Promise Me

1.

On our first morning in Texas, I padded down the upstairs hallway towards Hanna's room. A few weeks ago, before we'd moved, she'd sullenly settled for the slightly smaller room without even a breath of an argument. As I walked in now, fully expecting Hanna to be asleep, I found her laying on her bed in her pajamas. She was facing away from me, towards the window, which she was gazing out. Her phone rested lightly in her palm, and as a cloud passed over the sun for a second and the glare paused, I saw a picture of Hanna's beloved boyfriend Deuce with his arms wrapped tightly around her.
I quickly turned to leave and give Hanna her moment, but before I could, she spoke.
"Hey, Aubrie," she said, turning her head to look at me. She'd been crying. She had tear tracks streaking her cheeks, and her eyes were rimmed with red. She laughed drily. "I look like a mess, don't I?"
I felt my chest constrict. Hanna not only looked like a mess, she looked desperate. Desperate to get back to California, desperate to see Deuce, desperate for her old life. I wished that there was something I could do to help. I would have done anything for my sister.
Another tear slid down Hanna's face and pooled in her collarbone. "Sorry," she said. "This kinda isn't the best time..."
I crossed the room to give her a hug. She squeezed like her life depended on it. Which, in a way, I guess it did. I was her lifeboat in this situation, the one thing she had that had stayed constant from her past. And as her lifeboat, I had to be there for her. "Love you," I whispered into her tangled hair.
"Love you, too," Hanna said, trying to smile.
Before I left the room, I took one glance back at my sister. She had her phone cradled to her chest, and was biting her lip, unsuccessfully attempting to hold back the tears.
The second I got into my room, I plopped down in the pile of white comforters on my bed and called Deuce.
"Oh hey! Aubrie!" I frowned at his overly cheery voice.
"Deuce. Hey."
There was a silent pause. "What's the matter? Is everyone ok? Hanna?" His peppy voice had disappeared. This voice was more worried, more panicked. It made him sound at least five years older, like someone who had to deal with the daily problems that came with being an adult in our world.
I sighed. "It's Hanna. She's fine physically, but she's getting more melancholy every minute. She hasn't left her room since we got here, and she didn't talk on the plane. She's not even talking to anyone on the phone, she's just crying and alternating between staring out the window and staring at your picture."
"Crap," Duece muttered. "Crap, crap, crap. I tried calling her, like, six times but she never answers and never calls me back! I should have texted her, I should have called your house phone, I should-"
"It's fine. She's fine. She's just being mopey." I shivered. "Deuce, it's kind of scaring me how hard she's taking this move. Can you just try and call her one more time?"
"'Course. And Aubrie? Thanks for keeping me updated. I mean, this is hard on me too, but Hanna's the one who got an exciting new life, and it's going to make it even worse for both of us if she doesn't take that opportunity. Thanks for understanding, and, um, try-" His voice cracked, and he swallowed. "Trying to help. It means the world to me."
I nodded, and even though it was silent, he seemed to hear it over the phone.
"Thanks."
And then silence.
I considered going to talk to my parents, but I highly doubted that they would understand why Hanna had gotten in such a funk over the move.
They had always been supportive of Han and Duece's relationship, but I don't think that they'd ever really understood the magnitude of it. It wasn't just some high school fling to the pair, this was something that they treated like a real-world relationship. It was something that I think they felt inside, at the core of their very being. I'm sure that all fifteen-year-old couples believe that their boyfriend is their soul mate, but I'm pretty sure that Hanna and Deuce were the real thing. It had never been "just a crush" between the pair, which was something that was obvious just by looking at them. Some girls grew up with Disney love stories; I grew up with my twin sister's, which was pretty close to being Disney ready. She'd gotten a promise ring from Deuce that fall for their three year anniversary, and if that isn't romantic, then I don't know what is. It had two pale blue sapphires entwined on the golden band, and there was something inscribed on the inside that Hanna never let anyone see. She kissed the stones every night and every morning. Like I said, movie ready.
