Chapter XX

A Chapter by Chryiss

Be aware of switching POV's.

Elisa’s POV

Slightly angled to the right, her left side facing me, her head turned to met mine, she stood with a steady gaze, dark blue orbs revealing nothing.

As my desolation comes sweeping in, my eyebrows lower and my mouth presses into a thin line, the fingers starting to furl inwards.

A few more seconds I returned her stare, then I spun on my heel and left.

Esteire.

Oh why. Why’d it have to be this way?

---

It’s been three days since that fateful revelation on the hill, where my fantasies met with reality. I always felt short of breath, as if lacking fresh air when I recall that indelible memory.

Speeding my pace, I stride towards a nearby tree. My breath comes in partial gasps as the trunk supports my shuddering body. I still couldn’t get over the fact. We weren’t sisters, we didn’t have any relation whatsoever.

I brought my hands to the sides of my head, my eyes squeezing shut.

I couldn’t stand not being near my sister, but when I came close, I would get like this.

“Hey,” says a gruff voice.

I open my eyes to find Mikael in front of me.

“What,” I say feebly.

He points to the tree. I look up, then recognition comes over me.

“Ah, your tree, sorry,” I mumble and back away.

He just grunts and positions himself by the tree in his usual posture.

I look meekly back as I go back inside; his eyes watching my every move.

Swiveling my head to the front, I can’t help but smile just a bit. Even Mikael was laying off a little for me.

I sighed. My heart ached with the thought that everyone I knew was concerned about me; it made me feel guilty.

By now, everyone who knows us now knows of Esteire’s coming departure. She would get stopped in the halls by students, regardless of what grade. It was almost as if everyone knew her, or at least, heard about her or passed her in the halls. I couldn’t escape Esteire, her name seemed to follow me wherever I went.

As the pain in my heart grew, I realized I needed to talk to someone. Someone who I could pour out my heart to. I saw only two options. One happened to be the source of my distress, the other...

My feet moves sluggishly across the floor. Room 1065, I need to go to Room 1065.

Even my mind was listless.

I burst through the oak doors, catching attention.

“Eli-”

“Sebastian!” I cry, fleeing into his arms and cutting off his words.

Though startled, he soon comprehends and hugs back. That’s all I needed.

Lucien’s POV

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” I ask.

She shakes her head, her glossy dark hair swinging delicately through the air.

The corners of my mouth bent down in dissatisfaction. Even though they weren’t sisters by blood, it wasn’t like it was the end of the world. Those memories together were real, their bond was real. So why doesn’t Esteire try to make Elisa understand that?

I shook my head in agitation.

Noticing my displeasure, she smiles weakly.

“It’s better,” she starts slowly, “It’s better that she hates me.”

Shock crosses my face.

“I don’t understand you,” I say, my tone low and discomposed.

“Perhaps...perhaps it’s for the best.” Her voice shakes a little.

It painful. Painful to see them like this. For such close people to be ripped apart in a matter of minutes.

The scene was still fresh in my mind. I hid behind a nearby stone wall, their voices distinct and clear. The whole time as I listening I was disbelieving my ears. At the beginning I suspected as much when they didn’t share any common traits, but as I witnessed them together, I then didn’t deny for a fact that they were sisters. Even now, they still were by heart.

---

Her eyes tilted to the sky in that now so familiar way, I approached Esteire as she leant against the brick walls.

“Did she leave without you again?” I query when I closed our distance.

It was the end of the school day.

Without shifting her gaze she inclined her head in affirmation.

I sighed inwardly. This was getting too much.

Taking her hand I start walking.

“L-Luce, where’re you-” she stutters as I tow her along.

“Home of course,” I respond.

“H-home?!” she blurts, “You don’t mean-!”

I smile wickedly at her.

“My house.”