Halfway Related

Theme: Sisterhood

I was looking through a fashion magazine in the den. A dance was coming up, and I knew I had to one-up Suzie if I wanted to have any dates afterward. She was so fashion-forward now that her family had more money, leaving me in the dust. Luckily I was good at sewing, but the designs in this magazine were far too complicated for me at the moment.

My father came home, weary and exhausted, plopping down in the recliner next to me. I ignored him as he sighed heavily; he did this every day and it was almost sickening. If Mom was home, she'd be all over him, tending his needs and whatever. He could do most things himself, in my opinion.

When the doorbell rang, I decided I should be the one to answer it. I got up slowly from the floor, my eyes still on the magazine until I was fully upright. Then I let the magazine go. Whoever was at the door probably didn't want much anyway, just to tell me "the good news" or to sell me whatever. I sighed as I opened the door.

A teen stood there, her blonde hair gently brushing her shoulders. She had my eyes, fierce and blue, but her other features were softer. She smiled to me, trying to peek behind me. I crammed myself in the doorway and closed the door against my side.

"Can I help you?" I asked coldly. She laughed, no cackled, shaking her head as she looked at me. Behind her, I noticed the luggage bag for the first time. "Wait, who are you?" I questioned. She looked up, over my head even, as my father came up behind me. He opened the door and looked the two of us over in stunned silence. "Dad, care to explain this?" I asked.

"Angelica, this is Ariella. She's your...she's your half-sister," Dad whispered moving back into the house. He found his way into the den again, collapsing into his recliner with his head in his hands. I followed him, ignoring the chick on the doorstep, who gathered her things to follow me.

I moved in front of Dad's chair, trying to take up his entire field of vision, "Hey, what do you mean 'half-sister'? She's like my age. What is this even about?"

"Half-sisters can be the same age," Ariella said from the doorway. I looked up at her with a scowl. She laughed, "You shouldn't be so angry all the time, Angelica. This doesn't concern us. You just have to live and live some more...and enjoy having a sister," she smiled brightly.

Her sunshiney attitude was pissing me off. "Dad! What-Is-Going-On?!" I enunciated, hoping that would get through to him. His head remained down as a car door closed outside. I recognized that slam: Mom was home. "Hey, how are you going to explain this to her?" I asked darkly, crossing my arms.

Ariella smiled, "She knows. Father just didn't know how to tell you yet. I'll go greet her at the-"

"No you won't!" I countered, rushing out the front door. Mom was on her cell phone like always, scolding Jonathon for who cares what. When she saw me, she dropped the phone, snapping off the back plate and sending the battery flying.

"Shit," she muttered, looking up to the house. Ariella stood in the doorway with a light smile. "Look, we'll talk about this inside, okay? H-Help me get this back together," she whispered. It was like all the air had been exploded out of her. So she knew, I thought, but either she didn't know everything or she knew that telling me would be a big pain in her side.

We trekked inside, settling into the den. Mom was over-focused on her phone, trying to get the halves to meet. I could tell she had the battery in the wrong way, but I said nothing as Ariella took my usual seat on the couch, eying my fashion magazine as she sat down.

"Drew, talk," Mom whispered, putting her phone down on the coffee table. She sank down onto the couch, looking twenty decades older as she eyed her husband with a stern expression.

"Ariella is your sister, Angelica. I had her with someone you'll never meet. She...wanted out," Dad sighed, sinking further into his chair. Ariella gave him a perplexed look. Finally, she's getting some tough news herself, I thought, smirking as she looked back and forth between my parents.

"What do you mean 'she wanted out'? She told me she was moving to Europe for a job and I couldn't go with her," Ariella exclaimed. Drew looked up to his wife. She shook her head fiercely; this was his problem, not hers.

"That's half of it," Dad nodded. "She's moving to Paris next month for some job, but...she was also tired of living a double life. She's engaged but she couldn't tell her fiancé about you. She's sending custody papers next week to make everything official. I-I don't know if she'll see you again for a while."

