Amara Gilbert

Chapter 5

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna," Elena smiled tiredly at her young guardian, saying nothing when Jeremy rudely took the cup she'd just poured for herself out of her hand.

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?"

Elena shook her head, "I'm good."

Jeremy grabbed all the money from out of Jenna's hand.

"Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing?" Jenna stressed, clearly at a loss.

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" She asked, looking at the clock on the wall behind Jenna as she did so.

"I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at....now. Crap!" Her aunt cursed.

"Go," Elena urged, shooing her. "We'll be fine." Jenna throw Elena a thankful smile over her shoulder as she left. Elena turned to Jeremy "You okay?"

Jeremy gave Elena a look to show how little he was interested in talking to he, "Don't start."

She couldn't help but sigh as she watched her little brother stalk out of the kitchen. She look and saw the mug he'd been using and for some reason left on the bench top, full of coffee.

She recognised the silly 'cool as a cucumber' mug that Amara had used every morning since they were twelve. It made her heart clench painfully just looking at the mug.

Elena had bought the mug for her sister's birthday. She found the words funny, especially since her twin liked vegetable so much. Amara had loved the mug and would smile every morning when she got the mug out of the cupboard. In fact it was often the only thing that could improve Amara's bad morning mood.

Would it always be like this?

Thinking constantly of what would happen if they were still here?

She would always go to her sister for help no matter how small or big the problem was. Her sister was always the one she'd ask.

Always.

She took a deep breath and pushed down the rising lump in her throat and told herself to get it together as she heard Bonnie honk the horn of her car.

They weren't coming.

She had to accept that.