𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 ➵ (𝐓𝐖𝐃)

𝐕

★

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧

"Ada!" Jane called out for her sister.

"What!" Ada yelled back.

Jane giggled as she followed her sister's voice upstairs.

"Don't worry, I wasn't in your room," Ada said as Jane came running up the stairs.

"Uh okay?" Jane responded. "I just wanted to ask you something."

Ada looked up from the journal she was writing in to look at her sister. She was slightly surprised her elder sister was consulting her for something. At least that's what she assumed this was about.

"What is it?" The younger girl asked curiously.

Jane stood in the doorway, furrowing her brow. "I don't know if you'll know anything about this, but I thought I would ask, 'cause I'm really at a loss here."

"About what?" Ada became even more curious. She closed her journal and put it to the side, wanting to hear more.

"Well, you know how Scott and I's birthday is coming up?" Jane began. "I thought that since this is our big sweet sixteen, I would get him something."

This came as quite a surprise since the two had never once gotten each other gifts, swearing that they didn't want anything to do with each other when it came to their shared birthday.

"Where exactly do I come in in this?" Ada asked.

Jane crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "I wanted to know if you knew what he would want." She answered quietly.

"I haven't spoken a word to him in weeks, maybe a few months," Ada responded coldly.

The younger girl contemplated her words and fell to her bed onto her back as she realized it had in fact been that long. Ada laughed nervously. "No, I have no idea what he would want." She finally answered

"Yeah, I thought so.." Jane said softly. "I just thought I'd try and ask."

"And to be honest with you, I'm not surprised," Ada spoke, her voice almost a whisper.

"Why?" Jane asked her.

"When he is here, at home, he never talks to us, ya know?" She paused. "It's almost like he's not even here. He sure treats us like we're invisible. I'm pretty sure he hates us."

"That's just who he is, it's who he's always been. He's always kept to himself." Jane denied her words.

Ada scoffed but didn't respond to her sister. She just wanted the conversation to end.

"He doesn't hate us, A," Jane spoke again softly.

"That's just what you want to think. You can't be in denial forever, Janie." Ada told her sister, beginning to get defensive.

"No, I'm not in denial, Ada." Jane raised her voice a bit, immediately regretting it, as she remembered who was home.

She came into the room, shutting the door behind her, trying to be as quiet as she could. The older girl lowered her voice. "I am not in denial."

"Mhm." Ada hummed.

"Seriously, A. I don't want to get into an argument. Not right now." Jane spoke in a serious tone.