𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊

Things had felt different in her home, the boys who usually occupied it had been distracted. Most of the time Sadie wouldn't blink an eye and simply assume they were busy with one thing or another. That was except for when it involved another woman, specifically one they were serious enough about to take their time from her. It was Landon that she'd clung to while Brandon galavanted off with the Hopper girl; who she would still swear was a bad idea. They had been the ones to snatch her from in front of her father's eyes and now Brandon wanted to stand with her in his view. Work had distracted her enough to be quiet about Landon's recent schedule, being holed up at work or in her room for most days. It was what he'd said next that started to clear up some of those questions Sadie had yet to ask. "Okay..." The brunette turned to face him while crossing her legs to be more comfortable. It felt like they would be having a conversation deeper than intended, her work on the backburner now. "So, who is she? What is it like if it isn't like the Hopper girl?"

༝༝ ✂ ༝༝

Sadie had papers scattered on her bed, flipping between piles looking for the receipt she needed. Tax season was always filled with busier days and longer nights to be sure everything was in order for the casino's accounts. She'd been locked up in there for hours before the door opened, Landon's face bringing a smile to hers. "Is that really you or am I hallucinating now?" She teased while holding out her hands to invite him closer. The paper strewn about got shifted to the side to clear room for him to sit with her. This would be the first human interaction she'd gotten since returning from work, both of her boys being gone when she arrived. "Where have you been? I'm glad you're back so my brain can stop rotting away in here," Sadie said pulling him to her side once she got to her bed. He'd been exactly what she needed and to be caught up on all the latest.

"Is she really just a friend though and nothing else?" Sadie questioned his words, eyeballing him as she spoke. Even his tone had shifted into one that she never heard and the brunette was happy to return the favor. If he wanted to point fingers then hers was already outstretched. She'd had a bad taste in her mouth ever since he started hanging around Annette and that wasn't going to change just because he trusted her. Whether her boys wanted her to or not, she'd taken it upon herself to protect them at all costs, though it appeared that Barrel couldn't see the danger of his new friend. "It didn't seem complicated when we were kidnapping her," the brunette muttered, her eyes for a moment going back to the papers on the coffee table. Things made sense when they were working and doing what they did best but recently his chaos had come in a different package. This one was a short brunette who Sadie considered to be a threat to her family dynamic. "It's not just about that." The girl's gaze shot back to him, hoping he saw the worry beneath the jealousy. "You're going to have to pick a side sooner or later. She's a Hopper, whether you think it matters or not. And I don't expect him to take it well when he finds out it's one of Oogie's boys hanging around his little princess." Sadie understood doing things for the chaos but this was one that she couldn't comprehend, knowing what could could come when the inevitable happened. "What about me, and Landon? What are we going to do if something bad happens to you because of her?"

Landon's hands came to her cheeks as she shifted in her spot, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "What do you have going on up there?" he teased, keeping her face in his grasp as he raised a brow. He knew her well enough to already have a few ideas, some of which included putting some curse on their roommate's date. Landon wasn't going to entirely disagree, but the most he could do was cover his eyes and live in blissful ignorance. "I can tell you already have it all figured out. I know your face when it clicks. Whatever it is, I'm in."

༝༝ ✂ ༝༝

Sadie was already giggling by the time she got back to Landon, holding the silver tray that had been her vessel for chaos against her chest. He had been the only one she could trust with the information of what she planned to do that night. She'd needed his help to sneak them in and distract who he could while Sadie handed out the goods. It was a foolproof plan: people were hungry and rarely asked questions when free food was being offered. That's why the witch used that to her advantage. A few had been hand-delivered, those targets not being any she would risk with chance. Now that her platter was cleared Sadie returned to partner in crime to watch from the sidelines and dip out when the time was right. "Mission accomplished," she boasted, tossing the plate onto a table to rid herself of any evidence, and holding out her hand for him to take. "I couldn't have done it without you though, my love." Sadie pulled herself to his side to plant a soft kiss on his neck, cheek, and finally, his lips. Whenever they executed a plan she'd get even more touchy than usual, finding their adventures added a thrill of their own. "I already saw Pacifica going upstairs with someone else so things are going perfectly," the girl purred with her eyes scanning up to meet his instead of overlooking the partygoers.

