I sat on my bed, facing the ceiling above as I played with my fingers. Lightning. It was weird to see. I was in control of something that struck down from the sky. Something that was powerful. Something that was deadly. I eventually sat up from my bed and looked toward the revolver on my nightstand.

"Hm."

I took it. Not just the revolver, but Tommy's suggestion earlier. About combining my talents. It only took me a few minutes to get outside, behind the mansion where Julius and I used to do target practice together. We would always set up in a nice, open field, with just a table and some glass bottles to use as targets. Just seeing the scene made me miss him. I thought about him as I emptied out my cylinder from previous bullets. Maybe I could make Julius proud by using my skills for good. For fighting crime. So I pointed my revolver toward a nearby beer bottle, then aimed just well enough to where I could hit in right in its center. I eventually pulled the trigger, but...nothing. Nothing happened.

"Ugh."

I tried placing a bullet inside the cylinder, seeing if the revolver would fire with that. It did, causing the glass bottle to shatter so loudly that nearby birds flew away from the scene. Okay, so the thing could fire well. It was just me that was the problem. So, I tried again. I placed down another bottle, then backed away and focused. If I could play with my new powers earlier this morning, I could summon them again for this. I inhaled. I exhaled. I emptied my mind. Then, once more, I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Ugh!"

I slammed the revolver down on the table. Why in the world did I decide to listen to Tommy of all people? I should've known things wouldn't work the way he described. He's an idiot. A clever idiot, but an idiot.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Of course, he had to show up as soon as I started thinking about him.

"No. Go away."

"Ah, I don't think I will, Little Red."

"Don't call me that."

I glared at him as he walked up to me. His dark hair looked a little wet, so I assumed he had just finished taking a bath. That, and the scent of his cedarwood cologne. At least he was a man who cared about his cleanliness.

"Only my sisters are allowed to call me Little Red."

"So I can't have a nickname for you?"

"No."

"Come on, really? We're a couple, are we not?"

"We're a couple when we're around people. When we're not around people...we're just good ol' Ember and Thomas."

"I see. You're still mad at me."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Well-"

"My life was perfectly fine up until you arrived, alright? Sure, I had a few ups and downs, but overall it's been okay. I was oblivious to the fact that my dad is a drug lord, and everything, for the most part, has been alright."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are, because I could tell how unhappy you were when I saw you for the first time. Remember, Miss Ghostskinfluenza? You weren't happy. You were just trying to get by another day without being reminded of the pressure your dad has put on you. Would you consider that fine, Ember? Would you consider being a proper lady, like your sisters, a fine life for yourself? Because, knowing you, I think you wouldn't be fine at all."

Dang it. He was right. I told y'all he was a clever idiot.

"Whatever."

He let out his laugh again. It sounded so goofy I nearly wanted to laugh myself, but I held it in.

"If I can't call you Little Red what can I call you?"

"Ember."

"Nah. I think I'll call you...my silver dime."

"What?"

"Yep, I like it. You're my silver dime. And when people ask me why I call you that, I'll say it's because I was lucky when I found you. You bring me good luck."

"And you bring me bad luck."

"No, I don't."

He took my revolver from the table and began playing around with it.

"Thomas."

"Hm?"

"Did you come here just to bother me?"

"Partially. I also came here to discuss some things with you."

He set the revolver back down and suddenly pulled me in close, his large hands keeping me still.

"You better have a good reason for doing this. If not, I'm going to shock you."

"Relax, silver dime. I'm just testing out our chemistry. A lot of eyes will be on us tonight. For things to go well and for our fake romance to seem real...we need to have good chemistry. Especially if we're going to fool your dad."

"So what do you want us to do right now, then? Kiss?"

"No. I mean-not unless you want to. I wouldn't complain."

"Ugh."

"In all seriousness, we're going to be dancing together all night, close like this. If people even see the slight impression that you're uncomfortable-"

"I can act too, alright? Don't worry about me."

I stepped away from him to take back my revolver.

"Having any luck?"

