The Wrong Sister

Brain of mush

My room was quiet. Actually it wasn't. I could hear groups of people chatting through the walls. The sound of cars hooting at each other at the stopstreet.

As much as it wasn't, it felt quiet. And lonely.

I lay in bed and stared at my bookshelf. I had a lot of work to do.

I read over the titles sitting on my shelf. My mind empty but for the titles.

I turned away.

The blue gray wall infront of me seemed to curve around my field of vision as my eyes lost focus.

My brain started to pound, the imagined silence defening.

Nothing was wrong.

I was fine. Fine.

My eyes shut tightly. Vivid spurts of colour shot across my eye lids. The pounding continued.

I pushed my fingers hard into my temples. When that didn't stop the pounding I dug my nails into them.

"Artemis!" A banging on the window pulled me from the empty expanse of my mind.

Georgia stood on the otherside of the window her face pressed against the glass.

"Where the hell have you been?"

I sat up quickly opening the window.

"My sister came to visit. So you know, had to spend sometime with her and the boyfriend." I laughed at her sour expression.

"Sounds like you had a blast being the third wheel."

"I wasn't that bad," I rolled my eyes, "at least he really is in love with her."

"The whole world is in love with your sister. That's not saying a lot. The real question is if she's in love with him."

She stared at me as I considered.

"Well I don't know. I mean she told me a while a go that it just wasn't as exciting as she was hoping."

"Oof he another slice of white bread? At least you aren't dating this one."

The guffaw peeled from my lips, "Hey at least mine had a bit of flavor. We both remember big dick Matt - bland but filling."

She cringed at the reference to her last situationship.

"We don't talk about that. It's embarrassing." She laughed.

"Okay, fine. Want to come entertain me? I'm bored." 

"No, dude! We have assignment 6 and 7 due tomorrow. I haven't started yet." The heaved the bag She was holding up to the window as proof.

"Yeah I'm not excited about them." The reminder of the work I had to do was not a welcome one. Logically I knew it would probably help me to throw myself into my work.

"I suppose I should get started too." The distaste palpable.

"We can do them together. I'm heading to the study centre." Georgia offered.

Usually I wouldn't go. I like working in my room. Not having to lug all my stuff to sit next to my friend while we silently type.

Today however I needed to be with her. She had a way of distracting me. Often it was with banal chatter, but at the moment that was all I needed.

"I'll meet you there I just need get my shit together." I pointed to miscellaneous notes strewn on the various flat surfaces and of course the giant chemistry textbook on top of my fridge. It had been placed there in an attempt to remind myself to study whenever I got a snack. It didn't work. The only change was in the type of snack; refrigerated to not refrigerated.