Shadows & Dust
Chapter 1
“What do you think of this?” Jade asked, as she thrust yet another black item of clothing in her sisters face.
Pushing the item away from her face so she could actually view the whole thing properly, Stevie frowned and sighed almost simultaneously.
“What? What is it? Don’t you like it?” Jade asked, with a worried expression taking over her face.
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Stevie replied. “I mean, it’s gorgeous, it’s just…..you wear far too much black nowadays. I mean look at the amount of eyeliner you‘re wearing! You look like a ****ing panda.”
Jades face dropped and displayed a rather angry expression this time, her pale blue eyes narrowing at her sister.
“What?!” Stevie shrugged defensively, as she returned her sisters gaze with her own dark brown eyes. “Come on….even grandad said you looked like a goth!”
Jades jaw dropped. “I do NOT look like a goth!! When did he say that?! You’ve made that up haven’t you?”
“No I swear I haven’t!” Stevie put her hands up and tried her best to hide the smirk that so desperately wanted to show itself on her lips.
As a matter of fact, Stevie was telling the truth. Her grandad had made the goth comment. And he was right. Over the past year, Jades looks and style had gotten darker and darker and her outlook on life seemed even darker and more negative than ever. She never talked to the family about any of her troubles anymore and all she seemed to do was lock herself away in her room like a recluse, only showing herself at mealtimes. All she seemed to listen to was heavy metal and rock music with such lyrics that made you cringe.
“So you all have a problem with the way I dress now?” Jade snapped, as she placed the top she was holding, back onto the rail.
Stevie wished she never said anything. Now Jade was bound to throw a hissy fit in the middle of the shop.
“Look…” Stevie said quietly. “I’m not dissing the way you look, I just….”
“You are dissing the way I look, you called me a goth?!” Jade fumed, causing a few heads to turn.
“No no no, I said grandad called you a goth, not me! I simply said you wear too much black!” Stevie shot back.
“And your problem with that is….” Jade said in a smartass manner, as she placed her perfectly varnished black fingernails on her hips.
“You just need a bit of colour in your life that’s all!”
“Ha! Black is my favourite colour and if I wanna wear it all day, every day, then I will. I don’t give a s**t what you or grandad think. It’s none of your business.” Jade hissed at Stevie, as she crossed her arms over her chest this time. “Besides. If you knew me well enough, like a proper sister should, then you would realise that my style is ‘emo’. Not ‘goth’. I don’t know many goths who are into My Chemical Romance, do you?”
Stevie stared at Jade for a moment, before replying. “My Chemical who? What the hell is an ‘emo’? Sounds like some kind of bird.”
Jade stared at Stevie in disbelief. “My god. You don’t know who My Chemical Romance are? You don’t know what an ‘emo’ is?”
Stevie blinked. “Well if I knew, I wouldn’t ask you what they are would I?”
Jade released a hollow laugh, causing a few more shoppers to glance at her.
“You really are sheltered from reality aren’t you? I’m not even gonna ask you whether you know who The Rasmus are. Or HIM.”
“What do you mean I’m sheltered?” Stevie asked with a furrowed brow, at her sisters stupid comment, that only typical 14 year olds would make, because they think it sounds grown up. “Just because I don’t know some of the bands that you listen to, doesn’t make me sheltered in any way. I’m not the one who sits in my room all day doing **** all and avoiding my family at all costs until my stomach starts rumbling.”
“Of course I avoid you all, you never listen! You don’t understand me at all.” Jade replied in anger.
“How can we listen when you never talk. You just shut us out all the time!! You’re damn right I don’t understand you!” Stevie replied calmly.
Most eyes in the shop were on them now, which was beginning to make Stevie feel uneasy. “Look can’t we…”
“NO!” Jade snapped, totally clueless as to what Stevie was about to say. “I’m outta here.”
“Aw come on Jade, don’t be like this!” Stevie said, but her sister was already heading toward the exit, her black hair swinging behind her.
Sighing deeply, Stevie glanced at herself in a full length mirror beside her, noticing how flushed her cheeks were from their argument.
That girl could get her so worked up sometimes.
