_Together Forever and Always_

The day was cold.

Grey clouds blanketed the sky.

You could tell it was going to snow.

Jess, age ten, was staring out her bedroom window of the orphanage hoping and begging that the snow would fall before school had the chance to start. The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the long hallway just outside her door as girls ran back and forth, chasing each other. Why wasn't she amongst those other girls, you ask? Well, Jess was different than most of the other girls, you see. She preferred to stay indoors and in her room, whereas everyone else would run outside every time they had the chance. Jess was more of an introvert, she kept everything to herself and never told anyone anything. She found it hard to concentrate on her thoughts due to the excessive screaming coming from the other side of the door, so she decided to take charge and tell them the shut the heck up. Jess slammed her journal shut and placed it on the windowsill as she rose to her feet. An ear-piercing shriek caused her to stop dead in her tracks. A second later she walked up to the door, her hands balled into fists, and flung the door open.

"Would you just shut—" She never got to finish her sentence, for she was tripped and fell down the stairs, landing right on top of one of the other girls.

Amanda didn't see it coming. She made sure the staircase was clear as she made her way up and yet, here she is, underneath a complete stranger. Where did this girl come from? Amanda had never seen her around before. She caught a glimpse of Jess's face and connected the dots. She was being crushed by the freak girl who stayed in her room all day with her creepy conspiracy theories about the future.

"Get off of me you freak!" She shrieked.

"Who do you think you are?!" Jess shot back. "You get off of me! And watch where you're going next time!"

Amanda grunted; she was getting annoyed now. "Oh, says the girl who just fell down the stairs!"

"Girls, girls, girls! Stop fighting! Get up now!" A young Mrs. Nash (probably thirty or something like that; she was born before the dawn of time…nobody really knows her age) ran up to the two and pulled them apart from each other. "Go to your rooms!" The two stood and walked up the stairs side-by-side and entered their rooms, or in this case…room. Unbeknownst to them, Amanda and Jess shared the same room. You would think that after living in the same orphanage for seven years, they'd have noticed by now, but no. Oh no. And now, after what has just gone down between them, is when they notice.

"Just so you know, I'm not talking to you." Amanda said crossing her arms and sitting on her bed.

"I'm not talking to you either…just so you know." Jess replied, imitating Amanda, sitting down on her bed and crossing her arms as well.

The two were facing each other. Staring. No, glaring. It was a standoff. Neither of them was going to break. Well…that was until they started laughing.

"You called me a freak," Jess laughed, "nice one."

Amanda laughed just as hard, if not harder. "You really need to watch where you're going."

"Hey! I was tripped and pushed down that death trap!"

"By who?" Jess shrugged.

The two stared at each other from their sides of the room and realized. "Jeannie…" They said at the same time.

Present Day

"And that, my friends, was the start of a sistership to last a lifetime." Jess said wrapping her arm around Amanda's shoulders.

Charlene and Willa laughed. "So the day you two actually met," Willa said, "was the day that you almost killed each other?"

Amanda nodded. "But, I will admit, if I were to be killed by anyone, I'd love for it to be by Jess."

Jess turned her head towards Amanda and made a creepy face. "Sleep with one eye open then, sweetheart."

Amanda's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't…actually kill me, right? Intentionally?"

Jess sat back on the couch and held her hands above her head. "I'm a woman of few words. I make no promises."

"But I'm your sister!"

"Yes, and Willa and Charlene are my friends. I don't see your point sister, dearest."

"Jess you're really scaring me."

"Oh Amanda…you know I can't lay a finger on you without you screaming for Finn…" Willa and Charlene sat in silence.

Amanda stood and crossed her arms. "At least I'm not obsessed with One Direction…"

"Yes, but you're obsessed with IM5…"

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Prove it…"

Jess stared at her sister. "Five autographed posters, four albums, three selfies with each member, two meet and greets, and one ticket to next month's concert." She crossed her arms. "Just to name a few."

"You have no proof…"

"Check her Instagram." Jess said to Willa and Charlene.

That got her. "Jess! What did I ever do to you?"

"You chose to stay with me as my sister…You had this coming all along…" She laughed.

"Oh my god he's hot!" Charlene yelled causing everyone to freeze look in her direction. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Don't tell Maybeck…This never happened!" The four girls laughed.

Amanda snatched Charlene's phone from her hand and looked at the picture. "Oh yeah! That was the day I actually looked good for a picture!"

Jess facepalmed. "Amanda, you always look god for a picture. You could be sleeping and someone ask you to sit up and strike a pose or whatever…and you'd still look good."

"Mmm…No no no…That's you Jess."

Jess laughed. "Ha! That's a good one!" She sat on the floor and brought her knees to her chest. "You're really funny…"

"I'm serious!"

"Then explain why I'm single!"

"You're single…because you said, and I quote, 'I need no man to make me happy.' You're a strong, independent woman who needs no guy in her life to be happy."

"I'm not a woman…I'm just a girl."

"Jess, if I may add to Amanda's point," Willa interjected, "you may see yourself as 'just a girl,' but to us…to the Keepers…you're not. You're far from it."

"Nah…Amanda's the one you should be telling that to. Not me."

"I don't need to be told any of what Willa just said," Amanda said, "because I'm none of that, Jess. You are."

Charlene stood up and walked over to Amanda and hugged her from behind, resting her chin on top of her shoulder. "You both deserve to be told what Willa said."

"We all deserve to be told what Willa just said." Jess said. "We're all perfectly amazing."

"You are Jess."

"Nope. You are Amanda."

Amanda shook her head and smiled. "Come here…" She held out her arms and Jess walked up to her and hugged her tightly.

Later after Charlene and Willa had left, Amanda and Jess were sitting in their basement watching Disney movies "I can't believe it's only been five years Amanda…" Jess whispered.

"That makes two of us…"

"I just…" Jess put her head in Amanda's lap, lying horizontally, and sighed.

"What?" Amanda played with her hair.

"I just love you so much…" Amanda opened her mouth to say something but Jess cut her off by saying, "And don't you dare think for a second that you love me more…"

"Someone's bossy…" Amanda laughed.

"I'm not bossy…I'm…greedy."

"You're not greedy. You're far from it."

Jess shook her head. "Not when it comes to you…no…"

Amanda's eyes started to water as she bent down and hugged her sister. "Jess…you have no idea how much I love you…"

"I know I've said I hate you a lot…but I don't mean it…I never do…I don't hate you, Amanda. I love you more than I love myself."

"That's not possible…"

"Oh it's very possible…Very possible indeed."

Amanda smiled and Jess sat up and faced her. "You amaze me more and more every day…" She grabbed Jess's hand and smiled.

"Your smile is amazing…"

"Your everything is amazing…"

"Girl please…Our everything is amazing."

Two girls brought together by a staircase. A relationship so strong, nothing could come between them. Ever.