"Serah!"

The voice cut through the air like a knife. The girl sitting to his right seemed unphased, ignoring the footsteps that rang out like thunder to the younger student. Her explanation fell on deaf ears, the boy only capable of hearing the scratching of lead on paper in front of him and the exasperated sigh nearing from the adjacent room.

"Serah! I thought I told you; if you're not going to do the laundry, at least put your soiled clothes in the hamper if you want them washed."

The boy turned sharply as Serah rose from her seat beside him, jostling the table as she apologized and ran down the hall. Momentarily distracted, the younger of the two reached under the table to grasp the pencil that had rolled off.

"And you are?"

Startled and reminded he wasn't alone, the platinum haired boy jerked his head upwards; into the table.

He let out a groan as his face flushed, clenching his eyes shut in embarrassment as he brought himself out from under the table. He could hear Serah running around frantically in another part of the house. Reluctantly, he eased open his eyes as he made to introduce himself to this woman.

Only, when he did, he was overwhelmed with an undeniable sense of fear and admiration.

The person before him stood tall, hand on her hip, eyebrow arched and lips curled downwards as she awaited his response. Aggravated, she shifted her weight, crossing her arms. Pink hair a similar shade to Serah's lay bundled within itself at one side of her neck, glinting here and there in the winter daylight. Her blue eyes were hard, piercing through his very being, her-

"Well?" she snapped. The boy was brought out of his reverie, vaguely aware that his evaluation of her must have come off as more than rude. Flustered, he stumbled over his thoughts.

"I-I, Serah is-"

"Lightning!"

The two turned to the girl as she skipped down the partitioned stairs hastily, a look between angry and worry on her face. The older woman held her gaze with the boy before turning her attention on Serah.

"Who is he? What is he doing here?" The edge in her voice stabbed at the young teenager; despite the situation, he couldn't help but feel guilty for some reason. Serah, however, appeared unperturbed. Her brows lowered slightly, yet not quite encroaching a frown. She walked over to the boy, taking up her abandoned seat beside him.

"Sis, I thought I'd told you. Ms. Nabaat asked for volunteers to tutor freshman with their studies; you know, to help them make the transition to the different learning environment."

Her answer was requited with an unamused deadpan stare. The boy lowered himself into the chair, willing his body to shrink. The tension had him halfway to a heart attack.

After a long pause, the older woman-Lightning, her sister, no less!-responded. "So you're telling me that instead of focusing on your GPA for post-secondary transfer-"

"I'm in the top 5% of my grade-"

"-not burning yourself out at that hell hole of a job-"

"Lebreau is very fair, and-"

"-or ridding yourself of that joke of a boyfriend-"

"Fiancé."

Lightning's brows lowered ever so slightly, her gaze hardening and giving her sister a look that said she was not to be 'corrected.' Regardless, Serah held her ground.

"Instead of improving your own life, you'd rather waste your time helping him-"

"His name's Hope-"

"Whatever!" The boy flinched at the sudden volume pitch as Lightning threw her arms up, obviously frustrated in being unable to sway her sister. "Take what I've given you and sit on it then for all I care. Just keep that damn monkey out of my house."

With another irritated, over dramatic sigh, the rosehead exited the room. Hope didn't realize how rigid he was sitting until he started breathing again. Serah gave him an apologetic look.

"I-I should go.." Standing to leave, he gathered his books, snapping them shut and sliding them into his messenger bag. He couldn't help but feel guilty about the fight as Serah watched him pack, seeming to be on the verge of crying. Whether she was upset or angry was uncertain.

As he reached the door, he turned around. "Thanks for trying, I guess.. I'll just have to find someone else-"

"Thursday after school, 4pm. Don't worry about Lightning, she's just.." Serah's brow wrinkled in consideration, her lips pursed.

Feeling awkward at the pause, Hope shifted in place, twisting the handle behind him. ".. An angry, fiery person?" He suggested, fear shooting through him as the words left his mouth. Serah's eyes widened, gaping at him. He thought for sure he was going to die, right here on their stoop.

Surprisingly, she started laughing. Apparently, his face expressed a need for an explanation. Blinking the tears from her eyes, Serah breathed out a happy sigh.

"You have no idea," she chuckled. Confused, Hope stumbled down the steps, turning once at the sidewalk to wave before heading down to the bus, his mind filled with thoughts of the terrifying yet mesmerizing woman that was Serah's older sister.

Lightning.