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He made a few incisions along the rabbit's body before he skinned the fur off its back, placing it aside. Then it was only a matter of removing the extremities and intestines so that only the cavity and the meat remained. All the while, he explained what he was doing, detailing every cut and why it was necessary.
Once more, Noelle found her eyes affixed to what was happening. Cisco's movements were brisk and clean, as expected of someone who'd done that time and time again.
His hands were deep in the rabbit's intestines when he suddenly turned to her, meeting her gaze and seeing the fascination that lay in it.
Without preliminaries, he went straight to the topic.
"They did an autopsy on Ann Marie," he started, and he noted the twitch in her cheek at the mention of her former classmate's name.
"Oh," she released a small sound that was by no means an answer.
"They approximated the angle of the shot," he continued, speaking slowly to gauge her reaction. "I know it was you, Noelle."
She blinked, her eyes fluttering in a mimicry of shock. But when she saw it had no effect on him, she abandoned all attempts at feigned behavior.
"Who else knows?" she asked in an even voice, and it was almost as if he was witnessing another person.
"Just me and Yuyu. No one else ever will," he promised her.
Noelle nodded thoughtfully.
"Why did you do it?"
She shrugged.
"It was her or me. I chose myself," she said very matter-of-factly. "Is that wrong?" she narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze almost accusing.
He would have laughed if he didn't find the entire situation so disconcerting.
"Not at all," he gave her an ironic smile. "Not to me or to Yuyu. But to anyone else, it would be seen as wrong."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"But you already know that, don't you?" he mused, taking a deep breath. "You've seen the way the media villainized you."
"Are you…mad at me?" She asked carefully. The last thing she wanted was for Cisco and Yuyu to be mad at her.
"No, of course not. I'm glad you acted fast in that situation. But you need to be more careful, Noelle. You need to be mindful of your actions and the way they may come across. We may agree with you, but most people will not."
"I know," she whispered, seeking some understanding in his gaze but finding none.
Her brother was nothing if not closed off with his expressions.
"Your social persona is important. You need to learn to curb your behavior because peoplewillcrucify you for it. And the last thing you want is for people to come at you with pitchforks."
"Like they already did," she added in a soft tone. She knew where he was going.
"Yes. If you want to succeed in life, you need to stop alienating the world. You need to gain the world'sloyalty."
"How?"
"Two ways," his lips curled in a smirk. "Two diametrically opposite ways," he paused just as Noelle leaned forward, curiosity written all over her features. "You either make them love you or fear you."
She blinked at his words. He didn't let her speak, though, as he explained further.
"I know what you're thinking. But in your case, it wasn't fear that made them act like that. It was hate—malice. And as long as you continue to actto spitethe world, it will continue to hate you. I've told you before and I'll tell you again. Being different is great—in theory. But theory seldom translates perfectly into practice."
"I understand," she told him, her eyes straying to the innards laying on the ground and the blood that pooled around.