"Of course. I am a lucky silver dime, aren't I?"

I attempted to fire again. Not a shot came out. At this point, I was just embarrassing myself.

"You're a funny woman, Ember."

"How so?"

"You bring me good luck, but you can't seem to bring good luck to yourself."

"I'll figure it out."

"Sure you will. May I offer a suggestion?"

"No."

"Alright," he continued anyway. "Stop what you're doing and do the opposite instead. Maybe things will work for the better if you just...don't do what you normally do. If you're focused, don't focus. Just shoot the shot as if you have no time to think."

"Thomas-"

"Just trust me on this, alright? Give it a shot. Literally."

"...Okay."

Once again, I decided to take his advice, though I didn't want to. Instead of clearing my mind with thoughts, I began to think more about my family. My future. How were things going to end up? How much longer would I have to pretend that things were fine? I didn't like lying to my dad-I never did. But, then again, he lied to us all this time. What else has he done?

"Dang it."

I shot three times. Once at the bottle, it shattering immediately. Another time at a nearby tree, which left the tree with a searing hole through the middle. And lastly, I shot up at the sky, causing a thunderous boom to fill the atmosphere. We both jumped at the noise that erupted from it.

"See? I was right. Like always. Now, please put the revolver down. I'm a little bit scared of you now."

"Ha! Don't be scared of little old me, Thomas. Even though I'd beat you in a fight any day."

"Without your powers, you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure. Ten."

"Twenty."

"Fifty."

"One hundred."

"Can we save the betting for another time?"

One of our butlers came walking toward us, his face looking a little flushed.

"Goodness! I thought it was a sunny day! Why is Florida weather so..."

"Stupid?"

"Unpredictable?"

"Yes! Did y'all hear that loud thunder boom too?"

"We heard it loud and clear, Leo. What seems to be the problem? Your face is all red like you've been running around the place."

"Well-yes-I have. I can't find your father anywhere, and your sisters seem to have vanished as well. Anyway, we have a slight issue at our doorstep."

"What?"

"Oh!"

Tommy hurriedly took out his pocketwatch, his eyebrows raising once he saw the time.

"She's going to kill me."

"Who? You're expecting someone?"

"I'm expecting guests, yes. I invited them to the party. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, I don't care. Who are they, though?"

"My friends."

He gave me a small wink. Ugh. They weren't just his friends. They were his accomplices. More than likely, they had to be the other gang members he mentioned earlier.

"Uh, Mr. Matthews, there's a negro couple outside."

"That's correct."

"...Sir, with all due respect, I am not sure how Mr. Evans would feel about that. Or the other party guests, for that matter-"

"It'll be fine," I said, gently rubbing Leo's shoulder. "Dad isn't racist. And any guests who are racist will be uninvited from the party and our wedding."

"Right, of course. My apologies for assuming otherwise. Let me go let them in."

"We'll come along with you, Leo."

It took us a few minutes to finally reach the front door, but once Leo had opened it, we were immediately met by the angry voice of a well-dressed woman. She wore a beautiful sky blue and white tailored dress, complete with a pair of white gloves and shiny silver accessories that were pinned into her coily hair. The colors went well with her skin tone.

"TOMMY!"

"Hi, Betty. You look beautiful."

"Oh don't give me that. We've been out here, in this heat, for twenty minutes. And I thought it was going to rain on us once we heard that thunder."

Tommy and I looked toward Leo, who gave us a worried frown. "Sorry."

"I want to apologize. I lost track of time and-"

"It's alright."

The man now stepped up, his hair slicked back and him wearing a three-piece suit: complete with a black jacket, trousers, and a black and gold vest. He looked incredibly sharp, and his dark brown eyes showed only friendliness. Both the man and the woman had similar features, with dark skin, wide noses, full lips, and almond eyes.

"Brose, how have you been, brother?"

"I've been just fine! I see you've been doing just alright too, living the luxurious life with-"

His eyes landed on me.

"You're Ember Evans?"

"That's me."

He gently took my hand and kissed it.

