"Otter, what are you doing?" An early twenties girl was peeking over a fifteen years teen girl's shoulder who was at her study table doing something there, staying up so late. She had an empty water jug in her hand that seemed like she just came out from her bedroom to have some water and refill it. She was on the way to the kitchen when she decided to stop by her sister's room to check on the teen, ask her if she wanted her to bring a glass of milk for her as the teen was habituated to study late at night.
The teen got startled and knocked off almost everything that she had kept on her study table. "Hey - wha - " She gasped and kept patting her chest constantly with her right hand. Her heart was beating so loudly that anyone around her could have heard even with their headphone on. Her eyes looked rounded, and her mouth was ajar. She didn't expect to see her elder sister standing behind her, giving her a judgy look which was nothing new to her, though as her sister's eyes always make her feel like a criminal.
The elder sister narrowed her eyes at the teen before putting the jug on the study table.
"Why do you look so scared to see me here, Autumn? It is clear on your face. I can see it as it is quite clear on your face. You know, what you are doing, is wrong, yet you can't help it. So..." She didn't take her nickname in her kind of interrogation period. "What is it? What have you been doing staying up late?" She crossed her arms over her chest, looked intimidatingly at the teen's eyes to catch if she was going to lie to her about whatever crime she had committed in her room before her elder sister coming in...
The teen passed the stage of her nearly faced a mild heart attack period and narrowed back her eyes at her elder sister. "What does it look like I have been doing?" She pointed her finger on the A4 sheets, which were spread all over the floor, along with books she still had on her desk not even a moment ago. She glared at her sister, harshly tugged her hair behind her ear, asked, "Obviously studying... Why're you here!"
"Why? Did I interrupt you on something?" Violin gazed around the room before casting her glance down the papers that scattered all over the floor. Her eyes narrowed once more and set on a particular paper.
"Don't you think you did here?" The teen coughed to hide her shaky breath. She was scared that she was trying to hide as possible as she could. "Do you have something to tell me? I am caught up here a little,"
At that moment, she wanted her sister to leave without wasting a single word, but maybe she shouldn't rely on her luck when it comes to her elder sister's overly suspicious mind and her raw invincible instinct.
"I can see that,"
Violin almost sneered. She suppressed her anger before asking, "You are from the Arts background. Why do you have graphs and these readings of some chemical or an instrument - Agh- " She wasn't sure what that was. " - forget it... let me see." She grabbed that copy and checked it once. She glared at her sister, "What is this physics laboratory notebook with you, Autumn? Did you change your major or what?"
Autumn's face paled. "I- it must be one of my classmates, who - "
But before she could finish it, Violin cut her off, saying, "Don't tell me you bring that boy's assignment copies to show how caring and understanding you are?"
Autumn's eyes widened in her elder sister's accusation. No, she never pretended to be good to anyone, let alone Franklin. Violin snapped, "Because if it is, then I should say you won't get anything for doing this."
"It's nothing. Please don't blame him. He tried to stop me, but I refused to listen to him," Autumn snatched that copy from her sister's grasp, not wanting Violin to vent anger on them. She did them overnight, after all. She kept her head down, didn't have it in her to make eye contact with her. She knew Violin was mad.
That's why she mumbled, "I am prepared for my test, Vi. It won't affect my score. I have promised you,"
"I know you are. But - are you sure about him? Is he mean to you before his friends?" Violin looked genuinely worried. She gazed at her sister's small frame, couldn't help, feel protective over her. She didn't want that rich jock to break her sister's heart after he was done with taking advantage of her kindness.
"He is a good guy, Vi." The teen blushed. She fixed her glasses again, meekly replied, "He never bullies me like others. He knows I like gooseberry, and that's why he brings it for me every Friday,"
"He is good because he brings gooseberry for you!"
Violin suppressed a snort, didn't want to hurt her little sister's feelings.
"Oh, ~" Autumn looked a little bit offended. She knew her elder sister was trying not to make fun of her. " - did you miss me telling you that he never bullied me, Vi? His friends do, but that's not his fault..."
The teen was timid, short, and chubby. She was a straight-A student who chose Arts over her passion for Science because their family couldn't afford the expenses. She was sharp, and that's why she got to help her boyfriend with his studies. She believed the guy truly loved her, and for him, she could do anything.
"Will you promise me one thing, Otter?"
Only Violin calls her with that nickname. It stands as a cute and fuzzy little creature that resembles well with her chubby little sister. Autumn has protested many times about it, but Violin didn't listen to her.
Autumn raised her head as Violin held her forearms firmly. "What?"
