Tinkering Hearts

Chapter Twenty-One

Zaelia

The house is awfully quite-looking from the outside. No warmth radiating as always. I stand outside my front door, still not wanting to step inside. It'll be my absolute luck if mom and dad aren't home. I could sneak in, get my stuff and sneak right back out. 

But you need to sort things out sometime yeah?
I know that, ugh. I wish I never had to come back here. 

Sicre walked me to my house and gave me a whole ass speech on why I should confront them about everything. The thing is, I don't know what to ask them. Do I want to? They wouldn't turn back to their old caring self, would they?

I carefully open the door and look at the shoe rack. I first notice a new pair of boots before I see mom's, dad's, and Zeke's usual pair. 

Is there someone else here?

After a moment of debating in my head, I get in and close the door with a thud behind me. Suddenly a lock of caramel blonde and rainbow hair is snuggling up in my face. I fall back and hit the floor before I take in the familiar scent. 

Trying hard to breathe and in a muffled voice I make out the words, "Lesley? Is that you?"

"Who else, duckling?"

I shudder and tears begin to pool my eyes. Uncontrobbaly I sob and whimper, holding my other half tight. If this is a dream, I never want to let go. If this is reality, I never want to let go. 

Les is here. Right here with me. Warming the years of stoned ice inside me. 

She's here. She's here. She's here. 

"Where w-were you? Huh?" I wail and sob. "Are you for r-real?!"

The sweet and silvery voice, identical to mine, fills up my ears, "Yes airhead. As real as it can get. Should I pinch you? God, your cheeks have disappeared. How the hell do I pinch you?" She laughs.

She probably wanted to make me laugh, but all I do is cry even harder. My sister is back. Let me forget everything else for a little while.

. * ● ¸ .

As we sit by the lake in peace after years beside each other, I turn to finally have a good look at Lesley. She has become fairly a little taller than me and more radiant than ever. Except that her eyes spoke a totally different story. She's wearing a white tee and denim overalls on top. Her hair was mostly dyed or were they... extensions?

"They're extensions," Lesley voices my thoughts when I try to look a little too close. "Aunt doesn't allow hair dyes cuz of damage."

"Gee, look at you all glammed up." I say, "Aunt Lizabeth must be spoiling you so much that you didn't wanna see home again, yeah? Oh wait, New Jersey is your new home. Silly me."

Les sighs and takes off her shades. "I missed you so much, Zee."

I scoff, bitterness radiating off of me. I saw her last, when? End of middle school? If our parents were the ones forbidding her to not come, afraid she'll tell me about my condition, Les at least got her own mind to think. 

"If you missed me that much, you could've tried and come back. Scratch that. You could've at least texted me." 

"I'm sorry, Zee. There was a lot to deal with back there. Just so much going on. I didn't feel like talking to any kind of life form in that phase. I'm in therapy now, dealing with still-arising problems much better. I had no one, Zee. My own parents—" her voice hitches, "they just left me there, Zee. I was mad. I was fuming. And was hurting every day I breathed."