[FloatingAroundSpace] Indebted [HollyAnne]

[apolla]

"It's been a long day." Arianna smiled and waved as the last mom left the room, kid in tow. The redhead collapsed into a nearby chair, leaning her head back and throwing her arm over her eyes. "Something must have been in the water today. I don't think we had a single kid not cry." She peeked out from under her arm just in time to see her co-worker Mary nod in agreement.


Pulling herself to a sitting position, Arianna scanned the room. There were toys all over the place and pieces of animal crackers embedded into the carpet. Juice boxes sat, half empty, on the tables and there were countless other things out of place. She'd meant what she'd said: for some reason today, everyone had cried. She'd even felt like crying at one point.


Arianna worked at Happy Days Daycare, which catered to kids up to their teenage years. Arianna dealt with infants and toddlers mostly. Since she dealt with three big kids every day (her two brothers and her father) it was nice to actually deal with kids who were actually kids.


Smiling a little at that thought, she pulled herself from the chair and set to cleaning. It took a while, but eventually she and Mary finally got everything disinfected and sparkling clean. It was about five o'clock in the afternoon, and Arianna was starving. She was supposed to have dinner with her brothers and father tonight, and she hadn't showered or anything.


Grateful she'd brought a change of clothes with her, she left the building a few moments later. Locating her car in the parking lot, she unlocked it and got in, pulling out her phone to send a text to Luke, letting him know she was on the way. Maybe she could shower there before they ate.


Running a hand through her long hair, she turned the key and drove off.

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

A young man sat at a table with black, slicked black hair and brown eyes that had smudges of purple beneath them. He had a scar underneath his right chin that was smooth and small, but had a larger one that extended from underneath his left cheekbone to an inch before the tip of his mouth, as if someone had tried to cut him open. His skin was tanned and though he wore a long-sleeved collared shirt, it could be assumed that his body was decorated with similar scars. His eyes were hard as he stared at another man at the front of the room; a heavy set individual with broad shoulders and piercing black eyes and scruff covering his chin.


"I know you don't want to do this," the man rumbled. His skin was dark like the night and he seemed to fill the room. "But it is nearly time."


"I still think it's sexist bullshit," a woman said. Though she appeared younger than both of the males in the room, it was clear that she had had her fair share of battles. Her arms were pocketed with small slashes and cuts and on her left forearm were writhing marks, as if tentacles had latched onto her and refused to let go at one point. Her skin was slightly paler than the young man's and her eyes were a deep brown as well. Her face had frown lines already, though it could be assumed that she was no older than twenty-one. Her face had some kind of youthful tone, but her mouth and eyes did not.


"It is a debt," the dark man said, turning to the woman.


"Still think it's bullshit that she doesn't know til now, and I think that it's sexist that she's being taken like some kind of property," the woman said, eyes narrowing at the older man.


"Be that as it may, Juliet," the young man said, getting to his feet and straightening out his suit jacket, "it is how this works. She will be treated well and housed nicely. But she will repay the debt."


Juliet stared hard at the young man that spoke to her before giving a curt nod.


"She will turn twenty-five soon, I believe," the dark man said. "We have delayed long enough. This debate has bought her three extra years. It is time she learns of this world."


"Whatever you say, Seth," Juliet responded.


The young man left the room swiftly and quietly, walking along an illuminated hallway. Juliet appeared by his side after a moment, falling into long strides with him.


"It doesn't make me comfortable, either," the young man told his friend. "But it is how this will go."


"Yeah, I got it Kevin," Juliet said, her eyes staring straight ahead.


"Good. Now, did you say your sister might know her?"


----


Another woman, with skin paler than the first and longer hair bound up in a tight black bun picked up a phone, scrolling through numbers before finding the one she was looking for. Her skin was nearly flawless, save for a smattering of freckles across her nose and the general wear and tear of life and time. There was a shiny new ring on her hand and a giddiness in her face as she pressed the name Arianna.

 

[apolla]

Somewhere on the highway, Arianna heard her phone begin to ring. For a moment, she was just going to let it go to voicemail, but curiosity made her reach over and dig in her purse until she found the vibrating thing. Both of her brothers and her father had special ringtones; the one playing was none of the above. Her eyes flicked to the screen when she pulled the device out, remaining there a few seconds longer than it should have when she saw the name displayed.


Sylvia.