"It is their loss who doesn't value what they have." Autumn didn't know why Violin was telling that to her.
Violin locked her hazel eyes with Autumn's ocean blue ones, told her calmly, "Love isn't everything, yet it is everything, Otter. The one who loves is not weak. But the one who can't accept love is weak."
She patted her head, smiling slightly.
"Remember one thing - no matter what, never beg for love. Promise me, Otter, that you won't cry for it,"
"I - " Autumn swallowed hard. She wasn't sure what had suddenly gotten to her sister.
"Promise me that you won't ever be weak in front of him, Autumn," Violin looked at her uncertainly.
Autumn nodded. "Okay,"
*
For the rest of the night, Autumn couldn't study much. She finished all his assignments and completed writing and attaching graphs to his practical copies before packing her school bag for the morning.
She slept with Violin but didn't get a blink of sleep. Her sister's advice was haunting her, made her doubt the guy who happened to be her boyfriend. Franklin... No, he can never hurt me. I know he is different.
Their relationship was not official, which she also wanted to keep like that. She hated unwanted attention on her. He was understanding which made it easier for her to continue their relationship like that.
He did small stuff like walking her home after school, bring her favorite gooseberries, and give his books to her, which she loved more than anything. To others, it may seem nothing. But to Autumn, it was everything. She likes it when he talks about traveling, sports, racing, and motorbikes nonstop.
From his view, she felt like she'd seen the whole world just by sitting on that bench of that park, a few miles away from her home. Franklin, her boyfriend, never seemed fake to her. He was always so considerate and truthful to her. How can Violin think he will break her heart someday?
Suddenly the door in their room barged open, and both sisters jumped out of the bed. They both were startled to see their grandmother, Betty, standing by the door, all disheveled. "V...Violin. A...Autumn..."
The old lady almost lost her balance and fell there if it wasn't for the sisters rushed to her on time. Violin asked her, anxiously, "What happened? Why are you crying like this? Otter! Go and bring water for her,"
Autumn nodded her head and was about to go to the bedside table, stopped when Betty cried out, "Your father left us, Violin. H...he left every one of us," The sisters got the biggest shock in their life that night.
They both went numb, didn't know what they should do seeing their father on the floor, lifeless. First, they lost their little brother, then their mother, and then that night, they lost the only guardian they had.
Autumn called Franklin many times, but she didn't get his number. She needed him to her side at that moment. He was her friend too. If not like her boyfriend, he could at least be there as her friend.
By the time, he received her call, it was already dawn. Before she could speak, the other side said in a very annoyed tone, "When someone doesn't pick your call, it either he is busy on something, or he is resting. Why don't you understand this simple thing, Nicolas? What do you call me so early?"
Autumn shook her head, tried to open her mouth several times to tell him about the crisis in her home, but she just couldn't. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth stopped to hear a feminine tone that sounded breathless from the other side. "Frank... Baby. Please, slow down... It's hurting... - Ah ~ "
"You are here to serve me for the whole day, girl," His grunt mingled with that girl's cries of ecstasy.
Autumn was stunned to the other side of the call. Tears filled her eyes once again.
The sound was what it took for her to realize how naive she was to think he would never think of cheating on her. Her heart completely shattered into pieces, hearing Franklin answered, "You can see that I am quite busy, Nic... Cut the call, or hear me enjoying the new girl you left for me last night after the party,"
Her phone slipped from her trembling hand, and the call went disconnected.
He never loved me. Violin was right. She is always right.
If he loved her or respected their relationship, he would have never thought of cheating on her.
She lost her voice after crying so long. She was completely drained, couldn't stop the tears that kept escaping her eyes. Her soundless cries didn't see anyone, not that they have anything to say to console her.
"Otter?" The door of her room slightly pushed open. Autumn wiped her tears, turned around, and saw Violin, standing in a knee-length black dress with her eyes were tearful and red-rimmed.
"Let's go." Violin gave her sister a bitter smile, "It's time to tell dad our final goodbye."
Autumn's lips trembled. She tried not to cry there before her sister, but tears did not stop leaving her eyes. She looked on her feet and nodded her head once.
Violin couldn't see her like that. She walked toward her and pulled her into her embrace. "Don't cry, Otter." She ran her hand on Autumn's curly blonde hair, sobbed out, "You are my strong sister, aren't you?"
Walking on the street full of dead leaves, she looked at the sky, breathed in the beauty of the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. The hollowness in her heart sees a hope to rise again just like autumn who embraces the change when she is falling to pieces. She'd let go. Isn't this what life truly means?
