Sleeping At The Wheel

Family Reunions and Sharpened Bronze Daggers

CHAPTER 3

Juniper's POV

I swallowed a lump in my throat, parking my car in Jade's driveway. There was no way that I could prepare myself for this more than I already had.

The person inside that house was the opposite of me. My older sister was tough, I'd give her that. And she was stubborn, just like me. But I'm stronger than she will ever be. Jade seems to think its the other way around, and that's why, when I last saw her, we quarreled.

Now I have to face her after two years of absence. On the phone, she had seemed happy enough just to talk to me, but there was no telling how she would react face-to-face.

I sighed, getting out of the car, and walking to the front door. After a short moment of hesitation, I knocked with a tight fist.

"Jade!" I called, waiting for a response. "Its Juniper."

I heard loud footsteps racing to the door, and a moment later the door swung open. Jade stood before me, a huge smile painted on her face. She wrapped her arms around me in a horribly tight hug, and I stood shell-shocked, unsure of what to do. My sister seemed to have no intention of letting go, so I patted her shoulder with a hand.

"Hi, Jade." I mumbled.

Jade finally released me from her death grip. "Juniper, I'm so excited that you're here!!! You've got to come inside!" She took a step away from the door to allow me inside.

I stepped inside, and Jade closed her door, leading me into her living room. "Jade, I can't stay very long. I've got.... stuff to do." I informed her.

"Well you'll just have to come back later then!" Jade answered, and I held back a sigh of frustration.

"Sounds good." I said through gritted teeth.

I couldn't understand how she wasn't still angry with me. I was still holding my grudge after two years, but she seemed to have wiped the slate clean and forgotten everything that happened. Her face was constantly lit up with a smile, while mine was constantly dulled by a scowl.

Jade hardly seemed to noticed. Her happiness blinded her to my frustration, but maybe that was a good thing. If she wasn't paying attention to the scowl on my face, she wouldn't ask why it was there. I wouldn't have to explain a damn thing.

Yet, even through this easily defined hatred, I had other conflicting feelings brewing. Even if I was holding a heavy grudge, Jade was still my sister, and I still loved her.

But it was hard to think about that love when all I could remember was the horrible things she had said. About me, about what I had been doing the last time I saw her.

I had only wanted to make sure that there wasn't a case around while I was there. Jade came too close to finding something out, and I had to make excuses to cover it up. She hadn't liked my excuses.

"Juniper, you okay?" Jade asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking." I mumbled.

"You look exhausted. Want some coffee?"

"Sure."

Jade headed towards her kitchen, encouraging me to follow her as she went. "I would think all that driving would wear you out!"

"You have no idea..." I said under my breath. "It wasn't that bad." I said, speaking louder so that Jade heard the statement.

"Driving that much would be boring, though!"

"I drive around a lot. I'm used to it." I said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You still listen to that mullet rock music, don't you?"