"..." Julissa watched her sister walk along with her family, while she stayed inside the dark and dusty house. She watched her brilliant smile. Her beaming blue eyes. Her long, black hair.
They were so different. Not just personality-wise, but appearance-wise. She— the older of the two—had frizzy short hair, disgusting red eyes, and a pale expression. She knew it all, her parents always told her so. She was the family's disgrace and didn't understand why her sister loved her so much.
Why did she choose to associate with her?
Julissa glanced at their distant figures, turned back towards her fuzzy quilt, and began to knit.
—
When the sun had hit the horizon, Julissa fished the quilt. Her sister had yet to arrive home, however, her parents were already home. Her sister must be at the tutor's, learning something while she was here, dying.
She walked to her bedroom entrance, listening to her parents cheer as they gathered with their friends, "How's your daughter doing?"
"Oh, she's doing good, going to school and all." Her father answered the man as he boasted about her sister, "It would have been better if her sister was as good as her...But you know, it isn't Cristen daughter if she wasn't stupid!"
A rumble of laughter ran through the house, while a couple of light chuckles followed.
She cracked the door open, watching her father laugh with her uncles and aunties. Suddenly, she heard a light knock at the front door and her father glanced over, "Julissa, get the door!"
She waited for a moment—then once more, before an irritated voice echoed again, "JULISSA!" Julissa shuttered. She peaked out again before patting her bangs to cover her face.
"...Comming!!!" She slowly pushed open the door and sneaked towards the entrance door—careful not to make a sound—yet her father's looming eyes caught her thin figure. She could hear him sneer before turning his attention back to the uncles.
She stood before the door—she hoped it wasn't one of the uncles.
She slowly opened the door, ready to say her greetings before her eyes caught the blue waves of the ocean. Her sister.
"Julissa…" Her sister's face turned into a bright smile as she reached to grab her hands, before stopping and retracting it behind her back, her face also falling into one of unknown guilt. Julissa tilted her head in confusion; but, Elizabeth—without a word—pushed passed her and stopped before her uncles, "Oh…" She muttered.
Her uncles glanced over and smiled, "Elizabeth! How are you doing?" They reached to hug her, their old hands wrapping around Elizabeth's shivering body.
"H-how are you doing?" Elizabeth didn't glance up, only staring at their leather boots as she responded in a quivering voice.
"Awh! Look at how cute you are!" Her aunties screamed, they patted Elizabeth into an empty seat, chatting about her achievements and beautiful appearance—meanwhile, Julissa stood, at the entrance, watching. Waiting for a moment to disappear. A moment to merge into the darkness.
Her hopes were met when Elizabeth glanced up at her, smiled, and loudly shouted about a child she had met on the streets—gathering all the attention of the uncles and aunties, "I met this really pretty boy!"
"Huuu…." Julissa breathed a sigh of relief as she dashed to her room. Her calloused hands gripped the rough wood of the door as she pushed it open. She glanced back at her sister, who was staring at her intently. She watched as Elizabeth's eyes shook, and she frowned.
That single moment felt like an hour as they stared at each other. Would she stay? Or would she leave?
"..." She bit her lip and turned back around, dashing into her room—leaving her little sister behind.
"WOOW! ELIZABETH YOU'RE SO SMART!!!" Her aunties booming voices yelped through the thin walls. Julissa stopped. Her red eyes glanced at her sister's ragged sheets.
Her sheets looked much cleaner than hers, smelt better, and felt better, yet still the same disgusting color.
Her sister…Was so much smarter than her. So much…So much better than her. She could barely read or write, and yet her sister—five years younger than her—could do that at only ten. Only ten.
Yet, Julissa was unless. If not for her sister, her parents would have no pride and joy. No happiness or contentment. No children of greatness. Was she all that ever was? A disappointment? A failed child? Someone who could never achieve anything above normal?
Someone who was bound to do nothing?
Someone who was bound to only live her life on a repeat?
Someone...
Who no one will remember?