Bound by the Novel

Weird Little Sister

I get home, completely worn out. Just when I was getting ready to move past my break up, I found out she and my best friend have been in love way longer than before the two of us dated.

As I walked down the hallway the sister was just coming out her room. As she stared down at her phone she glanced up at me for a second then did a double take. "Nicky,l? What's wrong with you?" She said, curiously..

That's when I realized I was tearing up. A few tears fell down my face again as I stood there silently sobbing. My sister hesitated before she took me into an embrace. "What happened? Why are you crying all if a sudden?" She lifted my head up to see my face. "I haven't seen you cry like this since we were little." She laughed "Okay okay, what happened?"

"...Hannah..." My voice cracked as I spoke. Her face softened before pulling me into another hug. "It's okay, cry it all out."

°°°
It's been a couple of weeks and I haven't spoken to Chris since the get-together. He tried calling me but after hanging up multiple times I just blocked him.

I sigh heavily as I bury my face in my hands. I have no appetite to eat the sandwich in front of me. "If you're not gonna eat it I will." Zoey came from behind me, taking the sandwich and taking a huge bite out of it. "Be my guest." I said, shaking my head.

My parents walked past us dressed in fancy clothes. My mom wore a dark blue dress with thin straps, and my Dad, whose hand was around her waist the whole time, wore an unbuttoned suit without a tie.

Mom grabbed the keys off the counter before kissing me and my sister's cheeks. "We'll be back pretty late tonight so make sure you guys eat dinner and not just junk food." She said, looking directly at Zoey who was still eating my sandwich.

"It's already 7:00, we should get going." My Dad said, looking down at his watch. "Okay kids, we love you bye" She said as Dad started escorting her out of the house.

"Bye, have fun!" Zoey replied making her way up the stairs. After the front door shut it was just me alone at the table. I sighed as I got up and headed upstairs towards my room.

As soon as I opened my door I got a call from Lily. "Hey." I said as I answered the phone. "Hey, haven't heard from you in a couple of weeks, thought I'd give you some time to cool down before reaching out, how are you."

Usually this isn't a hard question for me to answer, but for some reason, even though what I wanted to say was 'I'm feeling betrayed and like the biggest idiot in the world for not realizing what was happening right in front of my face' what came out instead was, "I'm fine..."

"You know you don't have to be. It's okay to feel however your feeling."

I hesitated before speaking. "I'm fine, really. I just need some rest. Goodnight."

"Ah, okay-" She said before I hung up the phone. I'm not ready to deal with all that. Admitting how I'm feeling right now. I'd rather just ignore it and pretend like it doesn't matter and that it didn't happen.

So facing Hannah and Chris and their relationship or even talking about it out loud is too much.

Even Zoey doesn't know the details of what happened, all she knows is that something happened with Hannah.

It's part of the reason I blocked Chris. Don't get me wrong, he was blocked for the obvious reason of getting with Hannah, but also because even talking to him would just be a reality check if everything that happened that night.

If anything I'd rather burn the memory of that day like it never happened before.

All of a sudden my phone powered off. I went into my room to get my charger but couldn't find it. "Ugh, Zoey." I grumbled as I stomped out of the room, assuming she took it without my permission again.

When I went into her room I could hear the shower starting from her bathroom. "I'll just take it." I walked up to the side of her bed, looking for the charger when I noticed her laptop open on her nightstand.

The screen displayed an online novel with a low quality book cover and with a tacky font titled "Entanglement with the Elite."

"Another one of her stories she's obsessed with. But before I turned away, I saw in the details the author's name; Z-girl. That just so happened to be Zoey's gamer tag.

"What the-?" I knew she was obsessed with this stuff, but to be writing about it too? I seriously worry about her sometimes.

Filled with concern and curiosity, I decided to take a peek. I just hope she didn't write some weird fanfiction or something.

Expecting to find a poorly written story, I started reading the novel with a smirk on his face. But to my surprise, the more I read the more I found himself engrossed in the story. The next thing I knew I was already in the 50th chapter.

The characters just felt so alive, the plot was engaging, and though I hate to admit it, I couldn't help but read on. It wasn't the best writing ever but the plot kept you hooked. Is this how it feels for Zoey? But I've heard her go on for hours about some very weird fanfics she reads. I won't say it to her face that I think she's weird for it though.

Anyways, hours passed, and before I knew it, I had finished the entire novel. I have always been a fast reader but this is a bit much even for me. There were a total of 353 chapters posted, plus the side stories she included. "It wasn't too bad I guess..." Even though it was like a cringe soap opera at most points, it's super addictive to read. I mean it must've been really popular since it had over 3000 views.

Right as I closed her laptop and began to stand she came out of her bathroom. She was wearing one of those beauty face mask and was on face time with a friend of hers(whose voice I could hear through the phone).

"What are you doing in my room?" She glared at me with an annoyed look on her face. "Uh, I just came for my charger." It sounded like a made up excuse but technically I did come for the charger. "Well get it and get out." She sassed.

I grabbed my charger and went back to my own room. As soon as I sat down on my bed I got another call. This time from an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered the phone, expecting it to be some scam caller. "Hey Nicky..." I heard Hannah's voice through the phone."Hannah?"

"Yes." She laughed. "I'm calling to check on you." Even though I didn't want it to, that comment made my heart feel light.

"Chris has been trying to reach you but you wouldn't answer. Can you at least hear him out?" Oh, so that's why she decided to call. Of course she didn't actually care about me. Instead she was calling for her fiance.

"Why should I?" I spoke without thinking, but I said what I meant. "...Look Nicky, I get that your upset–"

"Upset? Upset Hannah?! I opened my heart out to you, I told you I loved you and yet all this time you had feelings for Chris?!"

"It just happened. I didn't know I loved Chris until it was too late. I didn't choose who I love and I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"But that's exactly what you did. You and Chris, someone who was supposed to be my best friend. You want me to hear him out? Well you can tell you fiance to go straight to hell, and he can take whatever friendship we had with him!" And with that I hung up on her.

For the longest time I loved Hanna and for even longer I thought of Chris like the brother I never had. I think what hurts more is the amount of time I wasted having those feelings when nothing came out of it. "It was all for nothing..." I mumbled as I fought the tears from escaping.

Fatigue soon overcame me as I was exhausted from feeling this way. I laid down, not bothering to take off any of the clothes I've been wearing for the past day. I drifted off to sleep, hoping I wouldn't dream about Hannah.

...

Next thing I know I'm being violently shaken awake. My eyes are temporarily blinded by the sunlight beaming through the open curtains.

"My time is it?" I say with a groggy voice. I run my eyes and reach around for my phone. "It's about time you wake up!" An unfamiliar voice shouted, which startled the hell out of me. "You're gonna be late for work. Hurry up and get dressed." A woman about my age, with short black hair and brown eyes stood above me.

"What the- who the hell are you?!"