Perfectly Unseen

34: arms length away

A r m s
          length away
         ~+~+~+~

"I kind of wish we could just stay here," Aurora whispered, her head against my shoulder as she picked at the blanket over us.

I nodded, sighing dejectedly as I thought about Monday morning. "It's nice here. Everyone is so happy." My eyes opened up as I took in the millions of little stars above our heads. They appeared to be just an arms length away as I closed one eye and reached out.

"Do you think dad will ever turn back into normal?" She asked in a small voice, muffled by my shirt as she pressed her face into my ticklish neck.

My hand ran down her soft curls comfortingly as I frowned, "He lost the one thing in this world that mattered to him, Rora." I spoke slowly, "Mom was his everything. -He lost everything when he lost her. How could anyone be the same after losing their sun? We're just mere stars in the distance compared to her."

I didn't hate my father. I would always love him; he was a really good dad that gave us everything and more before the accident. It wasn't his fault --it was mine. I survived and she didn't. Maybe it was wrong to hate your own daughter, but he had a right too. She was like the sun while I was just another star in the far distance. Without her, everything went off course, frozen, and dark; he could no longer see anything as his world became lost in the immensity of space. The little light from the stars all the way in the distance, wasn't going to ever compare to the brilliant sunlight that kept his world bright and warm. No matter how much I reached out, my rays or gravity weren't ever going to reach him as he quickly disappeared into the darkness of the endless abyss.

He was lost to me forever without her around to keep him an arms length away from me.

"Didn't we matter to him at all?" My sister interrupted my thoughts as she sat up on the outdoor mattress and looked down at me with tears in her eyes. "I mean, he did love us, didn't he? We mattered to him just like mom. We were suns too." She argued with the frustrated shake of her head.

"That's what stars are, Aurora." My voice was soft as I sat up with her and pulled her into my side. "I shouldn't have worded it like that. We mattered to him too. But he wasn't dependant on us --he was dependant on mom."

"Then we're like the moon." She frowned, "We weren't just another star to him, Ailie: we effected his life too, like the moon to the tide. We reflected the suns light but now with the sun gone he can no longer see us. But we were the main event when the sun wasn't around before. We were once worshipped too."

I smiled gently, squeezing her arm proudly. My sister had such a brilliant, usually optimistic, and creative mind. "That's a good way to see it too. But I said star because I know someday you'll be somebodies sun and you'll be depended on to keep their world afloat and illuminated. Moons are just big rocks with a gravitational pull and you're a whole lot more than that, Rora." My arms wrapped around my baby sister, hugging her tightly.

"Hey," Danny suddenly plopped down on the mattress, scaring us as he lazily crossed his ankles before looking up at the sky. "Me and the boys are going to this party in a little bit. We were wondering if you'd like to come with us?" He turned to us, rolling his hazel eyes.

Clearly he was forced to come out and ask. My bet was on Melissa or Brett.

Aurora instantly perked up, "Brett's going?" She wondered out loud, her cheeks filling with colour.

Danny groaned, falling down on the bed, "Yeah, yeah. Are you guys coming or not?" His hand pushed back his thick coppery brown hair as he sighed.

"Um, okay." Aurora giggled excitedly. "I can go, right, Lee?" She looked up at me expectantly, her eyes bright with yearning.

Like hell I was leaving my thirteen-year-old sister to attend a high-school party alone. The mere thought made my skin shudder. But damn those puppy dog eyes. I guess I would just have to go with her --the horror of that realization made my stomach churn.

"Alright, just for a little bit." I eyed my sister, "And you're to stay by my side the whole time. And when I say it's time to go, I mean it, Rora."

She squealed before I could even finish my rules, throwing herself at me as she hugged me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I swear I'll be really good and you won't regret this. I love you, big sister!"

Danny chuckled with another shake of his hair as he sat up. "Alright, we're going soon so hurry up and don't take all day. Brett will meet up with us there." He informed Rora since Brett had gone home a few hours ago for dinner.

Before I could reply, Aurora grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her as she shot through the garden and back to the house like a bullet. This girl was going to be the death of me.

~+~+~

"Ms Ailie Dawn is going to a party?" Liam laughed into my ear, making my face heat up with embarrassment. "So, that must mean somewhere pigs are flying, right?" He joked as I watched my sister touch up her natural curls at the vanity table.

"You're just so funny, Liam. You should be a comedian." I rolled my eyes, painting my last fingernail as I held my phone to my ear with my shoulder. "I'm going to look like a fool." My voice whined softly before I blew on my quickly drying royal purple nails. "I don't even know what people do at parties besides get drunk."

"God, I wish I could be there to see this." He said with longing, "You're not going to look like a fool, Dawn. You're going to look beautiful and steal hearts like you always do without realizing it." He purred soothingly through the phone making my chest tighten, "Just stick with your sister, okay? I don't need any more competition." He teased, making me roll my eyes and smile.

"Thanks, Liam."

"Anytime, Ms Dawn. Take lots of pictures, I need proof of this." He ordered, a smile in his voice as he did. "I bet you'll be the most beautiful one there, Ailie."

My heart jumped at his words as I blushed again, "Oh I bet, with my big ugly glasses, pale skin, and tendencies to fall."

"You're saying that like they are bad things." He mumbled annoyedly, "Be safe, okay? Don't drink until you're sick or passed out --there tends to be at least one creep that preys on the vulnerable when there's alcohol involved."

"Liam, do you not know me at all?" I laughed, fixing the belt around my new short flowery white jumper as Rora finished up her hair and makeup. "First, I'm going to be looking after my sister. Second, I'm Ailie Dawn, you doofus. None of those things scream 'drink until I'm unconscious' to you, do they?" My voice snarkily said, making Liam scoff at my rudeness.

"Well sorry for worrying about your safety. Bite off my head, why don't you?" He teasingly said as if greatly offended, making me laugh again.

"Liam, are you coming down anytime soon? Jesus, Turner. Make a girl wait much." A females impatient voice sang up from somewhere on the other end, making my nose scrunch up.

Liam swore under his breath angrily, "Sorry, Ailie. I have to go. I promised a friend I'd bring them to the movies." He explained, making my stomach fill up with acid.

"I have to go too. Have fun at the movies, Liam." I said quickly, ending the call before he could say anything else.

I mean, he was leaving me to the horror of the party alone, I was allowed to be a little disgruntled about this. I hoped him and his stupid friend had a lovely time at the movies. They were probably going to go watch Maze Runner and eat all the popcorn in the world while I suffered for my selflessness.

Son of a dog.