Chapter 8 (1/2)

THE PECULIARS’ TALE: CHAPTER 8

Translated by: whosays25

Edited by: seiji96

/8/ Photograph

“… is it wrong for me to visit my older sister?”

“What do you want, Lily?” I said, “and you’re not my sister.”

“Yeah, we’re not sisters, biologically. But, I have a good news.”

“So what?” I told her while putting my bag next to the cabinet. I took off my socks while she sat on the couch, wearing her sweetest smile as if she’s intentionally p.i.s.sing me off. And here I am, feeling annoyed on what she’s doing. Wait, I’m actually always annoyed by her. The way she speaks, the way she acts, everything about her, I hated. Well, it’s always like that, right? When you dislike someone, even if she’s not doing anything to you, you’d be p.i.s.sed off, you’d be affected.

“Uncle Richard will adopt me. I will also be a Morie.”  I stiffened because of what she said. But I forced myself not to make it obvious that I was affected.

So, dad will adopt her? That’s not cool.

“Is that the reason why you went here?”

“No.”

I turned my back at her to enter my room. My day is not good that’s why I already want to rest. “The door is open, you can leave.”

Lily and I are not close to each other, I don’t even consider her as friend as well. Maybe I used to do so but now? The moment I learned that her mother will be my dad’s new wife, I no longer talked to her. Coincidentally, we’re cla.s.smate and n.o.body from the cla.s.s knew that she’s my step-sister.

“Stay away from him.” I heard Lily said this firmly. It made me stopped and at the same time, smirked. So, she saw the scene at the library and this is why she approached me.

“I see.” I smirked. “Why? Are you scared?” at this rate, Lily’s no longer wearing her smile, the smile that she’s always brought with herself everywhere, the smile which I hate.

“Shut up!”

I laughed. I expected already that she would be p.i.s.sed off by what I said. We are five meters apart but I can clearly feel her hatred with me. So from this moment, I feel that I was in favour this time.

“You’re scared, right? I can understand. Well, once you’re already at the peak, you no longer want to go down. You may got everything I have, Lily, but the time will come. Everything will fall back again to its rightful owner.”

And that’s me.

“Don’t make me laugh, Jill.” That’s the only thing she said before I heard the sounds of her footsteps leaving. But before that, Lily left me the words, “There’s no place for you to come back.”

One of the reason why I disliked Lily is because she’s in the place that I left for long time. I couldn’t say that she robbed those from me, because I just let things happen. Like a s.n.a.t.c.her who steal a bag which I just let go. I no longer put up a tug. In other words, I didn’t fight for it.

I sighed. Even though I did nothing, I suddenly felt tired. The heavy feeling came back and I don’t know how to deal with it. I entered my room, I turned on my lampshade and sat on the bed’s edge. I’ve yet to change my clothes. For several minutes, I just stared at the void, with no trace of emotion.

I can’t lie down because there’s a force which keeps urging me to stand up and go to the cabinet. I opened  and looked for a box. After getting it I went to the study table and open it.

It’s dusty a sign that it was left for a long time. I opened it and then some old, worn out pictures came into view. Those pictures held no meaning. I flipped the box and the things inside scattered on the table.

I picked up the first photo that piqued my interest. What a bright picture, like the people on it, wrapping their arms on one another, laughing. My shadow friends. Where are they now? Literally, there are still inside the same cla.s.sroom, together with me every day. But because of the darkness, I can no longer see them. They seemed to be the air. You can feel but can’t see.