Begin Again

Chapter Two

*TW: Homophobia*

"Caught up in sorrow. Lost in the song."

"Hey sis, could you come pick me up?"

Her car pulled up along the road. Dumping her suitcase in the boot, she climbed into the passenger seat and her sister turned the corner sharply, to her freedom.

The first few minutes of the journey had been silent. Salomé glanced over at her sister, whose eyes were focused on the road ahead. In an attempt to ease the tension in the atmosphere, she made to turn the radio on.

"Don't touch it."

Startled, Salomé withdrew her hand from the dial.

"Look Rachel, I-"

"Save it. We will talk when we get home."

Salomé sighed and turned her body to observe Rachel. It had been a while since she had seen her little sister. A while being five years. After she got married to Richard. Don't think about him, girl. Her hair was cut short and had a violet tint to it. Her small ears was covered in piercings and Salomé noticed the ring pierced in her nose. Her plump lips was coated with maroon lipstick and Salomé tried to ignore her sister's tapping on the steering, but the noise caused her to glance at Rachel's nails. Matte black. Damn my baby's all grown.

Sighing again, Salomé repositioned herself so she could face the window. The blur of the monotonous houses made her eyes feel heavy and before she knew it, Salomé closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

Rachel's P.O.V.

"So why did you call me, Salomé?"

I turned around to view my sister sitting on the edge of my double bed, twiddling with her thumbs.

"...huh?" She peered up at me, in a confused daze.

"Huh? What do you mean huh? I haven't seen your ass for nearly five years and all of a sudden you think it's time to see your sister in such a short notice, with your bags all packed? What's happened to Rach and Sal? Five damn years and you only pick up your goddamn phone now. Where's that precious husband of yours?"

Silence. Unbelievable. My own sister couldn't even give me answer as to why she hasn't felt the need to communicate with me after such a long time. I knew it had something to do with that rotten husband of hers.

***

Five years ago...

Richard decided to bring my whole family together in order to ask my parents' permission for her hand in marriage. I was still living with my parents then and my mother decided to make, what would have just been a meeting, into a family dinner. She already accepted him as family. Richard was sitting opposite my father at the head of the table, with Salomé seated on his right and I, on his left, next to my mother.

"I actually remember preaching a sermon about the importance of marriage..."

I couldn't even listen to the crap spewing out of this man's mouth. I turned my head to observe my possible future brother in law. He was good looking no doubt about it. His squared face was defined by his sharp jawline, which had a little goatee coated around his pursed lips.

"And then I said if you really want to find a husband, you have to look for him yourself!"

His natural curly hair was slicked back with some awful gel that seemed to imprint itself on the surface of the dining chair whenever he leant his head back to laugh at whatever egotistical shit my father said. My mother simply laughed along with the men at the table, but even I knew she had no clue as to what they were talking about.