"I'm Ambrose Williams, but you can call me Brose. The lovely woman next to me is my sister, Betty Williams."

Betty gave me a small smile and a handshake. "I'm usually not this irritated."

"Oh, you're fine. Tommy makes me just as upset."

Her smile widened at that. "I like her. ...But...is your hair...sil-"

"Let's get them inside," Tommy awkwardly laughed, pulling them in. "Let's go. Come on. To the dining room."

It only took us a minute to walk there and sit, Betty fanning herself the whole way there. Every time Betty looked at me she had a curious look in her eye.

"You're special, aren't you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you're like me. You hate wearing dresses, but you only do it to make society happy. You enjoy wearing pants, riding your horse into the distance, and being a free, independent woman who doesn't have to count on foolish men to try and protect you. Right?"

"...You're spot on with that."

"I'm good at reading people. I can also tell that you're hiding something. Something to do with that silver hair, maybe?"

"Betty, quit prying."

"Prying is my job, Tommy. If I wasn't a gang member, I'd be a detective. Oh-does she know that we're in a gang?"

"She knows."

"Great."

"I know pretty much everything by now. The gang, Frank and Reggie, my dad...it's weird having to pretend like things are normal when they aren't."

"Welcome to life as a wanted criminal, honey."

"I'm not a criminal."

"Neither are we."

"I beg to differ. You've killed people, haven't you?"

"Not for no reason. We only kill people who leave us no other choice. We get rid of the bad, which makes us look bad, I'll admit."

"Why not try to take a different route?"

"Because we grew up having no choice," Brose sighed. "We were all orphans. The alleyways of Midnightsville were what we called home. Eventually, though, we found each other."

"More like fell into each other," Betty sighed. "Tommy here crashed into me while trying to run away from the lawmen."

"I was a hungry child who had stolen a sandwich. I thought that they would have something better to do than to run after me."

"Well, they didn't. Brose saw us when he crashed into me, and then offered Tommy a way out."

"I knew a shortcut," Brose explained. "In fact, I still know all the shortcuts around the city. I can even navigate through the alleys without needing a single light."

"Yeah right."

"It's true!"

"What happened to y'all after escaping?"

"...We stuck together. Brose and Betty are related by blood, but after spending so much time together, I became their sibling too."

"So y'all grew up together in the alleys of Midnightsville?"

"Mhm, fighting crime along the way. You see, our way of giving justice ain't like how the lawmen do it."

"Y'all kill?"

"I mean...yeah. But we also steal. And get revenge for the people. Especially people who grew up like us. You seem nice, but there are people like you who aren't. Plenty of people like you."

"People who don't deserve to live this kind of lifestyle."

"Exactly, you get it. We choose to fight back for justice. Real justice. Justice against the people who feel as if they can buy their way out of everything."

"People like my dad."

"...Yeah."

"Has Tommy told you both about the farms?"

"He visited us last night and told us everything. Hitting the farms one by one? Not a bad plan. But we need to be strategic. If we hit them in order then they'll know who we're attacking next. They'll have time to prepare."

"What are you saying, Brose?"

"Let's not hit all of the farms. Just the biggest. The bigger we hit, the harder we hit. We'll make a greater impact that way. Then, lastly, we'll expose Mr. Evans and get the rest of those farms shut down for good."

"One problem, though. We don't know which farms are the biggest."

"That's why we need to ask someone."

"But who?"

"I don't know-"

"My dad makes business trips at least once a month," I said, getting into the conversation. "We can follow him. We'll know who to look for by doing so. Then, after my dad leaves, we can question his partners. Threaten them if need be. Just as long as we get the information."

"Now she's getting it," Betty laughed. "I gotta point out one more thing, though. These farms, I'm assuming, are going to have hundreds of people working there. We'll be incredibly overpowered."

"We'll be fine."

"And why do you think that, Tommy?"

"Because. We have a silver dime in the crew now."

"Huh?"

"He's talking about me. Do y'all remember hearing that boom outside just a few minutes ago?"