"Why would she lie to me?" Ariella cried, her face twitching a little. I scoffed, "At least you knew I existed. Why didn't one of you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want you to know. Your father had his problems not long before you came along, but when you did come, I wanted everything to be perfect. He changed his ways, from what he said," Mom said, eying him closely.

"I haven't cheated since. Ariella is the only one," Drew whispered. Ariella made a noise. Mom winced and looked away. Dad sighed, "There was a scare, but he's not mine. I had him tested, well, his mom did."

"When was this?" Mom asked weakly. Now she looked even more defeated as she stared at the floor.

"Five years ago, and it's all over now. She came after me, and I confided in Bonnie when it happened. She told me to break it off, and as soon as I did, she told me she was pregnant. I knew we hadn't done anything, but she insisted that baby was mine. I got away from her though, and I was proven right. I shouldn't have let her rope me in to begin with, but...I know, and I've sought help. I'm trying, I really am."

"We need to talk. Angelica, you may as well get used to this," Mom murmured, grabbing her phone and leaving the room. Dad followed after her, and as soon as they were gone, Ariella picked up the fashion magazine I'd been reading.

"Wow, these are really nice clothes. Can you afford them?" Ariella asked. I ignored her, moving into the entryway to see where they went. Yelling started up from the master bedroom, and I knew this wouldn't end anytime soon. "Angelica, come talk to me. I've always wanted to meet you."

"Why? Why would anyone even want to be a part of this dysfunctional family?" I scoffed, sinking into a chair. "Why did they tell you and not me anyway?"

"My mom likes honesty. It's not really becoming for a lawyer, but she's done well for herself. I don't know why she didn't tell me about her trip, but she's been dealing with this for years," Ariella whispered, looking around to make sure we were alone. "He loved my mom, but his heart was with your mom. That's why they worked things out, but your mom didn't want you to know. She didn't think you'd ever have to find out."

"So now you're living here?" I asked. She nodded softly. "Great, we get to share a room," I muttered, looking up as the yelling intensified. The door was open, and a moment later, the front door slammed. Mom rushed to her car, spinning tires as she left the house. I looked up as my dad moved into the kitchen. I heard a popping sound; he was taking to the bottle.

"How long do you think they'll argue?" Ariella asked. I shrugged, snatching up my magazine. Ariella looked to the floor and played with her fingers, "I knew this would be difficult. We'll get through this. It's really not that big a deal."

"Really? How is this not a big deal? My dad is a cheater, a chronic cheater, and he's got another kid! He's married to my mother. And you think it's just perfectly fine that this apparently keeps happening?"

"I have a different perspective. He's always loved you two more. I barely knew what he looked like until now. He always had a light beard when he came over, Mom's choice," Ariella smiled. "She told me to keep my distance. He cared for us, yes, and he tried to visit every now and then, but you're the ones he's close with. We don't really matter."

"But he turned to your mom when he cheated again," I argued. "Seriously, he seemed to pretty damn close with the two of you."

"He tried, but it's not like that. You don't understand, but it's fine. Look, Angelica, we're sisters whether we like it or not. My mom isn't coming back for me anytime soon. She's got the new man and is trying to do better herself. Things are tense, yes, but there's no reason to turn this into a thing. We need to stick together because no one else in the world is going through what we're going through, at least not with the same details," Ariella grinned. "You have no idea how often this happens, and I'm not talking about in the movies."

"Whatever, sunshine king," I scoffed, moving towards my room. She followed me with her things, and I had no choice but to let her inside. I pointed to the guest bed, put in when I was eight and wanted to have more sleepovers. It was small, but Ariella took to it, running her hand over the crisp sheet before looking around the room.

"I like what you've done with the place," she smiled. I ignored her, taking a seat at my desk and staring down to the magazine. I had no idea how this was going to turn out, and honestly, I didn't want to know.

Downstairs, I heard Mom come home. She found Dad in the kitchen drinking and the arguing started again. I lay across the desk. I heard Ariella sink onto the bed. I could almost feel the smile fade from her face. So, everything's fine, huh? I thought, sighing heavily. It was going to be a LONG night.

