Secret Sister Signs

2016: Tiff

 "So how was your first day back?" Bobby asked from her side of the room, she was on her laptop but didn't seem really interested in homework. Toni was relieved her sister showed some interest in her again. "Luke seemed happy to be back."

"Really? Did he? Did he talk about me? What'd he say about me?" She anxiously demanded.

"Well, I mean we don't talk in class." Bobby snorted. "But he said he was really happy to be with you again and he asked what -"

"What'd he ask?" She swallowed hard; she felt her face flush.

"He just wanted to know what we've been up to this summer," she gave her a weird look. "Why so nervous?"

"Nervous?" She sputtered. "I-I'm not nervous! Jeez, I'm just eager to hear what my boyfriend has to say about me, that's all!"

"Boyfriend, hmmm," Bobby tapped her chin in thought. "That's the first time you've -"

"No, it's not. I refer to him as my boyfriend all the time." She insisted. She casually cleared her throat and stroked her ponytail. "Did he...mention anything else?"

"Nah. But staying on the subject of hot guys. There's this new kid in my grade. His name's Fernando -"

"OMG, seriously?!" Toni jumped off her bed. "I freakin' knew it! It was like I could sense him close by all day! Shit," she started chewing on her nails. "I should've guessed he'd be at our high school," she muttered to herself as she paced.

"Wait, how do you know him? He said he just move here."

"Yeah, he did. We met at Sonic and have sorta been texting each other."

"Seriously?" She widened her eyes. "Why haven't you told me about him? I thought we tell each other everything."

Toni flushed with aggregation. "I dunno, do we? I've felt like you've been ignoring me lately," Bobby looked even more stunned. "I guess I just wanted to get back at you or something, I dunno." She burned brighter. "I don't have any freakin' friends like you!" She exclaimed.

"We know all the same people!" Bobby insisted, closing her laptop. "My friends are your friends, you know that!"

"Yeah but...y'all hang out together way more than we all hang out. It feels like you know them better and have all these inside jokes and shit, I dunno! I just feel left out all the time!"

"But I always invite you -"

"No, you think you do but you don't. You do not invite me out. Like on the days when you work and I don't, sometimes you just go straight to Ashley's without even shooting me a text, Sum! It makes me feel like such a little loser or something! I don't have other people to talk to or hang out with! All I got is Mom and Dad and a thousand chores like taking care of Dana all day!"

"But you got Luke -"

"Y'know that's not the same! He's not you!" She finally exclaimed. Then felt tears burning at the corners of her eyes. "Whatever," she angrily wiped her nose with her wrist. "Forget I freakin' said anything." She marched downstairs.

"Toni, wait!" Bobby hurried after her. "I'm trying to talk to you right now!"

"It's not the same! Had I not said anything, you'd be none the wiser," she retorted.

"I literally asked you how your day was and then we started talking about this Fernando guy but then you flipped the script on me! Look, can we just sit down and talk?"

"I don't wanna talk anymore, talk to Ashley or someone."

"She's your friend too! Just like Alexa, and Luke. You got friends, don't make it sound like you don't."

Toni strangled her cry of frustration and stormed into Mom's office and slapped the door behind her, she locked and dropped down in the spinning chair. But I only got one sister! She thought furiously and hid her eyes behind her hands, struggling to stifle her desperately churning emotions.