Thea still wasn't used to the freedoms she'd been given since being told to adopt her sister's lifestyle. Though it seemed for now her father was too busy to bother with her, she was allowed to sleep in her sister's room, to go out so long as she told the butler, and her door wasn't even locked at night. It also seemed, for the time being, that the experiments were no more. Probably because she was supposed to be the healthy, charismatic only child of the great Joseph Monroe. Resentment burned hot like acid in her throat every time she thought of her father. There was no lock on her door because he knew he had her - she wouldn't risk him hurting Phoebe, and she knew firsthand that he was perfectly capable of harming his child.

But Thea still felt like a stranger in the room - Phoebe's bedroom. It was decorated in pastel colors, and she had a desk and a computer in one corner. The bookshelves in the opposite corner were Thea's favorite, and she had spent hours and hours reading various books from it. She'd only been in the room a month, but she thought it might make her feel closer to her sister. But Thea felt lonely. She was terrified to go outside, even though it was all she'd wanted a month ago. Thea didn't think she could play her sister very well. She wasn't confident, or charming.

She was looking at herself in the mirror, staring at the too-pale ghost in the reflection. Dark circles under her eyes. She'd gotten her hair done for the first time in her life, and it only made her feel more abnormal. Like she didn't deserve a normal hairdo. Didn't deserve the bedroom she stood in. Because it wasn't hers. None of this was hers.

As she stared into her own eyes, questioning herself, a sudden dinging chime caught her attention. Turning towards the sound, she saw that the computer on the desk was displaying some sort of screen. Frowning, Thea walked over to the computer and leaned down to look. A simple chat box had opened on the monitor, and there was a message.

cynicalseoul: u available tonight?

Thea had used this computer for the past month, and she'd never seen a screen like this. But she didn't know well enough to know if this was normal in general, and only strange to her because of her lack of knowledge. It was a frustrating battle she had every time she encountered something new.

And yet, she found herself replying. It was easily the most interesting thing to ever happen to her, and she was ready for a distraction. The stranger mentioned a place - which a quick search on her new phone told her was a diner - and asked to meet up. Thea barely hesitated before she agreed. Once they ended the conversation, the chatbox disappeared on it's own, and she was able to see her desktop again. Frowning, Thea left the computer and pulled on the first outfit that she thought looked similar to what she'd seen her sister wear. She left her hair down, though her usual preference was to have it back in a tight ponytail. And then she snuck out of the house - for the first time in her life, she was successfully breaking the rules.

The diner wasn't far, and it was still a decent amount of time before curfew. It was just her luck to finally get freedom when most businesses were already closed. She began to worry that the diner would be, too, but there was a small, teenaged girl handing out masks at the door and advising they were only allowed a certain amount of patrons inside. Thea stepped into the diner, and glanced around the room, realizing her next problem: she had no idea who she was looking for.

648 words - @elrohir - prepare for the awkwardness

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE