[ARCHIBALD BARRON WAGNER]

August 2023 • FRANCESCA THALIA WAGNER

Archie Wagner couldn't believe that the end of summer was here. In just a few weeks, he would be joining his sister Leonie over at Hickstead Uni now that he had successfully completed Hickstead Secondary School just a few months ago. The school system had taken some getting used to for Archie, as it had differed from his schooling back in Germany, but with a little help from his new found English friends, the teenager had made it work. Summer had seemingly been carrying on like normal other than when his eldest sister and her whirlwind antics breezed through the Wagner Household - her breakout from her rehab clinic still fresh in everyone's (namely their mother's) minds. While he did his best to stay out of it, the Wagner women made it hard.

Although, what had been unique about the situation that landed them all in Hickstead was that Frankie was sticking to her guns that she had been drugged, that she would never go beyond her limits. Her sheer determination to stick to the story soon had Archie beginning to believe that there was actually a lot of merit to this truth. And while his mother and other sister, Leonie, seemed to still think otherwise, Archie was beginning to wonder if Frankie needed to be cut some slack. Granted, it's not as if she had been doing her best since moving to Hickstead to appease their mother also.

A sigh escaped him at the thought, as he leaned back into the water and allowed himself to float along. Even in the hot days, it would seem that people had little time to be at the pool and were more occupied with vacations outside of the tiny town of Hickstead. Archie didn't mind though, he probably needed his quiet to shed his brain of all of the thoughts in his mind, from Frankie and Leonie, to Alexi, and lastly, Oliver Deak. Archie had never had so much going on in Germany, all what he ever did was worry about polo and his horses, now though, it felt as if there was too much going on. Closing his eyes, he simply allowed the water to carry him in the pool, unware that his moment of tranquility was about to come to an end.

i find it hard to say the things i want to say the most 

thanks aofie!

[FRANCESCA THALIA WAGNER]

Francesca had spent the majority of summer avoiding her mother and siblings. Her mother because she could barely stand to look at the woman, and vice versa. Her siblings because she was still annoyed and hurt that they still didn’t believe her story about being spiked. She had enjoyed spending the last few weeks exploring the neighbouring city’s finest bars and getting re-acquainted with her ‘missing’ cousin, who know went by the name of griffin.

The brunette rolled onto her back after basking sun for the past twenty minutes, keen to tan her front whilst the rare day of sunshine lasted. She lifted her sunglasses up briefly and glanced around the quiet pool, thankful there weren’t any kids around today. Her eyes landed on the back of a familiar dark haired male as he floated around the pool. She pulled her glasses back down as she stood up with a smirk and walked over to the pool, standing in her brothers sun for a moment, casting shade over him. ”Did you know alexi is here in this drab little town too?” She asked, sitting down on the edge of the pool so her legs could dangle in the water.

[ARCHIBALD BARRON WAGNER]

August 2023 • FRANCESCA THALIA WAGNER

Archie thought today would have been about minding his own business, and keeping clear of any family drama. Unfortunately though, that just did not seem to be the Wagner way. For a few moments, it felt as if the sun was eclipsed by the moon, or at least, a few clouds - which was odd, since the teenager had been convinced that it had been a perfectly cloudless day. Curious, he opened up one green eye to see what was going on and caught sight of a familiar face smirking down at him, "Frankie?" He asked now stupidly. Of course it was her, he would know his own sister from a mile away.

He had a moment, forgetting that he was actually sitting in pool water, as he tried to sit up, only to have the water swallow him whole. But it was only for a second as he came up now, wiping water from his eyes and pushing his mop of wet hair from his face. Francesca was already making herself at home now by the pool's edge, dipping her feet and legs into the water. He didn't quite mind her presence, unlike Leonie who always seemed to be angry, but Archie still felt like maybe he should have his guard up. Instead though, his eldest sister said something that caught him completely off guard once again, which appeared to be her specialty, "Did you know Alexi is here in this drab little town too?”

Archie was certain he should play dumb, after all, that had been what Alexi had wanted. Instead though, the seventeen year old merely blurted out, "Did you run into him too?!" The question immediately, felt stupid. Of course he had, one - because she was Frankie, and two - her phrasing said it all. Slowly, he swam over to her now to chill besides her while still remaining in the pool, his arms and elbows resting on the side of the pool, "I saw him at the University last year when I was looking for Leonie - he didn't really seem to be being held against his will like a kidnapped royal. He told me to keep quiet though..." And then, curiosity got the best of him, "What did he say to you?"

i find it hard to say the things i want to say the most 

thanks aofie!

[FRANCESCA THALIA WAGNER]

Her smirk somehow widened at the sight of her brothers slightly confused face while his brain processed her voice. She moved her legs back and forth gently, enjoying the warmth of the heated pool. A soft laugh flowed out of her mouth as the youngest wagner tried to sit up, only to disappear under the water for a moment. "smooth." She joked. She watched his face, trying to gage his reaction to her words, alexi had already told her he'd ran into her brother so it would be interesting to see if he kept it from her. "Did you run into him too?!" She half smirked at the words he blurted out. "Yep." She wouldn't tell him where just yet. She wasn't in the mood for disappointment today. "I saw him at the University last year when I was looking for Leonie - he didn't really seem to be being held against his will like a kidnapped royal. He told me to keep quiet though...What did he say to you?" She snorted at the kidnapped comment that they'd all been fed over the years. It was ridiculous looking at it now. "He ran away, he didn't get kidnapped." She said with a roll of her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her sunglasses to rest on top of her head. "We just chatted about being the black sheep of the family"

[ARCHIBALD BARRON WAGNER]

August 2023 • FRANCESCA THALIA WAGNER

He couldn't say he was surprised by Frankie's laughter to his near death experience or the fact that she called him 'smooth'. Okay. Maybe he was being a tad dramatic. She had just startled him, that's all. His eldest sister wasn't going to get the best of him! So Archie just grinned up at her, "Don't you know it." It was funny, for a moment, he almost felt like it was back in time - before everything went to shit and their parents ruined them with their upbringing. But it didn't last long, mainly because Alexis was brought up, and the discussion of their cousin who certainly had not been kidnapped brought Archie back to reality.

It was hard to not pry information from Frankie when she said she had run into him in town, just like Archie had. No doubt it was also an accident. Resting besides her, green eyes watched his sister as she let out a good old fashioned (and non lady like) snort. Damn. Well, he certainly would be hanging on every word of hers: "He ran away, he didn't get kidnapped." She said with a roll of her eyes. Classic Frankie Wanger tatic. Soon she carried on, "We just chatted about being the black sheep of the family." Ouch. The teenager wasn't sure what to say to that. He had hardly thought Alexi was like that, but his eldest sister, well, that was a harder statement to argue.

Instead though, he went with the truth, "I know." He thought for a bit more before saying, "When I ran into him, he told me not to tell anyone. So you must have ran into him after me." Boy, he was feeling like quite the Hardy Boy all of the sudden. Green eyes looked away from his sister for a moment, staring at the pool water, "I'm sorry you feel that way," he commented now, glancing back up, "That you're the black sheep." He knew why, he just...wished he knew why she did what she did, but maybe there was no understanding all of that.

i find it hard to say the things i want to say the most 

thanks aofie!