#acelynn

To be fair perhaps part of Acelynn’s stress originated from them literally being in a space that felt like a shoe box. Everything had a boring brown tint except for the walls that were stark white, and the floor that was a darker shade of wood. Looking closely at the walls, one could see where paint had been slapped on masking destruction of the previous inhabitants. Abigail remembered once being in a room just like this, and remembered scowling at the shoe box wondering how she could turn it into a cave. Each inhabitant brought their personality into these tiny rooms, and Abigail was certain that somewhere in the boxes that have not been unpacked there had to be something that would make the room Acelynn’s. The clothes were unpacked, and the bed was made. But the bed really didn’t feel quite the same, there was just something missing about it. Abigail caught her gaze drifting over everything in the little room. This was it, a sign that her little sister was not so little anymore. Would she still sit on Abigail’s bed to tell her tales? Would she make new friends, and avoid the bad crowd? Losing herself in her thoughts, Abigail’s gaze rested on a little shelf next to the bed where framed photo of the entire family stood. Great, she’s keeping up the appearance. Picking up the frame, Abigail felt the firmness of the black plastic encasing a protective barrier around the photo. Heaven forbid someone actually finds out that the smooth glass is actually shattered, and the divisions depend on the day. The photo was the four of them on the day of Acelynn’s high school graduation, standing in front of a tile mosaic that looked aesthetically decent at the time. Acelynn was the closest child to upholding the perfect image her family sought to paint, so the day she crossed that stage was just another pat on their parents’ backs. Abigail imagined that soon the headshot of Acelynn in the cap and gown would hang in the hallway on the second floor, serving a constant reminder to their parents of what their children looked like. Who knows, maybe they would even replace her photo? In her peripheral vision, Abigail caught the brunette braid shift as her little sister’s stare settled on her. “You don’t approve?” Acelynn inquired, her tone still a little high. “I understand this is a change.” Abigail began, refusing to change the topic. She still held onto the frame in her hand, staring down at it. “But I am not far away… we are not far away.” Nearly slipped up there, oops. “I’ll literally be a 15 minute walk away if you need me to come hold you at night,” Abigail teased, a glint of light in her silver eyes. She looked up at Acelynn to see a small smile break through the bleak composure held moments ago. “Thank you for that great support,” Acelynn replied with a sigh following. Finally, she moved across the room in a single stride to pivot and sit on the bed. Abigail set the photo down, preferring not to stir up a feud over its existence. God, it was not long ago that she was in these very dorm rooms. Excitement had coursed through her as she set off to find herself. She was alone, and it was glorious. No one was around to try and wake her at ungodly hours, and she could pick and choose new people to chat with. Acelynn was her perfect juxtaposition in this instance. A creature of habit, the girl needed to let go and just lose herself, but not too much of course, because then piecing her back together would be rough. Abigail’s first year in university was her first year of freedom from looking over her sister, and her sister’s first year of trying to walk through life alone. Acelynn was unable to bear the silence, which stemmed into multiple video calls. A part of Abigail worried that being within proximity to Acelynn meant things would really go back to the way they were. She wanted to be there for her sister, but she also wanted the girl to find her own way in the world. “Ace, I mean it, you can do this. You’re a smart cookie. If anyone can carve out a place in this world, it is you.” The smile grew a bit more, and Abigail could tell those were the words her sister needed to hear. Her mission here was complete, more or less, but she deemed it to be an adequate amount. Scooting off the bed, Abigail caught her sister’s deer in the headlights stare. She had undone her own coaxing from only moments ago, but alas she had her own boxes to unpack a 15 minute walk away. “Don’t forget a bathrobe when you go into the co-ed bathrooms,” Abigail added with a wink. The sheer horror on the innocent face was all the reward she wanted. “Abi!” Acelynn exclaimed, her tone equally traumatized as her expression, but Abigail was already off as her sister exclaimed her nickname. She had her hand on the doorknob, twisted it, and escaped into the hallway of the first year residence. She just needs to adjust. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Previous Chapter *~* Next Chapter Tags: @half-blood-potions-master

It was not a question she expected a verbal response to, but rather she watched as her older sister moved her legs to make space at the foot of the bed. Usually the girl would sit at the end of the bed, spilling her woes to her older sister while getting the occasional eye roll. Today it was the other way around. The walls her older sister built were shattering around her, but the girl knew she would never admit to it. Perching on the end of the bed, she swung her leg up to fold it under her, and let the other dangle from the frame. Leaning back, she felt the cold metal bars that formed the bed frame’s curve press against her skin. As if the darkness of the room was not chilling enough, the window left ajar let in the early autumn air to bite at the girl’s exposed ankles. “Do you want to talk about it?” The girl asked, concerned that she was able to make it through the entire sentence without being cut off. Usually, she only managed to get the first two words in before receiving a snapping reply. Not only did she complete her question, but it lingered in the air. “No,” her sister replied, eyes having shifted to be fixated on the ceiling. “Do you want me to leave?” She asked. “No,” a soft voice returned. Moving onto her knees, the girl crawled over to snuggle into her sister’s side. Resting her head on the pillow, she draped an arm across the figure knowing it was not her arm the figure wanted. “I’m sorry, Abigail,” the girl whispered. “I’ll be alright, Acelynn” All Acelynn wanted was for her sister to be okay, for things to go back to the way they were. She finally had a chance to see her sister in person after four months. There were so many things she wanted to talk about, and stories to share. Abigail was always Acelynn’s go-to individual for advice, but each semester when she left it felt as though she became more distant. Instead of chatting the day away, she was arguably interacting with her sister less. But she understood the idea of the heartache that was unravelling before her, because her sister rarely let people be so close to her.  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Previous Chapter *~* Next Chapter  Tags: @half-blood-potions-master