Two hearts entwined

‘Ava, are you almost done?’ My mothers cries of irritation that I’ve spent over an hour in the bathroom are nothing new to me, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it tightly under my arms and returned to my room, I throw my mother a quizzical glance over the banister.‘I was just worried’ she replied, I don’t answer I just walk to my room and close the door tightly behind me. Ever since my sister Lucie, my Mom has been on edge that we could come to harm in the simplest ways it’s draining even my farther has tired of her obsessive prying and questioning about almost everything. I look at my pale skin in the reflection of my tall oak mirror, dark rings around my eyes and my dark hair hanging limp like autumn branches are a stark contrast to the nearly translucent skin that encases my body and soul, I run a brush through my waist length hair and apply some moisturiser to my chapped dry skin, my fashion well that’s simple I take out my favourite black converse and jeans with a white cami and a red checkered shirt, throwing the brush and my last bits and pieces into the box sat on my dresser I head downstairs to Dad. Unlike Mum he hasn’t aged at all, his face is soft and kind no signs of the hardships he’s had to face, you can tell on there old fashioned wedding photos hanging in the hallway. “What’s she doing now?” I could hear mum knocking around above the living room, Dad gave me a knowing look “Well Ava, I thought the move would help but she’s insisting on taking photos of Lucie’s room, I have a feeling she is going to create that same space in the new house” I glanced at my hands I’d already began to pick the skin around my thumb in anticipation, don’t get me wrong my mothers world had ended when Lucie had been died, but I was still here just waiting for the day she would hug me again without resent in her eyes. Mum is standing in the doorway as I lift my head,shaking away the thoughts. Tears in her eyes ready to fall and asks if we are ready, Dad stands and leads the way to the driveway as I clamber in the car I take one last look at the house, the garden, the door and a lone tear slips down my cheek. Hopefully a new start is what we need again. We drive for around 1hr my nerves are frayed, what if no one likes me, I’ll be the new weird girl, at just 16 I’m smaller than average I don’t have bouncy breasts like other girls, I mean I have basically no breasts,I don’t have a swell to my hips or kissable lips. I’ll be he laughing stock! We pull up to the house from the outside it was really no different to our old home but all the same the change felt exciting and inviting I ran ahead with dad on my tail ‘first pick Ava’ he shouted, how stupid I thought I had no one to argue with, “ Really Dad” I yelled back more to humour him than anything, I rounded the stairs and opened a solid oak door to my left and there stood a beautiful bay window with a reading seat, painted in pastel yellow and with an en suite, ‘it’s beautiful’ I gasped more to myself than anything ‘well its Lucie’s’ Mom snapped. Of course she’s had the bleeding decorators in already. How stupid, to think the pastel sickly yellow of the walls was a coincidence! Dads face fell, as did my excitement, there was no point arguing or trying to reason I mean a dead girl does need an en suit right? I backed out of the room and aimlessly opened the next door it was painted pale blue and had an ocean theme to it, no en suite but a bathroom next door and a big walk in closet, with absolutely no enthusiasm left I turned to look at Dad, “This is nice, I much prefer this one anyway” I could see as I spoke he didn’t believe me. Left alone to unpack I pulled a photo out the top of my bag , me and Lucie, identically dressed, the perfect mirror image of one another. So close, nothing but the photos left a sweet memory of the sisters who would give anything for each other, I’m sure.