Her Last Hope

Chapter Two

I spent the remainder of the night in my room, staring out of the window once again. Why was everyone’s attitude so negative toward me? It seemed as if everything I did garnered immediate disapproval or ignominy from my own family. I’m only trying to prove to them that I am capable of great things; although they aren’t things remotely close to Samantha, they are close to my heart. I just wanted support, I guess. 

I jumped slightly when I heard a faint knock at my door.

“What?” I asked, already knowing who was standing behind it.

“Hey, can we talk for a minute?”

Did I really want to allow Samantha to enter my bedroom, my safe haven, and make me feel exactly how she did at the dinner table and everywhere else in life?

“Sure.”

I guess I did.

“Thanks,” Samantha whispered, closing the door behind her as she came in. She glanced around warily for a moment, taking in my haphazardly organized room, and sat down on the very edge of my bed.

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours before I finally spoke.

“What exactly do you want, Sam? If it’s to make me feel even dumber than I already do, there’s no need. You do that every day.”

She winced and replied, “No. I want to establish a relationship with you, Quills, one like normal siblings have.”

“To do that, you have to stop undermining me, viewing me as if I’m some inferior being.”

“Okay.”

“And you have to respect my dreams and aspirations. Although they are not as lofty as yours, they’re mine, and I don’t appreciate you constantly ridiculing them.”

“Understandable.”

“You also have to stop talking to mom and dad behind my back about me. They already see me as the lesser child because of your intellect, no need to make it worse by talking about me like I’m not…like I’m not your sister.”

“Agreed. Done?”

“For now,” I responded, folding my hands in my lap over the pink paper that had found its way back to me from being cast aside when I went to dinner.

“I’m not perfect, contrary to popular belief, but I do want to try. It hurts seeing us this way, only speaking when we’re hurling insults at one another,” Samantha replied, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

“Yeah, I know. Fresh start?” I stuck my hand out, anticipating her hand in mine as we made the agreement.

“Fresh start.”

CHAPTER TWO

You know that conversation that took place in the last chapter with my sister about how we were going to “start over”, and “respect each other”? Yeah, that lasted all of about five minutes. Soon after we shook hands, she noticed the paper in my lap. The conversation didn’t go so well.

“What’s that?”

“What’s what?” I asked, shoving the paper underneath my thighs, shielding it from the judgmental glare of my sisters’ eyes.

“That paper you’re trying to hide. What is it for?”

I couldn’t tell her, at least not yet. Although our fresh start had seemed as if it were going to be a success, this was just one thing I wasn’t ready to share with her.

“Quilla?”

Stop asking, stop asking, stop asking.

“Quilla, what are you hiding?”

“IT’S NOTHING, OKAY?”

Samantha wore the facial expression of someone who had been slapped. Her eyes shifted downward to the edge of the paper, then back up to my face.

“I thought we agreed upon a fresh start, Quilla? That means you’ve gotta share stuff with me; you have to include me in your life now.”

Who in the world did this girl think she was?

“I don’t have to do anything, Sam,” I responded, standing up abruptly with the paper held in my hand tightly.

“You know what, Quilla? Forget it. Forget I even asked, alright?” Sam got up from the bed, cast a dirty look in my direction and walked out of my room.

Why did things involving my inquisitive sister have to be so dramatic?

**

Alright, second part up!!! I hope you all, whoever is reading this, are enjoying the story. I shall update again soon. Happy reading! :)