Chapter 6: Home is Where the Heart Is Part 2

As Ethan guided Allison into his car, and they made their way out of the street, Allison gripped the hem of her dress so tightly, that her knuckles were beginning to whiten.

She was worried about Alex, and she was overanalyzing the questions that were swirling around in Ethan's brain. The moment that she had long been waiting for, and that should've been the most joyous, turned out to be one of the most dreadful encounters.

There was an alarming silence in the car, as Ethan drove her to a mystery location, where their date would take place, but all Allison could think about was Alex's outburst, and Jackson's troubled expression.

Breaking her trail of conjecturing suspicions, Ethan had sprung out the question that she had been most fearing.

"So," he started softly, glancing at her briefly, then directed his attention back on the road. "What happened with your mother?"

Startled by his sudden inquiry, although it was greatly anticipated, Allison trembled against the passenger seat, her heartbeat increasing rapidly, as she struggled to conjure up a reasonable and legal explanation.

She had hated to admit it, but Jackson was right about bringing people to their house, and introducing them to their poisoned, and dysfunctional world involuntarily. It only made them more susceptible to being exposed, and put them at even more risk of being separated from each other.

She knew the harsh reality to her life would never leave, even if she tried so hard to be a normal teenager. The darkness and truth would always follow her, and spread like wildfire, onto the people she cared about most.

Being careful with her words, she finally began to speak. "As I mentioned before," she started, recalling the familiar conversation when Ethan had visited her house a few days ago. "Our mother works at a medical centre. Therefore, she's quite busy with work, and providing for us, that we rarely get to see her, if not...at all."

There was some truth to the fib she mustered up, even though it was severely sugar coated.

"Is that all?" Ethan questioned further, making a swift right turn at an intersection, while also glancing at Allison repeatedly to watch her reaction.

Allison took in a deep breath. "Yes," she lied, satisfying Ethan by her answer, as the rest of the car ride was endured in gratifying silence.

-

After consoling his younger brother, Jackson had resumed rearranging the house, while Alex, Jocelyn, and and Emily were now playing soccer in the backyard outside.

They had really hit it off well, after Alex's mood had gone up surprisingly, and Jocelyn had opened up due to her twin brother's confident attitude, and they no longer seemed reluctant to befriend Emily.

Placing all the old family portraits hung up in frames around the walls in a cardboard box, Jackson couldn't help but constantly check his phone in hopes to receive a notification from Allison.

He had only gotten one text from her since she left, and that was the address to Ethan's house. Other than that, she hadn't contacted Jackson whatsoever, and that begrudgingly concerned him.

Then promptly, the ear ringing sound of the doorbell commenced, deflecting Jackson from his mind boggling thoughts, and returned him back to the real world.

Quizzically, he placed the remaining picture frame in his hand, into the cardboard box that lay flat on the ground, and went to approach the door, curious about who it could possibly be at this hour.

He held on an expressionless face, and held his guard up, glancing briefly towards the backyard, where the kids where playing happily, the echoes of their laughter entering his left ear, and the loud beating of his heart in his right ear. Breathing in, he outstretched his arm to twist the doorknob completely, and was flabbergasted, when he came face to face with a certain redhead.

"Rebecca," he spoke underneath his breath, unaware as to how to react, or converse with her.

The redhead held a sharp gaze on him, staring at him intensely with her widened brown eyes, and every ounce of admiration.

"Jackson," she addressed finally, after a short moment of silence passed, gathering up the courage to greet him formally. "I uh," she started, feeling Jackson's eye contact pierce a hole through her skull. "I came to see if Allison was here."

She instantly avoided his eyes, and stared down at the ground, blushing profusely, at just the mere sight of him.

Jackson cleared his throat gallantly, leaning on the doorframe slightly, and replied apathetically. "She's not home. She's on a date."

The words had almost slipped off his tongue venomously, but he controlled the urge to form an abnormal reaction.

Rebecca raised both of her eyebrows, finally building up the confidence to meet Jackson's hazel eyes that began to twinkle in the sun magically.

"What?" She uttered in disbelief, hurt by the fact that her best friend had not informed her. "With who? Ethan?"

At the sound of his name, Jackson couldn't help but groan inwardly, confirming Rebecca's theory, and watched the redhead's excitement heighten vastly, with a mixture of hurt and betrayal.

"I can't believe it," she continued to mutter underneath her breath, still standing on the front porch with incredulous eyes. "I would have thought she'd at least enlighten me about going on a date with her longtime crush, I-"

"Well if it's no bother, I would very much like to continue what I was doing," Jackson budded in quite rudely, getting irritated by the amount of times the subject of Ethan and Allison had been brought up unnecessarily.

He certainly didn't need to know about Allison's elongated crush on him. It was just an unneeded detail.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," Rebecca quickly apologized, noticing Jackson's irritancy to the particular topic. "I just dropped by to see if Allison was home, to pick up our school uniforms. I guess I'll just...leave then."

At the mention of the new school uniforms, Jackson's attention quickly reverted back to his sister's best friend, who vocalized something that he himself had forgotten entirely about.

As Rebecca turned around in her spot, about to depart from the house, Jackson called out impulsively. "Wait!" Immediately, Rebecca whipped her head around, in clear anticipation of Jackson's elaboration, detecting a frantic expression on his gentle face, and watched his age old habit of restlessly running a hand through his hair in panic. "The school uniform policy. "He stated rather oddly. "When does it take effect?"

Rebecca had now fully turned her body towards Jackson, her red locks swinging over her shoulders, as she clutched onto her purse dearly, and responded calmly. "Right after this long weekend; Tuesday."

At that reply, Jackson's eyes widened in fear, as he sighed impatiently, angry at himself for being unprepared and forgetful.

Rebecca observed his pitiful demeanour, and voiced rather sympathetically. "They're selling them today at school. Today's the last day." She hesitated for a moment, but recalled Allison's sanction, and automatically gained a sudden rush of confidence, suggesting ingeniously. "We can go together, if you want?"

Her eyes emitted a hopeful gleam, staring up at Jackson optimistically, who was too indulged in his own, anxiety-filled thoughts and plans to take notice of the subtext that revealed the intention of Rebecca's offer that had been made more apparent.

"Uh, yes, yes, let's go." Jackson accepted at last, breaking out of his trancelike state to catch Rebecca's amplified complexion, and the whiteness in her teeth being showcased by her dilated smile. "Let me just get the twins."

He quickly darted towards the backyard, leaving Rebecca to stand there astray, slumping her shoulders forwards to display her disappointment of not being entirely alone with Jackson.

