looked at her sister from the black socks on her tiny feet up to her sister’s face that was so much like her own. Elodie liked her sister’s more serious look and wished that her own hair was as cooperative as her sister’s so she could put it up in the beautiful updos and hairstyles that Heloise did.
Heloise shook her head and headed toward their bedroom. “Don’t try to flatter me. It won’t work. It might work with all the boys you like, but it won’t work on me. There’s too much history between us for it to even make a dent-”
“OK fine, I get it. I’m not stupid.”
“Really? Because you sure act like it most of the time.” She continued walking toward their bedroom, not even bothering to look behind her.
“SHUT UP!”
Her scream reverberated through the kitchen, stopping Heloise dead in her tracks and making her slowly turn around. Elodie knew that she wasn’t stupid despite the low grades she always got on her tests and papers and the notes sent home from teachers about Elodie’s inability to pay attention in class. However, she resented her sister for how much easier studies came to her. At least she didn’t have a major social standing to keep up. If any of her friends knew that Elodie was really smart, she knew she would be doomed in her social circles. There was no way for her to be both popular and smart. It just wasn’t done at their school.
The two of them stared at each other from across the kitchen through the living room. Elodie swallowed despite the obvious throat pain from screaming so loud while Heloise looked on at her sister with an absolutely blank face. Elodie wasn’t even sure what to say next. Heloise was right. There was so much history between the two of them over the last few years that nothing good could ever make their relationship improve. They’d gone from being best friends to almost enemies in just the span of a few years.
Finally, Heloise turned away and sauntered toward their bedroom, slamming the door behind her so hard that a framed photograph on the living room wall next to the bedroom door fell down onto the floor, the frame cracking from the force of the fall. Elodie walked over to pick it up and saw that the picture that had fallen was a photograph of them from when they were about six years old, all dressed up in matching frilly pink jumpers and white pantyhose. Both of them were sitting, Elodie sitting behind her sister with her arms on her shoulders, and with truly radiant smiles on their young cheeks.
A loud car horn sounded from outside, breaking through the silence of the afternoon. It could only be their parents. Elodie switched off the TV and walked toward the front door as her sister slinked out of their bedroom behind her. Elodie opened the front door and propped it open with one of her large boots, then stood out on the porch and watched as her parents unloaded their weekend luggage from the trunk of their car, while Heloise stood back with her arms crossed. Elodie could have sworn that she saw light red circles around her sister’s eyes, but she couldn’t be too sure. They were both standing as far away as possible from one another without giving away any indication to their parents that something was amiss.
Their father Francis was the first to get to the front porch with his rolling suitcase in her left hand and large duffel bag on his right shoulder. Elodie stepped down the porch to offer her help to father, but Heloise beat her to it, leaving Elodie standing awkwardly off to the side.
“Here, let me help you, Papa.”
“ Merci bien, ma fille .”
Francis handed off his suitcase to his daughter, looking more than happy to have someone to lighten his load. His black hair was neatly combed back from his very Gallic face with his sunken brown eyes and high cheekbones, his lips seemingly stuck in a perpetual pout even when he was in a good mood. Despite that, even in his late forties, he was still quite handsome.
As
Heloise shook her head and headed toward their bedroom. “Don’t try to flatter me. It won’t work. It might work with all the boys you like, but it won’t work on me. There’s too much history between us for it to even make a dent-”
“OK fine, I get it. I’m not stupid.”
“Really? Because you sure act like it most of the time.” She continued walking toward their bedroom, not even bothering to look behind her.
“SHUT UP!”
Her scream reverberated through the kitchen, stopping Heloise dead in her tracks and making her slowly turn around. Elodie knew that she wasn’t stupid despite the low grades she always got on her tests and papers and the notes sent home from teachers about Elodie’s inability to pay attention in class. However, she resented her sister for how much easier studies came to her. At least she didn’t have a major social standing to keep up. If any of her friends knew that Elodie was really smart, she knew she would be doomed in her social circles. There was no way for her to be both popular and smart. It just wasn’t done at their school.
The two of them stared at each other from across the kitchen through the living room. Elodie swallowed despite the obvious throat pain from screaming so loud while Heloise looked on at her sister with an absolutely blank face. Elodie wasn’t even sure what to say next. Heloise was right. There was so much history between the two of them over the last few years that nothing good could ever make their relationship improve. They’d gone from being best friends to almost enemies in just the span of a few years.
Finally, Heloise turned away and sauntered toward their bedroom, slamming the door behind her so hard that a framed photograph on the living room wall next to the bedroom door fell down onto the floor, the frame cracking from the force of the fall. Elodie walked over to pick it up and saw that the picture that had fallen was a photograph of them from when they were about six years old, all dressed up in matching frilly pink jumpers and white pantyhose. Both of them were sitting, Elodie sitting behind her sister with her arms on her shoulders, and with truly radiant smiles on their young cheeks.
A loud car horn sounded from outside, breaking through the silence of the afternoon. It could only be their parents. Elodie switched off the TV and walked toward the front door as her sister slinked out of their bedroom behind her. Elodie opened the front door and propped it open with one of her large boots, then stood out on the porch and watched as her parents unloaded their weekend luggage from the trunk of their car, while Heloise stood back with her arms crossed. Elodie could have sworn that she saw light red circles around her sister’s eyes, but she couldn’t be too sure. They were both standing as far away as possible from one another without giving away any indication to their parents that something was amiss.
Their father Francis was the first to get to the front porch with his rolling suitcase in her left hand and large duffel bag on his right shoulder. Elodie stepped down the porch to offer her help to father, but Heloise beat her to it, leaving Elodie standing awkwardly off to the side.
“Here, let me help you, Papa.”
“ Merci bien, ma fille .”
Francis handed off his suitcase to his daughter, looking more than happy to have someone to lighten his load. His black hair was neatly combed back from his very Gallic face with his sunken brown eyes and high cheekbones, his lips seemingly stuck in a perpetual pout even when he was in a good mood. Despite that, even in his late forties, he was still quite handsome.
As
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