YOU, ME, & SHE • |KTH AU| •

four

It's a ton more deliveries later and my feet ache as I trudge up the stairs to my apartment.

I go on and open the door, breathing in the familiar musty scent as I walk into the tiny living room.

"Heya," Nessa, my roommate, greets from the couch. I grunt a reply, heading over to the kitchen, which is barely more than a cramped corner with a sink, a stove, and a small refrigerator. I open the fridge, reach past some wilted vegetables and a carton of milk way past its expiration date to grab a soda before returning to the living room.

My baby sis, Thea, sits crosslegged on the floor by the coffee table, never looking up from the dozens of textbooks spread out in front of her.

"Hello to you too," I say, ruffling her dark mop of hair. She makes an hmph noise, batting my hand away and I grin, reaching over again to pinch her cheek before slumping on the couch beside Nessa.

Nessa glances at me from the TV, then at Thea. "I guess I'll go fix dinner - how does ramen sound?"

I give an indifferent shrug.

"Count me out," Thea slams her book closed, fixes her gaze on me. "Grayson took me out for real food after school, so I'm good."

I choke on my soda. He what?

I glare from the diamond pendant around her neck to the fancy tablet among her stationery, just a couple of the gifts he bought her the day before. And now he's fetching her from school and taking her who-knows-where without my permission.

My grip tightens around the can. The metal crumples under the force and a small spray of soda escapes from the opening.

"Narae, calm down," Nessa hisses but I ignore her, my focus on my sister.

"So you're just going to keep entertaining that psycho, just let him use you for his sick ends, after everything I said," I say, throwing the crushed can to the floor.

"I won't stop talking to him just because you say so," Thea retorts, jutting her chin out. "You're not the boss of me."

"Thea, I'm your legal guardian."

"Whatever. There's nothing you do or say to change the fact that you're a selfish, inconsiderate bitch."

"Thea..." Nessa reproaches, but Thea just rolls her eyes.

"What, she is. Your precious friend needs a damn reality check," She swiftly stands up, a hand on a hip as she glowers at me. "I am sick of this stupid, pathetic lifestyle you're subjecting us to. Everyone at school knows how poor I am. Do you know how much it sucks just watching the other girls show off their designer clothes and bags, their fancy haircuts and cars and everything? I could have all that too and more only if you'd swallow your stupid pride and accept Grayson."

I furiously shake my head. "You just don't get it, you don't know Greyson at all. Things are about to get real nasty if I don't drive that psycho away from our lives soon. And you're not making it easy for me by continuing to entertain him."

"To me, the fact that he has money overshadows however mean he is," Thea declares, crossing her arms. "Plus, he's kind of cute and most of all he loves you. What more do you want? All you need to do is tell him three simple words and our lives could change."

"You know what," I shut my eyes, raise a hand in the air. "This conversation isn't going anywhere. I'm so fucking done."

"Well, I'm not," Nessa pipes up, fixing Thea with a glare. "Our lives are fine. We've got enough food to eat, and we have a roof over our heads - things many people out there would kill to have. Instead of grouching about what we don't have, how about we start being thankful for what we do have!"