Pool

                                    

                                          
TW: Thea being an asshole (dw I still love/hate her)
I don't have time to sleep. Even with the looming threat of a history test, I can't pull my quilted silk duvet around my shoulders. Instead, I slide on some fluffy black slippers and stretch out on the white sofa overlooking the huge, floor to ceiling tower window, eyeing the lights, the topiary, pools, lake, and stables. It feels so calm, when it's anything but. Instead of online shopping or tossing in the double california king bed, I pad to my closet and head over to my gala dress. It's slung over a mannequin in one of the glass display cases, the spotlights making the shimmery satin material and rhinestone fringe shine. While the dress is gorgeous, I shift my focus to the alcove behind the case, where I keep my personal laptop. I don't like the thought of keeping it too far away from me, but it's not as if I can just shove it under my pillow. The first floor of my closet is cool marble, so I climb the winding staircase to the second floor, which is carpeted in lush, dark red.
52 chances. A war of clubs and spades
The ego's greatest fear
The devil's vice
In which the angel attempts to stop the dice
Six sides with 21 eyes
"Rolled twice"
 Crossing my legs, I nestle into the plush carpet and open my laptop, open files and scroll all the way down to the eighth to last blueprint, painfully scanned into my laptop three days after granddad passed. It's the billiards room.
Silently, I grab a flashlight and wind down the hallways to the billiards room. Why granddad thought this to be second on his list of priorities for extending the House, I will never understand. After flicking on the lights, I grab a cue from the rack and open the secret panel for a case of balls. When I open it, the cue ball looks slightly out of place, less battered and scratched than the balls that have been flung across the room in fits of rage, or thrown at a brother. It's new, fresh, such bright white it seems to glow against the aged and loved set of balls. Picking it up, I turn it slightly in my hands, feeling the smooth surface. Until it's not. A small groove is set into the ball, running along its equator. I twist, and the ball splits open. In a distinctive, familiar print, it reads: Family always plays together.
Looks like it's time for a round of Hawthorne pool.
The next day is E day, so my schedule is packed and I barely catch glimpses of Avery and Eli, her new bodyguard, who blends in about as well as a bull in a field of dandelions. During Anatomy Mastery (Advanced Level) Thea flounces over to me and plops into the chair I was planning on saving for Adrina. 
"Umm, excuse you?" I arch an eyebrow at my technical second cousin.
Thea tosses her long hair over her shoulder. "Well good afternoon to you too." She smiles sweetly. "We need to have a little talk."
"Do we now?" I pull out my laptop. "Green tablecloths would work for the auction tables, if that's what you're wondering."
Thea let's out one of those tiny, impossible sighs that I've come to recognize as disappointment.
"No, I need you to tell me why Becks was googling the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine in astronomy and refused to tell me why."
"Don't your parents own a majority stake in JaseylinMobile? Google it yourself." I'm so annoyed and tired and stressed and I can't deal with this girl who thinks she's a modern day reincarnation of Aphrodite.
Thea runs her thumb along the edges of her dark blue acrylics. "You know that's not what I mean. You help me, and I'll help you." 
I freeze. Rebecca didn't tell Thea.  
Who am I kidding, of course she did. 
I take a deep breath and swirl in my chair until I'm looking her dead in the eyes. "Xander probably told her something about it, we managed to break into Toby's wing. There was a poem about a poisonous tree. I don't know anything else about it, so you're going to have to talk to Avery or the boys. You will come over after school to hold up your end of the deal."
In a flash, her Cheshire Cat smile is gone. "Of course," she begins, but I cut her off.
"Get your ass out of that seat before Adrina hammer-throws you out." And then because yes, I am that petty, I hold up my hand in a little flutter-wave, smile and say: "Ciao!"
Adrina slides into the seat before Thea can flip me off.
"I hardly see how this is fair." Thea lounges on my white sofa as I grab my laptop. 
"How so?" 
"You give me two sentences, Xander compares me to cheesecake, and I don't even know what I'm helping you with."
WAIT WHAT? 
"You didn't know?"
"Nope, just figured you needed help colour coordinating your diamonds or something." 
I have an entire vault and specialist team for that.
Thea seems to catch herself. "What do you want, Trinity?" 
Oh thank god. 
I press the button next to my sofa. "Mallory, could you bring some aged scotch to the billiards room?"
"You want me to play pool with you?"
I weigh my options and smile. "Yeah."
The scotch is sitting on a side table, and the rack of balls is already on the table. I head to the cabinet and pull out another. "The rules are different but simple. I knock all of your balls out, you knock out all of mine. The goal is to get five balls in each hole." Usually, when all five of us play, it's pure chaos, but with Thea, it's surprisingly comfortable silence. We don't say weird things, we don't have inside jokes, but it's still nice. Especially when I win.
"Good game, Hawthorne." She teases.
"Not so bad yourself." I smile as she knocks back the rest of her scotch, picks up her blazer, and walks out the door. 
I feel like I should feel some sort of revelation, an eureka wash over me. But I don't. Just the cold of my glass as I drown the rest of my scotch. 
I'm pacing around the table when I see it. A switch, activated by the weight of balls in the baskets, I suppose. I push it and the table opens up. A single envelope sits in a cavity, along with a small key. Now that I'm certain this is indeed a game, a series of puzzles and clues, I open it.
Lying is despised by all,
Hiding, cheating and mistrust will make you fall.
Your blood is wise, they care for you, 
In sharing this secret, they'll know what to do.
But whispers of worry may soon arise, 
If you keep it hidden, it can lead to lies.
Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne
It's not even addressed to me, but in a matter of seconds I make out the meaning. "Your blood" is referring to my brothers, and the numerous references to secrets are to the money.
That damned money. 
So, I do something I've never done before. And I rip up granddad's letter, tossing it in the trash.
Now, what's this a key to?
A.N.: OK I'm sosososososososososososo sorry I didn't update after I came back. I always say I'll update extra in summer but then life happens. ANYWAYS, hope you love this chapter and i'll put another one up on July 30th, which is also Trinity's birthday!
Lots of love as always,
Xoxo
Skylar