The Ugly Duckling

Chapter 3

I watched closely as our baby sister walked into the livingroom. Her hips swayed ever so slightly and it drove me insane. However I couldnt help but feel sick to my stomach as I remembered the last talk I had with her.
She had been so comfortable with herself and oblivious to the hatred others had for her. I had said so many things because I was afraid. I was young and foolish and she had a confidence and aura about her that my existance felt threatened. To be honest when she left I didnt help search for her or even worry. I thought she was just being an attention seeker. That is until days turned to weeks and then months.

"Louis?" She asked as I sat across from her still in a bit of a daze. "Yeah?" I asked quietly taking in how beautiful she had been and now it just radiated from her. "You just seemed to have zoned out." She said as she coward under my gaze. "So what have you been up to?" I asked and then mentally face palmed at how mediocre that sounded.  A sound echoed around the room shortly after that and it took me a second to register her laugh. For a second I thought the heavens had opened up and angels were ascending upon us. I looked at her I'm sure with a gleam in my eye as she smiled lightly.

"Well I have a job teaching at University and a group of us are going on a Peace Corps mission in about a month. After Adam and I came to visit here we were gonna go home." Ezra said face brightening at the thought of teaching. However the tension in the room shifted when she said, "home". Because at one point in time this very house had been her home. "You don't think this is home anymore?" Asked Harry as he stared at her intently. "Well, I learned that home is where the heart is and currently my heart is residing in Ireland." She said monotonously. "The last time I was here my memories weren't the happiest." She said and I just watched her lips move smoothly as words flowed out her mouth.

"Yeah, well we were teenagers  and I'm sure we all know that they do and say things that they don't always mean." Zayn said speaking for the first time but he seemed as intrigued with our new transformed sibling as the rest of us. "True and it would be different if you guys didn't mean those things but at that time and in that moment you did." She said for the first time going almost a whole conversation without stuttering. "Alright!" Our dad yelled interrupting our therapy worthy moment. "I've got root beer, vanilla ice cream and homemade videos!" He said as he dragged a box into the living room. "Seriously dad? You dragged us from work to sit down and have camp time?" I asked surprised at my dad not taking this time seriously.

"Yeah. When was the last time I had all of you guys in one room? I don't want to lose it again." He said smile fading. " Well I'm tired and I'm not going to do this." I muttered and Zayn, Harry and Niall followed suit. Liam and Ezra just sat there confused. "Wait, so you guys are just gonna leave because you aren't happy or satisfied? Dad clearly wanted to hang out with us for once in almost 6 years. Can't you handle a couple hours with me?" Ezra said voice cracking a little towards the end. "Look baby sis you look hotter than most models I've banged but, look at the facts. You haven't been here in 6 years, and you haven't called or checked up on dad so the real root of this is you." Harry said and then turned to leave for the stairs.

"W-What the hell do you g-guys want from me?" She screamed everyone going still and Harry freezing mid step. "I-I was the ugly o-one then, The o-one you n-n-never wanted anyone to know about, I was the recluse that your friends couldn't stand. And now what? I thought for the longest time that if I changed myself I could be accepted and then I realized that this can only be me and my decision only." She said shaking slightly. "After what happened- in Ireland I was broken and I had to drag myself here because I can't hide for the rest of my life!" She said as tears streamed down her face.

"I apologize." She said as she cleaned up her face. "I promise it is not my goal in life to ruin you guys' perfect family, it is my fault for not realizing that nothing changed during the time that I left.  I was just pushed in your closet of skeletons." Ezra said as she slipped on a pair of white vans and grabbed a set of keys. "I-I-I-I'm going out." She said and with that was out the door as we all just stood there inn the hallway and our dad with his head down.