It had been three days since Ariella moved into my house and turned everything upside down. I spent most of my free time in the sewing room at school, knowing she couldn't follow me because of the location. Paperwork was still trading hands, lies were still being told, and arguments were still firing up as my family adjusted to the change.

As I worked, I heard the door open. Lil stepped inside and flashed a weak smile. She knows, I thought, eying her as she sat down at her favorite station. She was also into designing her own clothes, a problem of money. I didn't talk to her or Phil much anymore, but with three little siblings, you know money had to be tight.

"Angelica, I've been hearing whispers about you," Lil called, turning on her sewing machine and running a seam down a pair of denim shorts. "My mom wanted to see if you were okay. The rumors are tense, you know?"

"What does she know?" I spat, running a hemline down my dress. When I looked up, Lil had stopped and had turned to face me with a weak smile. "Dear god, how much do people know?"

"Not much," Lil admitted, "but what they're saying struck us as odd. They're saying some girl showed up at your house then disappeared. Some say there was yelling, others say a body was carted off. I don't really care, but I thought you should know that a lot of people are talking about you, and none of it sounds true to me."

"Well it is, minus the body part," I whispered, turning off my machine. "What would you do if some girl showed up at your door claiming to be your half-sister?" I asked. Lil looked surprised but shook her head. "Exactly. That's where I'm at right now, and I have no idea how to handle this. She's known about me for years; I just met her three days ago. Where's the fairness in that?"

"There's not any," Lil admitted, shifting in her seat. "I mean, I don't even know how to handle something like that. And this is a permanent stay?" she asked. I nodded. "Wow, so people are about to find out something crazy. We were over at Tommy's house the other day and Deedee is stirred up. She wanted to make sure Stu wasn't doing the same thing."

"Is he?" I asked. Lil shrugged. "He wouldn't. He's lucky to have her as it is," I scoffed, looking down to the outfit I was working on. I used to find sewing fun, but now that it was my only escape from the real world, I almost wanted nothing to do with it, and my new dress looked like crap.

"You can talk to me if you need anything. Once the truth hits, you know it's going to get crazy around here," Lil said, moving back to her station. "I hope people understand, but you know how it goes. I wish you the best."

"Thanks," I murmured, snatching up my half-assed attempt at a dress and gathering my things. I stopped at the door, "Why are you being so nice to me anyway?"

"I've...I've been in your shoes, okay? Let's just say one of those three siblings of mine isn't like the other," she smiled. "So yeah, I know. How would I feel if I were you and the truth came out years later? Well, I'd be pissed, first off, but...don't be mad at your sister. She didn't do anything wrong. I wouldn't be mad at your father either. He cared enough to stay, and if they pick you over the other one, then they really do love you."

"Who was your dad with?" I asked. Lil turned on her machine with a light smile. I nearly choked; it wasn't her dad! I shifted and nodded to her, "I'll keep in touch." Lil nodded and got to work, running more lines across her denim skirt. I watched before slipping out of the workroom and moving towards home.

When I got home, a dark-haired woman was crying on the couch. Ariella sat next to her, rubbing her shoulders. My father stood in front of the television, leaning against the wall with a sad look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I called. Ariella looked up and came to me, tackling me with a tight hug I didn't quite understand. She pulled me to the couch as my father composed himself. But it was still taking too long to get answers, "Is Mom okay?" I asked.

"She's fine. It's my mother," Dad whispered. "She's in the hospital and won't last the night. Stu's working to get us a flight, but—"

"And who's this?" I asked, looking to the woman. Dad blushed slightly. I nodded, "Ah, so you're Bonnie, the honest one," I smiled darkly. "I thought you were leaving the country."

"She is," Ariella nodded, "and I'm going with her. She got the paperwork sorted out, and her fiancé doesn't mind me being there too. It's going to be nice."

"So you train wreck my entire existence, then you're just going to take her away again like nothing ever happened?!" I screamed. "What is wrong with this family?!"

