As I sit up slowly in the back of Avery's car I hear a loud crunching sound and i soon come to realise the sound came from none other than my very own back. I blink until blurs become clear figures, Avery's silhouette clears and a slight smile appears on her face hinting towards the fact she has now noticed me. "Morning" i croak, "Morning" she replies brightly. I search around for a few moments before finally navigating my iPhone. With a tap of a few buttons I'm looking at my new messages.
Libs 💙🧁: Tell Avery to answer my texts. xoxo
Libs 💙🧁: Call me? xoxo
Libs 💙🧁: I'm sorry okay? xoxo
Libs 💙🧁: Please come home? xoxo
Libs 💙🧁: I'm worried! xoxo
I sigh and place my phone into the pocket of my tight jeans, "Libby told me to tell you to answer your texts and call her" I groan. She sighs back in response and I make a move to exit the car, I open the door and slip out onto the cold concrete of the parking lot we chose to park in. My shoes remain in the car leaving me with only my thin socks on the ground. I take a few stretches and walk towards a small corner shop, I open the door and hear a jingle from the bell attached to the door. There are only a few people which helps with the embarrassment of not wearing shoes. I walk towards the coffee machine and collect two cups, I place one under the drip thing and hit in Avery's order, hot chocolate with warm milk instead of hot. I wait a minute or so until the cup is full and stops producing more before I place my cup and repeat the process of typing my drink in, black coffee. I wait impatiently as the hot drink oozes from the spout and take this as my chance to remove my credit card from my back pocket. As if perfectly timed, my coffee finishes being produced, I insert my card and type in four digits, processing it reads. I remove the card once the money is finished being transferred and remove my card. I place the card back in my pocket and hold each drink tightly. I kick the door open but not too aggressively and smile at the cashier before walking through the door and back towards the car which has one angry Avery looking at her phone, I enter the drivers seat this time as she remains in the passenger seat where she slept. I pass her the warm chocolate and take a sip of my own without blowing on it first, "thanks" she breathes. "She said she's "Sorry" and wants us to come home" my sister reports. I just sit back and sip more from my cup, flashing back to last night.
Rough day?" Libby asks Avery. I'm currently draped across the sofa of Libs apartment, I just got home from dance practice about 5 minutes before Avery returned from work. Libs is eight years older than me whilst Avery is about a year older than me and always made sure I knew it. She was born ten months and one week before me which makes me -unfortunately- the youngest. Although Libby is just our half sister, connected simply through the blood of our shared Father who should not be classed as a "Father" because he left years ago.
"I'm fine," Ave replies. I can tell she isn't fine but she proceeds to change the subject before I can continue, "Tips were good tonight." Libby looks hopeful "How good?" Libby's style lies somewhere between punk and goth, but personality-wise, she was the kind of eternal optimist who believed a hundred-dollar-tip was always just around the corner at a hole-in-the-wall diner where most entrees cost $6.99.
Avery places a wad of dollar bills into her hand. "Good enough to help make rent." Libby never likes when we give her money for rent but we always manage to convince her. "Oh! That reminds me. I got this.. from an old lady in the park who saw Jane and I rehearsing and thought we were performing" i laugh slightly whilst removing the 5 dollar bill from my dance bag and handing it to her. "And you let her just give you it?" Avery smiles shockingly. "No i tried to give her it back but she insisted" I justify.
Libby tried to hand us both the money back, but Avery moves out of reach from her and I flop back on the couch before she could. "I will throw this cash at you," she warned sternly.
I shrug. "I'd dodge." Avery smirks. "You're impossible." Libby grudgingly put the money away, produced a muffin tin out of nowhere, and gave Avery a look. "You will accept this muffin to make it up to me." Lib knows I keep myself on a strict dancing diet so she doesn't other offering me one "Yes, ma'am." Avery stretches Her arm out to collect one until her eyes dart somewhere else making her freeze. I turn my head to where she is looking, there were also cupcakes. I fell my stomach sink. "Oh no, Lib." Avery sighs.
"It's not what you think," Libby promises. Shes an apology cupcake baker. A guilty cupcake baker. A please-don't-be-mad-at-me cupcake baker. Which basically means one thing.
"Not what I think?" Avery repeated softly. "So he's not moving back in?"
"It's going to be different this time," Libby promised. "And the cupcakes are chocolate! And I baked sugar free ones" she now turns to me hoping for me to be more sympathetic, i just shake my head. Chocolate is Avery's favorite.
"It's never going to be different," I say, but if we were capable of making her believe that, she'd have believed it already.
Right on cue, Libby's on-again, off-again boyfriend—who's hobby's consist of punching walls and extolling his own virtues for not punching Libby— walks in. He grabs a cupcake off the counter and lets his gaze rake over Avery, completely ignoring my existence. "Hey, jailbait."
"Drake," Libby warned, "I'm kidding." Drake smiled. "You know I'm kidding, Libby-mine. You and your sisters just need to learn how to take a joke." He says this and I visibly gag at the name "Libby-mine" he turns around, clearly only now noticing my presence.
