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*After school*
"Come on! We have to go quickly!" Trevelyan shouted from inside the bag.
"For the last time, my home is not a dump! And even if it was, I'm not cleaning it for 'madam spoiled brat,'" Ryan muttered, walking fast and trying not to look like a complete psycho talking to his bag.
"Watch your mouth! That's my sister you're insulting! And do you ever think at all? If she sees the kind of place you live in, she'll destroy your reputation!" Trevelyan snapped.
"What reputation?! Last time I checked, I was a nobody!" Ryan shot back.
"I don't care, just walk faster!" Trevelyan snapped.
"Fine…" Ryan grumbled.
After a few minutes, Ryan reached his apartment. He paused at the door, listening carefully to make sure his dad wasn't around. Only when the silence reassured him did he step inside. The second he did, he yanked the bag off his shoulder and flung it across the room.
"OW!" Trevelyan's muffled groan came from inside. "Are you trying to kill me, or is your brain really that empty? Honestly, sometimes I wonder how a guy with two working legs can walk around carrying a sack of rocks for a head!"
"Oh, be quiet!"
"Don't you dare tell me to be quiet! I am.."
Ryan tuned him out, striding past the small kitchen and down the narrow corridor with two doors. He stepped into his room, scowling as he took in the mess, the very same disaster Trevelyan had caused that morning.
"Urgh, this has to be a nightmare," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Just then Trev hopped onto his shoulder and surveyed the room with him.
"Oh you had better get to work if you want her to feel safe, Kasper, what a childish thing to do! messing up your bed chamber like that!" Trev said with a smug smirk
"URGH YOU WERE THE ONE WHO LITTERED MY ROOM THIS MORNING! NOT ME!" Ryan snapped
"Well, you're the only one available to clean it up, ain't ya?"
Ryan clenched his fists.
"After all, I'm just a stuffed animal," Trev went on smugly. "But don't worry, it's only temporary. Maybe when I get back to my normal form, I'll think about considering thinking about helping you out." He hopped off Ryan's shoulder just before Ryan could shove him.
Ryan sighed and got to work, folding his clothes with mechanical precision and stacking his books neatly on the desk.
He dusted the shelves, straightened the curtains, and swept every trace of Trevelyan's "artistic chaos" into a corner. The room slowly returned to its usual calm, spotless order.
By the time he was done, he stood back, arms crossed, eyeing the space like a soldier inspecting the battlefield after victory.
Trevelyan burst into the room with wild urgency.
"She's gonna be here any time soon, so clean up this place!" he barked.
"I did clean it up! It's spotless!" Ryan yelled, waving his hands toward his bedroom.
"What about the other places? And make sure the toilet's clean too! I can't have her wanting to ease herself in a bad environment!" Trevelyan shouted, pacing in frantic little circles, his stuffed hands flailing in the air.
"Why do you even care? You don't even know if Jade's my sister or not," Ryan muttered, lowering his voice as he grabbed a broom and headed to the living room.
I've always wanted a sister to take care of and look out for! And now I think I've finally found her! I'm going to spoil her rotten!" Trevelyan said, flopping onto the couch and staring at the ceiling. "I'm sure she's our sister, she has our mother's eyes."
"Really? I have black eyes too! Does that mean I have her eyes as well?" Ryan asked, his voice cracking with a small spark of excitement, breaking his usual moody demeanor.
"No, mom's eyes or not, I'm sure she's my sister, if not yours," Trev replied confidently.
Silence filled the room for a few moments. Ryan continued tidying up, stacking books, while Trevelyan lay motionless on the couch, staring at the ceiling like a tiny, smug statue.
Ryan hoisted the trash bag and headed for the door. Just as he opened it, he collided with someone hard.
The bag slipped from his hands, tipping over and dumping its contents all over her.
"Oh No Oh No!, I'm s..so sorry!" Ryan stammered, stepping back, his face heating up.
He looked up and froze. There she was Jade, covered in dirt and trash, staring at him with wide eyes.
Trevelyan, lying on the couch, burst into a muffled laugh. "Well, that's one way to make an impression!"
Ryan groaned, wishing the floor would just swallow him whole.
Jade said nothing, closed her eyes and opened her arms wide.
As if he'd heard her, Ryan carefully lifted her, not caring that the dirt would spill onto him too. He carried her into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water cascade over her.
Her face relaxed as the water washed away the grime and smell.
"Give me all the cleaning supplies in this house," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "And make sure I have clean clothes ready."
That was all. Ryan bowed stiffly and got to work, his hands and feet trembling with fear and worry.
After two hours, Jade emerged from the bathroom wearing Ryan's clothes. Her long black hair was tied neatly into a pigtail.
She walked into the living room, where everything was spotless. Ryan had cleaned up the mess and even prepared pancakes for her.
"Dear sister, I'm so sorry for the mess," Trevelyan muttered from the couch, watching her with a mixture of pride and concern.
"Oh, it's alright. It's my fault for expecting something better from him," Jade spat.
Only then did Ryan notice the fire blazing in her eyes, and how hard she was trying to stop herself from lashing out.