Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44960231-20200202211038

Sophie never really knew Jolie. Yeah, they were sisters, but she never knew her. Jolie was always doing something else, somewhere else. She never had time to spend at home, and when she did her parents were too busy praising her for Sophie to even see Jolie. But, she knew she was amazing. Jolie Ruewen knew everybody, and everybody knew Jolie Ruewen. They knew of each and every single one of her accomplishments. Every spelling bee she won, every A+, every talent show she beat, every pageant she competed in where she was number 1. That was Jolie Ruewen. The girl everybody wanted to be and every guy wanted to be with. Her blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders and bright turquoise eyes caused every head to be turned in her direction. There wasn't a person that wasn't infatuated with her. Even after two years of dating, her boyfriend Brant still seemed amazed at Jolie's beauty, inside and out. But, Sophie never really knew Jolie. She just knew of her. She suspected that's why it hurt so much when Jolie died. Because, she never knew her own sister. She couldn't remember when they had last said "I love you". When Jolie had looked at her instead of looking at her friends. She knew Jolie didn't do it on purpose. She was just busy. Sophie understood that. She really, really did. So why was she still crying? Well, that was a good question. "Sophie?" A soft knock sounded from the door. Sophie sniffled. "Can I come in?" "Um, sure." Sophie slid all of the pictures underneath her bed so her mother wouldn't see them. If she did, Edaline would only burst out crying, then Sophie, then Grady, and it would be a great big sob fest. The door opened quietly. Edaline's strawberry blonde hair showed through the door first. It was clearly knotted, a result of it not being brushed for a solid week. Edaline claimed there was no time. She just had to clean the house and make funeral arrangements and talk to parents at school and go through Jolie's stuff. Sophie had tried to brush it a couple days ago, but Edaline burst into tears and locked herself in her room. Sophie didn't try again. "You okay? I thought I heard you crying." She came over and sat down beside her daughter. "Must've been your head playing tricks on you," Sophie replied, trying for a smile for extra effect. Edaline stared at her. Sophie stared back. "You don't have to be strong for me," Edaline whispered. "Or for Dad. You're allowed to break, you know. We've done it plenty." She wasn't lying. Sophie had comforted her parents more than they had comforted her, only because they were the only ones crying. Or so they thought. Sophie glanced down, knowing that if she looked at Edaline anymore she would break. "I'm fine. Really. I understand that she's in a better place. Away from all of the treatments and pain. So, I don't thing there's a reason to cry." Edaline reached down and tucked a strand of Sophie's blonde hair out of her eyes. "If you ever want to talk... I'm here." Sophie nodded. Edaline stared at Sophie a moment more, as if she was trying to steal the truth from her, then got up carefully. Before she walked out the door though she said, "The funeral's tomorrow. So uh... yeah." She walked out with a small tap on the door. Sophie sat there, just watching the now empty doorway. She could feel all of her emotions tangled up inside her, threatening to spew out, but they did not. They sat in her stomach, making her feel sick. She gripped her torso as an effort to not throw up. A funeral. It all felt so surreal. She didn't want to get up, but still somehow found herself standing and walking out of the door. Jolie had gotten sick one day. Their parents thought it was the flu, and got some medicine from their local drugstore. But, it started getting worse. Jolie wasn't getting any better. They took her to the hospital, desperate for an explanation. The doctor had told them that Jolie had cancer. Sophie remembered feeling frozen. Everything turned into slow-motion. Edaline crying. Grady comforting her. Jolie sitting on the bed, sleeping from exhaustion. Her face pale. Her eyes sunken in. Her skin drooping off of her bones like rags. Jolie had taken the treatments. Then one day she just... wanted to stop. So she did. Sophie hated it. ....      Sophie didn't move as her mother welcomed all of the guests to the funeral. She didn't move as so many people arrived. She didn't know any of them. She swallowed hard and walked to the bathroom. Luckily the church bathroom was empty. Her footsteps echoed off of the walls. Her heart started racing and she clutched her chest as the same shining walls seemed to close in. She pressed her hand against one, looking into the mirror. Her hair was done up in an elaborate braid one of Jolie's old best friends Vertina had done for her, along with some simple makeup. She wore a long sleeve black dress that reached her knees, and black flats. Her heart beat faster. Jolie. That's all she could see was Jolie. Jolie Ruewen everywhere. She sunk to the ground, covering her hands with her face. "No. Please. This has to be a nightmare. I'll wake up soon. I'll wake up soon," she whispered to herself. She brought her knees to her chest and rocked, trying to gain her breath back into her lungs. A door opened, but Sophie didn't move. She couldn't move. "Sophie?" Edaline's voice asked. "Are you ok?" That was all it took. Those three words. Suddenly every emotion Sophie had been feeling broke through the wall she had worked so hard to put up around her parents. Edaline dropped to the ground and cradled her daughter. Sophie sunk into her mother's embrace, crying so hard she wasn't sure she would have any tears by the time she was done. Her eyes burned, and her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her head throbbed, and her heart. Her heart ached so much that she could hardly stand it. Edaline sung a song underneath her breath, rocking Sophie in her lap like she used to do when Sophie was four. Ten years later it still had the same effect. Sophie's eyes drooped. Edaline ran a finger down the bridge of Sophie's nose, an old trick. Sophie sniffled, her body shaking as she recovered from the sobs. Edaline just continued to sing and rock and calm Sophie. Soon, Sophie heard another voice in the room and she felt herself be lifted up. The door was opened. Murmurs passed through the crowd as a now sleeping Sophie was carried out of the church, put into a car, and driven away from her sister's funeral. 