The Stepsisters - English [Completed]

Nine

"WELCOME home. You look so tired. You must be starving," I said to Jenny who appeared in the door's kitchen. Her head and her shoulders are down. She really looks like she exhausted all her energy today. "Sit down," I told her. She was not budging so I went to her and pulled her to the nearest chair in the kitchen counter. "Eat first then you can rest after," I said and was about to leave because I will prepare her food but she pulled me closer and hugged me from my back. I can feel her head leaning on my back.

There's this tingly feeling again. Ha! I like what she's doing but I'm feeling guilty at the same time.

"I am so tired, Liya." She's the only one calling me that. 

She said that it was the combination of my second and first name. If others usually combine the first and second name, Jenny wanted to be unique. So Lily plus Priya equals Liya. I kinda like it too.

"That's why you have to eat real quick first then you can rest after," I said, not moving from her embrace.

Lily, this is so wrong.

"I still need to update my campaign page. I need to do it today because I am sure I will not have time tomorrow. The election was getting nearer," she sounded exhausted too.

"Poor, Nini. I will do it. Just eat then go to sleep after eating," I said and that's when she let go of me.

Why am I disappointed?

"Really? Thanks, Liya. You don't know how this lightens my load for this election. If I had known this was so stressful, I wouldn't have agreed to run for president." Now she's gripping her hair with her two hands. She looks really frustrated but I found it so cute.

I couldn't contain her cuteness that is why I gently pinched her cheeks.

"Aw, Liya. Here you are again playing with my cheeks." Her eyes furrowed and she was pouting.

What she did, did not help at all. I found her a lot cuter when she's pouting like that. Argh.

"Your cheeks are really cute and fluffy. They look like a dumpling. I want to bite it," I said without even thinking about what I am saying. It was too late when I realized it and Jenny was just oddly looking at me.

Damn, mouth. Why so tacky?

"I-i will prepare the food before it will get cold." Yeah, that was my excuse. 

My heart was pounding and I just prayed that Jenny did not hear it because I felt like it was too loud and it will go out in my mouth anytime. Damn.

I immediately prepared her food and changed the topic by asking her what updates she needs from her page. She immediately gave me the instruction and photos that I had to upload to her campaign page.

Yeah, it was almost Election Day for the high school president that is why Jenny's been busier these days. Dad and mom are still busy as well but they always check on us if they got the time or they have landed somewhere. The two of them don't forget to update where they were traveling and asking our whereabouts.

So even if they are away, they are still updated on what's going with me and Jenny. Except for what is really happening to me and Jenny at school. That's an ultimate secret so until we can keep it, we will keep it from them.

And about Rosie Young, I tried to ask Jenny about her but she denied that she knew her. Jenny was definitely lying to me. Even though she lied, I did not pry again because I know Jenny. If she is ready to spill the beans, she will tell me in time.

I washed the dishes after Jenny ate. She headed to her room and I thought she was actually sleeping. But she came into my room when I was making the updates on her campaign page.

She did not say anything and just lay down on my bed, actually on my lap while I was working with what she was asking me to do. I was doing it on my laptop but since I have a laptop table, my lap was free. She used it as her pillow.

Jenny is really clingy and sweet. She acts like a baby all the time and I really love it. So at first, it was really hard for me when we were at school and pretend not to be closely acquainted with each other. But as time went by, I was thinking it was for the best and I managed to not really master but at least bear with it.

Because my consolation was even though Jenny was like that to me at school, I know that she was my loving and cute step sister when we are inside the house or when we are not at school.

There were actually a lot of updates that needed to be done on Jenny's campaign page but I managed to finish it. My lap is getting numb as well and I was afraid to wake up Jen. However, I have no choice.

"Nini, wake up. My lap is getting numb," I whispered in her ear and since she's a light sleeper, she easily woke up and positioned herself well in my bed.

Looks like someone is sleeping in my room again. Well, I don't mind. Since we have known each other, personal space has never existed.

Anyway, since I was done updating her campaign page, I played games on my phone until I got tired. No assignments or quizzes for tomorrow so I was just freely doing the things I wanted to do.

I turned the lights off and put my eyeglasses on the nightstand then I lay beside Nini. She must have felt that I was going to sleep as well so she came near and hugged me. She was lying now at my other arm.

I can't contain the smile creeping on my lips. I really like this sleeping arrangement. Hush, heart. Don't pump too hard.

I gave her a light kiss on her head. Then I slept smiling while hugging my cute clingy dumpling.

+++

"Lily, stay right here, okay? Mommy will just take a bath," My mom said and weakly smiled at me. Her long dark hair was a mess, her eyes have visible dark circles and she looks so pale.

Penelope Cruz or Mrs. Penelope Mondragon now, was once a satisfied and cheerful wife and a mother. However, I did not notice that my mom was just holding everything and the true Mrs. Mondragon was actually full of insecurities and anxiety.

Dad and mom always get into fights these days. Mom will always accuse Dad of cheating that ends up Dad walking out late at night and going back early in the morning.

I was just ten when the happy family I thought that will last forever was actually just temporary. Nothing lasts forever.

I was at that age when I witnessed the whirlwind changes in my family.

Dad was away again for his job. Mom and I were left at the house. I was playing in their room with my Ipad and mom was just resting on the bed. It was the weekend and my friends invited me to play with them but I declined because I wanted to be with mom. She has been sick for days now and I wanted to make sure that I can take care of her.

Though we have an on-call maid who's looking after us, after 6 pm as she was an on-call maid, she's going home. The maid's house was a few blocks away from us.

