Disclaimer: I don't own 'So Little Time' or anything related to it. The song 'Nobody's Home' belongs to Avril Lavigne, and 'Shadow' to Ashlee Simpson.
AN: Rated PG-13 fordealing withthemes such as cutting, throwing up and suicide. If you're offended by any of those things, don't read.
Nobody's Home. 1st part, starts from Riley's Pov.
"I couldn't tell you why she felt that way"
'I just don't know… Chlo is acting weird around us…' Riley Carlson thinks.
"She felt it everyday"
'Every day, when we get back from school, she locks herself in her bedroom…'
"And I couldn't help her"
'She doesn't talk to us anymore…'
"I just watched her make the same mistakes again"
'She wanders around, just like a ghost… She's not My Chlo anymore…'
"What's wrong, what's wrong now?"
'I just… wish she'd come along and tells me all about her problems… we haven't talked in years…'
"Too many, too many problems"
'Our old great and strong friendship has been reduced to… nothing. She barely ever speaks, and she absolutely lost her love on fashion…'
"Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs"
'She's always wearing those awful black baggy pants, and black shirts. Her beautiful curled hair is everytime more and more messy…'
"She wants to go home, but nobody's home"
'Her skin is every day paler. Her makeup (if she wears some) is very dark…'
"It's where she lies, broken inside"
'… I once saw some marks in her skin, which once was soft as a baby's. I know she cuts herself'
"With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes"
'She probably throws up too, because she's skinny…'
"Broken inside"
'Whom once were 'Chlo and Riles', now are 'Chlo' and 'Riles'… We're like strangers now. But I miss my lil' sis…'
"Open your eyes and look outside, find the reasons why"
'The last time she ever spoke to me, she said 'They don't see…' then, I never heard her voice again…'
"You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind"
'Who are they? What don't they see?'
"Be strong, be strong now"
'Chloe Carlson, the one who once had dreams and a brilliant future, is now gone. Her shadow is left'
"Too many, too many problems"
'Why can't she just talk to me?'
"Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs"
'Chlo, I miss you…'
"She wants to go home, but nobody's home"
Chloe comes in. She's wearing black baggy pants and a black shirt. Her face's expression is lost.
"It's where she lies, broken inside"
She looks around, then locks herself in the bathroom. Riley hears a gag noise, then a flush.
"With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes"
Chloe comes out, looking dizzy and tired. Her eyes stop in her sister for a second, then close.
"Broken inside"
She walks slowly to her room and locks in. Riley sobs quietly.
"Her feelings she hides"
Chloe's pale skin has a little mark very near her wrists.
"Her dreams she can't find"
She rolls up her shirt's sleeves and looks at her bony arm. It has several more marks.
"She's losing her mind"
With her hand shaking, she grabs a razor and cuts a little until blood comes out from the new mark.
"She's fallen behind"
Rolling up her pants, she stares at her many other cuts in her legs.
"She can't find her place"
She slowly touches some marks and shivers.
"She's losing her faith"
Each of them means a bad moment, a moment she doesn't want to remember.
"She's fallen from grace"
With her eyelids bating frequently, she wipes the blood with a towel, sits and waits.
"She's all over the place"
What's she waiting for? Redemption? Forgiveness? Answers?
"Yeah, oh"
Her hand is shaking even more. She picks up the razor again and cuts her wrists vertically.
"She wants to go home, but nobody's home"
She sighs and closes her eyes.
"It's where she lies, broken inside"
Slowly, she gets up and gets on her bed.
"With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes"
"The only solution…" she mutters, closing her eyes.
"Broken inside"
Shivering, she opens them again, and looks at the door she thought was locked.
"She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh"
Her sister is staring at her from it, now open. Riley's jaw hangs open, and rushes to her side. Chloe looks at Riley in the eyes, then closes hers.
She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh yeah
"Mom!" she cries. "Dad!" She stares at her beautiful sister's pale face, while their parents rush in.
…………………………….…………………………….…………………………………….
"Shadow"2nd part, starts from Chloe's Pov.
"I was six years old"
'There she is. Riley Carlson. Straight A student, popular, my parents favorite' Chloe thinks.
