"She says she's okay and acts like she's fine, but that look in her eyes says otherwise."

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER TWENTY

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"What the hell has gotten into you, Elizabeth?" Marinette had successfully been able to drag a drunken Elizabeth to her bedroom. "You out of all people hate it when women practice men's activities, and that includes drinking liquor."

Elizabeth giggled, clearly not understanding what her sister had just said. Babbling many incoherent words, Elizabeth was acting like a child herself, and definitely unladylike. Marinette couldn't believe what she was witnessing before her. This was one of the many things Elizabeth criticized people so much for doing, and here she was in the aftermath of the act.

She suddenly reached up to pet Marinette's head, and the ravenette immediately caught onto the act. Slapping her hand away, Marinette grumbled, "What in god's name do you think you are doing?"

Elizabeth giggled again, only proving that she was enjoying the fact that she could bother her sister. Even when she was drunk, she was still a nuisance.
Marinette simply shook her head in disappointment as she reached for the knob to Elizabeth's door.

The quicker she got Elizabeth to bed, the sooner she could run away.

When she pushed the bedroom door open, Marinette was met with a very unpleasant smell.

The smell of alcohol.

Elizabeth stumbled into the room, almost losing her own balance as she wobbled towards her bed. Marinette gaped at her with wide eyes. "What is going on with you, Elizabeth? You have drinks in your room?!" Marinette's eyes took in the sight of her eldest sister's bedroom. The place looked awfully untidy; unlike Elizabeth at all.

But then again, Marinette never stepped foot into Elizabeth's room.

Ever.

It was more of a forbidden place in which Marinette had forbade herself to never step foot in.

If Elizabeth had been in a sober state and was to catch Marinette snooping in her bedroom, Marinette would never hear the end of it. Their aunt would probably have a say in the matter as well– punishing her second oldest niece for no valid reason at all. Only doing so because Elizabeth had always been her favorite.

Marinette scowled at that thought.

Giggling, Elizabeth fell face first into the soft sheets of her bed. "Yeeeesssss~" she mumbled from the softness of her pillow.

Grumbling, Marinette's eyes caught onto the two bottles of alcoholic beverages sitting at Elizabeth's vanity. Immediately Marinette was met with a stronger smell that burned her nostrils as she picked them both up and read their labels. On one read the word whiskey, and on the other too read whiskey.

What in the bloody hell was Elizabeth doing with alcoholic drinks?

Where on earth had Elizabeth obtained these drinks without aunt noticing?

Why was Elizabeth drinking after she had constantly forbid Marinette to never do such a thing?

And where could Marinette get some of her own?

Marinette wasted no time in taking the two glass bottles to the bathroom sink. One by one she emptied the liquid down the drain, practically plugging her nose so she wouldn't inhale its stench.

When she returned with the empty bottles, she found Elizabeth's figure sprawled out across the comfort of her bed, knocked out in a matter of seconds. Marinette contemplated on simply just leaving her eldest sister to ride out her drunkeness on her own, but if Elizabeth was to do something else this stupid in her absence, Aunt would discover what her eldest niece had been up to behind closed doors. And Although Marinette despised Elizabeth greatly, they were still sisters by blood.

Maybe mixed with a little love. Maybe.

Krissy's head came to view under the doorframe only moments later. "Well? Is she really drunk?"

Turning to face her sister, Marinette pressed her lips together and nodded, "I am afraid so."

Krissy fully stepped into the bedroom, only turning her head to look over her shoulder to assure no one was behind her or listening to the conversation at hand. "What shall we do? I mean..." Krissy looked torn on what to do with a sister who was completely stoned. "I have no idea how to handle– how long will she be in such a state?"

Although women weren't meant to do anything of this sort, Marinette was quite an expert when it came to men's foolish activities. "By the time she wakes up tomorrow morning, she should be sober again. Unfortunately, the after affects from the alcohol such as headaches and possible vomiting can occur."

Krissy's scrunched her nose. "That is disgusting."

Marinette only shrugged at that. It didn't bother her as much. "I suppose."