Nonetheless, she was satisfied enough to be spending any time with him, whether it was alone, or with his younger siblings.

Making sure Jackson wasn't looking at her, she pumped her fist in the air in contentment, and squealed happily in a hushed tone, glad to have fulfilled one of her long awaited desires.

-

After a rather uncomfortable and silent car ride with both Allison and Ethan, they had arrived at their date's main location, sitting quietly in their seats at one of the most beautiful restaurants Allison had ever seen.

Truthfully, she was still concerned about Ethan potentially questioning further about their familial situation, and growing more suspicious about their parents, but she decided to push her anxious thoughts aside, and focus on the date that she had fantasized over many times.

Ethan had brought her to an exquisite restaurant, where the lights reminded her of the natural moonlight, and the sounds of satisfied customers intrigued her, along with the excellent customer service being provided by the staff.

Looking across at her wondrous view, Ethan had looked as charming as ever, with his soft brown locks encompassing his well shaped face, and his dimples being highlighted by the shimmering lights ricocheting off the wine glasses.

"Have you decided what you're going to order?"

The pleasant voice had brought her back into the real world, as she realized that Ethan had caught her staring at him admiringly. The brown haired boy let out a soft chuckle, clearly finding this situation amusing.

Allison only forced a slight laugh, turning a light shade of pink, while breathing rapidly, and twitched her leg uncontrollably.

"I-I don't know," she stuttered perturbedly, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

Ethan only smiled empathetically, flashing her an assuring look, and reached over to delicately place his hand over Allison's, that lay anxiously on the table top.

"Don't be nervous," he advised calmly, steadying her jittery manner, as she gazed into his brown, glossy eyes, seeking comfort and refuge.

Finding ease, she nodded compliantly, and let out a deep breath, meeting Ethan's equivocal gaze. He loosened his grip on hers, and then pulled away cautiously, leaning backwards into his seat, now looking frivolously at the menu in front of him, while occasionally glancing at Allison, who held on a stagnant expression.

"So," she started, in hopes to make conversation on her end. "How 'bout the weather today?"

Her awkwardness was clear to Ethan, and he found her attempts at gaining more assurance for herself, quite entertaining to watch. At Ethan's silent response of flashing Allison a whimsical grin, she instantly regretted her former question that had embarrassed her even more.

Truth was, she didn't know what to say, or how to react. It felt odd to be out with a boy her age, in a non-platonic way, especially since she was so used to focusing on one thing; her siblings.

"Oh come on Pierce, you're too funny," Ethan vocalized abrasively. "You're acting like this is your first date ever."

He made a lighthearted comment, laughing amusingly to himself, but paused his childish behaviour, once he noticed Allison's quiet demeanour, and her twitchy eyes looking elsewhere insecurely.

Instantaneously, Ethan's eyes widened in shock, and he mumbled his theory to be true. "Oh my gosh, this is your first date, isn't it?"

Allison slowly met his gaze after a few seconds, and revealed a look of embarrassment on her face, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden, as she fidgeted with her fingers that lay flat on her lap, while Ethan sat there in disbelief.

After a moment, Ethan decided to turn the tone of the conversation into something much more joyous.

"Well, that sets quite a lot of pressure on me to make this date surpass your high expectations," he spoke in a jocular manner, instantly gaining a smile from Allison, who started relaxing a bit more. "Hopefully I succeed."

He stared deeply into Allison's eyes, showing his sincerity, while Allison gazed just as passionately in return, reciting a convincing reply. "I'm positive you will."

He smiled warmly, and then gestured to a dish on the menu. "I'm heading to the restroom. Will you order for me?"

His brown locks bounced back and forth, as he stood up from his chair, as Allison nodded in response, and smiled sweetly.

Ethan grinned charmingly one last time, and then departed towards the restroom, as Allison continued to scope the restaurant's menu, in hopes to determine what she wanted.

In the midst of this, her phone had created a loud sound, indicating a notification from her Rebecca. With furrowed eyebrows, she curiously opened the text to reveal a picture she had sent her.

It wasn't just any picture, however. Allison's heart stopped briefly, as she studied the context of it all. Rebecca was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, smiling girlishly at the camera, while Jackson had his hands on the steering wheel, focusing on the road ahead, with a serious look plastered on his face, completely oblivious about the picture that Rebecca had taken.

Right underneath the photo, Rebecca had texted enthusiastically, hanging with my BFB (Best Friend's Brother). Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Allison sat there in shock, not knowing how to react, and felt the urge to call Jackson right away to scold him about not telling her about his activities with her friend. She couldn't believe the sight.

Although she was the one to convince both of them to pursue each other, she didn't think it would happen that quickly, and on its own. Something about their encounter unsettled her, and she wondered why she was getting so worked up, when Jackson had granted her the freedom that she asked for, and didn't question much about her date with Ethan.

Why couldn't she do the same for him?

Just then, Ethan had returned from the restroom, rushing back to his seat, and took notice of Allison's disrupted manner.

"What's wrong? Did the waiter come to receive the order?" He asked softly, also inquiring about her recent change in conduct.

The eldest Pierce daughter overwhelmingly set her phone aside, still clearly bothered about the photo that Rebecca had sent, and slowly shook her head at Ethan's question.

As Ethan started to converse with her about his life, she found herself completely drowning out his voice, and thinking about Rebecca and Jackson together, doing who knows what.

Needless to say, she was concerned, and clearly discombobulated.

-

The car ride to the school had been nothing but chaotic. Jocelyn and Alex were too busy bickering in the backseat, while Emily sat quietly in the middle, caught in the crossfire, and Rebecca sat complacently in the passenger seat, sneaking glances at Jackson occasionally, who was too concentrated on driving safely, and attempting to resolve the twins' conflict.

"Okay, we're here," Jackson announced breathlessly, pulling into the school parking lot, which was next to near empty, in comparison to its population on weekdays.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, and searched for his phone and car keys in the cup holders, catching sight of Rebecca looking at him daringly once he grasped his desired items.

He stared back questionably, when Rebecca spoke aloud. "Are they always like that?" She gestured to the twins, who were still continuing their argument, shouting over one another about the silliest of things.

Jackson glanced at the backseat shortly, and then returned his stare at Rebecca, nodding in affirmation. "Unfortunately," he confirmed, as Rebecca laughed slightly, then exited the car, along with everyone else.

"I'll race you to the school," Jocelyn exclaimed, addressing her twin brother. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

With that, she bolted forwards, not before slamming the car door shut, chanting victoriously before even winning.

