@leiabgriffin:
Leia had completely forgotten about Helen’s box of stationery that she’d asked for. It was late and the entire household was probably asleep but she had gotten out of work late and was far too restless to go home and rest just yet. So she drove to her sister’s house and quietly set the box down at her door for Helen, her husband or Viv to find in the morning.
Just as she was leaving, the sound of rustling made her pause to turn and listen. The beam of a  flashlight caught her eye and she quietly made her way over to the side of the house where it came from just to see Vivian walk off. At 12am. Despite herself, Leia couldn’t help a small smile after her look of shock. In some ways, her niece reminded her a lot of her when she was younger. But it wasn’t endearing enough to keep her amused for long and Leia rushed over.
“Viv!” She whispered loudly and sternly, catching up. “That the hell are you doing? It’s 12am.” She gestured in disbelief to the backpack. “Where are you going?”
Viv froze in place as she considered her options. She could lie. Say she was sneaking out to meet a friend or a boy. Leia might appreciate that. Viv could play the part of a legitimate rebel for a couple minutes, it wouldn’t take too long off her schedule. But then maybe Leia would want to meet him, or maybe she would see right through the crap and it would all be for not and Viv would be back at square one.
But, then again, the truth was a long winded explanation that she wasn’t even sure she had time for, made even longer if Leia decided that Viv’s parent’s needed to be involved.
Slowly, Viv turned around, a shy grimace across her face framed by her untamed curls. “I, uh,” she said, eyes darting out the door. It was about a fifteen minute walk to the mine, but she didn’t have the stamina to run, especially with her full pack strapped to her back. “Would you believe me if I said sleep walking?” she asked.












