#ocapprecitation

‘Practice,’ suggests Bertie from his place lounging across an armchair in Brooke’s somewhat cramped living room. ‘I don’t understand ‘ow ‘is Countdown isn’t flashing a warning all the time.’

Brooke freezes before slowly turning to face Bertie. Her green eyes are narrowed dangerously. A mother tiger prepared to attack.

‘I wonder too sometimes,’ I say, instantly earning a slightly softer look. The warning still dances behind her eyes though, a challenge to Bertie that he might yet take her up on one day.

‘You know I’m right here, don’t you?’ pipes up Darren with enough faux hurt behind his voice to garner a soft chuckle from me even before he pouts.

Brooke turns her attention to him slowly, appraisingly. It is a wonder that he doesn’t wither away from it. ‘All the more reason for this conversation,’ she says, dabbing another graze and causing him to wince.

‘I think you enjoy inflicting pain on me,’ Ren grumbles, but the smile dancing on his lips proves the comment is only meant in jest.

‘At least we know you’ll pull through, hey Sly?’

Another dangerous comment from Bertie. This time, Brooke doesn’t rise to the bait, but I notice the slight tensing of her shoulders.

‘Have you done that homework?’ Darren says, a diversionary comment that holds no ground between us given the differing lessons we were all in.