It took her all of two seconds to place the name. Her best friend from undergraduate school. Time had, of course, caused them to drift apart but every so often Arianna found herself wondering about the girl. Then life would just get in the way and she never called.


Realizing her phone was on its last round of the chorus, she swiped answer, and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Though she knew who it was, her voice still inflected upwards. An annoying habit she only used when someone other than her family called. Reaching over to turn down her music, she realized she was smiling, looking forward to reconnecting.

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

"Hey, Arianna," Sylvia said, tapping her fingers on the wooden table before her. She was sitting in the apartment she shared with her now-fiance, a quaint little place with soft colored furniture and the tell-tale signs of a couple living together. There was a picture of Sylvia with a smiling man next to her, his face pressed against her own, both of them staring at the camera. There were high heels piled next to work boots and sneakers and the closet had jackets of various sizes and styles danging from hangers.


"Long time no talk. I was wondering if you'd have time in your schedule to meet up with me again?" Sylvia said.

 

[apolla]

Her voice was familair, despite the fact they'd both aged a few years. It brought another smile to her face, and she found herself nodding. "Hey there, Sylvia. Yeah, it's been a while. I hope life has been treating you well." She switched hands and pressed her phone to her other ear.


"I would love to meet up! When did you have in mind?" She took the exit towards her father's house, slowing down when she got off and headed straight down the road. "I'm having dinner with my dad and brothers here in a few, but if you want to meet up tonight, maybe we can go for dessert or something?"

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

"Sounds fine by me," Sylvia said, looking up as her fiance entered the room. He was an emergency responder for the hospital and often worked odd hours, resulting in very long shifts of up to twenty-four hours to ones that only stretched the normal eight hours. He was a tall and fit man, standing at 6' 6'' with broad shoulders and tanned skin and dark scruff covering his chin and neck. He smiled slightly at Sylvia, who stood up to greet him.


"There's a nice place down on main street," she said as her fiance wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her head, "where they sell only cupcakes. I haven't been there a while and would like to go. How about in two hours, we meet up there?"

 

[apolla]

"That sounds great." Arianna spotted her father's street ahead, and slowed to make the turn. "I'm at my dads. I'll text you when I'm on the way, alright? Can't wait to see you!" She disconnected the call just as she pulled into the driveway behind Luke's blue pickup. She shut her car off, gathered her things and went inside.


Luke greeted her at the door in a bearhug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her. She laughed, beating on his back as he did so. He set her down, grinning. "Evening, beautiful. Dad's in there." He motioned towards the kitchen.


Ari nodded and started in that direction. "What's for dinner?"

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

"How was work today?" Sylvia asked her fiance once she hung up. He pressed his mouth to hers briefly.


"Work," he sighed, nuzzling her gently. "I'm going to take a shower."


"Ok. Dinner's on the table when you're ready," she said and he nodded in thanks.


Sylvia sat down by the kitchen table, eating the food she had cooked. She looked up when he finished his shower and joined her at the table.


"So. Got in contact with your friend?"


"Yes," Sylvia said with a smile. "Are you sure there's no one you want to tell privately, Kane?"


Kane shook his head. "Everyone I want to tell is at work."


Sylvia frowned for a moment. She had never really met any of Kane's family and his friends seemed restricted to his co-workers. However, he never seemed to demand that she limit her scope of communication, so it didn't concern her.

 

[apolla]

An hour or so later, Arianna was sitting around the kitchen table with her brothers and father, stuffed and fully content. Her father had cooked some sort of chicken, and for sides they'd had mashed potatoes and green beans. Luke looked like he could pass out at any moment, and Mason was in the process of excusing himself from the table so he could go catch up on his reading. He was definitely the brains of the family. Arianna enjoyed a good book every now and then, but Mason didn't read the same types of things she did. She couldn't picture her brother reading about vampires, or picking up a romance novel. The thought was laughable.


Elijah, her father, began to stand as well to clear the dishes. Arianna immediately stood to help him, smirking a little as Luke stretched back, remaining where he was. "What do you do when I'm not here, dad?"


Elijah laughed. "Then I just make Luke do the dishes, and I redo the ones he didn't do well enough."


Arianna laughed, and laughed harder when her brother shot Elijah a dirty look.


"What are your plans for the night, Ari?" Elijah asked from the sink, where he'd begun running hot water.


"Oh! I meant to tell you guys! Do y'all remember Sylvia, from school? She called me, right before I got here. We're meeting up for dessert here in a little bit."