Sisters In Training

Chapter One

Raleigh Maxwell

Spring had always been my favorite season. It wasn't just the blossoming of flowers, or the trees that would soon regain strength.

It was also the fresh cut grass, the green leaves, and the constant nostalgia that practically whispered in my ear.

Nostalgia. It's always bittersweet. You spend your days longing for the memories of your past, but it never really occurs to you that you're better off forgetting.

You're better off without the small reminders of what used to be, or what never was.

Growing up, I'd never really been alone. Though, you can feel lonely even when you're surrounded by people.

You think that you really know somebody, that you really know your family, and then they do something unforgettable.

They pretend that you don't exist and that every memory ever made between the two of you was almost as insignificant as yourself.

I wasn't prepared to change my mindset of the person I loathed the most. I wasn't ready to shake hands and call it a day because I didn't have that willpower.

A grudge held by a Maxwell is a grudge that lasts forever.

"Alright, take care. Love you, bye."

I stepped into the kitchen just as my mother hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" I questioned, hopping up onto one of the stools near the island as I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Oh, just a client, dear." My mother waved her hand dismissively, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Do you tell all of your clients that you love them?"

She glanced at me sharply and sighed, shaking her head. "It was Phoenix."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the slightest mention of her.

Phoenix, my older sister, moved from home at the age of thirteen to attend some snazzy boarding school.

You'd think that for two sisters that were very close growing up, she'd keep in touch.

Wrong.

I haven't spoken to my dear sister in five years and I eventually allowed myself to come to terms with it.

"Raleigh..." She trailed off, her voice obtaining a tone of warning.

"I'm being nice." I smiled knowingly, and waggled my eyebrows at her, as I took a bite out of my apple.

"Are you? Then, I'm sure you'd be interested in knowing that she mentioned you."

This immediately caught my attention. I stared at her expectantly.

The thing about Candace Maxwell is that she has always loved building suspense. Her way of keeping secrets would be to drop subtle hints without actually giving anything away.

In other words, it was pure torture.

"Let me start off by saying that I know how you feel about Phoenix. Regardless of the circumstances, you two are still sisters." My mother was pouring herself a mug of hot, honey tea as she spoke.

"I really don't understand what this has to do with anything. What did she say?" I questioned, suddenly feeling anxious.

"I want you to stay with her for a while."

It was a simple sentence, but hearing it made me choke. "Excuse me?"

She sighed before continuing. "Your father and I have a very important trip to go on and I'd hate to leave you here by yourself. With that being said, you're going to live with Phoenix while we're away."

I was already shaking my head halfway through her speech. It'd be a cold day in hell before I'd willingly contact her, let alone breathe the same air as her.

"Absolutely not. What's in it for me, anyways?" I snorted.

"The connection of a bond that was once lost." The loud voice of my father reached the kitchen as he padded across the polished floors in his normal work attire; a suit.

"Great. We've got another motivational speaker to ease the pain that I'm strongly feeling." I smiled sarcastically. "How long will I have to be there?"

How bad can it be? Three weeks? A month?

"Two years. But before you say anythi-" I cut her off with a shriek of anger.

"Two years? Like, twenty four months? Seven hundred and thirty days? You've gone absolutely ballistic, Mom. Where are you going anyway?" I was beyond furious, but I knew that being cooperative would please my mother.

"Well, it's a worldwide thing. We're going through Europe, mostly. Your mother wants to extend her fashion line and I think it is very important that you make amends with Phoenix." My father spoke up again.

I looked between the two of them and huffed in irritation.

"Alright, only because I know it'll make you happy. But, how can you be so sure that we'll be okay on our own?" I asked, my logical side suddenly coming to the surface.

"Don't worry about that, darling. Finance is never an issue and Phoenix is very responsible." My mother smiled, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

As if that'll ease my nerves.

"You leave next week!" My mother called over her shoulder as she left the room, and I could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

How could I get used to a new life in Los Angeles with the one person that I didn't want anything to do with at all?

That's right. I wouldn't.

***

Alright, so that's chapter one guys! Keep in mind that it's only chapter one, so you won't really get much insight on the protagonist until the next few chapters.

Also, just to clarify, the main character's name, Raleigh, is pronounced exactly the same as Riley, just spelled differently of course.

Read, comment, vote! :)