Sisters after Misters

Promises

Aurelia
"You know, despite everything, whatever obstacles Willow puts before us, I'm not letting you go. We will get through this. And then the best phase of our relationship will start." Blake says as we stare at the fading evening sky, lying down on the sand.

"I think, Willow is going to back off now. After today's crap, it is pretty much obvious that she won't interfere from now on." I say as my fingers find his and I massage his knuckles.

"That's what is the scariest and at the same time, the best part of you. You've got a damn big heart. You think people'll  change, you think that just because you're a good person, the world will do good to you, too. But it doesn't happen that way Auri." He says as he inches closer to me, until our shoulders are touching.

"That doesn't mean I turn down my optimism. I won't be moulded the way the world moulds me. You know how people say,since the world is bad to me, I'll be bad. You turned me to a bitch. I'm the monster you created. No, no, no. I'm not so weak that I'll be victimized with anyone. I'm not going to stay under someone's shadow. Power isn't always roaring out loud Blake, it is sometimes present in the silence which towers above all."

"You know, conversations like these make me think what a sensible, mature and thoughtful girl you are."

"And you Blake Agron, you're more than just a handsome face."
"So you do accept that I'm a handsome face?"
"Never denied it."
"Touché."

"No, but really, I am stronger and smarter, because of you."
"What if we ever have to get seperated?"
"We aren't standing together so strong only to get seperated."
"I'll have to go to college Aurelia." He says as he turns to me.
I roll over my stomach to have a clear look at his face.

"Where did you apply?" I ask.
"To all the top Art colleges, here as well as places away."
"You'll get accepted here easily. What's your dream college?"
"Oxford University, England. Or else Lancaster. Or Kingston, whichever I get in."

I stroke his soft hair lovingly. "Baby wherever you go, we'll work it out. Long distance relationships require a lot of efforts. I think we have it in us. For one year, we'll visit each other. And the next year, I'll secure admission in one of those colleges. Believe it or not, those are my top preferences too."

He sighs. "Let's drive out of this town."
"Out of the city, away from the crowd." I say.
"What? That seemed like a cliché lyric from a song." He furrows his eyebrows, but looks amused all the same.
"Yeah, it's from Wildest Dreams." I hold my hand on my mouth to muffle my laughter at his absurd expression.

"I don't what to do with you, but I love you anyways." He shakes his head and I hug him from the side.
"It's a promise Aurelia, I'll stay with you as long as I can. Willow or anything, no one can come between us." He says softly and before I can burst into tears of happiness, I nudge him to take me home. We've spent two hours here anyways.

As we get up, Blake complains about how sand has entered his pant pockets and how he'll have to wash his car and have a bath again. Perfect pretty boy. I roll my eyes.

Thankfully and unfortunately, some things never change.

•••

"Where is Willow?" I ask my mother as I sit down on the dining table opposite my dad, rolling up my sleeves for food.
"Did you go to your room?" Mum asks me.
"Nope. I came back right now. Just went to the bathroom and came out of it." I shrug as I help myself to the fried rice.

"Well then, you should really pay attention to your surroundings. Your sister is down with extreme fever because of some drama that happened in school. That too, out of all the people, it happened with you. Care to explain? Why can't you take care of her?" Mom snaps at me and I glance at dad who is keeping his gaze down. I shut my eyes before speaking again.

"Mom did she tell you what she did?" I ask calmly, shoving a spoonful of rice into my mouth.
"Yes. She just teased Blake a little and said she had a tiny crush on him. That also, for fun's sake. Please try to loosen your clutches off him." She says as she herself sits down.

I choke on my food. "Me? Loosen my clutches off him? Nice story she's cooked up for you." I mock.
"Hold your tongue. One younger sister you have, can't even take care of her? What example are you setting? She's two years younger and yet she is meticulous and carries herself better than you. Blake was anyways better suited for her than for you. Better pay attention to her, she's been a better girl than you." My mum's voice raises a notch and dad tries to speak but she holds up her hand to interrupt him.

"Mom, Willow is trying to create problems between me and Blake. I just told her off. Why can't you ever see her fault?"
"This is not the way you'll speak to your mother. She is unwell because of you but you don't even give a damn. I do see her faults, don't try to deem me as impartial." She yells and I look at dad again, clutching the spoon tightly in my hand. When he just gives me an apologetic look, I push the chair away from the table and start to walk towards the gallery.

"Where are you going?" She asks and I purse my lips.
"Oh? Now you care? I thought since Willow is the perfect one, she is the only daughter who deserves attention, pampering and love. Thank you for the dinner. I need to get going."

"Aurelia, come back right here!" Mum shouts.
I turn back. "What mom? All these years, you've only loved Willow? What about me? Where did I go wrong? Am I not your daughter? The only thing I wanted was your love, your attention, your time! I thought I wasn't good enough. But now I know mom, I was always more than enough. The problem is you guys. You can't love and accept your own children as they are. Let me just become independent, I'm leaving this house and never coming back."

Mum's jaw drops on the floor even though her eyes are filled with fury while dad just stares at his plate. I walk out of the room.

"You saw that? Does anyone talk like that to their mother? So arrogant-" Mum says to dad, not so softly.
"Maybe I'm a bad daughter mum." I whisper to myself as I wrap my arms around myself. "But I'll definitely be a good mother."