His request was met with a scowl, her eyes squinting at him as he sat down in his usual spot. It wouldn't be something she'd be saying while he was around but she wanted him to know that she thought it true. Sadie saw it as a break in their agreement, spending more time with her than the duo that used to take up most of his time. Envy had taken over her features as she observed him. Her scent still radiated off of him, her cheap perfume making Sadie's stomach churn. "You've never had a friend like her before," she added to his excuse. Even if he wanted to say that it was nothing that didn't make it true. Whatever they were, she didn't like it. "Hm, sure, just like spending time with her. Makes sense." Regardless of her words, it was obvious that she didn't believe any of that. Friends or not, this girl was too close. "Does she just like not care about the fact that we kidnapped her or what? You know she can't know about what we do, she's a Hopper, Brandon. We can't trust her," Sadie said reminding him of who her father was. If she'd learned anything it was to not trust a Hopper.

"Do I ever?" She purred, a smirk curling up on her lips. Even on the playground, she wasn't the girl to share and instead shoved anyone's face into the sand who tried. It wasn't in her nature to play nice when it was so much more fun to play dirty. Besides, there were still tricks up her sleeve that had yet to see the light of day. As long as she had Landon by her side she knew that things would at least be alright. Barrel having found someone else to spend his time with meant that she'd taken over the living room as her nest. If she was spending most of her time on the couch working then she might as well claim the space so that he knew to not bring this floozy over into her territory. Right now Sadie was withholding herself entirely from Brandon which led to most nights being spent in Landon's bed, having velcroed herself to the truest loyalty she had. This girl was different, Sadie felt it like an ache every time her boy was with her. Annette had seen the other side of the curtain and knew her their operations went which was too close as far as Sadie was concerned.

A malicious giggle tumbled from her lips while she shifted her position to face him on the couch, her legs crossing comfortably as she did. "Maybe a little bit of both. They're sneaking into that engagement party anyway, right?" The wheels in her head had already been turning and now just cranked that mischievous smile onto her face. "It would be like shooting fish in a barrel and it's only one night. What's wrong with making it a little interesting?"

It didn't take long for her least favorite couple to make their way back into conversation, Sadie barely making it through one piece of sushi before the two were mentioned again. Landon didn't mind it either way: hearing about, or about the two in general, but he had to question whether Annette was worth all this trouble. The apartment had never felt so divided since they moved in. "Oh, trust me, he remembers. Whether she does, I question," he countered, giving her a light poke with the end of his chopstick. "You know I'll take any excuse to spend time with just you. A guy doesn't get so lucky this often." He'd never been particularly sappy, but let it slip sometimes for two people in particular.

Maybe it had been needy of her but she felt safe having him see that side of her. There had always been something different between her and Landon that their time away from Barrel was making her realize even more. She loved them both, certainly, but she thought of the boy beside her as the one who had seen her in her entirety. It had brought out a more sinister side of her, though some would argue that was the only one she had. "She doesn't seem all that intuitive so I wouldn't put it past her," the girl muttered with a light roll of her eyes. His action caused her nose to scrunch at him and her gaze followed.

He was right, at least the circumstances had allowed them to spend time together. It even got a smile from her though it was stubbornly sitting at the edge of her lips. "I have to admit, sometimes it's nice to not share you with anyone," she hummed leaning against him and brushing her nose across his cheek after pressing it with a kiss. It was a mutual agreement to be open but right now she wanted him to herself. "Speaking of, I was wondering if you had any Valentine's Day plans? I am thinking it might be the perfect day for some mischief, I haven't hexed anyone in a while and I gotta make sure I'm not losing my touch."