Alex grunted in anger, and ran after her, calling out bitterly. "No fair, I wasn't ready!"

Emily remained behind, keeping to herself, and followed beside Jackson and Rebecca obediently, keeping her head down low.

"Hey!" Jackson shouted sternly, addressing his reckless younger siblings. "Be careful you two!"

Rebecca watched in awe, as the twins slowed down, listening to their older brother compliantly, then directed her attention towards Jackson adoringly, who constantly watched out for the twins' safety.

Feeling the presence of someone's eyes on him, Jackson turned his head to the right, catching Rebecca staring at him once again. Immediately, she broke her gaze, and looked ahead in mortification, continuing to stroll along the cement path, towards their school.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders obliviously, and followed behind, with Emily walking beside him.

Once everyone had entered the school building, with the twins now arguing about who had won the race, the group were greeted by a decent amount of kids lined up to get their school uniforms.

Jackson sighed impatiently, wanting to resume his chores back at the house, and dreaded waiting a significant amount of time to receive the uniforms.

He huffed in slight annoyance, while Rebecca smirked sneakily, elated about spending even more time with Jackson.

"This is horrendous," Jackson voiced openly, noticing the line hardly moving, as he joined in, and tapped his foot against the ground restlessly.

The redhead only smiled sweetly at him, and shrugged optimistically. "At least we're..." she looked ahead, and counted in her head. "Thirteenth in line. Shouldn't be too long of a waiting period."

Jackson only looked at her with a look of disbelief, but couldn't help but grin moderately, at her buoyancy.

In a way, her cheerful exterior reminded him of Allison's youth, and suddenly, he found himself dwelling about the time their parents had gotten into one of their worst arguments. At the time, Jackson was beginning to lose it entirely, getting tired of the same daily routine.

Allison was the one that held him together, with her optimistic, cheerful views that always brightened his day. They always brought out the best in each other. It was something he admired greatly.

"Uh, Jackson," Rebecca spoke alarmingly, waving her hand in his face in hopes to attain his attention. "Are you okay?"

He took aware of his surroundings, and nodded in verification. After a second, he had realized the twins' absence, and turned his head around vigorously, his overprotective side kicking in. "Where are the twins?"

His tone was deep, and firm, and Rebecca watched in fascination at how quickly his gentle expression turned into a forbidding one.

Finally, he saw the twins fooling around down the hall with Emily, playing tag, and laughing loudly, enjoying each other's company, and he relaxed in his position, relieved to find them safe and sound.

However, he was still concerned about them potentially injuring themselves, and made a step their way, but was stopped abruptly by Rebecca placing an unyielding grip on his forearm.

In shock, he looked at the redhead that stood shorter than him, and watched her meek appearance convert into an assertive expression, catching Jackson by surprise.

"Relax," she assured him, transfixing Jackson by her sudden boldness, yet her eyes possessed the same gentleness she evoked. "They'll be fine. You don't need to worry so much."

Jackson couldn't help his protective and authoritative temperament when it came to his siblings, but he looked once more at the twins acting like normal children, and unknowingly, a soft smile grew on his lips, admiring the happiness they produced.

After witnessing their playful encounters, Jackson then gazed down at Rebecca, who still had her hand on his arm. Vigilantly, she removed it far too expeditiously, her eyes still glued to Jackson's.

Without communication, Jackson agreed to her advisement, and then focused on the line of students ahead of them, dismissing their puzzling interaction.

-

Meanwhile, Allison and Ethan laughed in unison, after conversing about their elementary school memories, and how they always seemed to find themselves in the same class, even with them being a year apart in age.

"I guess the universe thinks we're meant to be, Pierce," Ethan teased, shooting her a playful grin, as Allison laughed lightly, completely forgetting about the picture that Rebecca had sent.

As she talked with Ethan, she had gotten more comfortable around him, and was genuinely enjoying his company.

The two had finished off their dinner, and Allison was standing at the main entrance of the restaurant, waiting for Ethan to return from paying for their food.

As she waited, she couldn't help but wonder what Jackson was up to. Was he still with Rebecca?

She stared down at her phone, and slid across to visit Jackson's chat. She refreshed it a couple of times, but there were no new updates. It was as if Jackson had forgotten all about her whereabouts, and was too busy with his own love life.

Allison knew she was selfish to assume Jackson would continue to be the consistent loving brother who only paid attention to her, after entering a new relationship, but she continued to hold out hope for things staying the same, although it wasn't likely.

Within a couple of minutes, Ethan returned with a gleaming smile, as Allison quickly put away her phone, now focusing all her undivided attention onto the brown haired boy.

"Thank you, Ethan," she said gratefully. "I really enjoyed myself."

Ethan let out a soft chuckle, as Allison scrunched her eyebrows in confusion at his strange reaction to her gratitude.

"Come on." He nudged her, and leaned in towards her ear to whisper. "The date's not over yet."

With that, he sauntered forwards in a mischievous manner, as Allison trailed behind curiously, watching him exit the restaurant.

She followed him out into the parking lot, but instead of returning to his car, he had taken a minor detour, which accentuated a pebbled pathway around the restaurant, surrounded by scintillating wired lights hung in the poles encircling the restaurant. Only then, Allison took notice of the night sky, and how the stringed lights made up for the starless ether.

Ethan gazed at Allison who was too fascinated in the view, and casually intertwined his hand in hers. Allison immediately felt his soft hand encompass hers, and looked down to view their joined hands, taken aback at his sudden gesture.

She then looked up at him, who looked down with a soft smile, emphasizing his irresistible dimples, and unknowingly, a small blush crept up on her neck.

"The next part of the date," Ethan announced, guiding her into the pathway, as they admired the beautiful view. "Walking together, with these mesmerizing lights to keep us company."

It was just as she imagined it would be. Everything, and so much more. She couldn't explain the butterflies in her stomach, and she couldn't explain the irregular pace her heart began to beat at.

All she could do was try to make sense of it, but the feeling itself was indescribable. For the first time in a long while, Allison had felt like a normal girl.

After walking halfway around the circumference of the restaurant, Ethan looked up at the cloudless, dark sky, breathing in the night air with closed eyes, as Allison found herself staring at the boy she had longed for, for the longest time.

"You know," Ethan started, slowly opening his eyes subtly. "If there's something on my face that is causing you to stare so much, why don't you tell me? -To save me from embarrassing myself any further."

Allison only laughed at his sense of humour, but held her hypnotized gaze.

"I bet you don't know this, but," she voiced in honesty. "I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember."

