Cupcakes and Roses

TWO

Tania lay sprawled out across her bed, staring out onto the dark, wet street below. It was Sunday night, and she was home, no longer in that stupid church with that stupid Violet. She'd refused to go to the evening service, and had stalked right home.

        Suddenly she stood up, grabbed her pink raincoat, pulled it around herself, then walked downstairs.

        "Mom, I'm going for a walk," she muttered.

        "In this weather? Well, alright, Tan-Tan, just don't catch a cold."

        "OK Mom." Tania rushed out the door.

        It was cold, dark, and dreary out on the street. Tania could see a few rough-looking boys prowling around, obviously scouting for anyone to beat up. But instead of heading away from the boys, Tania headed to them. When she got close to a tall, dark-haired, good-looking boy with a backwards worn out cap pushed onto his head, she slapped him affectionately on the arm and said, "Hi, bro."

        The boy turned. "Tania. Why are you here?"

        "Just to tell you Mom and Dad are sick with worry, maybe?" Tania frowned, tossing her blond hair.

        "I don't care. You know why I left. And if you tell a soul, you know what'll happen." The boy raised a fist. "This'll happen."

        "Don't try it, Johnny-Boy," Tania warned. "You're my brother. I care about you. Would you really hit me?" She cocked her head at him.

        He sighed and dropped his fist. "I suppose I wouldn't." He turned to the other rough-and-tough boys and said. "Let's go, boys." They slumped off, the brims of their backwards caps waving goodbye to Tania.

        Tania watched them go, wishing her brother was more then a stupid runaway boy who lived on the streets with his tough gang. Then she turned on her heel and stalked off.

--

If you were standing on Mullberry Street and you heard something that sounded like a cross between a cow and a banshee being murdered, you'd know it was Bradley's mother, Karen, drying her hair. Her blower was twice as loud as most, and made this annoying whiny sound when used. There were rumors that Karen had had that thing long before she was married.

        Bradley had to endure this sound every morning, listening to that old hair dryer whine and fuss. At that moment she was in her bedroom, under the covers, listening to Newsboys "God's Not Dead" trying to block out the sound of the whiny hair dryer.

        "MOM COULD YOU PLEASE SHUT THAT STUPID THING OFF?" she bellowed, although it was no use trying to get her attention. "I'M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THIS SONG HERE!"

        "Hey, it's OK." Bradley's covers were pulled back, revealing her brother, Luke's smiling face. Bradley was nearly blasted by the sound of the dryer. "Put the covers back over me!" she screamed.

        Grinning, Luke dropped the covers back down, but now his head was inside. "Morning, Monkey-Punk." Bradley threw her phone aside and hugged him. "You are so amazing Luke. I'm going to be so sad when you leave for collage."

        "Hey, last year of highschool kid here," Luke beamed. "I'll come back for you, don't worry. At the end of the first semester, you'll be proud."

        "Can a little sister be proud of an older brother?" Bradley asked, loosening her grip a little.

        "Yes, she can." Luke smiled, pulling his arms away. "I'll see you at breakfast, Monkey-Punk." He pulled up the covers, took his head away, then dropped them back over his sister.

        A few minutes after Luke left, the covers were pulled up again. But this time it was Kayla, Bradley's other older sister's face. She looked like Luke, as they were twins, but her face was hard and dry.

        "Turn that song off. I hate the Newsboys," Kayla snapped, tugging the phone from Bradley's grip and tapping a button. "They're stupid."

        "They are not!" Bradley screamed, trying to take the phone back. "They're the best band in the world!"

        "Hardly." Kayla got a dreamy look in her eyes. "But I think One Direction is . . ."

        "Kayla!" Bradley snapped her fingers in her sister's face. "I know One Direction sometimes writes cool songs, but they aren't christian!"

        "Christian!" Kayla spat. "Who cares? They're cute! They make awesome songs!"

        "BUT THEY AREN'T CHRISTIAN!" Bradley shouted.

        "WHO CARES?" Kayla yelled. "You know how I feel about christian, Bradley. Take your stupid phone." She dropped the iPhone 4S on the bed, pulled her head out, dropped the covers, and was gone.

        Bradley was left, breathing hard, seething with anger at her sister. She grabbed her phone, turned it on, and tapped the PLAY button. Immediately, the song started, and Michael Tate's voice boomed out of the speaker, "God's not dead He's surely alive! He's living on the inside roaring like a lion-"

        Bradley collapsed back onto her bed, closed her eyes, and listened to the rest of the song. She had two siblings - one great, christian brother who loved her, and one sometimes awful non-christian sister who hated her. What a life.