He's been here about 20 seconds and we're already the problem in his eyes, "This is not healthy," I tell Libby. He hadn't wanted her to take us in—and he'd never stopped punishing her for it. "This is not your apartment," Drake shot back at me. "They're my sisters," Libby insisted.
"Half sisters," Drake corrected, and then he smiled again. "Joking." Clearly he wasn't, however he was somewhat correct, we only share an absent father and have different mothers, we saw each other about twice a year growing up. Once our Mother passed, nobody expected her to take custody of two teenagers yet she did, despite the fact she was young and barely just scraping by, but she did because it's Libby and thats what she does. She loves people.
"If Drake's staying here," Avery speaks quietly, almost to the point i can't hear her "then I'm not." At this I stand up, "neither am I" im still wearing my dance shoes because i left my sneakers here and when i got changed after practice i had to wear them home, the painful point shoes crush my toes and make me feel suffocated in the already uncomfortable situation. Libby picked up a cupcake and cradled it in her hands. "I'm doing the best I can."
I sigh "If you need us," I tell Libby, "We'll be living in my car." Avery cuts me off. Then we exit the apartment and make our way to Avery's car silently. She drives a little while until we find a quiet parking lot, I lay back onto the uncomfortable seats in the back and slip my point shoes off. My hair remains in a tight bun and my jeans are not sleeping material, my t-shirt however is baggy enough to allow me the comfort I need to get some sleep in. "Are you sure your ok sleeping in the front seat?" I ask, "Im fine" she speaks reassuringly. I nod and lie back down.
"I have to shower" i inform in an unusually high octave than I am comfortable in, I cough it down before she replies, "So do I". She gives me a ride to school and drives away, apparently she will shower somewhere else. I make my way into school and towards the locker rooms where I am met with the confused face of Coach Harrison, the teacher in charge of the dance squad, cheer squad and drama club, all of which i am a member of, I'm the captain of the dance squad and basically the co captain of the cheer squad as its Jane -my friend- who is captain but she can't make her mind up on anything so i end up making all the calls.
"Everything okay?" She asks me. "Fine, i was just wondering if i could use the showers? The hot water at my house is broken and i really need one" I lie. "Oh yeah sure. See you in class" she smiles before walking away, i enter the shower rooms, happy to see there isnt anyone else here.
Once successfully showering I throw on my cheer uniform that were already in my locker. I tie my wet hair back when i hear the bell and realise that I wont have time to dry it. I grab my dance bag and head towards the auditorium. "Sorry I'm late" i say to Coach Harrison who dismisses me as she knows where I was. We start doing the cheer routine that I carefully choreographed and performed as well as i could. After 58 minutes I am sweating and prepared with my bag to leave class for the next class of the day but im interrupted by a freshman who walks inside nervously and whispers to coach.
The freshman leaves and coach walks towards me "Your wanted in the principles office." She smiles. I gulp as my friends all "ooh" jokingly, I'm never called to the principles office because I never cause trouble. My fingers touch the hair ties around my wrist and pull it, i dont dare let go instead i just twist it around and walk out of the auditorium. I make it to the office and wait for an old lady to hobble over to the window, she slides it open, "Hi, the principal wanted to see me?" I inform, she nods and presses a button which makes a beeping sound, the door is now open and I walk inside the office, I'm met with three familiar faces and one unfamiliar face. "Is everything okay?" I ask worriedly, biting the inside of my lip slightly. My hands continue playing with the hair ties. "Would you like to take a seat?" Principle Altman asks comfortingly but I shake my head, I don't have as much power sitting down, it makes me vulnerable.
I look towards Libby who has a smile on her face then to Avery who has a slight hint of joy behind her normal face, not enough for anyone who isnt close to her to notice. My eyes then dart towards that unfamiliar person. I gulp when I notice his looks, his silver eyes stare sternly into mine, his jaw is clenched revealing beautiful cheekbones. His hair is pale, almost similar to mine. "Who died?" I panic, speaking to Libby now and facing her makeup free face with messy hair indicating she came straight from work, whilst working a shift, meaning this is definitely an emergency. "No one died" Libby informs, "Someone died" The unfamiliar boy corrects. "What the fuck is going on?" I ask almost comically. "Some rich guy passed and I'm wanted at the will in Texas" Avery clarifies. "Great" I speak sarcastically. "And who's this guy?" I ask gesturing to the boy, "the guys grandson" she answers, "He looks sophisticated" I whisper only for her yet it appears he hears it too as a smirk creeps upon his face, "He certainly thinks he is" she replies and this time I smile.
"Your sister has been called to the will reading and travel arrangements have been put in place, the only question is will you be attending?" He asks me, "Do I have any other options?" I ask making him smirk again. "You can attend with your sisters or stay in the loving care of your sisters boyfriend" he replies. I laugh then use my hand to cover my mouth embarrassed at how loud it was. "Looks like im going to Texas. When do we leave?" I ask. "Now" The boy around 6'0 foot tall tells me.
...
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