"Should I go talk to her? Will she want to talk to me? Oh my God, who could have done that to her?" Mom paced around the kitchen in confusion.
"She'll obviously not want to talk to you. You know how uptight Maddie is and besides you are the mom, and you know you also forced her to pull off her glasses. She'll most certainly view you as the enemy." I placed my hand on my chin in thought.
Mom nodded her head vigourously, "You're right. I'm the wrong person to talk to her right now. You're the sister, you're the best person to talk to her."
I laughed a sarcastic laughter and asked, "Me? I'm the best person to talk to her? You must be kidding me right now. If you are the wrong choice, I am the worst choice. Maddie hates me so much that she might just kill me if I step into her room." Honestly my mom must be delusional to think that I'm the best person to talk to Maddie right now. Maddie will slash me up and make me feel horrible that I even tried.
"Yes, Lettie you are the best person and trust me this will strengthen you guys relationship. She'll be so happy that someone was there for her. Do it for your sister Lettie." Mom placed her hands on my shoulder.
"The bridge for I and Maddie's relationship has been broken a long time ago, and anytime I tried fixing it, I ended up getting more hurt, so I have decided to leave what is broken as broken."
"That's a very terrible thing to say Lettie. Maddie is your only sister and also your only sibling. You both only have each other, so if you don't fix your relationship now, there'll be no other time for it to be fixed. Which is why," Mom said while reaching into the freezer and fetching an ice pack, she dumped it on my hands and started pushing me out of the kitchen, "the best time to fix your relationship is now like I said."
I resisted and started coming back into the kitchen but Mom said something that stopped me short, "If everyone gives up on Maddie, then who can she call her family? Who can she say still loves her no matter what? You have to give your sister a chance. Besides God gives you a chance everytime you sin and he hasn't abandoned you because of your mistakes. Why don't you extend the same hand of love towards your sister?"
With that said, I decided to give it a trial. So here I am climbing the stairs to Maddie's room. The same stairs I climbed the day she told me that I will be better off dead.
I knocked on her door twice and no response. I knocked again and this time I heard a muffled response, "Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone mom."
So she thought I was Mom? Well, here goes nothing. I tried the handle of the door but it was locked. Stupid me! I smacked my forehead. Like she'll leave her door open for anyone to come in.
"Maddie open up, it's Lettie." I said.
"More reason why I shouldn't open up." She yelled with her tone laced with venom.
"I come in peace and with an ice pack. Don't you think you should ice that before it changes to a black bruise. You know you are also a face model and your face is an important asset for your career." I attempted to convince her and I was pulling all the available strings right now.
I didn't hear anything but after sometime I heard the beeping noise our doors make when they're being opened with the remote. I didn't waste anytime getting in before Maddie changes her mind.
"Set the ice pack on the table and get out." Maddie said immediately I entered her room from her bed.
I did like she said, except I didn't do the last part. Instead I moved closer to her bed and asked, "May I sit?"
Maddie didn't say anything and most times Maddie's quietness in my disposition means a yes. I sat down and she didn't say anything, instead she just kept on sniffing into her pillow. I decided to keep quiet as she cried. I felt it was better for her to let it out and talk to me on her own terms.
After like seven years passed, just kidding more like fifteen minutes I finally heard a small voice say, "He hit me."
"What?" I gasped in shock. Who dared to hit my sister? I could feel my blood boiling and I could feel my heart simmering with anger.
"Ray hit me Lettie." Maddie said letting out a strangled cry.
I couldn't keep my distance again, I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her. Maddie was really hurt and she didn't even shrug me off, instead she leaned into me. I know what happened hurt Maddie so much because Maddie lost her fighting spirit. There are some constant in this life and you know that no matter what happens it'll always remain the same. A constant is Maddie's hatred for me and that's not happening right now. Honestly, I'm scared.
"That douchebag, how dare him hit you? Who the hell does he think he is?" I muttered angrily.
"It's not his fault, It's mine. I kept insisting that he should stop smoking and that he was going to die if he doesn't quit. I should have known when to shut up. It's my fault, it's my fault. It's completely my fault." Maddie chanted.
Okay... There is a serious problem. My sister exudes confidence and aura larger than that of the president of the United States of America. She never agreed she's the one at fault but here she was trying to convince herself that she's the one at fault.
"Maddie abusive relationships does this to you. It makes you think you are the one at fault and..." I was saying when Maddie cut me off, "Please I just need someone to hold me right now. I don't an advice from you, mom does that everyday. She loves giving lectures everyday, so leave that part to her."
I kept quiet and just kept on hugging her.
"How do you meet the right person?" She asked after sometime.
"Xavier left me at the altar, remember? Genesis used me to make his boyfriend jealous. All these are just the tip of the iceberg, so I've met more frogs than princes."
