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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍

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"Here's the plan," Sunshine said in a hushed tone as they approached their house, trying to ignore the throb in her head. "We sneak in through the kitchen door, and clean up as much as we can before Mom sees."

Violet nodded, her forehead still oozing from where Leah had clawed at her. They circled around to the back of the house, slipping up to the kitchen door as quietly as possible. Sunshine carefully pushed it open, wincing when it creaked.

"Shit," Sunshine hissed under her breath. There, standing at the island, was their mother.

"Hey," Vivien greeted, looking up at them with soft smile.

Sunshine's pulse quickened. "Hey, Mom," she replied, trying to keep her voice calm while subtly nudging Violet toward the hallway.

"Whoa," Vivien's tone shifted and Sunshine's attempts to rush out of the kitchen came to an abrupt halt. "Come here."

Vivien's eyes roamed over their bruised and battered appearances. "What happened?"

Sunshine instinctively touched her swollen lip, her fingers coming away with dry blood. She opened her mouth to speak, but Violet beat her to it.

"Fell down," Violet lied smoothly, her expression deadpan.

Vivien didn't seem convinced. Her gaze flickered between the two of them, the maternal instinct kicking in full force as she tried to assess the damage.

"Both of you fell down?" Vivien repeated, her skepticism obvious as she met each of her daughters' eyes.

Violet and Sunshine exchanged a glance, their silent communication confirming they were busted.

A slow sigh escaped Vivien's lips as the pieces fell into place. "Come here. Sit, sit, sit," she instructed, waving them over to the island.

The two sisters complied, sliding onto the stools, Violet removing her hat to reveal the extent of the wound on her forehead.

"Boys or girls?" Vivien's voice softened as she crossed the kitchen to retrieve the first-aid kit from a cabinet.

"Girls," Sunshine replied, her voice flat as she stared at the countertop.

"Three of them," Violet added.

Vivien let out a low breath, turning back with the kit in hand. "Hope they look worse than you guys do."

Sunshine gave a small, bitter smile. "Safe to say we did some damage."

Vivien's mouth twitched, pride mingling with concern as she returned to the girls. "Do you know their names?" she asked, opening the first-aid kit.

"We're not narcing," Violet replied bluntly.

Vivien sighed. "You know, we can easily move you two to a different school. There are a lot of really good private schools in this neighborhood."

Violet shook her head. "Sunny was just defending me. It's not fair to change schools because of me and I'm not running away. I'm not scared of them."

Vivien's lips curled into a faint smile as she dabbed a peroxide-soaked cloth on Violet's forehead, removing the blood with gentle care. "Not afraid of anything." she murmured fondly, her eyes softening. "It's like that time in kindergarten when you insisted I bring you home from the slumber party because all the other girls were sleeping with the light on."

Violet gave a small, knowing smile as Vivien stood, moving in front of her eldest daughter with the same gentleness. "Alright, your turn," she said quietly, cupping Sunshine's chin to tilt her head up. She dabbed at the split lip, and Sunshine winced at the sting, but there was something soothing about her mother's care.

"I know you two have had the short end of the stick lately," Vivien continued, her voice quieter now. "This move, the school, and... your dad and I haven't exactly been great to be around." She paused, eyes searching Sunshine's face as she brushed a lock of hair from her cheek.

"It's okay, Mom," Sunshine said, her voice gentle.

But Violet wasn't one to leave things unsaid. "Why don't you guys get divorced if you're so miserable?" she asked bluntly.

Vivien glanced at her, wiping the last bit of blood from Sunshine's face before moving to put away the first-aid kit. "We still love each other," she said simply.

Violet scoffed lightly. "You could've fooled me. I thought you hated each other. Well, at least you hated him. I don't blame you. He was a shithead." Vivien shot her a look, eyebrow raised at the language. "Sorry," Violet muttered, not really meaning it.

"It's okay." Vivien chuckled, surprising them both. "He was a shithead." Her smile was brief, fading as quickly as it had appeared. "You know, we've got a lot of history. Your dad's been through a lot. I've been through a lot. I guess we just need each other."

There was a pause, the kind where words hovered in the air, waiting to be spoken.

"What are you scared of?" Violet's voice was quieter now, a rare softness to it.

Vivien froze for a second, the weight of the question catching her off guard. 

"You said I wasn't scared of anything, so... what scares you?" Violet pressed.

Vivien's lips parted. "Lately?" she repeated, her eyes flickering between her daughters, both of them waiting for her answer. "Everything. Life will do that to you."

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Violet stormed back and forth across her room, her fists clenched at her sides, eyes burning with fury. "I hate her! I just want to kill her!"

Tate lounged in the corner, casually draped across a worn armchair, watching Violet with an almost amused expression. "Then do it," he said coolly. "One less high school bitch making the lives of the less fortunate more tolerable is, in my opinion, a public service."

Sunshine, sitting cross-legged on Violet's bed, glanced up from her laptop. "That's a bit extreme," she remarked.

Tate's eyes flicked over to her. "Maybe," he conceded, but there was no real apology in his tone. He returned his attention to Violet, who had stopped pacing. "Look, you want her to leave you alone, right? Stop making your life a living hell? Short of killing her, there's only one real solution." He paused. "Scare her. Make her afraid of you. That's the only thing bullies react to."

Violet halted, her breath catching as she met his intense gaze. "How?" she asked.

"I've seen her buy coke from someone in my class," Sunshine said casually. "Tell her you have coke."

"I don't have coke," Violet muttered, throwing her hands up as if the whole plan had already collapsed.

"You won't need any," Tate said, his voice steady. "It's just an excuse to get her here. After that, she'll leave empty-handed... and terrified. And I promise you, she'll never bother you again."

Violet's brow furrowed as she considered it, glancing between her sister and Tate, weighing the options in her mind. The idea lingered in the air, tempting her, offering a way out from the relentless bullying. "How am I going to terrify her?"

Tate's unsettling grin widened as he leaned forward slightly. "That's where I come in." 

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