My brothers and I sat silently in Charlie's office. My thumb tapped on the arm of the wooden chair, waiting for something to be said. Charlie sat in his chair, leaning back with his hands together, covering the lower half of his face. He was staring at the top of his desk. The house was quietly buzzing on the other side of the door. The three involved with the fire were recovering well. Brandon was starting to show risky behaviour, running way too much for healing. Last I saw, he was nagging Kurtis and Sarah to throw large things at him. As Charlie called us in here, I'm almost positive they were about to give in, just to throw things at him.
"What did you call us in for?" Tyler asked from his spot against the fireplace.
Charlie cleared his throat, "this is mainly about the twins, but I think it's best you're here too. I was hoping, that due to recent events, you two would reconsider returning to school."
My twin brother and I looked at each other, both of us raising our eyebrows. I didn't expect those words to come from my father's mouth.
"Dad, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean we've both paid for the year," Drew said.
"I think it's the best decision. Having you two out on campuses by yourselves is too much of a risk. We don't have the manpower for it right now."
"I've got James and Brandon with me. I'm not at risk," I told him, leaning forward in my chair.
"I'm suggesting the two of you to not go back to school. I've got a few cases coming up, and with the paycheck, I'll be able to pay you back for your tuitions."
I looked at my twin, glaring at his hands. He was obviously conflicted but with a shut mouth, he sighed and raised his head. I knew what his decision was. It could be a twin thing, or I just knew Drew's priorities.
"I'm not leaving school," Drew said looking up at our father, "I'm sorry, but I've got a year and a half left. I could make some good money from whatever job I get from this program. I'll come home every chance I get and keep you up to date, but I am not leaving school."
Charlie nodded his head, "alright. That is your decision," he looked to me, "and you?"
Charlie's eyes were emotionless, but I knew that meant he was mad at Drew. I couldn't believe there was a part of me that wanted to blurt out that I would stay home, just to appease my father. After that thought, I knew I had to return to school. I couldn't lose what I'd been working for in my own life, just to keep his mind at peace.
I looked from my twin to my father, "I don't know yet. I'll need to think about it."
Charlie nodded his head again. His face stayed expressionless, but he let out a sigh. He wasn't impressed that we weren't listening.
"Do you have anything else to add?" Charlie said over our heads. Tyler walked up, placing his hand on the back of my chair.
"Nothing that agrees with what you're asking of them."
"Understandable. You all can leave."
"Am I the only one who thought that was sudden?" I asked once we got into the living room. Tyler sat down on the couch, rubbing his face.
"Yes and no," he said, "it makes sense he wants us closer. Especially with three of our Pack dead. It's not a good idea for us to be spread out."
"He seems to have no faith in our ability to take care of ourselves," Drew answered, sitting on the arm of the couch. His voice was monotone, annoyed with what'd been asked of us. Tyler nodded, facing the window. I walked to the window seat, sitting myself down. I studied my other brother's face as we sat in silence. He'd gone to school, graduated, and instead of getting a real job, Tyler came back here and started working for Charlie. Charlie paid him a good wage, but it wasn't a real job. Not one that Tyler could live his full potential with. For now, my big brother's life was on pause to help our dad and let Drew and I go to school. Was it time for my sacrifice?
Going back to school was something I knew could be put aside for a year. Until this all died down at least. Being realistic, I knew my father needed me to stay home. I wasn't surprised he asked. Charlie's stress level would be lowered if his children were home, but it was more than that. Not in his lifetime had my father seen an attempt to rebel against the Pack. He wasn't sure what to do. He had all the Pack muscle at Talia Grove all the time, but he needed the brains too. I was his daughter. I was confident in my skills for both, and Charlie looked for my opinion in the past. My own concerns about the situation were stuck in my mind, especially being here for my little sister. The more I thought about, the more I hated to admit, it made sense for me to stay home.
But selfishly, did I want to leave school =? Was I ready to leave Oakville and be my father's glorified assistant? I was loving being independent and living with my friends. I had to consider too, would I want to go back in a year? Or I would I be paranoid of somebody showing up and trying something like this again?
"Ashlyn, what are you thinking?" Tyler asked. My mind zoned back into the present moment. I realized I'd been staring at Tyler. Both were looking at me now. I rubbed the side of my finger across my bottom lip.
"Is going to school really the best idea? We can always defer," I directed the question to Drew. My twin brother scoffed, running his hand through his hair.
"I'm not running away from my life because these losers want us dead. I've things to learn and a life to build. I'm doing this so we can work with the people out there," Drew said, standing up, "because we have been hiding on this property too long. You know that, and I'm disappointed you'd consider otherwise. When I get that degree, it'll make us look more legit. I'm not hiding again."
I nodded, turning halfway back to the window. Drew was saying true statements, but he was having a bit of a hissy fit.
"What are you thinking?" Tyler repeated his question. I bit my tongue and looked at my older brother.
"I'm thinking I'm going to stay home."