I gave a soft whistle and touched Serenity’s arm. She jumped slightly and glanced at me before her body relaxed. Sheridan stood in front of the board with her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. She had forgotten her duty of writing key points. Mercer studied James and Serenity with an increasingly stony look.
“James, it’s your responsibility to make sure the team is functioning properly. As for the rest, I’ll speak with the two of you privately after.” Mercer’s voice had taken a hard commanding tone. “For now, I want the team to focus on finishing up with sound. Also, I want you to schedule sessions with the design team and the consultants they are working with. We need to start getting ideas for smell, taste, and touch.”
“How is that even possible?” one of the guys in front of us whispered to his friend.
“If you feel that way, then there’s always the next candidate on the list.” Mercer’s gaze froze him in his seat. “If you aren’t confident in this, I don’t need you here.”
The boy slumped in his chair along with his friend. I smirked. Serenity trembled in the seat beside me with her hands gripping the armrest. He skin had taken a reddish tone, and her jaw was locked. I shifted in my seat and glanced at my recorder. It was still going. Who knew a tech meeting could be as interesting as a soap opera?
Mercer cast his gaze over the room. “Are there any questions?”
The room remained silent, and no one moved. This was a side of Mercer I hadn’t seen or even predicted. To accomplish anything in the short amount of time he did, there had to be an unyielding part of him. How much of it was his true self? Was the charismatic smile just a mask?
“All right then.” His smile reappeared. “Let’s have a productive two weeks.”
He waved to James and Serenity while everyone else filed out. With a sigh, Serenity stood and pushed past me. I put my recorder away and scooted out into the aisle behind her.
“I wait outside for you,” I said. “You still want a ride, right?”
“Yeah,” she said.
Outside the building, I leaned against the wall and flipped through Instafriend as I waited. Ten minutes later, James came out, managing to slam the glass door behind him. I raised an eyebrow, but he sneered at me and stalked off. With a shrug, I went back to my phone. He wasn’t my problem anymore.
Ten more minutes passed, and there was no sign of Serenity. She wouldn’t have stayed with Mercer by herself, unless the two of them were having it out. I stepped back inside and crept to the doors of the lecture hall. One little peek wouldn’t hurt. Mercer leaned against the podium with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted down. Serenity stood in front of him, her fists clenched at her sides.
“You’re only making things worse.” Serenity’s voice traveled up the stairs. “As usual, you’re only thinking of you.”
“That’s not true,” Mercer said. “This is your chance to shine. After this, nothing will be out of your grasp.”
“I don’t need your help. I can get there on my own.”
“But I want to. Isn’t that what family is for?”
“You never cared about family,” Serenity yelled. “Where were you when Mom had to go to the institution?”
Mercer opened his mouth to say something and glanced up in my direction. He gave me a strained smile.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought everyone else had left.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m giving Serenity a ride home. Sorry to intrude. I’ll just wait in the car.”
“Don’t worry.” Serenity spun around. “I’m done here anyway.”
“Serenity.” Mercer reached out.
“Save your lies for someone who will believe them,” she said. “Like Cassi here.”
She marched up the stairs and past me out the door without a backward look. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gazed down at Mercer. He turned away with his shoulders slumped and stared off at the wall. The silence built up between us.
“I’ll try to talk to her,” I said, just to put anything out there.
He glanced up at me and blinked as if he hadn’t realized I was still there. A small smile play at the corner of his mouth.
“I doubt it will help,” he said. ‘She’s stubborn. It runs in the family.”
“It’s worth a try,” I said. “Otherwise she’s just going to mope.”
Serenity was waiting at my car when I arrived. She stood with her arms crossed and one foot tapping in a quick, uneven pattern. I unlocked the doors and climbed in. The vehicle shook as she slammed her door. I let the radio play for several minutes as I pulled out onto the street. I gave her a sideways glance and bit the inside of my cheek.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” I finally asked.
“Stay out of it. You have no idea what’s going on.”
“You could tell me. Isn’t that what friends are for? To bitch about our shitty families?”
“This isn’t a simple case of sibling rivalry” She hunched her shoulders and stared out the window. “You wouldn’t believe it even if I wanted to.”
“Try me.”
She just shook her head.
“Then I’m going to tell you what I see,” I said. “It looks like he’s trying to make up for being a bad brother. He came here for you.”