1.1 | daunting medleys

four | just listen

Tabitha laid on her bed, swinging her legs in a to and fro motion as her eyes greedily and reluctantly took in the information that laid before her. She had gotten back from school a while ago, choosing to take a look at her notes before lunch. Her mother chose to make lunch, struggling with the three course meal she had planned.

The sound of her door creaking against its hinges lifted her head to the person who stared at her with a scrutinizing look on her face.

"Hi?" Tabitha sat up, shooting a grin at her sister as she sat on her legs which were crossed under her, a decision she knew she would regret later.

"What's up with you?" Was her twin sister's reply. Her hair let down, she hadn't taken off the clothes she wore to school which was most likely indicative that she wasn't going to change her clothes.

Tabitha slammed her book shut - the action seeming to be from an angered place, she wasn't. Just frustrated - not wanting to read about the reproductive system any longer. She fiddled with the bracelet that she and Talia bought and never took off. "What do you mean?"

"You seem happier than usual." Talia replied. She was happier, she felt lighter even. Although the pain in her stomach made it hard to be happy, she was not in a bad mood.

"What? I'm not usually happy." Tabitha teased. Her left eyebrow rose in a motion she knew Talia thought was intimidating. The thought of the mysterious little girl still occupied her mind.

"No. You are like really sad. Especially after Mum and Dad fight, you get so gloomy and I hate it. I expected you to be holed up in your room until we got called down for dinner so I came up here so we could talk or watch a movie. But here you are, with a content smile on your face. So I ask again, what's up with you?"

Tabitha sighed, unfolding her legs before letting another tiny grin form on her face. She moved to the edge of the bed, the sweatpants she changed to itching her thighs a little. "I met the most adorable little girl today, it almost made me want to have a kid of my own."

Her sister's stern look melted. "Oh. What's her name? How old was she? Does she have another sister I can fawn over?" Tabitha let out a chuckle, and held her stomach when it began to hurt.

"Girls, please come downstairs for lunch. It's ready and our guests are here." Their mother's shrill yell interrupted Talia's fast paced words.

"Guess we will finish this later." Tabitha said, beaming at her sister, her words a little disrupted from the sigh of relief she expelled.

"Whatever. But I'm helping you pick your outfit." Talia mused, already moving into her closet to pick out a outfit Tabitha could tell she would hate.

She moved to the closet to meet her sister, who was still rummaging through the racks of clothes that hung, most likely collecting dust since Tabitha never wore the more fancier clothes in her closet.

"Can you please pick out clothes that I will like?"

Talia shot her a look over her shoulder, her browns lighting in faux annoyance. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you always pick out extremely fashionable clothes that I don't like. Not that you have bad taste, I am the problem here. I have bad taste in clothes." Tabitha said, eyeing the pretty black turtleneck that sat atop her most worn pile as complied by Talia. She really didn't want to wear anything she picked out for her, but she knew her sister and knew that she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"I know you have bad taste and yes, I know that you don't like most of the clothes I pick out for you. But beauty doesn't care about how comfortable or how much you like what I ask you to wear." Her voice was muffled as her face was practically pressed into the hung clothes.

She gave up on trying to talk Talia out of picking out an outfit and sauntered into the bathroom to wash her face with a grimace on her face and another hand clutching her mid region.

"I've found the perfect outfit for you!" Talia yelled from the closet. Tabitha resisted a shiver, then walked out of the bathroom after washing her face. She dragged her feet out of the bathroom and walked to her sister in the closet, who was holding up a white lace gown and a black sweater that seemed to be as long as the gown. She tilted her head to the side as she analyzed the combination, she also enjoyed how her sister shifted on her foot waiting for the obvious approval that was bubbling in Tabitha's throat.

"Well," Talia pressed anxiously. "Do you like it or not?"

"Okay yes. I think it's cute. Thank you."

Her sister flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course it is. I picked it out." She replied haughtily.

"Now put it on and dazzle everyone downstairs. I'm gonna go get dressed." She blew Tabitha a kiss and dropped the dress, the accompanying sweater on the bed and left to get dressed.

************

Tabitha didn't like meeting people her parents knew. She had already known that it wouldn't be more than an avenue for her mother, specifically, to let the world know she excelled in her academics.

"Oh, and dear Talia here is a wonder at basketball, lacrosse and track." Her mother rambled on to the owner of the hospital where she worked since she had refused to work at her dad's family owned hospital. She could feel Talia stiffen beside her, Tabitha placed her hand on her sister's in a form of solidarity. She knew that Talia hated how their mother would rather talk about their achievements than initiate friendly, dry conversation like most parents did, as did she.

The couple with matching beautiful golden tanned skin seemed to wither into the chairs. Their children, a boy with striking blue eyes and their daughter with the identical brown eyes as her mother looked bored out of their minds."That's wonderful." The man who she had learnt was Mr Rodriguez replied unenthused.

"And who's the angel beside her?" Halfway through pushing a spoonful of jollof rice in her mouth, did Tabitha realize she was being spoken to. She quickly swallowed and sent a tiny smile to Mrs Rodriguez who had asked the question.

"I'm Tabitha."

"Yes, Tabitha. She is a delightful young lady." Her mother had cut in again, and simultaneously, an exasperated sigh had come out of everyone who sat at the table.

Mrs Rodriguez sent an unimpressed look at the older Daniels way. "Of course, and I'll love to get to know her without any interruptions." Her hard look fell when she made eye contact with an amused Tabitha. Mrs Rodriguez seemed strong enough to battle and silence the menace that was her mother and that put her in Tabitha's high books.

"Do you have any hobbies?" She asked. Her husband busied himself by eating the food before him, as did her father who acted like he wasn't with them at the table. The question seemed innocent, she hadn't meant any harm but she didn't know the heavy thinking she had unintentionally caused.

"I like music."

"Do you like listening to music or do you sing as well? My son Ethan sings. He loves the violin, do you like violin music? He can teach you if you'd like." She pushed further. The blue eyed boy, at the mention of his name, turned to her.

All eyes seemed to be on her. Her palms became moist, she rubbed them together so she would atleast something asides from the anxiety basically pouring out of her. No one seemed to notice the internal panic, or the external sweating. They just waited for her answer, she lifted her chin up and looked at everyone except her sister who was boring holes into her head.

Her breaths failed her, especially when her mother's eyes found hers. Her stomach churned, the pain from earlier even worse. Telling Tabitha not to embarrass her was what her brown eyes told her daughter. Through the hate and love that she felt for her mother, Tabitha knew she didn't want to embarrass her.

"No. I just listen to violin music. Thank you so much for the offer."

Her mother's smile increased while the fake smile she had put on seemed to block out all hearing from her ears.