Chapter 1
Lilacia (Lilli's) POV
January 5th, 1962:
I'm spending the day at Helen's again. I've been here every day this week, though I feel I might be overstaying my welcome. Her brother is not particularly fond of me. I think he blames me for Helianthia defecting and joining the Axis during WW2
Still, Helen doesn't seem to mind my being here, which is nice since I can't stand being at home lately. It's too quiet, and I hate the quiet. And when it's not quiet it's because my idiot bruder, Prussia, is drunk and rambling on about nonsense. Ever since he was officially dissolved in 1947 that's all he does. He doesn't ever talk to me. He doesn't even look at me anymore. Neither does Germany. Ever since that damn Berlin Wall went up last year, he doesn't even bother to give me the time of day, always shutting himself in his study or spending hours in meetings with his boss or training relentlessly nonstop. I don't think we've spoken in at least a week. I doubt they would even notice if I never came home. Sometimes I wonder if they even care about me anymore.
"Lilli?" Helen asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. I must have been thinking really hard because Helen is staring at me with a rather worried expression.
"Ja?" I ask.
"Are you okay, da?"
"Ja, I am fine." I reply, turning my head back to the television I was previously staring through. "Vhat are ve watching?"
"Cinderella," she responds with a sad tone, in obvious contrast to her usually cheery tone. This worries me quite a bit.
"Helen, is something wrong? You seem down." I ask
"I was just thinking about how Big Brother has barely spoken to me lately or paid me any attention." she replies, avoiding eye contact. She is having this problem too?! I had no idea!
"Have you tried talking to him? Perhaps zhis is all just a misunderstanding." I ask her, now also avoiding eye contact.
"Da, but he always just dismisses the subject."
"I understand," I reply, "Mein bruders do not even notice vether I am zhere or not. I have been here every day zhis week und not once has either of zhem asked vhere I have been." I rant, now looking her straight in the eyes. She opens her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by her older brother entering the room and walking past without a glance in her direction. She immediately jumps onto her feet and runs in front of him.
"Big Brother, will you spend the day with me today like you promised?" she asks, giving him that cutesy-kitty-cat face she always uses to get what she wants. He simply stares blankly at her and dismisses her with a wave of his hand and walks off silently. She hangs her head and sulks back to where she was previously sitting next to me, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. She's never been as good at controlling her emotions as me."I don't know what to do, Lilli."
"Me neither," I reply "but something has to be done about zhis. Zhose jerks act as though ve do not even exist!" I shout clenching my fists angrily.
"Any ideas?" she asks desperately, suddenly back to her excited, bubbly self. I sit there with my face resting on my hand for nearly five minutes, trying to think of a way to see if our families truly do still care about us.
"I've got it." I say, snapping my fingers like I always do when I have a breakthrough.
"You have an idea, da?!" she asks enthusiastically
"Ja." I whisper "Okay, so our bruders act as zhough zhey do not care zhat ve are around. So, vhat if ve vere to…disappear for a vhile?"