Expecting some sort of appalling reaction, Allison braced herself after her confession, but only watched as Ethan dawdled his eyesight on the ground, suddenly avoiding Allison's eye contact.

"I remember in elementary school," Allison went on further, looking out ahead, unaware of Ethan's culpable expression. "I would sit behind you in class, and stare at the back of your head all day, hoping you'd turn around, and pay attention to me."

The eldest Pierce daughter took in a deep breath, finally turning her head to look at Ethan, who held his gaze on the ground shamefully.

"But you never did."

The brunette girl now fixated her stare at their interlaced hands, hesitating a bit to vocalize her coveted question, but succeeded conclusively. "So why did you suddenly take an interest in me, now?"

Now she studied Ethan, and how he didn't move an inch. She feared the outcome, but desperately sought an answer to rest her quarrelsome thoughts.

Instead of putting her mind at ease by answering maturely, Ethan looked at Allison finally, with unaffected eyes, and announced sternly. "I think we should head home. It's getting late."

With that, he slipped his hand out of hers, and walked away towards the parking lot, leaving Allison there in dismay.

-

Jackson, the twins, and Rebecca had finally returned home, after dropping Emily off at her house.

By now, it was around 8:45 pm, and the sky had gotten incredibly darker in comparison to when they had first entered school.

As soon as they arrived back home, the twins greeted Bruno happily, while Rebecca stuck back in hesitation, cautiously watching Bruno's behaviour.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Jackson reassured her, as she nodded slowly, closing the front door behind her.

Jackson placed the plastic bag filled with his, and Allison's new school uniform on the couch, and then looked at the twins strictly.

"Alright, get ready for bedtime," he instructed, while both Jocelyn and Alex groaned miserably.

"But it's only nine," Alex whined childishly, slouching in his position.

"And it's a Saturday," Jocelyn chimed in, supporting her twin brother's valid argument, as Jackson only rolled his eyes somewhat playfully.

"Change into your pyjamas," he repeated, much more sternly this time, eyeing them both parentally. "And then you can watch your cartoon show upstairs, if you wanted."

Alex groaned in frustration, and then sulkily marched upstairs, with Bruno and Jocelyn sluggishly following behind.

"Wow," Rebecca let out, clearly impressed by the control Jackson had over them. "You really have a way with them."

Jackson only shrugged in response, pulling out his phone from his back pocket, contemplating whether or not to notify Allison about dropping Emily successfully back home.

Maybe he just wanted an excuse to contact her. However, he decided upon not bothering her, and placed his phone frustratingly on the coffee table, now turning around to look at Rebecca, who stared back at him.

"Thank you," Jackson said suddenly, startling Rebecca slightly, as she met his eyes once again, finding it hard to part from them, and listened to him start to elaborate. "If you hadn't come over and told me about the uniforms, Allison and I wouldn't have had them by Tuesday, and would miss more school days," he concluded modestly. "So thank you. And thank you for coming along with me."

"You're welcome," Rebecca replied in a perky voice right away, smiling brightly up at him. "Although I must admit, it was pretty enjoyable for me."

Jackson only returned a polite expression, awaiting for Rebecca's departure, as she finally snapped out of her hypnotized gaze fixated on the black haired boy, and prepared her exit.

"I should..." she trailed off, guiding herself to the front door, where she hesitantly took small steps to, finding it difficult to vacate the tortuous house.

With her back against Jackson, the redhead bit her lip inductively, and let in a deep breath, finally gathering up the courage to vocalize her undisputed thoughts.

"Actually, Jackson," Rebecca started confidently, swiftly turning around, causing her red locks to sway to the right, as Jackson now directed his eyesight onto his sister's best friend, staring into her eyes intently, letting curiosity get the best of him.

Rebecca stared into his dark brown eyes that dissolved any inch of fortitude she had left in her, and broke her gaze abruptly from him, slumping backwards in her position.

"Never mind." Her frail voice got drowned out by the beating of her own heart, and she made her way to the front door once again, cursing herself mentally, disappointed by her failed attempt.

Jackson let out an agitated sigh underneath his breath, as he watched her leave, and tapped his left foot against the hardwood floor anxiously, contemplating whether or not he should act upon his decisions.

There was a nagging voice at the back of his head, bothering him imperiously, and he was hesitant upon letting it win, yet the allure of his compliant personality seemed to outweigh any scepticism.

Alas, his stern voice was once more utilized, in an effort to withstand any hesitancy. "Rebecca, wait."

The eldest Pierce son took a grave step towards the smitten girl, and instinctually swung his right hand through his Stygian hair, finding it awfully unusual to address such an obscure inquiry, as he now viewed the foreign girl face to face, suddenly being struck by a sort of trepidation.

"I was wondering," he resumed vigilantly, remembering what Allison had spoken about Rebecca and him, and the potential possibility of some kind of relationship kindling amongst them. "If you wanted to go out with me, sometime?"

Unknowingly, Jackson's left eyebrow raised upwards slightly, as a reaction to his peculiar question, as he replayed various movie scenes he had watched in his head of that particular nature, to confirm the accuracy and correctness in his recited words.

Rebecca jolted vaguely in her place, entirely taken aback at Jackson's flabbergasting question, and was left completely speechless, staring heavily at the capricious boy with widened eyes, and an arrhythmic heartbeat.

"W-what?" Rebecca stuttered slowly, finally being able to communicate, as she held on a dumbfounded expression, with a hint of incredulity.

Jackson gulped immediately, not wanting to repeat the question, but having left no choice, finally conveyed confidently. "I said, would you like to go out with me? -That is, if you truly wanted-''

"Yes!" Rebecca exclaimed all too suddenly, her lips curving into an audacious smile, as she restricted herself from leaping upwards and lunging onto the black haired boy that struck his gaze on her, now flashing her a startled look.

Realizing her outrageous reaction, she forcefully composed herself, and nodded calmly, then articulated eloquently. "Yes, I would love to go out with you."

Jackson stumbled backwards instinctively, constraining a wholeheartedly pleased smile, and fidgeted with his thumbs behind his back.

"Great, good..." he muttered quietly, already regretting the question that had nonchalantly slipped out of his mouth, and overthinking all of the negatively possible scenarios that could play out from advancing a relationship with Rebecca.

"Good," the redhead confirmed, nodding imperturbably, and bit her lip simultaneously, as she let out a soft, uncontrollable giggle, while twirling a strand of hair on her index finger girlishly.

Now Jackson had slipped his hands in his two front pockets awkwardly, not knowing what else to do, so he spoke conclusively. "I guess...I'll see you around then."

