S a t i n S h i r t s

00:11

//Dedicated to @qliu00 for winning my one-shot competition!//

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Andrea

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I intertwined my hands through Jon's, clutching it tightly as I urged him to carry on. He had a folded paper in his hand; something he pulled out from under his bed. I was sitting right beside him, with my legs across his lap, the covers pulled over me to cover my nudity. He managed to do all of that without speaking and ever since that, I didn't move. I didn't think he wanted me to move to be honest.

I dropped my head on his broad chest and put my other hand on the hand that was holding the paper. "It's okay," I whispered softly, looking up to his face. His forehead was scrunched up in a frown, his mouth in a thin line and his brown eyes held deep sorrow.

"It's her. It's a photograph of her."

I kept my gaze locked on his, hoping it showed him how much I cared for him and that he could trust me.

Jon carried on speaking. "She's a year younger than me and she was lovely. But she had problems. Problems my parents weren't so accepting about." My heart started hammering loudly at the start of Jon's telling. I knew how much it impacted him and how much it took for him to share. He was speaking in a low voice, almost sounding as though he wanted no one to know about his sister's existence.

"She had an disorder- everyone thought it was depression but later on they found out she was schizophrenic." Jon started visibly shaking and I knew it was too much for him. Far too much.

I swallowed down deeply, clearing my throat afterwards. "You don't have to tell me Jon." I assured him, not wanting to pressure him into telling me.

Jon's eyes glazed over as a humourless smile appeared on his face. "I told you every night Andy. When you were sleeping and Gina knew everything about you even if she wasn't herself most of the time."

A sharp breath zooming through my lungs which lead to  my heart taking an abrupt stop. "Gi--ina?" I stammered. "That's a lovely name."

Jon dropped his nose and nuzzled it on mine. "She was lovely, truly."

"I wouldn't had expected less." I replied, putting my hand on his cheek. "But honestly Jon, you don't have to tell me more-"

Jon shook his head as he leaned into my touch. "Just a little bit more then I'll stop."

I nodded and he carried on. "My parents were ashamed of her and every time I mentioned her name we would fight about it. They hated her, for who she was, for who she became, for what she did to their image... It was everything. They acted like she didn't exists which sickens me because she was their daughter and my sister."

"And now's she's dead and they're out of the country and they don't give a fuck about her."

My heart was breaking for the loss Jon was going through, for the pain he had to endure and for the lost love his deceased sister never got to have. A tear dripped down my cheek.

"She is-"

Jon silenced me by pulling me tightly into his chest. "At a better place, a much better place." He finished off.

"Yes." I breathed out shakily.

I pulled back when Jon tucked on my hair and my eyes landed on the photograph on his hand. It was a picture of a smiling young girl, her light brown hair held up in a high ponytail and her brown eyes shining. She was a spit image of her big brother, Jon, who had his arm around her shoulder. It looked like they were in a room, a girly room with floral wallpaper and bedding. But I knew it wasn't just a room.