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Chapter 23 - we manage fine together

Juliet

A couple of weeks later

"When do you finish?" Juliet asked as Sophie rushed around trying to find everything she needed for the day.

"Um... I'm in uni until one but then I have work until seven." Sophie responded while she was still distracted by her bag in front of her.

She was piling in all her books and folders while also trying to squeeze her laptop in too, it was obvious it was a hopeless fit but she was still persevering.

"And then are you coming straight home?"

There was no answer from Sophie while she still concentrated on the task at hand however, Juliet was hovering by the door awaiting an answer. She should have left for school ten minutes ago but until her sister confirmed her plans, Juliet did not want to leave.

"Soph?"

"Yeah?" She turned around to look at her sister; finally giving her the attention Juliet had been looking for.

"Are you coming straight home after that?"

Sophie had to think about it for a moment while she glimpsed down at her phone screen, as though it was going to shout out her plans.

"Please say you are because I don't want to be here alone."

"I'm going to see Aaron after but I won't be long, I promise."

"Soph... come on." Juliet's face suddenly dropped as that sad expression which got to Sophie every time appeared on her face.

"Can you not go to Bella's just for a few hours? I'll pick you up on my way home."

Juliet had been spending quite a lot of time at her friend Bella's house in the evening due to Sophie's work or other commitments and she wasn't keen on doing it once again. She understood that her sister was busy and her work schedule was what was keeping this roof over their head but she couldn't help but feel a little neglected.

She thought her bad grades and being called in for a meeting with the school would have changed things a little but it had just made Sophie a little crazier. She didn't seem present anymore and instead her mind was elsewhere and Juliet couldn't work out why. It was worrying but it felt like there was nothing she could do about it.

"I'm always there Sophie! I may as well be homeless."

Juliet regretted her words the moment she spoke them but it was way too late to take them back. Sophie's face suddenly changed from pure empathy to frustration and this was turning out to be a bad start to their Monday morning.

"If you want to blame anyone for how messed up everything is, blame our shitty parents. They are the ones who need a lesson in how to care for children; they are the ones who left. I'm doing the best I can."

"I'm sorry... I know you are." Juliet apologised as the guilt filled her. "It's just you haven't been here for a few nights now. I thought you said things would be different after that meeting with the school."

Pulling her keys from her bag, Sophie then looked over to Juliet before nodding her head.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I'll come straight home after work."

Juliet forced a smile because even though Sophie's words had been what she wanted to hear, they weren't said in the tone she had been hoping for. Her sister was still distant and distracted and the amount of time she had spent on her phone doing who knows what, just made this all so much worse.

She knew Sophie was worrying about how the school was viewing her as Juliet's guardian however, she wasn't exactly acting in a way that was going to prove herself right. She knew Sophie was doing the best job she could and Juliet couldn't ask for anything more as things did work for them but shutting down when she got called out on something, was not her usual mannerism.