"How could we forget it? That boom was so loud that Brose almost peed himself."

"NO, I-"

"Yeah, yeah."

"That boom was from me."

"...Huh?"

I let out a small sigh, cupping one of my hands next to her. I did something simple with my hand-nothing like what I did earlier. Within a few seconds, sparks began to form. Betty had to jump out of her chair in surprise.

"You're a magician!"

"I'm not, I was just struck by lightning."

"And you survived!?"

"She's lucky," Tommy smiled. "Very lucky."

"I guess that explains the silver hair a-and stuff. I can't imagine what kind of things you do to your enemies."

"I don't have any enemies yet, but if Tommy keeps on getting on my nerves then he might become one."

"Haha! She's funny! I like you, Ember. So does your hair turn more silver as you use your powers or what?"

"It does. It feels weird to be able to do this, though. I feel as if-"

"Daddy, you know how the sun gets around here. I'm just saying, I think each and every lady at Ember's wedding should have a parasol."

"And what about the men, Lizzy?"

"The men will be fine."

We paused our conversation as their voices got closer to the dining room. Eventually, they both made it inside, with them looking at all of us with slight confusion on their faces.

"Oh!"

"Guests? So soon before the party?"

"They're my good friends," Tommy explained. "I had to invite them. I couldn't wait any longer to show them the woman I plan to marry."

"I understand. Would you two like any refreshments?"

"Not for right now, sir, but thank you so much for your kind offer."

Betty's voice changed so suddenly. I guess she was good at acting, just like Tommy. Dad's eyes eventually settled on me, his eyes narrowing a little.

"Your hair."

"Oh-"

"You should put it up for tonight. Have Margaret put it in a nice bun for you, alright?"

"I will."

"Speaking of that," Lizzy said, suddenly grabbing my shoulders. "We need to start getting ready."

"The party isn't for another few hours, Lizzy."

"I know, but there's so much I want to experiment with...if you'll let me."

"I can't say no to you, can I?"

"Nope."

"Good luck," Betty whispered into my ear. "Seems like you'll need it."

"Oh, I'll need it."

The next few hours were absolute chaos, and I'm not exaggerating. Both of my sisters made me feel like a doll, experimenting with different looks to see which colors and styles looked-and felt-the best for me. I liked that they allowed me to express my opinion, but I disliked how long I was in my room. I was almost eager to go back out and party just so I could finally leave it. I finally got a break when they both left to go grab some accessories from their rooms.

"I should go talk to Tommy for a minute," I whispered to myself. "It's not like I have anything else better to do right now."

So down the hall I went. As I was about to knock, however, I heard Betty and Brose's voices from inside his room.

"You can't lie to us, man."

"I ain't lying to y'all!"

"He's definitely lying to us, Brose."

"Why would I lie about this?"

"Oh, we don't know. Maybe it's because this is your first time ever having feelings for someone, that's all."

"I don't have feelings for Ember."

"That look you gave her at the dining table said otherwise."

"What look!?"

"Hey, don't get mad. Brose and I are just being honest with you."

"Alright, listen. Ember Evans is a beautiful woman-"

"She's stunning."

"The most gorgeous ginger I've ever seen."

"Yes-she is all those things. And she's incredibly strong, despite all that she's been through. And one day, I do hope that the right man will take care of her. But that man will not be me. This is only a job. After this is all over, I do not plan on seeing her again."

"You're lying to yourself, Tommy. Your eyes give everything away. If you had the chance, I bet you would give up everything to be with her for the rest of your life."

"Brose, I have only known her for a few days. I can not imagine myself spending the rest of my life with someone that I have only known for a few days. And additionally, she has spent her entire life stuck in this mansion. She wants to get out of here. Live in a cabin. Somewhere peaceful and solitary. Somewhere that's the opposite of what we plan on doing. So don't be ridiculous. We will marry at the end of the week, sure. But our marriage will not consist of any feelings for each other, alright?"

"But-"

"I'm done talking about this. Let's move on."