Deciding to get some fresh air, she hastily exited the shop and headed towards the park, which was a couple of blocks away in the city centre.
Pushing the item away from her face so she could actually view the whole thing properly, Stevie frowned and sighed almost simultaneously.
“What? What is it? Don’t you like it?” Jade asked, with a worried expression taking over her face.
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Stevie replied. “I mean, it’s gorgeous, it’s just…..you wear far too much black nowadays. I mean look at the amount of eyeliner you‘re wearing! You look like a ****ing panda.”
Jades face dropped and displayed a rather angry expression this time, her pale blue eyes narrowing at her sister.
“What?!” Stevie shrugged defensively, as she returned her sisters gaze with her own dark brown eyes. “Come on….even grandad said you looked like a goth!”
Jades jaw dropped. “I do NOT look like a goth!! When did he say that?! You’ve made that up haven’t you?”
“No I swear I haven’t!” Stevie put her hands up and tried her best to hide the smirk that so desperately wanted to show itself on her lips.
As a matter of fact, Stevie was telling the truth. Her grandad had made the goth comment. And he was right. Over the past year, Jades looks and style had gotten darker and darker and her outlook on life seemed even darker and more negative than ever. She never talked to the family about any of her troubles anymore and all she seemed to do was lock herself away in her room like a recluse, only showing herself at mealtimes. All she seemed to listen to was heavy metal and rock music with such lyrics that made you cringe.
“So you all have a problem with the way I dress now?” Jade snapped, as she placed the top she was holding, back onto the rail.
Stevie wished she never said anything. Now Jade was bound to throw a hissy fit in the middle of the shop.
“Look…” Stevie said quietly. “I’m not dissing the way you look, I just….”
“You are dissing the way I look, you called me a goth?!” Jade fumed, causing a few heads to turn.
“No no no, I said grandad called you a goth, not me! I simply said you wear too much black!” Stevie shot back.
“And your problem with that is….” Jade said in a smartass manner, as she placed her perfectly varnished black fingernails on her hips.
“You just need a bit of colour in your life that’s all!”
“Ha! Black is my favourite colour and if I wanna wear it all day, every day, then I will. I don’t give a s**t what you or grandad think. It’s none of your business.” Jade hissed at Stevie, as she crossed her arms over her chest this time. “Besides. If you knew me well enough, like a proper sister should, then you would realise that my style is ‘emo’. Not ‘goth’. I don’t know many goths who are into My Chemical Romance, do you?”
Stevie stared at Jade for a moment, before replying. “My Chemical who? What the hell is an ‘emo’? Sounds like some kind of bird.”
Jade stared at Stevie in disbelief. “My god. You don’t know who My Chemical Romance are? You don’t know what an ‘emo’ is?”
Stevie blinked. “Well if I knew, I wouldn’t ask you what they are would I?”
Jade released a hollow laugh, causing a few more shoppers to glance at her.
“You really are sheltered from reality aren’t you? I’m not even gonna ask you whether you know who The Rasmus are. Or HIM.”
“What do you mean I’m sheltered?” Stevie asked with a furrowed brow, at her sisters stupid comment, that only typical 14 year olds would make, because they think it sounds grown up. “Just because I don’t know some of the bands that you listen to, doesn’t make me sheltered in any way. I’m not the one who sits in my room all day doing **** all and avoiding my family at all costs until my stomach starts rumbling.”
“Of course I avoid you all, you never listen! You don’t understand me at all.” Jade replied in anger.
“How can we listen when you never talk. You just shut us out all the time!! You’re damn right I don’t understand you!” Stevie replied calmly.
Most eyes in the shop were on them now, which was beginning to make Stevie feel uneasy. “Look can’t we…”
“NO!” Jade snapped, totally clueless as to what Stevie was about to say. “I’m outta here.”
“Aw come on Jade, don’t be like this!” Stevie said, but her sister was already heading toward the exit, her black hair swinging behind her.
Sighing deeply, Stevie glanced at herself in a full length mirror beside her, noticing how flushed her cheeks were from their argument.
That girl could get her so worked up sometimes.
Deciding to get some fresh air, she hastily exited the shop and headed towards the park, which was a couple of blocks away in the city centre.