When Flowers Wither

chapter 2

Rekka's pov:

“Come on, Mika, get up,” I scolded my sister who was doing her usual drama, she didn’t want to get out of bed.

“You won't make me late on the first day of school,” I pulled the covers off her and smelled a vomit-like stench coming out. I made a disgusted grimace.

“How long has it been since you washed the covers??” I asked, looking her in the eyes that were open but staring elsewhere. Those eyes that once were full of happiness now were empty, like a candle consumed by the wind.

When she had that look it was almost like she was… dead. I shivered at the thought.

I pulled her by the arm but she ignored me.

It had always been hard to get her up lately, she only wanted to stay in bed doing nothing all day.

No contact. No friends. Zero.

I shook her. Ignored.

“Come on, f**k!” I yelled at her. She creeped me out when she acted like that. I didn’t want to be late, not today.

Since last year I kept arriving late because of her, but this time I wouldn’t be the nice sister anymore. I wouldn’t let her games hold me back again.

That day Hikari was also supposed to come to do my hair, I couldn’t afford any drama or delays.

I shook her arm aggressively.

“Wake up.”

“I can’t,” my sister answered weakly, turning in bed with her back to me.

I rolled my eyes. Why was she like this?

“Listen, you won’t ruin my day with your usual bullshit,” I stood up and crossed my arms. Not today.

“In 15 minutes she’ll arrive. You better be ready or I’m leaving without you,” I tried to give her an ultimatum, hoping it would work.

“I don’t feel like it, I’ll stay home,” Mika pulled the covers back over her head.

“What do you mean you don’t feel like it?? Going to school and learning things that are important for your future? Seeing your best friends from elementary school??” I snapped as I walked toward the door.

“Move it!” I shouted and slammed her bedroom door.

I covered my eyes with my fingers, I was exasperated.

Why did she always have to act like this? Didn’t she see she was ruining the joy of the people close to her? Even if it didn’t seem like it, I worried about her too. After all, she was my sister, it hurt to see her like that but she also had to learn to live with whatever she had. She couldn’t reflect it onto others.

She had been like this for a year already. I had tried everything to help her but it never seemed enough. So with time I had become hostile toward her because she made me feel bad too.

I don’t want to feel bad. I want to be healthy and happy.

I couldn’t allow her sadness to affect my happiness.

I didn’t know how to help her.

I deluded myself that with time she would be happy.

She just needed to grow a spine and ignore the problem.

Everything would be fine.

I tried to ignore my sister’s problems. I had other things to think about, even if I felt guilty just for thinking that.

I quickly walked to my room. I didn’t have time to take care of my sister. In 15 minutes Hikari would arrive.

Everything had to be perfect. Everything had to be in order. I couldn’t mess up. Especially not in front of her.

Since that summer we had been talking every day, after she had hit on me the last day of school.

I had liked her for a long time but never dared to say anything to not ruin our friendship or our group.

Despite everything, she had texted me every single day during summer vacation.

Every single day.

To me.

I went quickly to the mirror in my room, it was a mirror with white edges, it was as tall as me.

My parents had given it to me for Christmas since I wanted it so badly.

I examined my face multiple times.

Eyes? Fine, no dark circles. Last night’s masks had worked. But they were so boring... brown.

Why couldn’t my mom marry a blond man with blue eyes?

Skin? Nice, even though I had a small pimple on my forehead, nothing too noticeable. I had done at least 2 masks the day before.

Hair? Fine, brushed. I smelled them. They had a strawberry scent. But even that was too boring, I wanted to dye them.

Mika and I had made a promise as kids, we would dye them blonde. We didn’t like them like this.

Clothes? No wrinkles, I had ironed them yesterday together with Mika’s uniform.

I took a deep breath.

Just the thought that the girl I had liked for an indefinite amount of time would be here alone with me soon gave me butterflies in my stomach.

I looked at the clock. Two minutes.

I heard the doorbell ring.

Anxiety. Hikari had arrived.

“I’m coming!” I yelled as loud as I could.

I looked one last time at my reflection and looked around my room to check if everything was okay and ran to the front door, which I opened at record speed.

And there she was, in front of me.

“Rekka!” exclaimed Hikari, hugging me.

She was wearing the school uniform, she smelled like vanilla. It suited her. Everything she wore suited her.

“Hey,” I answered, trying to stay as natural as possible and gave her a pat on the back.

Hikari let go of the hug and looked at me with a huge smile on her face, which made me want to vomit my breakfast.

That look of hers could panic anyone.

“Your hair…” I said surprised, noticing her hair, she had cut it drastically.

Before she had long, silky, straight hair down to her back and now it was super short.

Hikari laughed shyly.

“Do you like it?” she softly touched a strand looking at me.

“It’s beautiful,” I said almost mesmerized by her beauty.

Everything looked good on her, even if she wore rags I think they would suit her.

I saw her blush slightly and I immediately looked away.

“We haven’t seen each other in ages,” she said, looking around as if she had never been in this house.

I nodded quickly.

“Yeah,” I laughed awkwardly.

“Exactly, it’s been exactly 4 weeks. Actually, to be precise, 32 exact days,” I spoke too fast and mispronounced a few words.

It was a bad habit of mine, talking fast.

I cursed under my breath.

Why did I have to talk like that? And why did I have to be so specific with the days??

It looked like I had counted them.

Which was true, but I couldn’t make it obvious.

I grimaced.

Hikari looked at me and laughed shyly.

“I missed you,” Hikari looked at me with those green eyes of hers, like emeralds, and all my anxieties disappeared.