"When my parents went away"
'When was the first time they started to ignore me? I can't remember'
"I was stuck inside a broken life"
'Maybe it was around the time I started to get failing notes at school'
"I couldn't wish away"
'The time when Riley gave me shocked looks when she saw my grades'
"She was beautiful"
'The time when I started to cut myself'
"She had everything and more"
'Let's face it. If a girl has attention, love and friends is happy, right?'
"And my escape was hiding out and running for the door"
'When she feels lack in those things, her life turns a hell'
"Somebody listen please"
'If I was happy, then, why would I throw up? Or cut? Or not pay attention to school?'
"It used to be so hard being me"
'Why would I give up in my dreams?'
"Living in the shadow"
'Maybe because they started to prefer her'
"Of someone else's dream"
'My parents, my friends… they all started to notice Riley the most and leave me apart'
"Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me"
'You've gotta face it sis, it was always you'
"Living in a nightmare"
'Was it my fault to go unnoticed? Hm… maybe I chose a bad family, if I had you as my sister…'
"A never-ending sleep"
'You just couldn't be second best. But, apparently, I did'
"But now that I am wide awake"
'The last time I spoke? "They don't see…" Who? Nobody sees. What? Me'
"My chains are finally free"
'When all the guys started to notice you, I thought "Well, it was about time!"'
"Don't feel sorry for me"
'In that moment, I still loved you'
"All the days collided"
'I mean, c'mon, who couldn't love you?'
"One less perfect than the next"
'Maybe someone who's only your shadow'
"I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best"
'Because by then I still felt loved…'
"Oh, I love you now 'cause now I realize"
'Be serious, didn't you notice I was being ignored by everyone?'
"That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity"
'I tried to let it slip, but it hurt…'
"So if you're listening"
'Riles, you know I love you. But I just gotta be noticed too'
"There's so much more to me you haven't seen"
'How would you feel if mom and dad were all over me all the time and you were excluded?'
"Living in the shadow"
'Gotta wake ya up, sis'
"Of someone else's dream"
Chloe walks in the living room, where Riley is studying. She's wearing a baby-blue top with dark blue jeans.
"Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me"
She locks herself in the bathroom and throws up. She flushes it away, wishing she could do the same with everything.
"Living in a nightmare"
She comes out, a little dizzy, and looks at Riley for a second.
"A never-ending sleep"
She closes her eyes.
"But now that I am wide awake"
Chloe walks to her room and locks in. Riley cries.
"Then I can finally see"
Looking at the door, Riley gets up and walks nearer.
"Don't feel sorry for me-"
Looking from the peephole, she sees her sister's arms and legs.
"Mother, sister, father, sister, mother"
She stares at her relieved expression when the blood is at her sight.
"Everything's cool now"
She watches her drawing thin lines in her wrists, and laying in bed.
"Mother, sister, father, sister, mother"
Riley opens the door slowly, and stares at her sister. Her mouth opens and she runs to her side.
"Everything's cool now"
She and her sister lock eyes, then Chloe closes hers.
"Oh, my life is good"
"Mom!" Riley cried. "Dad!" she stares at Chloe's face, and their parents rush in.
"I've got more than anyone should"
"I loved you, Riles…" Chloe mutters.
"Oh, my life is good"
"I love you, Chlo…" she mutters back, kissing her forehead.
"And the past is in the past"
Manuelo dials 911, and rushes in too.
"I was living in the shadow"
"They… didn't see me. Now they won't have to…" Chloe whispers, Riley finally understands.
"Of someone else's dream"
Riley cries when she sees her sister closing her eyes again.
"Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me"
Chloe's shaky hand reaches for her sister's.
"I'm living in a new day"
"…I'm scared…" she mutters.
"I'm living it for me"
Riley kisses her hand and squeezes it.
"And now that I am wide awake"
Chloe gives her a half smile.
"Then I can finally see"
Slowly, her hand slips from Riley's.
"Don't feel sorry for me"
Riley strokes her sister's hair, crying.
"Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me"
She rests her head on Chloe's.
"Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me"
"I never thought you would do this…" she whispers.
"Living in, living in, living in the shadow"
Chloe's last words repeating in her mind. 'I'm scared'
"Living in, living in, living in a new day"
'Now you won't have to, lil' sis…'