Living in the shadow

Heather and Meryl

"Heather! Meryl! Get up, it's time!" shouted their mother from the kitchen, as she ran here and there trying to prepare breakfast for her husband and daughters. 

Meryl opened her left eye and peeked at the antique clock hung on the wall in front of her. 6:15 am, "..Heather..you go to bathroom first!" Meryl said shaking heather. 
Heather got up and went to the bathroom first, while Meryl enjoyed an extra 10 minutes of sleep. 

All she needed was 5 minutes to get all ready for school. Meryl was always the first one to sit on the table despite waking up late. 
"good morning Meryl! Did you sleep well?" father would ask, pulling out his chair, smiling brightly. 

"hmm.." Meryl would always nod, you see, Meryl was a grumpy child, she always had a bad mood in the morning, but Heather, on the other hand, was always cheerful in the morning.
"Good morning mom, dad and my little sister~" Heather chirped hugging everyone

Heather was 19, two years older than Meryl. Heather was preparing for college while Meryl was still stuck in High school. 
"Heather, how are things turning out for you?" their father asked sipping his tea and looking intently at Heather. 
"everything is good, I'm trying my best but you know dad, our instructor really helps us a lot" Heather said as she swallowed the piece of bread she had been chewing while talking to her dad.
"can't you eat silently Heather?" Meryl said in an irritated voice
"um..let me think..NO!" Heather replied, sticking her tongue out which made Meryl laugh.

"okay girls, you're only left with 10 minutes!" their father announced, which made Meryl jump in her seat, she gulped the glass of milk quickly and ran off to brush her teeth. Heather, too, did the same and ran after Meryl. 

"Heather here's your lunchbox and water bottle! Meryl, your water bottle!" their mom waved the bottle in front of Meryl, "no mom! I don't want water! I don't feel thirsty at school!" Meryl stated as she ran out the door. But like always, her mom didn't give up and asked Heather to hand Meryl the water bottle,Heather nodded and kissed her mom goodbye and ran off.

"Meryl!! wait for me, lets go together!!" Heather ran after Meryl.
"Heather we're going to be late! " Meryl cried, but Heather laughed, "Meryl, you always say that! but we always reach school in time!"

*ding ding* 
"Hey Meryl, I heard your sister is preparing for medical college" a girl, with light brown hair and a weird light in her eyes asked
"oh, um, yea, she's planning on joining a medical college, like thousands of other people..one of them being, your cousin.." Meryl replied in a annoying way
"..yea but, I mean, I was just asking.." the girl replied
"Helen..aren't you a little too interested in MY sister? Are you sure you're a girl?" Meryl raised an eyebrow as she got up from her seat and stretched her arms
"MERYL! don't tease me like this! Your sister, is really pretty and you know it..I just have a..tiny girl crush on her.." Helen replied putting her books inside her bag
"a little? no, Helen, it's not a little girl crush, you're obsessed with Heather. Just yesterday you were imagining her wearing peach coloured lipstick. I mean, she's not THAT pretty, and I'm sure she'll look weird in a peach lipstick, you know why? because she has no lips!" Meryl exclaimed as she picked her bag and marched off.
"Meryl! lets go together!" Helen followed her, "why are you so jealous of your sister?" she asked
"jealous? seriously? I am not jealous of Heather. why would I be jealous of her?" Meryl asked looking away
"..well..oh! anyways, make sure to send me a picture of your notes today, I just want to make sure I didn't miss anything!" Helen said as she ran off, waving.
Meryl sighed as Helen left, she shook her head and kept walking, "hey mosquito! your sister was looking for you!" Amanda, Meryl's 8th grade bestie, told.
"where did she go?" Meryl asked, in an oh-so-bored tone
"she went inside to look for you, why don't you give her a call and tell her you're out!" Amanda suggested
"do you have your cell phone with you?" Meryl asked, extending her hand
"where's your phone? let me guess, you either don't have it or, no balance?" Amanda shook her head and handed her phone to Meryl
"..nevermind, I don't remember her phone number. Oh and stop calling me a mosquito." Meryl thrushed Amanda's phone in her hands and walked away
"Meryl! I won't stop calling you a mosquito! you do look like one! and..you look like a kangaroo rat as well! because of your little face." Amanda said from behind, Meryl didn't really mind amanda calling her a mosquito or a kangaroo rat, it didn't really mattered. Because, it was Amanda. Meryl still considered Amanda her most important friend, even though Amanda made new friends and didn't even talk to Meryl a lot.