Freefall

1

you will be someone's best thing, but until then
be the best for yourself

"Mother requests you go with me to the market to pick up some groceries on the way home," Stephanie Michaels walked into the small back room of the boutique. She leaned against the wooden door frame, watching as the back of her sister's head tilted slightly to the right as if she were studying something.

"Maybe a little more to the left," The other girl - Rhiannon Michaels - muttered to herself as she removed the little pin holding the pink flower to the hat she'd been working on. She bit her lip as she carefully pinned it more toward the left side, moving her head back to examine her work.

Stephanie sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can ignore me all you want, Rhiannon, you still have to come with me to the market."

"I'm not ignoring you, Stephanie. I'm working." Rhiannon told the older girl. She didn't react as Stephanie groaned, stomping her foot on the wooden floor.

"Working on what, exactly? That ugly hat?" Stephanie then snorted, rolling her eyes.

Rhiannon stopped what she was doing, dropping the hat altogether. She slid around in the desk chair she'd been sitting in for the past hour and a half, resting her hands on her knees. "Okay, Stephanie. You have my full attention."

"I don't need your full attention," Stephanie cringed. "A respectful response would have been more than enough."

"One must be respectful to earn respect in return," Rhiannon mumbled.

"Not when I'm your older sister." Stephanie rolled her eyes, "We're leaving work in fifteen minutes. Better clean up."

The older Michaels' sister didn't bother to wait for a response. Instead, she just smugly smirked at Rhiannon before turning and making her way out of the tiny back room, the only sound being her heels echoing off through the halls.

Rhiannon made a face, one that mocked her sister. Any time that Stephanie spoke to Rhiannon, it was with a tone full of malice and jealousy. She knew this, so she always learned to take everything said to her with a grain of salt. It shouldn't be like that - and Rhiannon knew that - siblings were supposed to be close. They were supposed to be best friends, ones who could go to each other for everything.

But all because of how other people decided to treat Rhiannon, caused Stephanie to despise her.

Turning back to the desk, she sighed in disgust at the look of the ugly hat. If there was one thing Stephanie was right about, it was the fact that the hat was ugly. It looked better bland, one someone would buy simply to just to wear during the rain.

She took the pink flower off of the hat, gently setting it to the side with the rest of the random accessories laying around her desk. It was a little unorganized, and although she had the urge to fix it - she knew Stephanie would complain the entire way home if she were to spend extra time cleaning up.

Instead, she just stood from her spot and pushed the chair in. She'd be back the next day - as she came back every day - and would organize it then (after messing it up more of course). She pulled the leather jacket from the back of the chair, pulling it over her shoulders.

It was quite chilly out, getting to the colder months. Rhiannon didn't mind this as much considering sweaters and long-sleeved clothes were her favorite articles of clothing. Plus it seemed fitting, with the way the town spoke nowadays.

Constant chatter of the creatures everyone once thought were mythical erupted through the streets. It was like people talked of them as if they were still just that - fairytale creatures. But they weren't, and everyone should have known this by now.