"No... I'm referring to Liam. I know you guys already started dating meaning you won the dare. See you proving that you can win anyone's heart." I feel her smile.
"Yeah... I won, so I get to keep my Costa Rica house away from your prying fingers." I joked.
"Yeah... Yeah, keep it. I never wanted it anyway. Did you ever tell him the truth?" She asked.
"Yes I did. There was a time I couldn't hold it in anymore, I had to spill so that I can have peace of mind. So I told him, well it turns out he already knew who I was."
"And he still wanted to be with you even though you kept the truth from him?" She looked very shocked.
"Yeah, and trust me I was as shocked as you are right now. He pressured me until I said yes." I laughed fondly at the memory. Liam knew how to be persistent when he wanted to be.
"Wow." Was the only thing Maddie said.
After sometime she said something very surprising, "I have always been jealous of you."
"Me?" I screeched.
"Yeah, I was always jealous of you." She repeated again.
"I was always jealous of you." I confessed to her.
"Of me? Yeah right." Maddie scoffed in disbelief.
"Yeah, of you. You were so confident, you knew what you wanted, you never lived in anyone shadow, while to everyone I always remained just Maddie's little sister."
"You've got to be kidding me. You are the most confident person I know. No matter how many times I called you a pig, that didn't stop you for eating whatever you wanted. No matter how many times I pushed you away, you kept coming back. How do you even do it?"
I used Liam's words on her, I said "I'm that stubborn gum that refuses to go out no matter how hard you try. You're stuck with me Maddie."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I opened my eyes slowly, it turns out that Maddie and I slept off. My stomach growled, but that wasn't the major issue right now. Maddie's space was empty and when I opened my eyes. I looked around and I saw Maddie was already dressed and about to leave the room.
"Where are you going to?" I asked.
She jumped in shock and placed her hand on her chest, "Don't do that Lettie," She chided, "You scared the living daylights out of me."
"I'm sorry about that. Where are you going?" I repeated.
Maddie smiled widely, "Ray apologized. He said he's super sorry for hitting me and that I should come see him."
I looked at her shocked, "You want to go meet that human beater?"
All traces of smile wiped off Maddie's face immediately I said this, and she gave me a deadly look as she acidly said, "Don't call him that ever again!" She snapped.
Am I the only surprised at how things are changing so fast? Where was the Maddie I spoke to less than eight hours ago.
"Please don't go Maddie." I pleaded with her as she started leaving the room. I kept following her as she descended down the stairs.
"I just don't want to see you hurt Maddie." I added hoping it'll soothe her, instead it made her more angry.
She halted so quick that I almost lost my footing 'cause I bumped into her lightly. She turned around, "You don't want to see me hurt? Then stay out of my fucking business. Just because I had a moment of weakness in the afternoon, don't think we are now world best sisters," She did an air quote on world best sisters, I knew Maddie was far from being finished, "Stop butting into my life. So you think because you have Liam now, you suddenly have the perfect relationship and you can now counsel people? Good riddance to bad rubbish! Don't be deceived that Liam is your forever, he'll just dump you like the rest did. Daniel ripped you off money to get an engagement ring for the girlfriend that wasn't you, Genesis used you to make his boyfriend jealous, what makes you think Liam isn't using you as a rebound, after all that's all you'll ever be good for."
I felt my hand moving, and I didn't know when it landed on her face. I slapped her hard and with all the anger I felt for what she said. I only realized I did when I saw Maddie hold her cheek.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." I apologized profusely.
Maddie laughed a sinister laughter and clapped her hands, "Wow! She finally loses her cool. Bravo! The perfect daughter finally loses her cool. I thought you were untouchable." She smirked.
"I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry." I weakly apologized.
I really didn't know when I slapped her. I just felt so much anger that I didn't know when I reacted. I already had my doubts about relationships because of my bad luck with them, and hearing Maddie say it pushed a button that wasn't supposed to be pushed.
As Maddie placed her hand on the door handle, I weakly said " Don't go Maddie. You'll get hurt. Abusive relationships always messes with your head."
"At least I am better than you who always snag up guys with commitment issues. At least I'm better than you whose boyfriend suddenly realized right at the altar that he'll be making the greatest mistake by saying 'I do'. I just hope Liam realises it earlier and save you the embarrassment."
As she opened the door, I couldn't believe who was at the door. It was Liam and his face was white, meaning he heard all my sister said.
Maddie was shocked for sometime, but she just hit his shoulder and walked away.
"Ermm... Surprise?" Liam managed to say but in more like a question form as he waved the flowers weakly.
Guess he just witnessed Maddie's acid tongue first-hand. If not for the hurt I felt for what Maddie said, I would have laughed at the look on his face. It was honestly priceless.
A/N- Who thinks that Maddie is being unfair?
Have you met a person who hates you for no reason at all?