"The bathroom is down the hall on your right though I’d prefer you don’t fuck in it since Aiden has already left his mark rather indelibly on the vanity." Talise informs him.

"I wasn’t asking you," he retorts.

"Your point is…"

"Shut up and mind your own business."

"I don’t feel like it."

"Whatever," he says, throwing up his hands. "I could care less."

"The phrase is ‘I couldn’t care less.’"

"Whatever," he says again, storming off.

"Sentence variety," Talise calls after him. Her eyes narrow and her brows darken in thought.

"That was pleasant," I remark.

"What was?" Talise and I turn to see Spencer coming in from the deck.

"Your brother… is not," Talise tells her.

"What did he do now?" She asks, sounding exasperated.

Talise and I don’t say anything.

Unsure what to make of our silence, Spencer lets it go. "What’s new, Ashley?"

"Not much." We lapse into another silence. Valiantly, I find something to say. "Do you want to go back on the deck?"

"Umm… no?" She makes a face. "I just escaped from the… people that are out there."

"Well, we can go upstairs if you want."

"Anywhere, but out there," she says, relieved. I glance at Talise.

"I’m going to grab my book from outside. I might be up later though." With that, she departs.

"So, are you going to whisk me up to that space station you call a room or what?" Spencer tilts her head which tugs a smile onto my lips.

"Of course."

"Well then," she puts out her hand for me to take, "whisk away." Grinning almost idiotically, I grasp her fingers and pull her with me. By the time we enter the hallway, we’re both giggling for no reason. Suddenly, Glen bursts out of the living room, his face bright rash red. He sprints for the deck, pushing roughly past us. "What the heck are you doing, Glen?" Spencer lets go of my hand to follow him.

We arrive at the deck in time to hear Glen screaming shrilly and pushing Talise into the water. When he jumps in after her, Aiden leaps to his feet. "What the fuck, dude?"

Kyla shrieks as the splashing water hits her hair.

"Glen!" Spencer yells. As far as I can tell he’s trying to drown her or something. I start running towards the pool. I have to do something.