When I Sleep | ✓

[four] with comfort and company

oh, gosh. i haven't updated since the beginning of summer. read the author's note at the end for explanation! ignore weird mistakes and typos, enjoy :) x

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|| nine months ago ||

 

1:09 pm

If there's one thing I've been dreading the most since meeting Archie, it was having to face his twin sister, Ari. Each and every meeting with her is more awkward and uncomfortable than the last, filled with so much tension from her cold personality towards me that it makes me want to stay clear of her as many times as I can.

It wasn't like she had the same personality as the Wicked Witch of the West – I've seen her openly laugh and show her soft side plenty of times – but there's something about me that ticks Ari off, and I have no idea what it is.

Maybe it's a twin thing. Ari and Archie are the closest siblings I've ever seen in my life. Their mom has told me many stories of how they were when they were younger. This could be her way of looking out for her brother; however, I can't think of a reason for why I'm always on the end of her cold shoulder.

More than once have I tried to get her to soften up to me. It's never worked. A few days ago, all of that came to an end. Well, from Ari, at least.

 I tugged on the ends of my dress nervously as I walked down the hall to the bedroom. I haven't worn this since my grandpa's funeral two Octobers ago; it didn't cross my mind that I would have to wear it again so soon.

My heels sounded deafeningly loud in the silence of the house, and the creak of the door opening was an echo in a canyon. AJ's dog tags clinked together, mimicking the tinkling sound from Caroline's current obsession, Tinkerbell. She nudged by me and squeezed her way through the opening of our adjoined bathroom, where Archie currently stood fixing his tie in front of the mirror.

 As softly as I could, I stepped towards him, clasping my sweaty hands together. With one failed attempt to clear the lump out of my throat, I spoke in such a soft, quiet voice, anything louder would somehow destroy the peace, "Do you need help?"

 Archie breathed out, his solemn expression not changing as he answered simply, "No."

I clenched my hands tighter. "But you don't know how to tie one," I whispered.

Archie released his failed attempt of a tie and looked at me through the mirror. I couldn't help but flinch under his intense gaze, or the way his eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked at me in a way he's never done before, even in our worst of fights.

"Fine," he answered roughly, turning towards me with his arms limp at his sides.

 Sucking in a shaky breath, I stepped closer and began the process of doing his tie, just as I had done a thousand times before. Normally, this would be a playful moment. I'd tease him about his incapability of tying his own tie and he would joke about how having me do it is just another way to be closer. I'd pull him by the material so he bent down and gave me a kiss, and then he'd be on his way to wherever he was headed.

 Right now was the total opposite of that.

 My hands had a slight tremble to them as I finished, and I took the risk of meeting Archie's gaze. Seeing as they hadn't changed, I adjusted the tie and took a step back. He muttered a thank you and was just about to slip past me if I hadn't stopped him with my words.

"I'm sorry, Archie."

"I know you are," he said.

 "Then can you please talk to me?" I asked weakly. Besides the one word answers, all our conversations have been short and straight to the point. Other than that, the amount of silence was growing, and I was suffocating from it.