Secret Sister Signs

2016: Raw Deal

 Toni stared at her shoes the whole ride back home. She was an idiot. Really. Never had she ever ruined everything on this scale. The two people she loved more than life, Bobby, and Luke, hated her. And she kinda hated herself.

It wasn't true...all the things she had said. Well, maybe they were, but not the way Toni had made them sound. Sure, back in Bobby's boy-crazy days, she had a thing for Toni's best boy buddy but still, they never like, kissed or anything. And who wouldn't like, think he was the hottest guy like, ever? But Bobby grew out of her thing for Luke. Yeah, she only told Toni how hot she thought he was because she knew it made her little sister flustered...

Toni didn't have to blow up like that and turn something harmless into something humiliating for everyone. How would any of them look at each other again without cringing? God. What a fucked up thing to throw in their faces...

And Luke...well, damn. He only ever had eyes for Toni...till now of course. She figured he'd rather gouge his own eyes out before he ever looked her way again. Urgh. She screwed things up so bad, she debated about running away, staying gone and be missing for so long that when she finally returned, they'd be too happy to see her alive that they wouldn't hate her anymore.

Okay, that was plan B.

Plan A was to try and steel her spine so that she could fix this hell of a mess.

"Bob?" Toni whispered. Bobby said nothing and Toni wondered if it was too soon to talk yet or not. It felt too soon but she couldn't help picking at the scab. "Look...dude, I'm so sorry. You have no idea. I didn't mean that. Any of it. Really, like, OMG, I could freaking kill myself over it." Nothing. Normally that line worked. Huh. She had to up her game. "So, like, please, I swear on everything and anyone, I'll do whatever you say to make up for it. Please just let me be your sister again!" She begged. Silence. "Please." Toni whispered. She knew the waterworks didn't work on Bobby the same way they worked on Luke, so she scratched the idea of bringing them up. She'd have to cry a freaking river for Luke later anyway, so she needed to save up. "I'm -"

"Could you shut up?" Bobby snapped.

Toni quickly shut her mouth and nodded, face flaming with shame. Of course, that meant Bobby was still really pissed by the time they got home, and their parents instantly knew that something bad had happened between the sisters. Everyone was painfully still until they heard Bobby slam the door to the room. They all flinched. Toni slunk into the kitchen, hoping to avoid a conference.

No such luck.

"Okay, what's up?" Mom asked, tailing her into the kitchen.

"I... embarrassed her in front of Luke. I think," she stared down at her hands laced together, eyes glossy with tears of humiliation.

"Stay out of it," Dad whispered to Mom as he passed the kitchen.

Mom waved at her ear as if brushing a fly away, then quickly asked, "well what happened?"

"I uh, said um..." Toni turned burning, bright red and took a deep breath before she rambled on in one long breath, her eyes closed;

"ItoldBobbysheshouldsleepwithLukebecausewe'renotlikeathinganymoreandlikeIwasso freakingmadbutnowI'mjustsofreakingashamedbuttheybothwantmedeadnowI'mpretty sure."

Mom's jaw dropped opened but she shook her head. "What?"

"I already told you," Toni groaned and stomped her feet.

"Toni, that's...horrible. Did you say you were sorry?"

Toni wiped at a tear, it was real and it was really embarrassing to go on but she forced herself to prattle on. "Yeah, like, right away but like, Bob-Bobby told me to-to shut up and...and...and...

Idon'tknowwhattodoanymorelikeeverythingisfreakedupbecauseofmeandLukewillhatemeforeverandBobbywillhatemeforlikefreakin'ever -"

"Stop doing that!" Mom widened her eyes. "I can't understand you word you say!"

Toni frowned. "Omigosh."

"Toni!"

"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, what the hell should I do?"

"Language, young lady," Dad came into the kitchen where Mom and Toni were leaning on either side of the island.

"Middle of a crisis," Mom snapped. Dad frowned and hurried out. "This is a real raw deal, Toni."

"Not helping, Mom!"

"Right, right. Um, I'll talk to Bobby and you should give poor Luke -"

"Mom, my side."

"Right, you should give that Lucas kid a few days to cool off."

"Cool off? Mom, he freakin' hates me! I think I screwed this one too bad to fix."

"It only looks that way now..."

She rolled her eyes. "I need like, a freakin' axe to my forehead."

Mom gave her a half smile and shook her head. "You're gonna be fine, sweetheart."

"It doesn't feel like it, I've ripped out my own heart, and theirs, and stomped them to dust."

"We'll all live through it, trust me. I'll go talk to Bob."

"Thanks Mom!" Toni called. She stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, straining to hear if Bobby was having an epic meltdown but she couldn't hear anything. She heaved a dejected sigh and slunk out the backdoor, unsure of where she was going or what she was going to do from then on out.