Red Roses ~Marcus Lopez Arguello

18~ Family Ties

Scarlett stepped back, no words escaping her parted lips. It wasn't real. This had just been a sick joke. Rory stood tall, in front of his little sister, with a large bouquet of roses. He looked almost unrecognizable, but she knew. No denying who that was standing in front of the door.

But she didn't want to believe it.

Emotions racked through her, and her mind raced a thousand thoughts a second.

He walked in closer, and she stepped back. "No." She whispered, her palms growing clammy as she shook her head.

Rory reached out to her. "Letty," He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked down at his hand making contact with her dark brown shirt. He was there. But that didn't help soothe Scarlett.

"Let go of me." She moved back farther into the living room, away from her brother.

He closed the door behind him, as he tried to calm down his sister. His voice was a lot deeper than when she last saw him. And now it lacked the condescending and arrogant tone, but he sounded exactly how she would've pictured it.

"Letty, look-"

"No," She cut him off. "Don't fucking call me that. You lost that right to call me that the day you put your hands on me-" Her eyes narrowed, and shock had finally subsided, and now, in its place, all of her built-up anger and emotions finally began to unleash. 7 years since she'd last seen him, and for the last 5 she had been believing that he was gone forever.

"Letty, don't be like this." His tone sounded more caring, and it scared her. What did he want? Why was he here? Why was he alive?

"Scarlett." She shuts her eyes, correcting him.

"Look, Scarlett," His tone was slower and more understanding than previously, and he was genuine, trying to communicate with his sister. "I understand you're shocked, but just listen-"

"No. No." She shakes her head and walks deeper into the house, right behind the couch. "You're not supposed to be here, you're supposed to be dead."

"Just listen to me and I'll tell you-"

She starts muttering to herself. "Why did you leave?"

"I had to." He answers her question.

She looks up from the ground, anger brewing in her expression. "You had to?!?" She holds a grip on the back of the couch.

"I was in a bad place, I had to leave."

"And pretending to kill yourself was the only option? You put yourself in that position. You fucked with the wrong fucking group of people." She walks over to the boy, pointing a finger at him.

"I didn't. Dad put me through so much shit, and I couldn't do it anymore, Letty." He looks down at his sister.

"So you left and had me take over in your place?"

"You were more mature-"

"I was 12 Rory! I was a kid!"

"So was I!" Rory yells back. "Look I'm sorry, but you have to understand where I'm coming from."

"I don't have to do shit for you. Not after everything you put me through. I spent days cleaning what I thought was your fucking blood off of my bedroom walls! Days scrubbing pieces of my brother off of those walls, and it's still stained from what you did. I- I fucking killed-" She gasps at the realization of her first kill. "Angel, oh my god-" She smacks her hand over her mouth. She had killed Angel, for nothing.

"I did it to protect you, Letty-"

"Protect me?" she looks up at him through her teary eyes. She stands up. "Protect me? This was to protect me?" She lifts her sleeves up, showing her arms, which were covered in the scars he gave her. "These?!" She tells as she strips her shirt off completely, her white tank top underneath revealing more scars. "This!" she pulls the shirt down, showing the large "x" scar on her chest. "I was 6 when you started cutting me up! I was a fucking child, Rory!" She sniffles, continuing to choke out her hatred. "I look like a monster because of you!" She points at the most prominent remnant he left on her. Her eyes. "I was 9! I was 9." She wipes her nose, trying to stop the shakiness in her voice. "I've lost so much because of you. A- a lot of people have died, and I've lost a lot of people. But honestly Rory, you are the last person I wanted back." Venom had left her mouth and Rory just stood there, shocked at what his sister had become.