I turned away from the door, not knowing what to say or do. I listened for too long. Way too long. What was I thinking? I was raised better than that. I don't know why I didn't step away sooner. I let out a heavy sigh as I went back to my room, noticing that my sisters had already made their way back in and were waiting for me.

"Ember?"

"H-huh?"

"It looks like you've just seen a ghost. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Emilia."

"...Did you get into an argument with him?"

"What?"

"We saw you standing by his door but we didn't want to say anything. Things will be okay, you know. My husband and I argue sometimes and we-"

"We didn't argue. I just heard something I shouldn't have."

"You seem upset."

"I'm not."

I was upset, actually. I just didn't want to admit it. I couldn't understand why I was upset, either. Tommy and I agreed to marry because of the benefits, nothing more. We didn't have time for feelings.

"Ugh."

I rubbed my face in frustration.

"I need to actually get ready for this party. I'm not really in the party mood, but I need to get ready. Can you two keep helping me?"

"Of course. We'll get Margaret, too."

I didn't feel like myself the entire time I got dressed. As much as I tried to clear my mind from that conversation, the thought of it kept on coming back into my head. Over and over. I felt sick. Nauseous. Confused. Why was I feeling this way over a man that I hated? A gang leader, at that.

"Ember. Can you hear me?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, so she's not deaf after all," Margaret smiled. "We're done, honey. Go look in the mirror."

I slowly walked over to it. The first thing I noticed on myself was the dress-it was made with this satin, royal purple material along with black lace, and matched with a pair of long black gloves. To add a little sparkle, I also had on a tear-drop amethyst necklace, as well as a matching set of amethyst earrings. Like dad had suggested earlier, Margaret had put my hair into a low bun, her leaving a few strands of hair out to make it look even more unique. My makeup was lighter too. It looked more natural, though the lipstick shade they chose for me was a darker red. Even though I wouldn't choose to wear something like this normally, I looked more like myself compared to when I first met Tommy.

"Thank you guys. Seriously, I appreciate all the work y'all did to make me look like..."

"A princess?"

"I guess you could say that."

Lizzy scanned me for a moment before she spoke.

"Margaret, Emilia, may we have a few minutes alone?"

"Sure. We'll be downstairs."

"Alright."

As soon as they left, Lizzy shut the door behind them and slowly began to walk toward me.

"Little Red," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's with you?"

"I'm fine-"

"Oh don't give me that crap. You're my sister. I can read your mind. I know it's about Tommy, too. Isn't it?"

"I-"

"Isn't it?"

"...It is. I just feel conflicted about our relationship."

"I see. And will this cause the wedding to be delayed or canceled?"

"No."

"Ember."

"Hm?"

"I can see it in your eyes that you have feelings for him. Just like he has feelings for you. And I can assure you that if you remain open and honest with him, things will turn out okay. But you have to be honest with him. Tell him how you feel, and he'll do the same. You two can go on from there."

"But what if things don't turn out okay?"

"Then...that's life, Little Red. A door will shut. But that doesn't mean that, in the future, other doors won't open. Don't let one closed door prevent you from seeing the open ones."

"Isn't that something mom used to say?"

"Right before she passed, yes. I still remember it. I still remember the exact way her voice sounded every time she said it. Gosh, I wish she could just see you today."

"She'd be disappointed that I didn't turn into the proper lady that dad wants me to be."

"She'd be far from disappointed, Ember. Far from it."

She reached her hand out toward me. I took it.

"Let's walk together."

So we walked. Down the steps, toward the noise, and into the music room where everything immediately stopped as soon as I stepped in. All eyes were on me. Lizzy let go of my hand and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Everybody's faces seemed to be a blur, all I could remember doing was searching for Tommy. And, after a few seconds, we finally locked eyes. He had on the same top hat he wore the first time we met but took it off as soon as he saw me. We also happened to be wearing the same color again-he had on a purple and black vest, complete with a jacket, trousers, and shoes so shiny I could practically use them as a mirror. The room remained silent as we stepped closer to each other.

"Ember."

"Thomas."

