifted into easy territory—memories, random thoughts, plans for tomorrow. The weirdness of earlier had faded into the background, but something about that woman still lingered in my mind, like an itch I couldn't quite scratch.
Still, I let it go.
For now.
---
The quiet stretched between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Just easy.
Mari tossed her phone onto the bed and stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Alright, tomorrow's going to be fun. I'm calling it now."
I smirked, finally setting my own phone down. "You're way too confident. What if something weird happens again?"
She rolled onto her side, resting her head on her hand. "If it does, we deal with it. Simple."
I hesitated, fingers idly picking at the corner of my blanket. "You're not freaked out about that woman earlier?"
Mari scoffed. "Please. I've dealt with worse."
She sounded so sure, so unbothered. But for me, the whole thing stuck—the way that woman had looked at me, the way she'd spoken *my* name like she knew something I didn't.
I didn't realize I had gone quiet until Mari nudged me. "Hey, don't overthink it. She's just some random weirdo."
Maybe. But something in me wasn't convinced.
---
Mari leaned in slightly, her voice playful yet soft. "Mmh, you smell good. What perfume do you use, hmm?" She inhaled gently before standing up, her curiosity shifting as she wandered toward my closet, casually flipping through my things.
I watched her, a small smirk tugging at my lips. "Well, I made it myself… at therapy."
She paused, glancing back at me. "Therapy? You go to therapy—why?"
Her tone wasn't judgmental, just curious. But still, the question sat heavy in the air as she continued scanning my room. My space was simple, bare—just the essentials.
"For my anxiety," I admitted, voice lower now. "And I have to work on socializing with people. And… other things."
Mari hummed in acknowledgment, distracted, still rifling through my belongings.
I shifted my attention, picking up her phone from my bed. The screen lit up, revealing her background—an old picture of us, tangled together in a club, lips barely apart. My smirk deepened at the memory.
"Hmm, interesting," Mari mused, finally turning back to me with a teasing glint in her eyes. "I hope you get better at socializing, *Cutie*."
She smirked, too busy nosing through my things, fingers brushing over everything like she was tracing pieces of my life.
---
Mari continued rummaging through my things, her fingers brushing over my clothes, old notebooks, even the trinkets I barely paid attention to anymore.
"You really don't have much in here," she mused, her voice light but observant. "You keep everything simple, huh?"
I leaned back on my bed, watching her. "Yeah, I don't like clutter."
She pulled out a worn hoodie, holding it up. "This looks familiar…"
I glanced at it, recognizing it instantly. "Yeah, it's from that one party we went to—remember? The night you dared me to sneak onto the VIP floor."
Mari grinned, tossing it back onto the shelf. "Oh yeah. You were too scared at first."
I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't scared—I was calculating the risk."
She laughed at that, finally turning to face me again, arms crossed casually. "Mmhm, whatever helps you sleep at night."
For a second, we just looked at each other, the quiet hanging between us. Then she smirked, shifting closer, as if about to say something else—until a noise broke the moment.
A sharp *tap*.
Mari stilled.
I frowned, glancing toward the window.
Another tap.
My stomach tightened.
We both turned toward the blinds, waiting.
Nothing.
The silence stretched too long, too thick.
"Okay, that was weird," Mari muttered, her playful energy dimming just slightly.
I swallowed, sitting up straighter. "Yeah… really weird."
---
We both turned as my sister, Jakie, stirred in her bed, slowly sitting up. Her sleepy gaze landed on me first, then Mari, lingering for a second too long.
"Hold on—Mom said you could bring someone over?" Jakie asked, voice still groggy but laced with suspicion.
Mari smiled at her, soft and easy, before shifting her eyes toward me with a knowing smirk.
I groaned, crossing my arms. "Ugh, well… no. And don't snitch." My voice was playful, but the warning underneath was very real.
Jakie let out a small huff but didn't push further. Instead, she glanced at Mari again, muttered a quick "Hi," and climbed out of bed, stretching lazily before walking out of the room—probably heading to the bathroom or downstairs.
Mari watched her go, still smirking. "She's got that little sister energy, huh?"
I rolled my eyes, exhaling. "Yeah, and I'm trying to survive it." She cool tho
---
Mari slid back onto the bed beside me, her warmth settling against mine as we instinctively curled into each other. The softness of the moment pulled me under, lulling me into sleep.
Hours passed in quiet comfort, the room dim with late afternoon light when I finally stirred.
I blinked, feeling the weight of her presence beside me before fully registering it. Mari was already awake, phone in hand, her thumb lazily scrolling as she checked the time.
She sighed, stretching slightly. "Guess I should eat before I head out."
I nodded, still shaking off the remnants of sleep as we climbed out of bed and made our way downstairs.
The house felt calmer now, familiar. Whatever weirdness had happened earlier seemed far away, just another fleeting moment swallowed by time.
---
A couple minutes later.
After finishing her meal, we stood near the door, lingering in the quiet.
Mari pulled me into a hug, warmth pressing against me, her arms strong but easy.
"Don't forget, I'm picking you up tomorrow," she murmured, her smile soft as she tugged me in for another squeeze.
Her voice lowered slightly, close to my ear. "And don't forget to put on something nice—something comfortable."
She pulled away, smirking as she turned toward her car.
I stepped back, watching as she slid into the driver's seat.
The engine hummed to life, headlights slicing through the deepening night.
I waved as she drove away, the air cooling against my skin, crisp and fresh.
For a moment, I stood there, breathing it in, the lingering scent of her perfume still faint in the space around me.