Sofie sat alone; the silence was thick as she patiently waited for her older sister to return. The door swung open, and Lilly stepped inside. She dropped her bag on the floor, draped her long pink button-down coat over the side of a small green couch in the middle on the room, and pushed the door shut once again.
"Hello, Lilly."
"Hi, Sofie." Lilly sat down next to her sister. "Were you waiting long for me?"
Sofie looked at her but said nothing.
".. You should really clean up around here, Sofie." Lilly got up again, picking candy bar wrappers and tank-tops off of the ground that scattered the small apartment floor.
"I didn't have time." Sofie replied.
"Well John is waiting in the car for us. I suggest you get your shoes on."
Sofie was still, and stared down at her faded gray bunny slippers she had on since this morning.
"C'mon! Go! Upstairs! Get your shoes on, Sofie!" Her sister nudged her off of the couch and up the stairs. Sofie slowly took steps up the stairs, frowning as she looked around her at the worn-down walls. The off-white paint chipping in great amounts some places, revealing dark red bricks that made her stay-at-home life feel almost like a warm prison. She pushed past the multi-color beads hanging over the foundation of the opening she used as a door, and grabbed a basket full of random clothing. She took out a pair of furry brown boots and shoved them on her feet.
"Ugh.. this place is disgusting, Sofie." Lilly said, dodging dirty undergarments under her hot-pink heels.
"Then go back and stay with John. Just live there forever." Sofie spat out at her from upstairs.
"I need to check on you once and a while."
"No you don't." Sofie jumped up from off of the floor and ran down the stairs. Lilly looked her over with a strange look on her face and frowned.
"You can't wear that."
Sofie turned and took her hand from the doorknob. "What?"
"You can't wear those shoes with that outfit."
"Lilly--"
"You can't wear it. I won't let you."
"UGH! I can wear whatever I want!"
"Go change. Now."
Sofie groaned in anger and stomped up the stairs. She took off her dress and put on a clean white tank top and a blue jacket, then ran down the stairs again. "This decent for you, Master?" Sofie growled.
"Yes." Lilly nodded. "Why are you so grouching lately?"
"LATELY!?" Sofie screamed with tears in her eyes. "I am a 22 year old female hobo, living in a run-down apartment, while my 25 year old sister is living it up with her rich boyfriend on the other side of town!"
"I offered to let you come back and stay with us, Sofie."
"I can't live with you anymore! And this is exactly why!"
"Why?"
"Because you think you can tell me what to do all the time!" Sofie clenched her teeth and fought back more tears.
"Why can't you live with Henry? You know, that imaginary boyfriend that you never let me meet?"
"He NOT imaginary." Sofie yelled.
"Then why can't I meet him?" Lilly asked. Sofie was still again.
"Because.. he's never around when your here."
"OH! So when your alone he comes. Kinda like an imaginary friend?"
"HE'S REAL!"
"I'm sure he is." She said, questioningly. "Listen, Sofie, there is a new boy who's working at my office--"
"No."
"You don't know what I'm going to say!"
"Your trying to make me date him. But I won't."
"Not date him, just show him around a bit. He's so lonely sitting at his work spot.. like a sad little puppy.." Lilly pouted. Sofie made no response. "Why not!?"
"I have a boyfriend!" Sofie shouted.
"But it's not a date!"
"Your sure making it sound like one!"
"If you don't want it to be, then fine." Lilly said.
".. What's his name?"
"Duncan."
".. Well.."
"Will you do it?" Lilly's eyes sparkled with joy as she clutched her younger sister's arm. Sofie opened her mouth to speak, and waited in another moment of silence.
".. One night."
"YEEES!"
"But I'm telling him about Henry!"
"But of course."
Suddenly, both girls heard a honk from outside, and turned to each other.
"John!" The gasped in unison, and dashed for the door.
"Hello, Lilly."
"Hi, Sofie." Lilly sat down next to her sister. "Were you waiting long for me?"
Sofie looked at her but said nothing.
".. You should really clean up around here, Sofie." Lilly got up again, picking candy bar wrappers and tank-tops off of the ground that scattered the small apartment floor.
"I didn't have time." Sofie replied.
"Well John is waiting in the car for us. I suggest you get your shoes on."
Sofie was still, and stared down at her faded gray bunny slippers she had on since this morning.
"C'mon! Go! Upstairs! Get your shoes on, Sofie!" Her sister nudged her off of the couch and up the stairs. Sofie slowly took steps up the stairs, frowning as she looked around her at the worn-down walls. The off-white paint chipping in great amounts some places, revealing dark red bricks that made her stay-at-home life feel almost like a warm prison. She pushed past the multi-color beads hanging over the foundation of the opening she used as a door, and grabbed a basket full of random clothing. She took out a pair of furry brown boots and shoved them on her feet.
"Ugh.. this place is disgusting, Sofie." Lilly said, dodging dirty undergarments under her hot-pink heels.
"Then go back and stay with John. Just live there forever." Sofie spat out at her from upstairs.
"I need to check on you once and a while."
"No you don't." Sofie jumped up from off of the floor and ran down the stairs. Lilly looked her over with a strange look on her face and frowned.
"You can't wear that."
Sofie turned and took her hand from the doorknob. "What?"
"You can't wear those shoes with that outfit."
"Lilly--"
"You can't wear it. I won't let you."
"UGH! I can wear whatever I want!"
"Go change. Now."
Sofie groaned in anger and stomped up the stairs. She took off her dress and put on a clean white tank top and a blue jacket, then ran down the stairs again. "This decent for you, Master?" Sofie growled.
"Yes." Lilly nodded. "Why are you so grouching lately?"
"LATELY!?" Sofie screamed with tears in her eyes. "I am a 22 year old female hobo, living in a run-down apartment, while my 25 year old sister is living it up with her rich boyfriend on the other side of town!"
"I offered to let you come back and stay with us, Sofie."
"I can't live with you anymore! And this is exactly why!"
"Why?"
"Because you think you can tell me what to do all the time!" Sofie clenched her teeth and fought back more tears.
"Why can't you live with Henry? You know, that imaginary boyfriend that you never let me meet?"
"He NOT imaginary." Sofie yelled.
"Then why can't I meet him?" Lilly asked. Sofie was still again.
"Because.. he's never around when your here."
"OH! So when your alone he comes. Kinda like an imaginary friend?"
"HE'S REAL!"
"I'm sure he is." She said, questioningly. "Listen, Sofie, there is a new boy who's working at my office--"
"No."
"You don't know what I'm going to say!"
"Your trying to make me date him. But I won't."
"Not date him, just show him around a bit. He's so lonely sitting at his work spot.. like a sad little puppy.." Lilly pouted. Sofie made no response. "Why not!?"
"I have a boyfriend!" Sofie shouted.
"But it's not a date!"
"Your sure making it sound like one!"
"If you don't want it to be, then fine." Lilly said.
".. What's his name?"
"Duncan."
".. Well.."
"Will you do it?" Lilly's eyes sparkled with joy as she clutched her younger sister's arm. Sofie opened her mouth to speak, and waited in another moment of silence.
".. One night."
"YEEES!"
"But I'm telling him about Henry!"
"But of course."
Suddenly, both girls heard a honk from outside, and turned to each other.
"John!" The gasped in unison, and dashed for the door.