Time passed for the Morgan-Sutton Household.
In that ticking of time, Elliot's mettle was tested against the onslaught of his stepsisters. At the best of days, they'd tolerate one another by staying out of each other's business or simply ignoring the existence of the opposite party entirely. It was the closest they'd come to peace.
At the worst of it, he'd find himself on the short end of the stick.
Every.
Damn.
Time.
It's like they had the universe on their side whenever their parents suddenly walk in on them. In their eyes it was Elliot who always instigated. They'd scurry of like mice where they had been fighting like cats and dogs a moment before.
And every time, Elliot was always reprimanded with "the talk".
They'd sit him down on the kitchen chair. And tower over him as they try to home in the lesson about treating his "sisters|" nicely. They never hit him or anything, they just talk and talk for an hour or so. Personally, Elliot would have preferred being paddled than having to sit through one of their talks.
And most of all, the two would peek on him from the end of the hall, just out of sight. Out of the corner of his eyes he'd see them, making faces at him while their parent's focus was on him. The purpose of these talks, as stated by Katherine, was to work out his feelings.
But Elliot wasn't the only one to learn that life hits you when you least expect it.
If life was a pitcher, then Kassidy has been hitting it out of the park each time life takes its aim at her. Kassidy had only a few moments in her life where she struck out and all of these instances were outside of her powers. When her biological father walked out on their life. When the family's finances strained as the economy buckled, even despite her mother's best efforts. And even then, they weren't as rich as she would have liked them to be. These few but glaring flaws in an otherwise perfect life gnawed at Kassidy's insides for as long as she could remember.
Whether it be looks smarts or popularity, everything else fell in line for Kassidy. The last of which she never even bothered, thanks to her mother's genes. Coupled with her intellect, people would bend out of their way as she had proved time and time again, she was their better.
Life throws its pitches at her hard and straight, and she damn well doesn't miss, not on her watch.
Until finally, things were coming together.
The family she so wanted was about to be complete. Her mother had found a good, reliable man. Byron Sutton was every father a child could ask and more. Kind, protective and responsible, he owned a small business and was an ideal family man, if only the same can be said for his son.
Just the mere thought of him, put a damper on Kassidy's thoughts. But for three years, three good years, everything went swimmingly. She never considered Elliot a brother, just some pitiful kid who shared the same roof with her. Kassidy was seventeen now. Elliot and Kinley just a year younger than her at sixteen.
Life was amazing. Byron had gotten her a deal from an old acquaintance of his for a used Camry. It was sleek, blue and she fell in love with it at first sight. Their mom had been wanting to buy her a car for some time now but Byron surprised them through his own connections.
Not soon after that, their parents had just given a big announcement. Long had Katherine wanted to send her children to her alma mater and was quite ecstatic when she found news of her old boarding school had set up a sister school in Washington, just a short plane ride away. Some of her old friends from her old life were now in high positions in the school board.
Kassidy and Kinley were both ecstatic. Their mother had worked them up about her carefree days when she was sent there. The programs and the facilities, the school was known for taking some liberties when it came to educating its students potential. But what enticed the sisters most of all was the freedom they were allowed, so far away from home and the oversight of their parents.
Things were finally coming full circle, thought Kassidy. Or so she expected. Everyone, at one point or another, learns a valuable in life. One, that despite everything in your life seems going along swimmingly, the universe decides to throw a wrench into your plans.
Or simply put, shit happens.
It was late in the night and Kassidy was hankering for something to eat after a two-hour study session. Hushed voices in the kitchen warned her by instinct that she hearing something she wasn't suppose to hear. It was their parent's voices bouncing off the walls. The hallway was dark and she hadn't made a sound as she walked down the flight of stairs, fortunately.
Their tone was.... distressed. She swore she could hear her own mother sniffling and her stepfather comforting her as best as he could. Kassidy couldn't hear the exact details of what the issue was but it was certain it wasn't anything good if it brought her mother to tears.
She was so focused on staying hidden and craning to hear what they were whispering about; she didn't notice the shadow that walked past her. Elliot had come down, eyes half shut and a hand underneath his shirt scratching at his chest. He yawned and didn't give Kassidy a passing glance as he walked past by and towards the kitchen.
Both parents looked up and Kassidy pressed against the walls and shadows, cursing that barging idiot.
"Elliot, you're awake," His father said, somewhat startled. Kassidy's presence was still unknown to them.
"Just came down to fetch a glass of water. Is something wrong?"
Kassidy had a quick look-see, hoping the unlighted halls would hide her peeking eyes as she spied on them. Maybe that idiot could shed some light on these late-night whisperings.
"No, no," Katherine said hurriedly, trying her best to not show that she had been crying.
"What is it?" Elliot asked, seemingly oblivious to the mood of the room. Was he dense?
"No, nothing's wrong. Really," Katherine reassured him.
For a moment, no one said or added anything. Elliot just stood there, unwavering. He then turned his attention towards his father. "Yes there is," he simply said. "Dad, I'm not leaving till you say what's wrong."
Father and son had a long hard look into one another. Elliot never back down. Didn't flinch. Kassidy was surprised there was a side to him like this. And was even more surprised when Byron relented and gave him the answer.
"I've been diagnosed with...with uhm...." he stopped and breathed deep, his wide shoulders quaking as he released his breath, "It's cancer, son."
At first, Kassidy didn't make sense of what her father had said. The news was like sand thrown on water, taking its time before it settled down. And when it did, Kassidy's world turned inside out. If she hadn't been leaning against the wall, she would've lost balance and toppled over.
Her parents and Elliot's conversation continued but they were white noise to her as she tried to slunk back into her bedroom as quietly as she could. She couldn't fall asleep, not with that simple word echoing in her mind. Cancer.
Before she knew it, tears were falling down her cheeks.
