Lillian hopefully wiped her tears with her wrist, impatiently surfing through the wild crowd.

The old stain of tear dried on her wrist by the time she reached the counter, free of Carmen.

Lillian's face heated— as tense as her surrounding drunks. Her body tingled with nerves as a chilly breeze runs through her arms. She looked round, even more lost, as if all the failures around her poured down on her. Her chest weakly heaved with sobs, as she glanced at the stool she sat last time.

A boy her age broke Lillian's look by sitting on it, a cigarette packet between his hands as he absentmindedly looks at the staff door, eyebrows raising— like he was debatingbwhether to smoke the cigarettes or not. his long dark hair was tugged back by a small band while his leather jacket shined under the familiar lights.

"You" Lillian calls out, failing at catching the young man's attention. her steps gain weight each second, as Lillian rudely taps his shoulders, snapping him out of his trance.

"The bartender, where is she?" she asked, her face grave. The boy blinked, a few times— as his eyebrows cool their jets. "She went by…" his gaze moves down to the Lockett's shoe,
"Outside, probably by the lake or something" he finished, looking back up.

The Lockett nodded, turning around sharply, it was years since she last held restrain towards her attitude— she driven herself free from a Lockett's image, even for a minute. And yet here she was, at the exit, truly understanding her sister's past actions. She came to understand why Laya did all those things knowing she'd be in trouble; yet once more, she had no title for that either.

A familiar scene from the bar entrance repeated when Lillian walked a near the lake. Yellow street lights illuminate the dark waters, and few town folks slowly walked at the sides, staring off into the waters they couldn’t see properly.

Lillian strived to have an ounce of chance at seeing her sister; but at the same time she also wished Laya wouldn’t be found here— on a starry night beside the lake at the back of a bar; with a suspicious girl along her.

Her shoes scrub like cloth against the empty grass. It felt weird ignoring the sidewalks and short cutting with the grass, but it didn't matter at night.
The crowd bustles a bit more by the time the Lockett reaches the lake.

It suddenly became obvious why people didn’t stare at Lillian at all; they thought she was Laya Lockett. They never saw Lillian Lockett at this place, nor see her dress any way outside of her families' clothing style.

For them, it was impossible to see Lillian Lockett like this; but nothing was impossible coming from Laya Lockett.

But Lillian Lockett decided to use it at her advantage, to freely do what she want's in the name of her sister— not wise, but at least it speeded her process of finding her twin.

All she had to do was to pretend to be Laya Lockett, to basically find her.
But It was shocking, really— to face her twin right beside the bushes in a dark and lonely corner.

The young Lockett lay her back at the bushes, her knees guarding her torso as her white t-shirt dangled around her body. A lighter rested in her hand, it got lit every few seconds, then turned out by the wind. A boredom habit.

The lighter's flame stood loyal this time— due to Lillian hovering over it and blocking the wind.

Laya's eyes bore deep into the lighter, before flickering upwards. the lighter jerks from her hands into the grass as Laya jolted back at the sight of her sister.

"You're on smoking terms now?" a grin of disappointment latch at the Lockett's face. her fists burnt icy in her pockets. "What? No!" Laya's face sours up.

Lillian stepped closer to the lighter on the grass. It sparkled under street lights right between her shoes; it was definitely used— Lillian assumed. It was tipped with burn marks as traces of cuts scatter around it's base.

"What are you up for anyways?" Lillian stretches her arms, gazing on the ground.

"Just came for a break" Laya dives her fingers into each other, glancing away. It cost moments of tensed silence between them for Laya's eyes to lighten up-

"What are you here for?" she fires back, sharply yet curiously sinking her eyes into Lillian's.

To Laya's surprise, Lillian shaked it off with a shrug; almost rolling her eyes before spinning down to sit down beside her.

"Why'd you bring in a lighter anyways?" Lillian blurts, sliding the lighter from the grass into her palm.

"I don’t know"

Lillian snorts, shaking her head with a grin as she lights it up. Lillian's black pair of eyes trace the grass. It was smooched with mud— and Lillian wondered how she decided to sit here though noticing the mud earlier.

She flicks a leaf from the ground between her two fingers, crossing it between her hands.
The leaf was sluggish at burning when it got in touch with the lighter- like hesitating to accept the heat.

"Smells like cooked meat" Laya scoffs after a minute passing. Lillian sarcastically replies, gesturing the leaf towards Laya, "Wanna try?"

