lol something i started (toby/tristen)

When the school guidance counselor called me, I already suspected what it was about — the (presumably stolen) expensive art supplies Tristen had been using lately (but refused to tell me where she'd gotten them from).  What I hadn't realized was how close my little sister was to having child services called.  Hindsight, they probably should have been, but I was practically a kid myself and the fear of 

good morning ☀️

"Bro, why you so nervous?"  Violet smacked me on the arm from her spot in the backseat, causing Izaak to give her a hard glare.

"Seatbelt on, Esperanza.  Do not make me tell you again."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, obeying with a hard sigh.  "Should've just taken an uber.  They ain't so bossy."

Izaak ignored her comments, focused on the nearly-deserted road.  He was already dressed for work and super perky for the sun barely being up.  

"There you are, doing it again — you fidget with your ring so much when you're nervous.  Ha... I'm starting to get as good as the doc with this.  Maybe I should be a shrink."

I looked back at her.  "I don't like flying."

"Whaaat for real?  Why not?"

"Umm... I dunno... humans are meant to be on land, not in the air.  We're not birds."

My tummy dropped as Izaak looked at me, eyebrows suspicious.  "No," he said flatly.  "You're nervous about something else."  He was stopped at a redlight and just stared at me for a minute.  

I felt myself getting sweaty.  Ever since I found out our trip was to Washington state, not DC, I'd been super on edge.  The weed wasn't even sufficient to calm my nerves.  And Izaak could read me so well, I knew he'd ask what was up with me.  Which is why I'd convinced Molly to give me one of her pens.  Being nervous about "drugs" would be more believable than flying, but still not be the truth:  We're going to visit my ex-partner-in-crime!

"Spill it, kiddo.  Did Esperanza badly influence you again?"