Smile Shadow

"Sister?"

A diminutive, pristine little girl lazily perched in front of a flat monitor, stood a fair half of her height and deprived of her complete attention regardless of boisterous sounds evoked from her inmates. She sat, a thin knee pulled close to her chest while the other folded neatly with the cricked chair, as she haphazardly clicked the warn mouse, ferociously. Her thin fingers glitched ruggedly across the keyboard, occasionally twitching towards the wrong key, then whacking her blind destination with unnecessary force. It was tedious watching her a-gap expression drool over the black screen, her disheveled diligence wasn't really something to admire, but courteously cute in a similar manner.

     

Though, every once in a while she'd incline her chair towards me and smile, her unfurled curls stuck out from humidity, the gap in her teeth shined broad and proud, her hazy blue eyes sparkling dully in the morning light; It was horrendously adorable, I couldn't help but to warmly offer a closed smile back. After a few minutes of this transition, the angel rose out of her rucked seat, it creaked in hopeless protest as she began tripping on her tiny toes, regaining her balance, the petite child halted in front of the brown leather chair I've heaved myself into a few hours earlier. She smiled a drowsy, closed eyed giggle before scampering of towards cave of her inmates. A waft of syrup and pine scent trampled past me as she stumbled into the living room, squealing lightly as she slumped her weight on the back of my slumbering brother.

     

An angel at heart anyways.

     

But he didn't move, he settled with a peaceful expression, unmoving to her perplexing intention to rouse his resting form. She pouted woefully, brows creasing as she balanced herself to stand, one heel rested snug painfully against his spine while the other stabbed it's way into the spokes between his shoulders. She smiled smugly as she jolted her arms out in order to avoid toppling over, and searched my brothers face for any signs of discomfort. He remained unmoving. I chuckled at her floundering attempts and stood from my sanctuary, my knees groaned as I stretched, sweatpants riding low on my protruding hips, muscles rolling from my 'heavens stretch', and joints flexing from night burns. None the less, I clamored over to the miniature, teary child; tripping over my toes and offered a slight smile, before slowly leaning down to wickedly pester the sides of my brother with the pads of my fingers. The small girl, now snickering, quickly leaped off of my lethargic companion as he gurgled in discomfort.

     

"Max... What the hell.."

     

I chuckled as he blindly reached to ruffle my short blonde, boy cut; his nails chipping the tip of my nose as he strained for my locks. I breached to repose on my knees, chortling lightly as the little girl squealed with happiness and capered around my older brother to attach herself to my hip. My brother sighed contently, taking no notice to the breath-taking cutie squeezing my ribs in to oblivion, and progressively heaving himself to his feet to leisurely stretch out the kinks in his muscular back. He vigorously heaved a drifting groan as he slumped his shoulders, suggested a tender grin, before forcibly stumbling over to an open window and clasping the white, paint chipped, window sill with stingy, calloused hands.

     

"Max?"

     

I sighed at his endeavors and looked down at the tiny body folded firmly in to my side, recognising the voice and nodded to acknowledge the child. Her small, glassy, blue eyes starred up at me longingly; her lips puckered and eyes furrowed in concentration and frustration as her pointy chin dug, fruitlessly painful, in to my protruding chest. I snickered to myself, before gradually leaning down and lightly taping my lips to the young ones; nothing to be considered as a kiss, but enough to satisfy the blonde, messy girl. She giggled with glee, throwing her pristine hands up to my face and clinging both of her stubby legs to my hip bones as she blubbered my name in a constant rhythm. I smiled at her loving attempt, moving my chin to avoid her grasping finger tips, and felt obliged to answer her plea.

     

"Yes?"

     

She opened her mouth to answer, hyped and excited to ask a single question that I've foreseen, before my older brother twisted around at the call of my voice and gave me a perplexing expression.

     

"Max? Did you say something?"

          

"No, nothing."

     

I looked back down to my lap, the astonishing demeanour of the girl gone, her figure non-existent, and her smile left untraced. I smirked wearily and glanced back at my brother, the same face I've always known, just gained maturity over the years. I sighed and stood, tilting my head to both sides to hear a ferocious crack, I furrowed my eyebrows and let my eyes water in slight, enduring displeasure before reaching out to my brother with developing impatience.

     

"Just remembering when we were kids, remember the time where I wanted you to pick me up?"