Water splashes timidly on the small, broken rocks; making it the only humming lullaby other than the wind. Everything seemed like a joke that moment; something to laugh off and forget like your drunk. Lillian thought she'd be much more upset than she already was— but her feelings took a leap like now, like many times- betraying her like a duty.

The leaf burnt its ashes to the core while smelling like a kebab, and hungered the twins despite it's hideous appearance.
Lillian licked her lips, scratching the ash on the ground as if she was cleaning it. Lillian hated kebab— at some point even more than she hated Cozbi. The last time she had one was when she was ten, when Aunt Claire made loads of it, specially for Laya– which was a fan of the food, which surprisingly Lillian ate enough to make herself vomit at eating it again.

but now she had a knack for a second chance at the food.

The tender smell gently flicks away in serenity as Laya opens up;

"You're mad at me"

"I'm not" Lillian lies. Laya sighs a sharp sigh- slicing off any leftover words from Lillian. Raising her head, she glares at the sky— demanding more stars. Her tongue reopens when she wet her lips, gravely beginning to speak;
"Tell me" she demands.

"Tell you what?" Lillian glances at her shoes.

"I guess we both know what it is?" the young Lockett remarks, hiding her smug look immediately.

"Who's Cozbi?" Lillian asks, standing up. "A friend, a company, an assistant- call it whatever you want"
"I think I'm smart enough to know it's more than that" corners of Lillian's lips tighten. Crickets chirped, creating a background melody to listen.

Lillian's breath pinches, struggling in her lungs; "Why here, alone?" she gives in.

- Because I want to

- If you really 'wanted to', I'd be certain you'd do it in daytime

- None of your business

"Look, I'll give you a friend tour within a week or so, but not right now, okay?" Laya lifted her head, her weary eyes shrinking with impatience.

"We'll see" Lillian slid her hand out, helping Laya from her place.

Laya scrubbed her rough hands against her hip, expelling any dirt or mud from it.

Tension stood between them, but not as active as before. Their trust for one another recovered like a salty wound getting cleansed as they walked by each other. Laya hunbly bowed her head the whole time, as if a teacher found out her mischeifs.

But we all once had people that taught us more than a teacher would, so?

But the thing was, Lillian never had such character in her life. There was never such a person deemed special for her besides her mother. To keep it basic— she was the teacher, others were never for her.

But at the same time it's like the best thing to be independent; in Lillian's situation at least.

-

Warming lights pierced through the windows of the Lockett mansion as the offsprings returned. Aunt Claire sat effervescently in front of the television like she couldn’t believe she was finally settling down.

The two silently crossed the path behind their Aunt— not making any noise other than their breath.
Surprisingly the twins parted ways into their own individual rooms and swapped into their pyjamas.

By the time Lillian relaxed with her phone in hand, Aunt Claire was nowhere to be heard and judging by the silence— she apparently went to sleep. But Laya usually wouldn’t sleep early hours and spent the whole night awake.

Her face was a rectangular blob of light in her dark room under a phone; And yet she wondered why she was in such a situation. She had nothing to do; and nothing going on. All on her nearly blank thoughts was what to do next.

That was, until her thought manifested. Her hands accelerate trembles that rushed like blood through the remainder of her body. Her phone flopped pain on her stomach, and her body was icy cold.

Footsteps grew from afar in the hallways, "Laya!" Lillian cried.

The steps take a turn, and they stride into Lillian's room; revealing Aunt Claire's scowled shock.

"What's going on?" Aunt Claire sharply questioned, dismissing herself by rushing to Lillian. The Lockett nearly dived herself into ground, helplessly flopping down; before her Aunt grabbed her shoulders.

"Lillian" Aunt Claire called, settling her arms behind Lillian's shoulders. Her puffy blanket fell down from her bed— questioning the rooms neatness.

Lillian's head stung with dizziness, infecting her eyes with blackouts and harsh, short breaths. her body was now fevering with uncomfortable heat– that not even a cool drink could fix it.

"It's fine, I just feel for vomiting" Lillian massaged her sweaty forehead. 

"You sure you don't need anything?" Aunt Claire asked,
"Sleeping would be enough for me"

Her Aunt nod in agreement, helping the elder Lockett to her bed and to settling her blanket. Lillian stared at how her Aunt left to resume her sleep, and therefore left her in the darkness of repeat.

It was all clear now; well at least for Lillian it was the following: the same thing that happened to her the day she met Cassia, happened tonight. Although it lacked intensity compared to the previous one.

But when will it end?

"Maybe Laya could help" Lillian thought.

Her breath cut short when her left arm stung with pain and trembles. Lillian yanked on her bed, quickly rubbing her wrist.