I got up off the bed and walked over to my new closet. The clothes were still in boxes, but I grabbed a pair of shorts, white converse, an oversized navy Ralph Lauren tee, and a white and blue varsity jacket.
Hanna might have been mourning what things could have been, but I wasn't Hanna, and Hanna could use a fresh and happy perspective on things from me. So I decided to go for a walk and see if this place really was as amazing as my parents had made it out to be.
I stepped out of the huge house and walked on the driveway. The luxury neighborhood my parents had fallen in love with wasn't packed with houses, but since each property had a huge backyard (presumable for all the huge pools that I saw) and plenty of empty space on either side, the place was pretty big.
Across the street from our house there was an empty field, and to the left, there was a big pond with actual ducks swimming in it. You definitely didn't see ducks daily in our California.
After fifteen minutes, I finally made it to the front gate of the Amenities Center. From my parents, I'd learned that there was a lazy river, two amusement park-sized water slides, a huge foam pit, a restaurant, a full spa, and even a few boutiques. It was one of the weirdest things I'd ever seen. The neighborhood was just a few stops short from being a fully functional town in itself.
Not knowing where to go from the gate, I turned left, following the sign for the spa. As I booked a mani-pedi for myself, a girl walked up to me.
"Hi! Do I know you?" she asked. As she stood there, I gave her a quick once-over. She was tall, a good few inches taller than me, with super-straight and shiny blonde hair. She was in black Nike shorts, gray flip-flops and a floaty floral top. She turned to the desk. "One manicure and one pedicure, please."
"Um, no. I just moved in yesterday, so we didn't really get much time to meet people yet, you know?" I followed as the girl gestured towards a door down the hall.
She smiled. "Yeah, I saw you guys. Y'all are our neighbors."
"Really?" I asked. It was a weird coincidence that the first person I met was my neighbor.
"Yep. I guess I'm your first Texan friend, then, huh?" She laughed. "Here's a robe."
The girl tossed me a plus navy robe, identical to the one in her hands. She was about to pop open a locker when she smacked her forehead with her palm. "Crap, I didn't introduce myself, did I? I'm Cara."
"I'm Aubrie," I responded. "So do I just grab any locker that still has a key in?"
Cara glanced around the room before tossing me a key from the locker next to hers. "Here, just make sure you register it with the front desk before you leave."
After plopping the robe on the wooden next to her, Cara pulled off her shoes, top, shorts, and bra. It seemed odd, considering that I'd met her two minutes ago, but I guess she was just that kind of person who felt comfortable with anyone instantly.
I stripped too and slid on my robe before following her out into a courtyard. In the middle was a big fountain and the sides were lined with cushioned seats and tubs of steamy water. "Wow, this is better than all the nail places back home."
Cara smiled. "I know, right? Where'd you move from again?"
"California," I told her, as we were led to two seats. "So there were plenty of salons to choose from."
"Well at least you're used to the over-the-top, over-privledged, and over-priced life then. It's pretty crazy sometimes here."
I shrugged. "Not really. We lived in Pasadena, so it was pretty artsy and not exactly as extravagant as some places, and definitely not like here."
Sighing happily, Cara popped her feet into the water. "That's cool though that it was artsy. In this area a lot of people like to thinly why they're artsy, but in reality they're just as pampered as the rest of us. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing here, but it can be overwhelmingly materialistic. And everyone thinks that the only things that matter are who does your wax and what kind of purse you own, which can turn into a major headache sometimes. It's excited to have you here; someone new with a new take on things, you know?"
New take. Her words reminded me of Hanna. I wondered if she was still gazing out the window, and if she'd answered Deuce's calls. I felt my shoulders tense up. Then I thought about the big picture, and how me stressing over this wasn't going to help my sister. I breathed out and closed my eyes. Just relax, I told myself. Just for a few minutes. You have a new house to explore, a life to create, and new friends to make. Hanna just has to get over herself.