The Tale of Two Sisters (in draft)

9. The Third Hemsworth Brother

London 🇬🇧

Grief makes people irrational, alright? 

It's true. Wren's high as a kite in her bed after swallowing a MDMA bomb. This is her little birthday experiment for herself, from some kid in the neighbouring school.

In hindsight, she shouldn't have done it, or she should at least have done it with Brie. But she wanted to feel happy on her own.

Happy for once. 

The MDMA searches all the happy chemicals in Wren's body and makes it into one concentrated shot. But as Wren later finds out the hard way, the comedown is a killer. 

But right now, at that moment when Maddie calls her. She is a happy baby. 

'I'm so grateful for having you and Dad,' slurs Wren. 'Without you guys, I wouldn't be able to deal with mum's death.'

'What the actual fuck, Wren Fong!' Maddie starts off screaming but switches to a whisper, she doesn't want dad to find out. He is sleeping next door. 

'Sorry, sorry, you were saying?' Wren asks. 'Are you coming out?' 

'How do you know?' Despite having this telepathic communication all her life, it never fails to amaze Maddie how Wren can just read her mind. 

'Meredith, was it?' Wren swings her hands on the ceiling, dropping the phone on her bed. 'That's very good. Very, very good!'

'Wren!' 

#

Doing what a sensible sibling would do, Maddie adds Brie on Instagram and messages her to take care of her sister urgently. 

Brie bursts into Wren's room and is shocked to find her lying on her bed like a jelly, smiling at the ceiling. Like a baby staring at those dangling toys hung from the crib, except there are no toys. 

Not sure what to do, she pours water down Wren's mouth and prays that she can get herself back together as soon as possible. Thankfully, it's a Saturday, the boarding house doesn't take attendance for sixth-formers today. She prays that no one will see the unbelievable state of her best friend. 

'What's going on, Wren?' Brie shakes Wren's shoulders and tries to wake her. She is screaming in a quiet voice. 

'Just wanted to be happy.' Wren mumbles more words, she looks like she's asleep and having a good dream. 

But six hours later, as soon as the MDMA drains itself from the system, the comedown arrives. And it's particularly bad for a slightly depressed person like Wren. 

Brie would not leave her best friend alone. 

'This sucks balls.' Wren says. Based on the choice of words, Brie believes she's somewhere in between sober and high. Wren covers her eyes from the light and hides under the blanket, moaning in agony. 'This is what it feels like to have your life sucked away by a dementor.' Harry Potter reference, Brie sighs with relief, that's more like it. 

'My life had no happiness, Brie.' 

'My mum is dead, Brie.'

'No one cares about me, Brie.' 

As much as Wren wishes to put the past behind her and move on, the timing of grief isn't up to her. She curls up like a fetus in her bed, and Brie wraps her up with a blanket. Brie continues to feed her water and sweets, and after a few toilet runs, Wren slowly comes back to life.