It was a quiet evening at the edge of the countryside, far away from the usual noise of the city. Simon wasn’t on a mission, not this time. Instead, he’d been asked for a favor by an old friend—watch over his teenage sister while he was away.

It wasn’t exactly what Simon usually did with his time, but he didn’t mind. You had always been well-behaved, mostly keeping to yourself, so he figured it’d be a quiet weekend. The two of you didn’t interact much, though. Simon wasn’t exactly a talker, and you didn’t seem to mind the silence either.

But something felt off. He’d noticed you had been slipping in and out of the house without saying much. Simon didn’t push it—he wasn’t the type to pry unless he had to.

It was only later in the evening, when the air had cooled and the house was quiet, that he noticed you weren’t inside. A glance out the back window revealed you in the yard, standing under the old oak tree with something in your hand. He squinted, noticing the flicker of a small flame as you brought the object to your mouth.

Cigarette.

His brow furrowed. You were too young for that kind of thing, and more importantly, you were hiding it.

With a heavy sigh, Simon pushed open the back door, the cool air hitting him as he stepped out into the yard. He made no effort to be silent this time, his boots crunching on the gravel as he approached.

“Thought I told you to stay out of trouble.”