I rushed to my room, passing Mom on my way. I felt her eye Bonnie with contempt, and a moment later, she was forcing the woman out. Dad was arguing on Bonnie's behalf, and I immediately blasted music and covered my head, knowing this was about to get ugly.

I don't know how I fell asleep or why, but when I woke up, Ariella was grimly flipping through a magazine on her bed. More of her things littered the floor, and I could sense that something was definitely wrong.

I shifted, signaling to her that I was awake. I took out my headphones and listened; there wasn't a sound in my house. Ariella's happy bubble had been burst somehow, I thought, noticing she didn't have even a trace of a smile on her lips. She eyed me carefully as I stretched.

"Things will be better now," Ariella whispered. "I'm staying the night, then I'm flying the Paris. You'll have a funeral in a few days, but then everything will get back to normal for you. No one even has to know I was here, and your life can go back to whatever passes for normal in this house."

"What happened?" I asked. She smirked but I could tell it was out of anger, "Your mother and my mother had an epic fight in the living room. I wish you had security cameras so you could sell the tape to your male friends. It was truly epic. Your mom won. She blames Mom and me for ruining this house, but she also blames your father. He chose you again. He wants us out, but I can stay the night because Mom doesn't have a hotel room for me and he wanted to be nice."

I swallowed, "Is everyone okay? I mean, I heard that Grandma isn't going so hot, but-"

"Everything's fine now," Ariella whispered, closing her magazine. "Yes, your grandmother, our grandmother, passed away, but our moms only managed to ruin outfits while our father looked out the window. It was awful, and...I'm glad you slept through it. I'm sorry it's been so terrible for you. I really am."

"It could be worse," I whispered. She gave me a confused look. "People have been talking around school. They thought we killed a girl because people saw you, heard the yelling, and all that. She...she said she'd been there, and when I asked, I think her mom was the one. That would be worse to me."

"It'd be easier to hide," Ariella said, shifting on the bed. "I mean, that's what makes our problem so terrible: You can't hide. And we're so close in age, just a few weeks apart. Your mother was furious when she discovered that, but you were early and I was late. It was meant to be," Ariella smiled. "I want us to attempt a relationship, maybe not now, but-"

"No, we need to stick together. I'm sorry that I've been such a bitch. That's just my go-to personality when stuff hits the fan, you know?" I asked. She nodded; she knew.

"We're a lot alike, so I'm glad this is working out. I'll miss you when we're in Paris," she said, handing me the magazine she was looking at. It was a French fashion magazine. I almost drooled over the cover. "I'm going to have Mom set up a post office box for you so I can send you gifts, and I want your email too."

We exchanged information. A few hours later, we were sleeping in the same room comfortably for the first time since she arrived. I almost regretted that this would be our last night together because of how well we were getting on, but she had to go. My family needed time to recover.

We saw her off the next morning, and the charade was on again that Ariella and Bonnie didn't exist. I clung to the index card in my room where I'd written down her email address. I wrote her about the atmosphere in the house, how humorously this had all turned out. She responded a few days later and all was well.

Dance music blared around us, well, high school dance music. Suzie stared from across the room, where she sat alone as a few seniors danced beside me. Ariella had come through, sending me a custom French gown with mere hours to spare before the big day. Suzie was so jealous that I could feel her eyes pulsing through me.

Across the dance floor, Lil and the gang were dancing together. She nodded to me and I nodded back. Despite our rough start, I knew she and I would be closer now too. I smiled as one of the seniors got in trouble for grinding against me. I moved to sit down, my phone buzzing with a new message.

'How u doing at the dance?' it read. It was from Ariella, and I knew it would cost a fortune to reply. I shot her a quick email, knowing I'd give her the full version later. That made her content as the music changed to a slow beat. Lil sat next to me, staring across the floor.

"I'm glad it all worked out," Lil whispered. "People weren't talking anymore before tonight. How are you going to explain that dress?"

"With the truth," I replied, shifting as an older boy approached to ask for a dance. I smiled to Lil as I took the floor. She nodded, watching as the boy and I made our way across the floor with the slow tempo guiding our feet.

~End