Sorry sister

+ f i v e

After having looked for my glasses for what seemed like eternity, I finally decide I would try watch some TV. However this turns out to be pretty difficult because (1) I can't find anything interesting to watch and (2) I still haven't got my glasses.

While I am still trying to win this impossible challenge, I hear a buzz. Realising that it's been produced by my phone, I pull it out of my pocket and look at the message I've just received.

I need a hug.

The text is from Jen. I stand up and start making my way to her room, not very distant from where I was watching TV; our apartment is very small.

I open the door and look at my sister's body laying on the bed, all snuggled, wrapped by the dark of the night. I smile and lay near her, surrounding her small, slender body with my harms.

She just squeezes my left harm with her hand, without saying anything.

We do it often: asking for a hug and then hug each other, without giving the other one the reason why we need it. It happens to me, too: lots of times I feel as if something just isn't in the right place and a hug from the person you love more than anything is the only thing that makes everything get better. Maybe it doesn't actually solve my problems, but it keeps all my pieces together for a moment and makes me feel complete again.

"It's all right," I reassure her. "It's all right."

"Now that you're here, yes it surely will," she answers in a murmur.

I don't know how much we stay like this. Ten minutes, half an hour, three hours? Who cares, I like it when we're like this: together no matter what.

Eventually, she pulls away from me. I sit up on her bed and ask "Wanna talk about it?"

"No. I mean, it's just... I don't want to be left alone."

I really don't know why she thinks things like this sometimes, but I can understand her. Living since you're fifteen years old without both parents it's hard.

"Hey, you're not alone; you have me, okay?"

"Yes, but what if you do the same as them?"

I know who 'them' are, but I want her to open her-self to me, I think it will make her feel better.

"Them who?"

"Mum and dad," she mumbles and then looks up at me. Her green eyes, same as mine, are holding drops of sadness that have to come out sooner or later.

"I won't, Jennifer. I swear I will never leave you."

"I won't neither."

After she says that, she breaks up and starts weeping. That makes me really try hard not to cry with her. When she's sad, I can't help but just feel sad as well. Her pain is my pain.

"Stay with me."

"I will, sweetie. I will."

We slowly fall asleep in each other's arms.

***

The next morning I wake up in her bed, with her arms still around my chest. I take a quick look at my phone, which was still hidden in my pocket, and my eyes instantly grow wide.

I stand up and start scrolling her to wake her up.

"Jen... Jen, wake up we're late."

She mumbles a sort of "fuck off, we're always late" and I continue scrolling her.

"Com'on, you can't be always late. And stop swearing."

"Shut up... you do it too... hold on... just a minute."

"No, we don't have a minute," I point out and then get out of her room to change into some clean clothes.

I grab a white t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. I put the jeans on.

I'm still shirtless when I step into the bathroom to brush my teeth and I find my sister doing her make up still sleepy.

"Jennifer Thomson, I am serious be quick. Can't you do your make-up in the car?"

"No. And before judging me, look at your hair."

I frown and the look at the mirror. Everything in can do is mumbling "shit" while I look at the blob of hair on my head.

"Yes it is shit indeed," she says, referring to my hair.

"Do you have a hair-tie?"

"Are you serious?"

"Just give me a goddamn hair-tie."

She gives it to me and I try to tie my hair up, don't really knowing what I am doing.

"Oh, someone's a little pissed off," she adds while looking at me.

After several moves and don't know what, I end up with part of my hair tied up in a sort of small bun one the upper back of my head.

"You know what? It looks good."

She smiles at me, and my agitation instantly melts away.

"Thanks. Come on now, go dress up, we can make it."

She chuckles and after getting out of the bathroom, I finish getting ready.

***

"What did you do with your hair, man?" Jeremy asks, with a smile shyly playing on his lips.

"I hadn't have enough time to have a shower this morning ," I say, taking my black latter jacket off.

"Your sister?"

"My sister."

"Xavier," Miss Lils starts saying. "Why can't you always tie your hair like that to work?"

I look at her, trying to find an answer that it's not yelling at her that her voice causes me a great head-ache. So, I decide to stay quite and smile a little.

"And, also, you look cute."

Afte she says this, my eyes grow wide in surprise and I raise my eyebrow. When she waves away, I look at my friends who are trying so hard not to laugh.

"Did you hear, Xave? You turn her on with your hair like that," Paul says chuckling.

The thought of me be fancied by that woman makes me want to throw up.

"Ew, no."

"Why not?" asks Jeremy, almost serious. "Did you look at her? Apart from her terrible attitude, she's hot."

I stretch my neck backwards in order to take a look at her figure near the cashbox. Her blond hair falls softly on her shoulders and her body is covered by a pair of long skinny-jeans and a pink t-shirt that emphasises her tanned skin and nicely 'exposes' her breasts.

"To be honest: no, I don't think she's that hot."

Jeremy and Paul look at each other, confused.

"Really?!" they ask me simultaneously.

"No. And, plus, her voice is something hysterical."

They just nod in agreement and when the first costumer comes in we start working.