The Runaway Sister

twenty-one | two girls

I wear a ruffly dress and shiny shoes. A bow is tied into my bobbed hair. Daddy smiled and threw me up into the air when he saw me. "My princess!" He said. 

Daddy is talking to frowning men now. They look scary, even Daddy does. I look away from them and wander through the room full of people. 

Where is Ren? I know he's here somewhere. Daddy said he would be. And Daddy would never, ever lie to me. But everyone is so tall and I can't see past their legs. 

A hand taps on my shoulder. I spin around and see Ren. I smile widely and fling myself into his arms. "Oh, Ren! Yay!" I squeal. He hugs me back tightly. Will he let go? I hope not. 

Eventually he does, and I frown. He tugs on the bow with a smile on his lips. No! The bow will fall off! I quickly smack his hand away. "No! Bad Ren! My bow can't fall off." 

"Why not?" He asks. 

"Nanny Anna said so." 

He stops and looks at me, then whispers,"You look pretty." 

I grin widely. "Thank you! But you don't look pretty." But he does look very pretty. Ren scoffs and sticks his tongue out at me. I push him but he doesn't move. A giggle escapes me. 

"Come with me, Ren!" I exclaim, and turn, weaving through the crowd of very, very tall people in this big fancy room. I turn back, and Ren is following me closely. 

"Where're we going, Lils?" 

I clap my hands together. "It's a surprise!" 

We exit the ballroom, and walk through the empty house. It's very big but not as big as my house. This house is in France.

Ren sighs next to me. "Lily, where are you taking us?" 

I giggle, but I don't answer him. It's a surprise! Does he not know what surprises are? I sure hope that he does.

We walk up the staircase and to a bedroom. The name on the front says "Lila." A few hours ago, Mrs. Monet said I could go keep Lila company if she's not napping. 

Lila is too young to be in the ballroom, she's only two. But we're best friends even if I am three years older and I am big enough to dance with the grown-ups. 

Ren grumbles next to me. I glare at him. "Lila is my friend, so she's your friend too. Okay?" 

"She barely even talks to anyone. She's a baby." 

"She's my friend." I reach up and turn the knob, entering the big room. Lila has many dolls and toys. They're always neat and organized, but now it's all on the floor. Ren turns on the light. 

The little bed in the corner of the bedroom is empty. Where is my friend? Tears well up in my eyes. Where has she gone?

Ren begins to yell, "Lila's gone!" And adults come rushing up the stairs. Someone lifts me up and carries me away. I cry and cry. I'm set down onto a chair. Where has Ren gone? 

Another grown-up comes into the room I'm in with Ren right behind him. The grown-ups are saying, "The Monet girl has been kidnapped— just like those Clemente kids. We can't have all of the children be taken." 

I run to Ren and cling onto him. "She's gone!" He strokes my hair but he doesn't say anything. I sit next to him for a long time until Alex comes and picks me up and we go back to Vermont. 

My eyes refocus, bringing my mind out of the sudden memory. I sit next to Luke. The Monet family, the Clemente family, the Bertelli family, and my family all occupy this one table.