Totally Bubbly- Cheesecake's New Stories: The Second Series

Cheesecake's New Stories #12: It's Moments Like This

Fruit Tart P.O.V.

It's moments like this when you want to scream your damn head off. All I want now is to tell her who I really am. She deserves to know, and I just want to play my part in her life. Ugh, but it's not as simple as that, damn it! 

        Almost everyone at the camp knows that she's my sister, but I've made them swear to not tell. However, I feel like it's only a matter of time before the truth slips out, and I want to be the one to tell her. I've been waiting so long to tell her because...I guess I just wanted her companionship to be genuine and not awkward because, if she did know, she would probably only feel obligated to spend time with me. Plus, it's not as easy as it sounds, and, unfortunately, I occasionally tried to hint our genetic similarity, only making her confused.

        Last week, everyone started getting pretty agitated with me because they didn't think it was a good idea to wait this long. 

        Akane stormed up to me out of nowhere, saying, "This has gone on too long, Fruit Tart! You are twisting her emotions! Cheesecake is a sweet girl, and she deserves to know the truth!"

        While I was in the lunch line, Cheshire leaned over the counter and whispered, "You've got to tell Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, before it's too late. If you tell her any later, she won't believe you."

        And Lolli, who is one of her roommates and usually very silly, told me with a serious expression, "You are Cheesecake's brother. You need to think about your responsibilities. You wanted to find her; now you have. You wanted to get to know her; now you have. But you also wanted to contribute to her life as her brother, as you rightfully should, but you can't do that unless you suck it up and tell her who you are."

        And the thing is, they make it sound so easy! I can only think horrifyingly of her reaction. She might hate me or think I'm just pulling some sick prank on her. She might stop talking to me or run away. I can't lose her again. I thought she didn't exist until she was taken to the hospital, and I'm not going to get worried looking for her again.

        But sometimes, I feel like I should tell her who I am because maybe she'd open up a bit more and let me help her. Sometimes, I watch her when she's alone and not looking. Not in a stalker kind of way, just to see what she's like without company. Like, just the other day, I saw her not too deep into the forest, putting her hand on one of the dark, gloomy trees, opening and closing her mouth as though talking to it, a faint, golden light sprouting from her hand to the bark. After about twenty minutes, it was as though the tree had turned from an ash-like black to a dark chocolate brown. One single blossom sprouted at the very tip of a random branch, and Cheesecake would smile satisfactorily.

        I remember the day she woke up, finding herself in a strange camp in the middle of the forest. She had asked me where we were, a worried and thoughtful expression on her face.

        "Uh, I'm not sure exactly," I said. "I'd need a map to find our precise location, but we're somewhere near the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest."

        "Are you serious?" She turned to me, her eyes wide.

        "No," I said sarcastically, "I'm being hilarious!"

        "You idiot!" She yelled as she slapped me hard on the shoulder.

        "Ow! What was that for?"

        "I haven't cleansed this part of the forest, yet!"

        "You...clean forests?"

        At the time I didn't know what she meant, but that must've been it, transforming the trees or plants or something. Many scientists would kill to have a test subject like her, and even I, her brother, am fascinated and want to learn more about her powers, but I know better, and I've told everyone at the camp not to pry and not to tell anyone about her abilities.

        But, as I said before, it's times like this when you want to tell the person you care about the truth-for so many different reasons. You want to help them, care for them, be there for them. You don't want to add onto the pain they already suffer because you can't bare to see them upset or lonely when you can do something about it. You can't just watch from the sidelines. You have to tell them, but you just can't, being selfish for your own sake. Because right now, that is exactly what I'm doing. 

        I stand in the back entrance of Sector C, Division 2 unnoticed. 

        Cheesecake is crying, alone in the dark. The only light comes from the moon, shining into the clear rooftop of the greenhouse. 

        I watch her cry, trying to think of something to say, but telling myself I have no right to console her since I've waited so long to tell her.

        So, I stand here with a guilty conscience, looking at my sister through blameworthy eyes, ashamed as I watch her weep under the silhouette of a fruit snack tree.