Reel or Real

Chapter 7

"Uhm, hi" she said in a squeaky voice as she awkwardly, but elegantly still, stood by the door. "Hi?" I replied in the same manner as I cautiously sat on my bed and put my shirt on, very much aware that her eyes keenly followed every movement I made.

"I didn't expect to see you in this state" she cleared her throat.

"I just finished training and was planning to rest but" I trailed off as she bit her lip. When she said nothing else and just stood there like a lost woman, I took it upon myself to continue the dying conversation. "This is not how I expect you to be, based from the things I have heard" I told her and her eyebrows immediately shot up while her posture became more confident. "And what are the things you've heard?" she questioned. "That 'The Great Amanda Jaylee Moore' is everything but awkward" I said with a small smile which she mimicked after freezing, again, for a second.

"I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this. I just... don't know how to handle situations like this" she rubbed her arm. "You know, finally meeting the long-lost sister you didn't know you had after 18 years" I chuckled at her words with a nod. "Yeah, I feel you"

I expected awkward silence to settle on us again because it seemed like she didn't know what to say, and I'm sure I don't know what to say, but, when I came toppling on top of my bed with my weeping sister, I was shocked, to say the least. I placed my hand on her back and rubbed it in what I hope is comforting because, if I didn't know what to say earlier, I sure as hell don't know what to say now. So we stayed like that for minutes until Amanda composed herself and got off of me.

"I'm sorry I don't know what got into me. It's just, you really look like Austin and he's always the one I run to when I cry" she sniffed while plopping on the space next to me. "And I haven't been able to cry since he died" she started choking on her words so I rubbed her arm. "Honestly, I don't know how to handle big sisters since I only have a little one, but I'll do my best to be a good sister. You can come to me any time you want" I ran my hand through her hair like I always do with Jasmine when she's feeling down and offered a much bigger smile. "Whether you want to cry, to rant, to scream or if you just want to"

Her lips started quivering again and I was beginning to panic when she engulfed me in a very tight hug.

Damn this woman is strong.

I awkwardly patted her in the back and she hugged me for a long time that it started to feel natural patting her in the back like that. Then, just as she pulled away from the hug and wiped away her tears, there was a knock on the door and, just by the pattern of the knock, I already knew who it is. "Hi, baby" I greeted with a smile when Little Jasmine's small head peeked inside. She smiled at me but it turned hesitant when she saw Amanda. I beckoned for her to enter and she immediately went to sit on my lap.

"Hi, well aren't you a cutie" Amanda gently pinched Jasmine's cheeks who blushed at the compliment. "Jasmine, this is Amanda. She's my older sister. Amanda, this is Jasmine, my baby sister that I was telling you about" and the two immediately hit it off. Amanda started asking Jasmine questions that Jasmine eagerly answered. After few minutes, Jasmine left my lap to sit at Amanda's. I was just listening to them tell each other random things but, without either of us realizing it, I fell asleep.

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When Johnson thought that I'm ready to pretend like Austin, after learning everything there is to learn, even some of Austin's childhood, which he and Amanda told me about, he said that we will be moving with them. I'm quite surprised he knew so much about Austin's childhood. But, of course, Mom and Little Jasmine won't be able to come with me. Johnson said I must also be careful not to be seen with them or it would cause a great confusion for the world. Austin is not the kind of famous teenager that gets followed by paparazzi, though, so visiting them won't be a problem. Johnson then assigned Jasmine to attend to my every need, nothing else, which I asked him to, to give Jasmine some break.