"Yes, you will," Rebecca replied happily, unable to hide her excitement. "Goodnight, Jackson."

Before she made her way out of the door, Jackson waved shortly, and looked elsewhere, until she was long gone.

He released a breath he didn't even know he was holding in, and shut the front door, sulkily locked it, then stared ahead in disbelief.

"What the hell did I just do?" He voiced to himself unobtrusively, shaking his head in disappointment, as he began to march up the stairs.

-

The car ride home was silent. The sky had turned pitch black over the period of time, and Allison could hardly make out the trees, without the traffic lights aiding in her visual representation.

And although she was exhausted by being out during late hours, and the silence was much needed in order to calm her mind, she couldn't help but feel the silence was too uncomfortably loud.

Ethan had completely dismissed her simple question, and as much as she was curious about why he had done so, she had a feeling bringing it up would only ruin their first date.

There were plenty of other chances she could inquire again, she thought. But for now, she wanted to end this date on a happy note, and the emotionally draining silence wasn't helping.

As if Ethan had read her mind, he rushed to turn the radio on full blast, introducing an upbeat pop song that pierced through Allison's ears painfully, but she accepted the temporary comfort the voice of the mediocre singer brought her in the particular situation.

She leaned her head against the cold window, and looked ahead blankly, desperately wanting to go home and rest, and think about the past events the next day when she was properly unwinded.

However, as she attempted to turn off her mind momentarily for the sake of her sanity, her thoughts reverted to her unpleasant encounter with Ethan during their walk.

-

It was beginning to get really late, and in an effort to distract himself from his past encounter with Rebecca, and the time of Allison's arrival, Jackson decided to resume organizing his parents' room, or what was left of it.

He had cleaned quite a significant amount, and discarded all the unnecessary items appropriately, but realized that he hadn't touched their bedside drawers at all.

Jackson strutted towards the left side of the bed, where mother used to lay, and took a good look at the rigid table that had abrasive wooden splinters sticking outwards hazardously.

With caution, he gripped the knob of the first drawer tightly, and pulled backwards, but it wouldn't budge. He tilted his head curiously, and pulled once again with all of his force, yet the wooden drawer remained intact, unopened.

His hands skimmed the surface of the table carefully, making sure not to seep too deep into the wooden splinters, and came across the shabby old lamp that had collected massive amounts of dust over the course of many years.

Hesitantly, he lifted the lamp, and lo and behold, found a tiny key resting comfortably underneath. His eyes widened at the eerie sight of a mystery beginning to unfold, as he took the key by his right hand, placing the lamp abruptly back on the table, and reluctantly stuck the key in the keyhole.

He didn't know what he'd expect for something to be hidden for all these years, but as he twisted the key rightward, he was greeted by a bunch of old papers sitting messily in the drawer.

Skimming through them briefly, he found mother's old passports, fake ID's, parking tickets, unpaid government fines, and a pack of old cigarettes, equipped with a lighter.

He shook his head, and scoffed slightly, used to his mother's unadvisable habits, but froze in his spot, once his hands came across a thick, card-stock-like paper.

He pulled the paperwork out quickly, diagnosing it as the twins' birth certificates.

Jackson fixated his gaze on the name of the hospital, the date, the year, Jocelyn and Alex's names, and the signature at the bottom.

On the bottom left, he viewed Janet's signature, as her full name was printed right above, and on the bottom right, he expected Augustin's, their father, but was beyond bewildered to see absolutely no signature on their father's side.

The corner was left absolutely blank, as Jackson anxiously fumbled the papers in his hands, in search for his father's signature. It was as if the father was unknown.

There must have been a mistake, he thought. There was no way that the twins' legal document would be ineligible. And as far as he knew, his father was present during the birth of the twins, so he had to have signed their birth certificate, confirming his paternity.

Unless, he wasn't the rightful father.

Instantly, Jackson's gaze drifted to the corridor, looking straight across at the twins' closed bedroom door, as he knelt down beside his parents' bed, clutching the two birth certificates in his hands incredulously.

-

It was now a quarter past midnight. Ethan had pulled up onto Allison's driveway, and their commute was completed at last, much to Allison's relief.

Her eyes were fighting to close, and her body was aching to lay on her comfortable mattress, and under the soft covers.

Nonetheless, Ethan was persistent upon escorting her to her front porch gallantly, and Allison was in no mood to argue. Genuinely, she had enjoyed Ethan's presence, and had felt some sort of satisfaction by being with Ethan romantically at last.

In spite of that, Allison's curious nature challenged dominance over her exhaustion, yet she remained unfeigned.

The two teenagers stood on the front porch unequivocally, unable to fathom the complexity of their close proximity, and what it could possibly lead to.

Ethan and Allison stood face to face with each other, barely making out each other's facial features due to the darkness the sky was emitting. The moonlight that faced the house seemed to highlight Allison's brown eyes, and her pearlescent smile, as she gazed up at her high school crush.

"I had a really good time, Ethan," Allison spoke, breaking the deafening silence, as she stared at the brown haired boy daringly, while clutching onto the sides of her nightdress conservatively, that blew wildly in the wind.

Ethan only relayed an impervious smirk, and snuck his hands in his pockets nonchalantly, tilting his head in a boyish manner.

"Well I certainly hope your first date lived up to your expectations," he countered in anticipation, his smirk fading away loosely while awaiting Allison's subjective response.

"It was quite an elaborative itinerary, I must say," Allison replied humorously, letting a soft chuckle escape her lips. "Very well scheduled. It was well beyond my expectations."

Ethan smiled in return, and inched closer to the eldest Pierce daughter, as she hung back skittishly, trying to make her way to the front door covertly.

Ethan swiftly made a move to prevent her from succeeding any further, and took her by the arm tenaciously, as Allison reacted with widened eyes, fearing the accustomed outcome.

"The date's not over yet," Ethan spoke gently, calming her with his comforting brown eyes that produced every ounce of reverence. "There is one more thing left to do; one last thing that officially completes a date."

Allison noticed the sincerity in his voice, and compliantly followed his lead, as he drew closer to her face. Her heartbeat had increased rapidly within milliseconds, and his grip had now lowered down to her back, drawing her closer to him.

She hesitantly closed her eyes in reciprocation of Ethan's same execution, and anxiously awaited for her first kiss. There was a part of her that internally screamed girlishly, and then there was a part of her that feared history repeating itself.

However, as the night breeze swung her hair to the right cinematically, there was absolutely no tingling sensation pressed to her lips. Instead, the cold wind embraced her face wholly, preventing any warmth from encompassing her quivering lips.

