Ghost of a Smile

Older Sister Instinct

Lynn and Lola went to the one place they figured girls like that would be hanging out, the mall. Leni once told them that the mall wasn't just for shopping it was also the best place to hear what people were saying behind your back and who they were spreading rumors about. They had no idea that Leni didn't just go to the mall to shop for cute clothes, she also went to find out which girls were talking bad about people so she could tell her friends and classmates what was being said behind their backs.

She didn't do it to cause trouble and most people didn't believe her anyway, but she felt it was unfair for them to not have a fair warning that rumors were being spread about them. Many people turned on her because of it in high school, but Lori always knew Leni was telling the truth and she would back her up. She would even spread rumors about the girls spreading rumors because Leni was too nice to do that. That's why Lori always cared more about the gossip and Leni always cared more about how the people felt. They made a good team, but since neither of them were in high school anymore they didn't go to the mall as much so they didn't know if the younger kids were spreading lies about their sisters or even their younger brother.

Lynn and Lola went to the food court to grab a bite to eat and because Leni told them that's where girls gathered to gossip and make up rumors.

"Did you hear about that goth girl from class?" A blonde girl snickered.

Lynn stopped sucking on her straw and traded villainous looks with Lola. "Think it's them?"

Lola nodded with an evil grin.

"Yeah. I heard she totes tried to off herself." The red head laughed.

Lynn cracked her knuckles. "Got em."

"Shame she didn't die." Another blonde scoffed. "Maybe she'll try again and we'll finally be rid of her."

"That's it!" Lynn slammed her hands down on the table and aburtly stood.

"Stop it!" A black haired girl snapped at the other three girls. "How could you laugh at someone almost dying?! Don't you see that you pushed her too far?! Don't you feel bad that someone our age almost died because of us!" She started crying. "I wish I never wrote those mean things! I actually liked her sweater with the black cat on it! I thought it was cute! I like cats! Even the black ones!"

"What are you freaking about?" The first blonde scoffed. "That sweater was ugly and besides if all it took for her to try to kill herself was a couple dumb notes than that's her problem. It's not our fault she's so weak."

"You're cruel! All of you!" The black haired girl snapped again. "You should be the ones feeling shame! You're the ones who are weak! You're just jealous because she was herself instead of desperately trying to fit in! Well I'm done trying to fit in with you! I don't want to be friends with you anymore!" She stood up and ran away from the table of catty girls.

Lynn sighed. She wanted nothing more than to knock those three girls around the whole mall, but instead she ran after the black haired girl. Maybe it was her years of therapy or her older sister instinct, but inside something told her to check on that girl. She knew Lola could handle those three girls once she unleashed her crazy side on them so she ran as fast as she could dodging all the people in the crowded mall until she reached the ladies bathroom where she saw the girl had walked into.

Lynn caught her breath and took a drink at the water fountain then she walked into the ladies room.

The black haired girl was crying while furiously wiping at the makeup covering her face. "I hate myself. Why did I go along with them for so long? I knew it hurt her feelings and yet-"

"You okay?" Lynn asked making her presence known. "I, uh, overheard you and your friends at the food court. They sounded like a buncha bitches."

"Oh.. They're not my friends. I mean, they were when I wanted to fit in with them, but now I hate that I wanted to be friends wih them." She admitted then she blushed. "I mean.. I don't know why I just told you that. I don't even know you. I shouldn't talk to a stranger about my problems. You don't need to be burdened with them. I'm sorry. Excuse me." The young girl tried to get past Lynn, but Lynn kept blocking her exit. "Um.."

"Burden me." Lynn said. She gave the girl a grin. "Go ahead and burden me. I don't mind. Take a load off."

The younger girl looked up at Lynn with eyes full of sorrow. "There's this girl in my class and I bullied her because those girls, my so-called friends, told me too." She gulped. "That girl hasn't been to school in days, almost a full week, and the rumor going around school is that she tried to kill herself. I feel like it's my fault. I feel like someone almost died because of me. I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with you. It's not your problem. I'm probably just bringing you down. My apologies."

"Yeah it is." Lynn said making the girl look at her curiously. "It is my problem." She said shocking the girl.

"What?" The girl tilted her head in confusion. "How is it your problem?"

Lynn sighed. "Because that girl you and your friends made miserable is my little sister and I came here to find the girls who bullied her and beat the shit out of them."

Her eyes widened and she gulped. "Okay. Do it." She dropped her purse and held her arms out. "You may beat me up. I deserve it." She stated, but then she flinched and shut her eyes tightly. "Go ahead. Get it over with. I deserve to feel the pain I put her through. I deserve to die." Her lip quivered slightly.

Lynn clenched her fist at her side. On the one hand this was one of the girls who wrote a mean note to her sister, but on the other hand this girl felt remorse, she felt guilty, she even felt like she deserved to die. Lynn let her fists go and instead put her hands gently on the young girl's shoulders.

The girl whimpered until she realized that Lynn wasn't hurting her. She forced her eyes open and looked up at Lynn. "You're not gonna hit me?"

Lynn shook her head. "No."

"But I deserve it." She hung her head. "I should be the one to die."

"Don't say that." Lynn snapped. "No one deserves to die. I want my sister to stop hurting and I thought I needed to hurt the people who hurt her to make that happen, but maybe I was thinking the wrong way."

"What does that mean?"

Lynn took a deep breath and hoped she wouldn't regret this later. "Do you want to come over and see Lucy? You can apologize and start over."

The girl gulped. "I can't. I-I don't deserve her forgiveness. I wouldn't even know what to say." She gulped.

"You can start with sorry." Lynn smirked at the girl. "Then maybe you two could become friends."

The girl sighed. "I would like that, but I'm not sure if Lucy would like that."

"One way to find out!"