Chapter 3: How to ignore the person who is actively carrying you

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Author's words summary: My toxic trait is that I love Elinor

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"Ok.” Well, at least for a few seconds. 

Elinor wordlessly and easily scooped Juliette up into her arms and walked back down the trail towards the car, where she put Juliette down in the back seat and threw her bag in next to her. 

Juliette hadn’t expected to explode like that, maybe it had all just been building up for too long? She felt bad about what she’d said to Elinor, but it was also sorta true, and sitting in silence as Elinor drove seemed a lot easier than saying anything.

It was just before they pulled into their own driveway that Elinor spoke. “I’m sorry about today Jules, I didn’t mean to push you.” 

Juliette was stunned, she was pretty sure she had never heard Elinor say the word sorry before like she actually meant it. “You didn’t push me, I think I’ve just been a little frustrated and took it out on you.”

“No Juliette, you don’t get to backtrack on what you said. You meant it, and you meant to say it to me.” Elinor paused as she parked the car. “And you were right. I haven’t treated you fairly, ever. But now, without Olly around, I’m... I guess I just figured I could trick my baby sister into filling that void he left without you noticing.” 

“You miss him too? Don’t you know where he is? Can’t you talk to him?” The questions erupted out of Juliette.

“Of course I miss him, he’s my twin, we’ve done everything together since literally before we were born. And I’m the reason they sent him away, so I doubt he’d want to talk to me, even if mom and dad would tell me where they shipped him off to.”

“What do you mean you’re why he was sent away?”

“Oliver made some bad decisions sweet little, and I couldn’t let him keep making those kinds of decisions without mother and father knowing.”

“What decisions? What did he do?”

“I know you probably think you’re all grown up Jules, but there are some things that I don’t think you’re ready to hear.”

“Elinor.” Juliette wined.

“Juliette,” Elinor turned around to face her. “There are some things I don’t want you to hear.” 

The car went silent for a minute, as if the conversation had ended. As Elinor went to unbuckle her seatbelt and grab the door handle Juliette reached out to grab her shoulder. 

“Maybe we could try this again?” Juliette started quietly.”Though it might be best if there’s a lot less physical activity.”

“Yeah,” Elinor laughed, a little watery. “That doesn’t really seem to be your forte does it?”

“No, not even a little.” Juliette joined in Elinor’s laughter.

“How about a movie, and maybe some ice cream? I’m pretty sure we have some mint chocolate chip left?” Elinor asked, almost hesitantly. 

“Yeah, that sounds great.” 

The two got out of the car and walked up to the house together, actually next to each other this time, and while Elinor went to get the ice cream, she shooed Juliette off to her room to find a movie.

Walking into Elinor's room was an experience, Juliette had of course seen it before, just never long enough to appreciate it. There was a huge four poster bed not that different from Juliettes, other than being more ornate, and a giant painting of Elinor over the fireplace opposite the bed. Elinor’s computer sat on her desk right next to the vanity, and Juliette grabbed it hoping that she could remember the password Elinor had told her. She did not. In fact, Juliette spent the next 3 solid minutes trying different combinations of what she remembered Elinor saying to no avail. 

“Sweet little, did you find anything?” Elinor called from the doorway. 

“No…I kinda forgot the password.” Juliette hesitated, half expecting Elinor to make fun of her for forgetting. 

“Oh well, that's alright.” Elinor put down the ice cream on the desk next to Juliette. “It’s mostly numbers, so it’s not that easy to remember anyways.” 

Elinor bent down over Juliettes shoulder to type in the password. “0-5-6-K-E-O-J.” Juliette read allowed. “What does that mean?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Elinor smiled down at her. 

Juliette just raised an eyebrow in response. 

“You know, you’re a lot sassier than mom and dad think you are, aren't you.” Elinor laughed. “Less Daddy’s good little girl, more queen bee in training.” Elinor booped Juliettes nose. 

Juliette wrinkled her face. “Well, I have had a pretty good role model.” She said sticking her tongue out at her older sister. 

“Touche, dear sister, touche.” Elinor moved over to the bed with her computer and bowl of ice cream and patted the area next to her for Juliette to sit down. 

“So, what are we gonna watch?” Juliette asked, sitting down with her ice cream in hand.
 

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After three bowls of ice cream, one pajama change, and The Bridge to Terabithia, Juliette was sound asleep leaning on her sister's arm. Elinor slowly laid Juliette down onto the pillows, and got up in order to put away their bowls and her computer. When Elinor came back and crawled into her seldom used bed, Juliette immediately rolled over into her sister's side, where she would wake up next to her in the morning, even though they both knew that Elinor didn’t actually need to sleep anymore.


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