"Mom, do you want me to help you bath?" the innocent me asked my mom who's now standing in front of the door of the bathroom.

"No, sweetie. Mommy got this. Okay?" She looked back and smiled. But that smile was not reaching her eyes. Even so, I just nodded. "I love you, Lily. Always remember that. Alright?"

"I love you too, mom," I nonchalantly answered and continued playing on my Ipad.

If I had known that was the last time I would see my mom breathing, I would have not let her go alone in the bathroom.

Then I am not sure what happened but the red color liquid was spilling on the bathroom floor. My hands are holding a knife. I saw my mom on the bathtub still on her nightgown but she's soaked with the red liquid. Her head leaned on the side of the tub as her wet hair was falling on her face. Her other arm was hanging on the side of the tub as her wrist was flowing with the red liquid. It was blood!

My hands were full of blood. The knife I was holding was full of blood! It was my mother's blood!

Then I screamed. I screamed my lungs out.

"Li... Liya... Lily, wake up!" I heard someone say but all I could see was red. Then my mom. Then her wrist flowed with blood. The knife in my hand. Why do I have a knife in my hand?

"Lily! Wake up! Lily!" I heard that voice again. But I was still in that bathroom. Full of blood. Then... Ouch.

"That hurts," I said and held my cheek.

"I am sorry. I don't know what else to do to wake you up. You are having nightmares again, do you?" Jenny asked.

Yeah, she slapped me. Wow. Her hand was heavy. I think my jaw broke.

"Yes but wow… that hurts," I said.

"Sorry, Liya. I'll get a cold compress and water. Hold on," She said. 

She quickly went off after she turned the lights on and immediately came back with a cold compress on her other hand and a pitcher of water on the other.

"Here, drink this first," She handed me a glass of water then after I drank it, she took the glass and Jenny herself gently put the cold compress on the cheek she slapped. Maybe she was really guilty.

It was not the first time that I had nightmares. I was having it since mom died and I was the first one who saw her after she took her life.

It was too late when we knew that mom has schizophrenia. She kept it from Dad and I am not sure what her reason is. But if my Dad were to ask, he said that maybe she was scared that he will take me away from her.

Dad just knows that mom has anxiety and depression. He did not expect that mom has actually deeper issues. That is why she was acting all paranoid to Dad because mom has serious mental problems.

The news spread like a wildfire at Marion. And that was the start that people at school bullied me. They will call me names and most of all, they will never forget to call me crazy, mad, or insane. Or other related names and words for crazy.

Sharpay started all of it. Then she formed a group with Ginger and Sally. Since Jesu was not there to help me as she went abroad, I was alone fighting the bullies.

Dad was not always around so he did not notice that I was bullied. He just learned it when I almost killed one of my middle school classmates. He was one of the bullies who are teasing me about my mom's illness. I don't know what came to me on that day but my patience has run out and I couldn't bear hearing insults and disrespectful words he was saying to my mother. He even pushed my forehead with his pointed finger. Not once but thrice.

That action triggered me. I was so angry and attacked him. I just pushed the boy but he was so clumsy that he went out of balance and hit his head on the concrete floor. He became unconscious and luckily a teacher was so quick to bring him to the infirmary.

I was immediately called out at the principal's office and I was so scared. I was that kind of a student ever since that has no records for being troublesome. I was always a good student. So, calling me in the principal's office was really frightening for me, especially when I thought that I killed someone.

I was shaking but I was trying to hold my tears. When I came to the principal's office, the principal just let me sit in the corner, and right after I came, my Dad entered.

That's when my tears freely flowed. He hugged and kept rubbing my back as I was crying and explaining what happened. Dad said he believed me.

Luckily, I did not get in trouble as the boy was still alive and he just fainted. But he had a big lump on his head. His parents and Dad were talking with the principal and the parents of the boy were really angry and they are asking the principal to expel me from school. 

But I don't know if I am just lucky because the principal said that there was a reliable source who testified that it was their son's fault in the first place. A video was even taken and the boy's foul words and actions were recorded. In the end, the boy's parents were the ones who asked for an apology to us.

That incident at least dies down the bullies. Only the mean girls were the ones left who are bullying me but at least they did not physically harm me. From then on, I promised myself to hold my anger, no matter what happened. 

I became afraid that I might get mom's sickness and secretly, I was meeting a psychiatrist. It was my idea. I convinced Dad and he supported me. I was a clever girl so I did my research so Dad did not argue about it. Psychological disorders can be hereditary so if I have the tendency to be like mom, I would like to be treated as early as I can.

Remembering that incident, I was not able to meet my hero back then. So until now, I don't know who that person was. If I get a chance to meet them, I will thank them for saving me that day.

"Li? Liya? Are you sleeping with eyes open?" I heard Jenny say that took me back from my thoughts.

"I am good, Nini. I just remember something," I said.

"Are you really okay, Liya?" She asked, not convinced.

"Don't worry, I am really okay. Thank you. I am glad you slept here tonight." I smiled. Even when I can't see her clearly because I don't have my glasses on, I can feel that she was really worried.

"Come on, let's go back to sleep," I said and opened my arms wide. She did not hesitate to jump in my embrace. Ah, her warmth really calms me.

"Let's just leave the lights on. Maybe it will help for you to not have nightmares," she said.

We were lying down again. I closed my eyes and dozed off.

"That's okay. I will be fine, you are here," I said and immediately went back to sleep.

I felt her hug tightened then she said some words I did not hear properly as I was really sleepy. Again.