Sky Corruption (Past Tense)

Chapter Ten

China walked down the narrow hallway, the lights slightly flickering above her as she made her way toward the second door on her left: her room. She opened the door to see Winter, sitting crossed legged on her bedding as her earbuds were stuck in both ears, ipod in hand.

China stepped inside the room, letting the door slam behind her as she slowly approached Winter. The room remained dark, the Christmas lights flickered around them in various colors as they hung on the wall, clothes were plastered all around China's mattress on the right side of the room, completely the opposite of Winter's left side of the room, everything was neat and in tact. China casually slid her hands in her pockets as she hovered down in front of Winter.

Winter, being China's younger sister, had shared similar features with her relative, Winter had her locks tied back, several dreads framing along her diamond shaped face, her nose contained a silver stud piercing, Winter's eyes were like China's, but have a different message delivered in them, hers were rather complex, full of fears, pain, the bitter reality that this world conveyed, China, on the other hand, had eyes full of joy, energy, and an insane amount of optimism.

They were polar opposites when it came to their attitudes. If it was Monday, China would be beaming, glad that it's a fresh new start of the week and carried on the day with utmost enthusiasm due to the inevitable opportunities, while Winter on the other hand, would remain in bed, praying that once she woke up, the day will be over, and having to always have someone drag her out of bed. They both had one thing in common: a heart as big as Victoria Lake.

Winter plucked her earbuds out of her ears with her black manicured hands. "What's up China?" She asked neutrally, her eyes scanned up and down at China, who was already out of her socks, jacket flung to the other side of the room and China crossing her legs. No longer hovering Winter, but had now sat next to her.

China shrugged, "Ahh nothing really, wanted to see how you're doing." She yawned.

"You know me..." Winter mumbled, her voice fading out as her tone is dressed in nothing but melancholy. China took notice of this and gently tapped her shoulder.

"You know I love you right?" China asked, her usually happy-go-lucky smile shrunk into a faint one. Winter exchanged the smile swiftly.

"Of course I do, I love you too." Winter automatically responded, China scooted herself closer to Winter.

They both press their backs against Winter's bedding and pressed their heads on the pillows, Winter let out a short giggle as China instantly got herself comfortable. They both cut their eyes to each other. Regardless of their contradicting personalities and mindsets, they still love each other.

"China..." Winter mumbled her name.

China responded with a subtle, "Hm?" Her arms folded behind her head as she beamed at the ceiling.

"What's it like on the surface?" Winter asked, earning a eager beam from China. Winter handed her the right earbud, resting her ipod in between them. Soft metal played in both of their ears. Winter turned so that she had laid on her side to face China.

China answered, "Interesting." She began, adding subtle words. "There's many beautiful things to see on the world above."

Winter wrinkled her nose a little, almost letting out a chortle in the process. "You know the world is completely obliterated right?" She retorted.

China shrugged, "I don't think so, I can find just about anything...anywhere, whenever I'm outside, I sometimes get to see Lady Liberty in the sky..." China explained, putting emphasis on the right words.

"By the sky...you mean that it's just miles away....on the ground." Winter corrected with a small smirk, earning a laugh from China. "But aren't those outsiders lurking out on the surface?"

"Yeah," China half-mindedly clarified, extending her hand up towards the ceiling, "I get to find little things like necklaces for your birthday or a recipe book for Nikki to cook that pasta in...sometimes the sun is out and it's just...beautiful."

"You should come with me one morning, see the world for what it is." China chirped, propping herself up with her elbow. Winter chortled while rolling her eyes at her eager cousin.

Winter paused, her deadpanned gaze landed on the ceiling as China took notice of what's happening, China may be slightly an airhead, this was true, but she knew when someone is enduring something.

China took her hand and touched her hair, causing Winter to instinctively smack it away again, "Don't touch my hair!" Winter seethed. China didn't take any offense by Winter's annoyed gesture.

With a cheeky giggle, China sat all the way up, "You have beautiful hair! I can't help it!" She laughed as Winter shot her a small glare.

"Says the one with the long box braids," Winter shot back with a yawn.

China took her finger and twirled one of her braids around it. "North would agree that you have nice hair..." China teased. Winter's eyes widened and she quickly swatted at China.

"We're just friends!" Winter argued.

China smiled her goofy smile as she turned on her side to face Winter. "That's how it works right?"

"Aren't you supposed to be training with Faith?"

"Faith is mad right now, but we'll train later." China subtly responded, leaving Winter's bedding as she shuffled over toward her side of the room.

Winter leaned up as China pulled off her tank top. "I heard, Nikki was high tailing it out of there after Faith went into the room with the new kid,"

China continued undressing, "Faith is just looking out for all of us, it's only a matter of time she sees that Bob isn't really a threat."

"She's a bitch." Winter sourly responded, causing China to wince a little and turn to face her.

"Come on Winter, everyone is different, she's just wound up and trying to protect the group, she's not like this all the time." China explained while she slid on her red track shorts onto her lean, hourglass shaped body.

Winter rolled her eyes, despite China's irritating habits of being "too happy" or just "special" (a friendly way of saying that China isn't a very smart person and is pretty slow when it comes to original smarts) are only minor flaws to her older sister, she cared for China and anyone that badmouthed her in any sort of way has earned Winter's distaste in that person. She heard Faith's insults when China had entered the room.

"Plus, isn't it like, the middle of October?" Winter retorted as she took a glance at China's outfit. "It's way too cold to be wearing shorts like that."

China swung her hips. "I didn't notice."

Winter furrowed her brow. "How? It's literally cold on the surface."

"You wouldn't be so cold if you brought your cute butt up on the surface with me!" China exclaimed enthusiastically, she turned heel so that she was facing Winter.

Winter's face flushed as she rolled her eyes at her sister. "That doesn't make any sense, China."

"And will you stop talking about my ass?" Winter added.

China let a wry grin creep along her face. "What? It's a cute ass at that!" She added with a wink.

"Pervert." Winter smugly remarked.

Both of the girls giggled.

"Hey," China's calm voice brought Winter's attention, "Everything will smooth out in no time, Faith will eventually come around."

Winter gave China a doubtful gaze, then she shrugged. "We'll see."

You try to see good in everyone, don't you China? Winter thought to herself as she gently smiled at China who started to sway her curvaceous hips, humming the beat of the music that's stuck in her head.