My Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 13

(A/N: Oh my gosh, y'all! I hit 1k reads on "You're My Pearl" and I'm so happy right now. It's my first K you guys! Thank you if those of you reading this have read that one.)

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer began, glancing toward me. He was younger than the usual announcer, about my age. I shot him a small smile and he turned back to the audience. "Please welcome the star of the show, Miss Medda Larkin!" The curtain behind the announcer rose, revealing a Medda.

The woman started into her song and the boy left the stage. I leaned against one of the support beams tapping my foot with impatience. "Bored?" A voice smirked from behind me. I clamped a hand down on my mouth to stifle a scream. "Sorry."

I turned, a small wave a relief washed over me as I noticed the boy. "You's fine."

"So..You like da show?" He asked, nodding toward the stage. 

"Yes." 

"You got any talents?" 

"Does breaking people's hearts count?" I asked, looking up at him. 

He chuckled; when I didn't join in, he ceased. "You's serious?" I nodded, turning back to the show as the crowd began their applause. "Oh." 

"I see you met my nephew," Medda grinned, exiting the stage. 

"I guess so," I agreed.

"Jonah," he greeted, pushing his hand out to me. I shook it.

"Aunt Medda?" A girl with ginger hair asked, entering the room with a stack of papers and a pair of glasses fastened to her nose.

"Yes, Callie?" The woman asked.

"Aunt?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, I'm Miss Medda's niece," she answered proudly. "And you are?"

"Raya," I responded.

"Callie is about your age, Jonah a year older," Medda explained. "I was thinking of holding an audition for singers to be paired with Callie for next week's performance. Maybe you could try?"

"I'll think about it," I nodded.

"Wonderful!"

"Here's the flyer," Callie handed me a piece of paper, dropping the rest of her stack while fishing it out. She sighed, bending down to reassemble.

"Here, let me help," I offered, not allowing her to protest as I sat and helped reorganize.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Sure," I returned the gesture and headed back to my room. My eyes landed on the picture of Medda and the girl.

"Ray Ray! Where are you?" My little sister asked, a panicked edge to her meek voice.

"I'm here, Cassy," I answered, stepping out of my hiding place.

"Yay! I found you!" She giggled, dashing over and wrapping her small arms around me. At her age of eight, she was smart, but still talked like a toddler.

"Yes you did," I grinned, squeezing her tight.

"Let's not play that game no more," she scolded, waggling her index finger like our mother did.

Mother was good once. Before Cassy got sick. Before Father became crazed and psychotic. Before Jack's and my baby sister passed. We were a happy family--once.

"I don't feel good," Cassy cried, a yelp escaping her lips as she collapsed to the floor. Her left leg went limp, tears slipping down her pale cheeks. Jack and I were the first to her.

"Can you feel this?" My twin asked her as he poked her leg aggressively. The girl shook her head. Mother and Father entered the room, their coats on as they rushed her outside. Jack and I made an effort to follow, but they were already pulling away.

"Wait!" I called. "Cassy!" My voice became hoarse, a choked sob escaping my lips.

Jack came up behind me, "she's gonna be okay."

"You better be right."

Mother and Father returned home late that night. Cassy wasn't with them. "It's your fault, Raya," Father hissed.

"Where's Cassy?" I asked, looking around.

"She's gone. There was a blood clot in her leg and they decided it would be best to...'put her to sleep', in a manner of speaking." Mother answered, voice cold and harsh.

"No!" I screamed, then turned to Jack, "you promised me!"

"I thought she would be fine," he answered, eyes glued to the ground.

Everything should have been fine. But it wasn't. She's gone. My parents no longer want me. And I pushed both my brother and the only other person who's ever cared about me away. I wasn't lying when I told Jonah I was good at breaking people's hearts. I'd been doing it all my life. It's kept me safe.

(A/N: There's going to be more modern songs in this because I don't wanna do any research on songs from that time.)

"I thought that I've been hurt before..." I began, tears spilling down my cheeks as I gripped the edge of the desk.

"But no one's ever left me quite this sore. Your words cut deeper than a knife. Now I need someone to breathe me back to life."

"Got a feeling that I'm going under, but I know that I'll make it out alive. If I quit calling you my lover. Move on."

"You watch me bleed until I can't breathe!" Callie sang from the doorway.

"I'm shaking, falling onto my knees," we sang the rest in a harmony.

(A/N: This song hits really close to me at the moment and I can relate to it a bunch. Not all of it, but some of it relates to my life right now so I'm kind of emotional while writing this. )

Skip to Show (Raya was decidedly the person to duet Callie):

"And now that I'm without your kisses. I'll be needing stitches. Tripping over myself. Aching, begging you to come help." As I sang with Callie, the world fell away. The words flowed out of my mouth, but I was recalling everything that happened with Albert in the last weeks. I felt the wet tears on my face, but never stopped. At most, the crying made my voice stronger. I wasn't choked up or sobbing, just tears flowed down my cheeks as water falls, creating a waterfall down my face. Right before the end of the song, I came back to reality. I looked around as we finished the last verse, and I was met with a very familiar face.