Much to Ethan's disappointment, the porch lights turned on enigmatically, terminating their captivating moment, as both of their eyes opened intuitively, being engulfed in a vexatious situation, and noticed their vicinity.

Allison looked down instantly, in attempts to hide the blush that had formed on her previously pale cheeks, as Ethan stepped backwards inherently, while scratching the back of his neck in dissatisfaction.

"I should-'' Allison finally spoke aloud, her voice coming off as shaky, and unflattering, as she pointed hastily behind her to the front door.

"Yeah," Ethan interrupted her, understanding shallowly, as he conjured a half smile, while walking off the porch steps. "I'll...see you around, Allison." The boy caught a glimpse of the brunette girl once more, now seeming to be a bit distracted, as he cowered his gaze away from hers, and towards the window of the house. "Oh and, say goodnight to your brother for me." He nodded his head arrogantly at the window, and then proceeded back to his car, not bothering to look at Allison any further.

Allison held her gaze on him, as he pulled out of her driveway, and then finally started to process what had blatantly just occurred. She stood in silence by herself for just awhile, staring at the porch light illuminating above, and then made her way to the front door, which she successfully unlocked expeditiously, and was greeted by sheer darkness penetrating its way into her soul.

As she closed the door, and turned off the porch lights, Allison reminiscently leaned against the door frame, mentally cursing herself for not wholeheartedly wanting such a normal occurrence.

She shook her head, deep in her thoughts, and slid off her uncomfortable shoes tiredly, while making her way past the kitchen, and towards the living room.

She walked around cautiously, as there was no light to guide her way, and found herself stopping in the middle of the room, as she made out a slight movement on the couch.

Her heart stopped for a split second, as she squinted her eyes to reveal a shadowy figure that sat there impassively. In the next moment, the lamp had been turned on intensely, displaying Jackson's emotionless face.

"J-Jackson?" Allison stammered, taken aback by his startling presence such late in the night. "What are you doing up so late?"

Jackson didn't break his gaze away from hers, and remained inexpressive, sitting unequivocally on the sofa, letting his response slip out dully. "Waiting for you."

Allison furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and scolded condescendingly. "I told you not to wait up. I-I specifically said I'd be home late-''

In the midst of her plea, Jackson had stood up abruptly, and walked towards his younger sister in dispute.

"You were gone so long, I was worried about you," he argumentatively explained, forgetting all about his boundaries, as Allison now stared into her brother's vulnerable eyes. "You didn't even bother to text me and let me know about your itinerary," he proclaimed, his voice and temper rising a little, as Allison now huffed in clear agitation.

"Weren't you the one who said that I am trustworthy enough to make my own decisions?" She rhetorically asked in disbelief, as Jackson hovered in his position, flinching at every vowel she pronounced. "So why do you seem bothered now?"

Jackson ducked his head down in defeat, unable to conjure up a convincing lie, and stood in his position lengthily, impotent to communicate further.

Allison only stared at Jackson profoundly, awaiting an elaboration on her brother's criticism, but Jackson faltered to verbalize pertinently, to the topic at hand.

Instead, dismissing Allison's prolepsis manner, he started addressing a completely different matter.

"I have something to tell you." His voice was low, and stern, as he made his way towards her, while Allison only broke her gaze, and scoffed enduringly, alerting Jackson, as he witnessed her unusual behaviour.

Allison shook her head in displeasure at her brother's arrogance and insolence, yet countered suitably.

"You and Rebecca are going out, I know," she only affirmed huskily, avoiding her brother's eye-contact, as he stared at her staggeringly, surprised by her sudden, untimely response.

"W-what?" Jackson faltered, suddenly losing his cogency, as he intently viewed his younger sister, and her unimpressed expression. "How do you-''

"Rebecca sent me a picture of you two together, today," Allison cut him off distantly, now on her way to the stairs, while Jackson followed behind closely with a fearsome look. "Funny how I told you about my date with Ethan, but you failed to mention your date with Rebecca."

Allison was clearly annoyed, and frustrated, but Jackson insisted on prying further, and dealing with the situation on hand, proactively.

As Allison tried to make her way up the stairs, Jackson took her gently by the arm, and brought her towards him, in a calm manner.

"It wasn't a date," he reasoned placidly, looking at her in assurance. "I had to get our school uniforms, and she agreed to come." He continued, as Allison listened attentively. "Somewhere in the midst of it all, I popped the initiative question -plus I remember you advising me to pursue her, so why do you seem bothered now?"

Jackson raised a keen eyebrow, relaying a small smirk, as he took pride in his choice of words, while she was caught in a familiar circumstance.

Allison breathed out heavily, sighing in defeat, and finally nodded in understanding, then developed a look of irritancy on her face once more.

"Great, now can I go change my clothes?" She fabricated a toothy grin, trying to make her way upstairs anew, yet Jackson held her arm firmly to restrict her from leaving, and had now abandoned his humorous countenance.

"That wasn't what I wanted to tell you," he voiced ulteriorly, as Allison took notice of his shift in tone. "I was organizing mother's bedside drawer, and found a couple of incriminating documents..."

As he trailed off his sentence, Allison scrunched her eyebrows in interest, anxious to know where this was heading.

"I found the twins' birth certificates," Jackson divulged, taking in a sharp breath, as he prepared to vocalize his ambiguous assumption. "On the bottom, I found mother's signature, but Augustins' wasn't there."

Allison blinked perplexingly, forcefully wanting to repudiate all the possible scenarios coming to mind.

"W-why would that be?" She found herself stuttering, as her hands started to shake unforeseeably, and Jackson swallowed in uneasiness.

"It would only be so, if Augustin..." he struggled to compose himself, and fought to officially verbalize the truth. "If...he wasn't the father."

Allison instantly met her brother's eyes, and bit back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes, and felt her brother's grip on her arm tighten in solace, for they both realized the impact that statement had on both of them.

"No," the brunette denied, fearing it to be true, as she shook her head perilously. "It has to be impossible."

She refused to believe that her life had been a lie. And as much as their mother gave them reason to be indifferent, she simply couldn't process it.

"There's physical proof, Allison," Jackson elucidated, gesturing to the legal documents resting on the coffee table.

Allison quickly ran towards the two certificates, and read them over repeatedly in denial, with widened eyes, now letting a few teardrops fall down.

"Think about it," Jackson rationalized, walking over to his sister, and recalled all the past events that seemed to almost foreshadow this speculation. "Augustin left almost right after the twins' birth. He had to have figured out that mother cheated on him, and that the children weren't his." He went on further to provide proof, as Allison gripped the documents in her hands tightly, slowly letting everything sink in. "This also explains why we never got child support for the twins, from him; because he's not the biological father-"

"Then who is?" Allison questioned in betrayal, looking defencelessly at her older brother, as he gazed down at her in empathy and hurt.

