"Serah, will you please go wake your sister? She'll be late for school…"
Serah smiled at her mother, Claire always had to be manually woken up even though she had gotten an alarm clock for her birthday.
She slowly opened her sister's door, finding her lying perfectly with her had on her pillow. Even asleep, Claire was the most beautiful girl at their school. At the sound of her sister, Claire pulled the sheets over her head.
Serah nudged her shoulder, "Claire, it's time to wake up. Mom says so."
A low groan came from the covers.
"Tell her I'm sick."
"Claire… You already said that once this week."
"I don't care, tell her again!"
Serah sighed, and truged back downstairs to her mother.
"She says she's sick."
Her mother dropped her spatula in the sink. "If she thinks she's going to pull this again…" Mumbled her mother as she strode to Claire's room.
Bursting in she yelled, "Claire Farron, get out of you bed this instant!"
Instead of getting up, Claire had plans of her own. She half-heartily threw a pillow at her mother, still face down in the other.
"That does it!"
Her mother threw the covers off the young girl, lifting her in her arms.
"You're fifteen, and you're still playing these games. I'm through!"
She dropped Claire, and she landed harshly on the carpeted floor.
"Alright, Mom, I'll get up… Sheesh."
Mr. Farron strode through the kitchen, kissing each of his daughter's strawberry pink heads. Then he gave his final kiss to his wife of seventeen years, Aryll Farron.
The 38-year-old giggled like she was at senior prom.
Serah smiled at her parents while her three year older sister made a gagging noise.
"Alright, I'm off to work. Serah, good luck on your chemistry exam today. And Claire… try to stayout of trouble, okay?"
Claire laughed as he left. He always teased her for inheriting his mischievous ways.
Claire hugged her sister, "See you later, gotta get going now, don't wanna be late."
As she headed for the door, her mother checked the clock.
"Claire, it's only 6:45, school doesn't start for another hour. How are you going to be late?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my drug dealer is waiting for me," Claire smiled that same mischievous smile.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm just meeting Akada for tea in town."
"Fine, it's fine. Go on, Claire."
Serah shot her sister a glance through the window, mouthing, "Don't be late for your date."
Claire narrowed her eyes, and used her finger to mimic slitting her throat.
Serah laughed and turned around.
As they rode to school, her mother began to ask Serah about her sister.
"Serah, do you think Claire will be okay?"
"It's just tea, Mom…"
"That's not what I meant…"
"…I mean, do you think she'll be alright, after she moves out?"
The twelve year old had often thought of this herself. She gave her mother the same answer she gave her own mind.
"Mom, Claire is a smart girl. She knows how to take care of herself. I'm just glad to see her happy again, aren't you?"
Her mother nodded.
When Claire was seven years old, she was abducted for three weeks.
It took her eight years to push out the pain.
Finally, Claire Farron was happy once more.
But nothing lasts forever.
Claire Farron sat alone on the couch that night, idly flipping the channels.
It was 8:47.
Serah had gone to a party at a friend's house, but Claire began to wonder where her parents were.
Since her kidnapping, her parents had been paranoid. They called even when they were going to be a mere five minutes late.
It was annoying and comforting at the same time.
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Serah, she quickly flipped off the TV and opened the door.
Two Cocoon guards stood at the door.
"Are you Serah Farron?"
"No, I'm her older sister, Claire."
"Ah, I have come with grave news, I'm afraid."
"What…?"
"Y..Your parents are dead. Their bodies have just been recovered hours ago… I'm sorry for your loss…"
Claire felt the tears welling up behind her eyes.
She dismissed the soldiers and closed the door.
The tears overflowed and kept coming.
Suddenly she felt a surge of rage.
She kicked the bamboo table into the wall, and it slammed into it, leaving a dent.
She held her head in her hands…
How was she going to tell Serah?
Claire had cleaned the house for her sister's arrival.
At 9:56, Serah came springing into the room where Claire sat.
She sat down in the chair across from her sister, who was reading a book.
Claire set the book aside.
"Hey Claire, where's mom and dad? I'm glad they didn't hear me. I'm an hour after curfew."
"That's what I need to talk to you about…"
"So…Their…gone?"
"Yes… I'm sorry, Serah."
"It's not your fault."
Serah sat completely still, the energy disappearing fromher voice.
"I'm going to turn in, Claire. Good night."
Her sister turned and left without a single goodnight kiss or hug.
Claire glanced at the clock.
3:54 AM
Claire couldn't sleep. So she worked on her history paper, even though with her parent's death, she'd never have to turn it in.
Suddenly, her door opened and there stood Serah in her pj's clutching one of her old teddy bears.
"C…Can I sleep in here tonight?"
Instead of responding, Claire put aside her paper and pen and pulled up the blankets, beckoning her sister.
Serah dropped the bear and darted for the safety of her sister's bed.
She clung to Claire as if she were a life preserver and loud sobs escaped her like waves crashing on rocks.
To keep from crying herself, Claire ran her fingers through Serah's identical pink hair.
"Claire, I'm scared."
The Farron sisters liked in the bed, Serah clinging to her sister and resting her had on her elder sister's chest.
"Me too, Serah… Me too…"
She looked up at Claire, their electric blue eyes meeting.
"What are we going to do?"
Tears welled in Serah's eyes once more.
Claire ran her fingers through Serah's hair, calming her back down.
"I don't know, Serah."
Before falling into her slumber, Serah heard her sister whisper into her hair.
"I will take care of you, Serah. It's you and me against the world."
Neither of them wanted the sun to rise on that next day, but they both knew too well that nothing lasts forever.
-FIN-