He took my hand, giving it a soft kiss before pulling me closer.

"May I have this dance?"

"Hm. I guess."

He gave me a big smile in return. Moments later, we swayed along to the music of the band, the elegance of it all radiating throughout the room. Other couples joined in. I could feel everyone's stares as Tommy and I maintained our closeness, our noses mere inches away from each other. He talked about our chemistry earlier, but this feeling...it felt different. A good kind of different. Like I didn't have to play the part-like things actually seemed real.

"We need to talk," I whispered to him, trying to keep a firmness in my voice. I wanted him to know I was serious.

"Alright."

Our hands remained intertwined as the music stopped and the people clapped, some of them congratulating us on the engagement. We said our thank you's, but didn't waste any time disappearing to someplace else. People seemed to be everywhere around the mansion, and we didn't want to go upstairs and have people assume that...well, you know. So we went to the kitchen instead. Tommy checked to make sure nobody was around before shutting all the doors.

"What's your real name?"

"Huh?"

"What's your real name, Thomas Matthews? Not your undercover name. I want to know your real name."

"Is this what you pulled me aside for? To ask me about-"

"Just tell me."

"...Timothy. That's my real name. Timothy Wallace. Tommy is one of my characters, of course, but I still go by that everywhere I go. The majority of people call me Tommy. But my other name-the name that the law knows me as-is Mr. Midnight, oddly enough. They're the ones who started calling us the Midnight gang and we...kinda let it stick. Please don't start calling me Timothy, though, I prefer Tommy better than Timmy. I left Timmy behind a long time ago."

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

"What kind of question-"

"Because I overheard your conversation with Betty and Brose, and-"

"You were eavesdropping on us?"

"I-"

"Hold on," he started to laugh. "You're unbelievable. Here you are, questioning my background and myself. when you're the one who can't seem to mind her business."

"Well, it's hard to mind my business when I'm the topic of the conversation, Timmy!"

"Ah. You asked me for my name just to get on my nerves, didn't you?"

"Maybe."

"You're unbelievable. Seriously. And what you heard in that bedroom was the truth, Ember! Everything about this situation, especially our relationship, is an act! Nothing is real, and nothing will be real because we are two very different people! Why do you seem upset over this?"

"I'm not upset, I'm confused."

"Confused about what?"

"Confused about my feelings for you, Tommy."

"You have feelings for me?"

"I don't know what the heck I have, because I hate your guts and I can't stand you one bit. I hate you with every fiber in my being, but for some reason, when I heard you say that you didn't have feelings for me, I felt some kind of way."

"What kind of way? Describe it to me."

"I can't, that's the issue. I'm a mess, and I'm confused, and you don't deserve to deal with my confusion but-"

"Ember."

"What?"

"I wasn't being completely honest with Betty and Brose."

"...Huh? What do you mean?"

He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his fluffy hair.

"I mean that, even though this is all supposed to be an act, I still....I happen to have..."

He stepped a bit closer. My breath seemed to escape me.

"...I feel this sort of..."

He stopped speaking once we locked eyes.

"Tommy?"

"Ember...how would you feel if I kissed you right now?"

"Right now? Right here?"

"Right now. Right here."

"In the kitchen of all places, Tommy? I mean come on, I would at least think that you would want to do it out there in front of everyone."

"I don't want to do it in front of everyone, Ember. I only want to be with you. Please."

"Tommy-"

"Let me kiss you once."

"Oh fine. But only once."

Our lips met immediately. His were soft and passionate against mine, with us ignoring the fact that we said we were only going to kiss each other once. We kissed several times, each kiss longer and more blissful than the next. Kissing him felt like heaven. Every ounce of hatred I had for that man went away, and all I could focus on was him. Not my dad. Not my powers. All I wanted was to just...be with Tommy. During this moment, all of our attempts at acting just went out the window. I truly felt like I could be myself when I was alone with him. Like he understood me. All of me. And it was funny to think that, just a few days ago, I wanted nothing to do with a man. Now I wanted everything to do with him.