"What will happen if Aunt finds out?" Krissy asked hesitantly, her head once again turning to look back just in case Aunt had come up the stairs for some particular reason.

Marinette shook her head, forbidding to believe such a thing would happen. "She will not find out," and then she smirked, "Because you will make sure it does not happen."

At this, Krissy's eyes widen. "What? Me?! But why? Why must it always be me?"

"Krissy, you of all people know how to lead Aunt on and make her believe lies." Placing a somewhat comforting hand to her sister's shoulder, Marinette grinned innocently– although Krissy saw right through that smile. "I believe you get that trait from me."

Brows now furrowed in annoyance, Krissy shoved her elder sister's palm from the touch of her skin. "Stop fooling around, Marinette. There is no way I will be able to keep Aunt away for the rest of the day. She will be expecting Elizabeth for supper!" And when she realized her voice was a bit too loud, she continued in a softer tone, "Aunt will want to come up and see what has Elizabeth so occupied if she misses supper. How in god's name will I be able to keep Aunt away?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Marinette grinned sheepishly, "How the bloody hell would I know?"

Krissy, growing more aggravated with her sister, pointed an accusing finger directly to Marinette's chest. "This was your idea. You must have a plan!"

"No one ever plans for having a drunk sister!"

"Well, that is why you should be prepared!"

"Me?! But you were not prepared when I was tipsy either! No one is prepared for something like this."

"But you always have a plan for everything!"

Scoffing, Marinette crossed her arms over her chest. "That is not entirely true. You see, I still do not have an elaborate, one-hundred percent guaranteed plan to get myself out of an engagement."

Ignoring her sister's previous comment, Krissy asked, "Why do you not stay and help me?" Krissy suggested bitterly, her brows only furrowing deeper when Marinette shook her head.

"I do not want to deal with a stoned sister and an aunt who's crying for her favorite niece ever second of the day!"

Krissy scoffed, "You are being overly dramatic."

"Oh? Am I?" Marinette challenged.

At this, Krissy finally lost her temper. Frantically waving her hands in the air, Krissy apparently decided to let her elder sister have her mouth. "It seems as if you are so willing and eager to throw this problem all on me, but if I was to ever do such a thing to you, you would never go through the trouble I go through for you!"

This was beginning to turn into more than just some silly argument, and Marinette wanted nothing more between the two of them to cause conflict or tension. "Please, Krissy, now you are being overly dramatic."

"I am not!" Krissy stomped her foot against the hardwood floor of Elizabeth's bedroom. "Always I have been there to assist you whenever you ask of my help, but you? You are never there for any of us– Emily included– and you have always been so willing to run away from any problem that you come to face!"

Marinette couldn't believe what she was hearing. Krissy accused her of not being there for Emily? Emily, their youngest sister, who Marinette practically had to raise herself?

Brows now furrowed, Marinette frowned, "How dare you say such a thing, Krissy. I was the one who practically raised Emily because Aunt would not have done any better."

Krissy did not back down. "And yet you are still willing to leave her under the authority of Aunt."

Turning her head back to make sure Elizabeth was asleep, Marinette crossed her arms across her chest before looking back to glare at her sister. "Now is not the time to be accusing me of stupid things! We have a drunken sister to deal with!"

At this new statement, Krissy's eyes go wide in shock. "What? You—"

But Krissy was quickly caught off guard by the heavy footsteps approaching from the staircase. Immediately, both sisters were on high alert, and Krissy wasted no time in darting into the bedroom behind Marinette and quickly shutting the door behind her. Leaning her back against the door, panicked, Krissy's wide eyes darted to her sister instantly, and she whispered breathlessly, "What are we going to do?! That is Aunt approaching us!"

A sudden knock on Elizabeth's bedroom door started them both. "Elizabeth dear? Supper is almost ready, darling, and I know you always prefer to attend dinner early." The voice echoed from the other end, was anything but comforting. Aunt was on the other end.

Frightened, Krissy whispered again, "What are we going to do?!"