Allison now began to form steady words, as she spoke seemingly. "If the twins have a different father, why hasn't he bothered to show up? Why hasn't he paid his child support? Why hasn't he been there for them?"

Jackson watched as Allison crumbled down, but felt the need to suggest truthfully. "Knowing mother's taste in despicable men, their biological father was probably a crackhead who died of an overdose, or fell off the face of the earth after a lousy one night stand," he spoke blankly, now sitting beside his younger sister on the couch, who set the birth certificates back down on the coffee table in front of them.

"They're our half siblings," Allison said in conclusion, staring ahead into the darkness, as Jackson sighed in response. "Everything has been a lie. How could they do that to the twins? How could they deceive us all those years-"

"Hey," Jackson murmured delicately, leaning forward to grasp Allison's left hand, and intertwined it in his right hand, while shaking it slightly to snap her out of her hypnotic trance. "It's going to be okay." He comforted her, as Allison turned her head to the left to meet her brother's caring eyes.

Allison smiled faintly at his attempt to calm her down, but asked questionably. "How are we going to tell the twins? Should we tell the twins? Would they even understand what it means-"

"Allison," Jackson cut her frantic rambling short, and only gazed at her patiently, now being able to vocalize his idea. "I think we should withhold the truth from them until they're old enough to fully comprehend it."

Allison nodded in agreement, looking down at her lap, and worried about what would occur the day they found out about the truth. She feared that they wouldn't be able to grasp it mentally, and would suffer traumatically.

"What if they think any less of us?" Allison wondered aloud, intriguing Jackson by her general inquiry. "What if they don't see us the same anymore? Half-siblings? That's bound to complicate things."

Jackson smiled reassuringly at his sister, and squeezed her hand tighter consolingly, and recited sincerely. "A family isn't only created by blood, or the percentage of how much of the same we share with them." He glanced down at their intertwined hands, then back at Allison. "They'll understand that."

-

It was well past midnight, and Allison had adequately changed out of her black dress, and removed all of her makeup. Her curled hair was now tied back in a loose ponytail, and she stood in her bedroom, in front of her long standing mirror, staring blankly at herself.

It seemed as if her brain had completely dismissed her own reflection, and was peering into another dimension. She felt as if her life was susceptible to conflict and complications. And even though she had faced these hardships all throughout her life, there was no getting used to it; there was no immunity, or numbness...at least not entirely.

As she wandered the corridor, her bedroom lamp radiated enough light to faintly produce a silhouette of herself, while she ventured impulsively towards the twins' bedroom, making sure to stop abruptly in front of their door.

Despite the feeble rattles coming from Jackson's room, as he prepared for bed by taking a late night shower, the atmosphere was quite tranquil.

Allison found herself struggling to go any further, but managed to gather up enough courage to slightly push open the door, to unveil Jocelyn and Alex sleeping peacefully in their beds, along with Bruno who was curled up on the carpet in between them.

Allison smiled naturally at the beautiful sight, and cowered back slightly, to lean against the door frame for support. She couldn't help but grasp in the serenity, and gazed at her younger siblings lovingly at their youth and innocence.

Hearing distant footsteps, from her peripheral vision, she spotted Jackson trailing behind, now in his sweatpants, and loose white shirt, along with damp hair, as a result of his nightly shower.

Jackson viewed Allison, as she watched the twins adoringly, and couldn't help but smile sympathetically.

"They're just kids," Allison started softly, not breaking her sight from Alex and Jocelyn. "They don't deserve any of this."

Her voice was fragile, and shaky, and Jackson took notice of this. He walked ahead, and came to stand beside her, finally catching Allison's gaze at once, as she stared at her older brother, silently hoping for his guidance.

He spoke aloud. "We were once just kids, too." His facial expression was stiff, yet shared the same pain as Allison's. "Everyone has to grow up someday, whether it be the right way, or the wrong."

Allison listened, as her brother provided the brutal truth, and didn't bother to sugarcoat it. I guess that was the price to pay when growing up; you were exposed barbarically to every evilness in the world.

However, the Pierce's were exposed at an early age, and that had broken them in ways in which they themselves could not explain.

"You were right." Jackson went on, standing straight against Allison, and recalled his sister's past argument about being honest with their siblings. "We can't protect them forever." His expression was sincere, and meek. "Sooner or later, they're going to find out about all the twisted secrets this family holds." He made sure to harshly pronounce his syllables, to show his disgust for his family's infamous legacy, as Allison nodded slowly in assimilation. "The only thing we can do is provide them a happy, and innocent childhood that we ourselves were deprived of."

Noticing his eyes getting glossy, Jackson immediately turned his stare away from Allison, and stepped backwards as a defence mechanism, now focusing his attention on the darkness that enveloped the walls.

The eldest Pierce daughter agreed wholeheartedly with her brother's notion, and leisurely closed the twins' bedroom door, making sure to glimpse at them one more time.

She fumbled with her fingers anxiously, and noticed Jackson's suddenly distant behaviour. Jackson felt her eyes piercing a hole through his skull, and instantly forged a convincible, unaffected smile, now staring at his sister lightheartedly.

"So," he began optimistically, frightening Allison by his immediate resiliency. "Am I sleeping in your room tonight, or are you sleeping in mine?"

He couldn't help but showcase his admirable dimples as he broke out of his falsified beam into a genuine, excited grin. It was as if this moment was the highlight of his day, and he awaited for his sister's response patiently.

Allison however, resisted to return his endearing smile, and continued to fidget with her fingers embarrassingly.

"Jackson," she said, her voice barely audible, as she squirmed uncomfortably in her spot, and the eldest Pierce held on a questionable look. "I think we should sleep in our own rooms."

His smile had faded away all too quickly, as he caught onto Allison's solemnity, while she continued to elaborate on her opinion.

"We're both in relationships now." She swallowed hesitantly, avoiding his eye contact, and proceeded to stare intensely at the ground. "I think it's safe to say that this is for the best."

Jackson stayed quiet, speechless, yet let out a soft sigh, now prying his eyes away from his sister.

Allison on the other hand, felt the need to explain further in detail about her verdict, and began communicating in depth. "If we weren't both-''

"I understand," Jackson interrupted her reservedly, his lips pressed into a thin line, as Allison studied her brother's unreadable expression.

He lingered in his position for a moment too long, and then retreated back to his bedroom, not failing to shut the door without another glance, while Allison watched wistfully at her brother's departure.

-

|2:49 am|

Allison tossed and turned around in her bed, unable to find ease. She clutched tightly onto the covers, and huffed in frustration at herself,  and the unavoidable situation. As she leaned on her right side, her gaze drifted to her bedside table, where her eyes came across the framed, youthful picture of her and Jackson at a baseball game, smiling sprightly into the camera lens.

Allison stared indecisively at the old picture, then eventually succumbed into her perilous thoughts, as she stood up abruptly from her bed, and made her way into the hallway that was inundated with grisly gloom.

Her faint footsteps slid restlessly across the cold floor, as she found herself viscerally wandering across, into the all too familiar bedroom. The doorknob's rattling hold sent a shock through her body, as she recklessly twisted it rightwards to leave the door ajar.

The darkness from the hall encompassed the entire room, as she reached to shut the door immediately, almost to drive away all of her morals and good conscience that followed behind. Allison felt her way towards the bed to her designated side, and withheld the urge to look at the body that lay in it, while she made her way under the covers tacitly.

She moved comfortably in her position, and shifted all her weight onto her left side, now staring at her brother's face that was gazing widely at the ceiling above. Both were silent, both were expressionless, feeling comfortable in each other's presence.

As Allison studied her brother's unreadable facial expression, her eyes travelled down to his pulsated neck, and then onto his bare, fluctuating chest, that was partially engulfed underneath the covers. She stared fascinatingly at him, not able to pry her eyes away.

Becoming disinterested in the frivolous ceiling, Jackson turned his head rightwards, to catch his younger sister eyeing him intensely. Instantly, Allison looked away embarrassingly, and then closed her eyes, attempting to fall asleep.

However, now she felt Jackson's eyes piercing a hole through her brain, and she had no option but to open her eyes once again to meet with her brother's brown, dilated pupils. She gave him a questionable look, but he only stared at her observantly, and Allison grew confused by his strange manner.

Blaming the late hour, and the mind tricks it could pull, Allison dismissed their heavy gaze, and spoke earnestly, what had been poking her mind for the past few hours. "While you were...rummaging through mother's things..." Jackson fell back into his initial position, knowingly listening to his sister's anticipated question. "Did you happen to find our birth certificates?"

Allison awaited an answer impatiently, but Jackson remained silent. He avoided her gaze, and continued to stare above at the darkness that penetrated the ceiling with extreme toxicity. He attempted to breathe stably, and forced a nod to escape his uncontrollable movements.

The eldest Pierce daughter habitually bit her lip in anxiety, and daringly pried further into her curious inquiry. "So are we..."

Jackson unforeseeably repositioned himself bluntly, inches away from Allison now, as both of their faces aligned excusably.

"We're full siblings," he cut in, almost showcasing a look of disappointment. "We share the same biological mother and father."

Allison took a moment to process the words that had escaped her brother's lips, and then nodded tepidly in understanding, trying to avoid Jackson's intimidating eyes, yet failed to mask her reciprocating facial expression.

The eldest Pierce sibling took notice of his younger sister's conflicting manner, and attempted to convert the turbulent atmosphere into something more placid by asking nonchalantly. "So, how was your date?"

Allison raised both eyebrows, completely taken aback by Jackson's question, and struggled to form any words, due to the uncomfortable subject matter they were discussing. However, even after observing his sister's nervous complexion, Jackson held his gaze on her, waiting impassively for her response.

Stuttering momentarily, Allison managed to choke out awkwardly. "It was good...very good."

Dissatisfied by her extremely vague response, Jackson rolled his eyes impatiently, and tilted his head slightly on the pillow next to his sister, asking further in depth.

"What happened exactly? Where did you guys go?" Jackson tried not to sound too nosy, but his restlessness to the said topic outweighed his sensible and collected attributes.

Allison shifted around uncomfortably in her spot, unintentionally inching closer to Jackson, and stared intensely back into his dark, probing eyes, curious about what direction this conversation was heading in.

"We went to a restaurant..." Allison trailed off finally, studiously inspecting Jackson's altered appearance, as he scoffed impractically at her presumptive answer for a mediocre date. "And then we just walked around."

The now nonchalant expression from Allison only concerned Jackson, as he contemplated mentally if he should meddle any further about all of his sister's whereabouts with Ethan this night.

"That's good...very good," he found himself voicing, in replication of Allison's previous response.

Allison only held on a questionable look, raising her left eyebrow slightly to silently examine her brother's unusual, choppy interaction.

A few moments went by, and Allison nuzzled against her cold pillow, finally starting to feel the drowsiness her day had brought, kick in, and closed her eyes gently, figuring that their nightly verbal exchange had come to an end.

However, her assumption had soon proven to be incorrect, when Jackson's mellow, yet tremulous voice erupted a rather anomalous question.

"Did he kiss you?"

As he asked this, his eyes found their way back to the consumingly dark ceiling that excused him from looking Allison's way.

Allison's eyes instantly flung open at the puzzling question, and she immediately looked at her brother who didn't move an inch at all.

He was rather nonchalant, but a slight pinch of melancholy radiated from the words that he had uttered so wistfully, and that was greatly overlooked by Allison herself.

The eldest Pierce daughter opened her mouth in an attempt to vocalize a reply, but she grappled to form an effective, collected response, due to the peculiar nature of the baffling inquiry.

She mumbled a few inherent remarks unintentionally, and then finally forced herself to casually and calmly disclose. "No."

As she abruptly spoke, she made sure to watch Jackson's reaction, but it was impossible to witness in the complete darkness, and the inconveniently positioned angle of his body and head.

Once he didn't move, or add to her statement, Allison began wondering inwardly about all the possible reasons why Jackson would ask about such a personal matter, and naturally, her eyes travelled onto the bedsheets that were glowing from the moonlight peeking in from the window.

Nonetheless, her preliminary train of thoughts circled back to a question that she herself had been itching to ask since she came back home.

Allison took in an intense breath, and in a confrontative manner asked. "When I arrived back home, were you the one that turned on the porch lights?"

She fixated her gaze intensely on what she could make of her brother in the compelling moonbeam, once she had not received a response.

She peered over towards him slightly, and saw his eyes closed, in what appeared to be him sleeping peacefully. Allison sighed briefly, disappointed that she could not ease her curious thoughts, but then finally turned onto her right side, facing away from Jackson, and decided to get some rest.

As soon as she changed her position, Jackson opened his eyes wide, numerous enthralling thoughts floating erratically in his mind.