"Shh! Let me think!" Marinette scolded in a whisper as she rubbed her chin in deep thought. There was probably no possible way to chase Aunt away, and there was also probably no way that they could wake up Elizabeth and hope she was back in her normal state. Not to mention it would be impossible to just hide Elizabeth....

...or was it?

At this new idea, Marinette snapped her fingers and grinned, "I have an idea!" She turned to look back at her sister almost excitedly. "We will simply hide Elizabeth!"

Flabbergasted, Krissy's mouth went agape. "Hide? Where on earth are we supposed to hide her? Be reasonable, Marinette!"

Another knock sounded on the door. "Elizabeth dear, is everything all right?"

"Do not be ridiculous, Krissy! There has to be someplace in here where we can hide her!"

"Where?" Krissy hissed underneath her breath. "In the wardrobe? Elizabeth's fat arse would not be able to fit in there anyway."

"You know, Krissy, I am a bit disappointed... because you just stole my line."

"Elizabeth?" Another knock sounded on the door, but this time, Aunt's voice was impatient. "Open this door!"

"How about under the bed?" Marinette suggested, pointing to where the sheets of the bed met the hardwood floor. "Aunt will never bother to check under there since Elizabeth would never willingly crawl underneath her bed."

Upon realizing that under the bed was filled with possible dust bunnies, Krissy nodded in a agreement. "Right... okay. You are right."

"Then quick! Help me move the body!"

Krissy grabbed a hold of Elizabeth's ankles, meeting Marinette's gaze with an unamused look. "Why must you say it like that? She is not dead."

Marinette grabbed Elizabeth's wrists. "If it was not for us, she probably would be."

"Elizabeth! What is the meaning of this?" Another knock that seemed to be harder and louder sounded. "If you do not open this door, I will do it myself!"

Eyes wide, Marinette gestured for Krissy to lift Elizabeth's legs. "Quick! Help me get her on the floor."

Krissy raised an unsure brow. "Seriously, you think we can lift her?"

"Who said anything about lifting? Just get her on the floor!"

"What if we hurt her? I say we try actually lifting her off the bed."

"We do not really have time to find out how strong we are." Marinette's eyes darted to the bedroom door that their impatient aunt stood behind.

Krissy followed her gaze, just as Aunt knocked again, and nodded, "You are right." With a nod, Krissy silently told Marinette that she was ready. On the count of three, Marinette pulled at her wrists and Krissy tugged at her ankles. Without a second thought, Elizabeth's body tumbled over the edge of the bed and hit the hardwood floor with a loud THUMP.

Krissy winced, whereas Marinette couldn't help the grin that pulled at her lips.

That was going to leave a bruise.

Unfortunately, as satisfying as it was watching her sister fall onto the floor, Aunt had clearly heard the noise too.
"What on earth was that sound?" She demanded as she knocked once more. "What are you doing in there, you odd child?!"

Marinette snickered, "Odd does not even begin to describe—"

"Marinette, not now!" Krissy scolded quietly, "Help me roll her underneath the bed!"

Marinette wasted no time in joining Krissy's side, and together, they rolled Elizabeth's underneath the safe haven of her bed. As soon as she was hidden, the door began to creek open, and the two girls had no choice but to also crawl underneath the bed.

Light from the hallway suddenly flooded the room, and Marinette's eyes watched the black heels of their aunt enter the bedroom. Aunt remained still under the doorframe, apparently refusing to enter any further, but Marinette could sense she was probably studying the room.

"Elizabeth?" Aunt finally decided to speak, still not removing herself from under the doorframe. "Where in the heavens are you?"

But there was no response, Aunt grumbled when she was only met with silence. Marinette watched silently with ridged, silent breaths, as Aunt's shoes moved backwards against the hardwood floor and out of the bedroom door. She closed the door behind her, leaving the girls in darkness.

As soon as Aunt was gone, Krissy let a breath of relief escape her lips. "That was awfully close."

Marinette nodded in agreement.

It seemed as if her trip to escape would have to be postponed a bit longer than she had intended.

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