In Your Shadow

Hazel began attending all the band practices, doodling little shit designs on the corners of music laying about the place, tinkering with Blake's recording equipment, occasionally sitting in the garage, watching her sister climb all over the place- fearing that she would fall and hurt herself, which caused her to avoid the garage for two or three practices.

Sierra convinced Hazel to take a break, told her not to worry about her for once, and focus on herself.

"Take a few days off of work," She said. " It won't hurt you, Hazel."

Oh, but it did. A few days into her week long break, her boss decided to cut her from payroll- due to sudden loss of interest in her work. Hazel was unemployed, thanks to Sierra's "helpful" advice.

The two fought about it for days, until Devin and Blake broke it up.

Devin forced the tiny Hazel onto the couch behind her, while Sierra was shoved into a chair across from her by Blake.

"Now listen here." Devin said, pointing at Hazel's nose so close that it almost touched. "Yelling at Sierra isn't going to get your job back,"

He rounded on Sierra, who's eyes grew wide when he pointed at her the same way.

"And you giving advice to anyone will not help a damned soul on this planet." He paused. "I thought you knew that by now."

Sierra stuck her tongue out at him childishly. Hazel rolled her eyes at her antics.
Blake pointed at Hazel, catching her additude.

"Now, kiss and make up, so Sierra can get some shit on paper, and Hazel can... be Hazel." Said Devin, throwing his hands in the air as a final hurrah before leaving the room with Blake. The two heard the garage door slam behind them.

Sierra threw a look at her sister, noticing that her hair was getting longer, the blunt bangs Hazel once had now pushed to the side.

"What?" Hazel said, shooting Sierra a look. Sierra shrugged.
"Your hair is starting to look like mine." Sierra commented, pulling at a strand of blonde and brown.
Hazel looked down at her brown tresses, never even touched by a drop of dye. The ends where long and uneven, her bangs growing out wildly like her sister's.

"All you need is some blonde, and you could be me!" Sierra said, reaching out, and lightly tugging on a piece of her sister's hair.

Hazel tugged it back, and scoffed at her sister.

"Well yeah, Sierra, I'm your twin. We have the same DNA code." She leaned in close to Sierra, and said, "I AM you."

Sierra mimicked her sister, almost mockingly. Hazel chuckled, and began to head towards the garage, where Chris was randomly beating his drum set, while Blake nonchalantly threw out a few licks here and there on his guitar.

"But you don't act like me!" Sierra retorted, following her sister.

"Oh, but I can, dear. I can." Hazel said, winking at her sister. Hazel didn't wink unless she was thinking on the same wavelength as Sierra- which was usually when they would sneak out of the house at night back in high school.

Sierra stopped in her tracks, while Hazel chuckled.

"I like to keep you guessing, my dear sister. It makes being your twin fun." Hazel said, Sierra chuckling as she made her way to the garage, and Hazel to Blake's office.

She grabbed a stack of printer paper and a pencil and began to draw, just drawing whatever came to her mind, not really paying any attention to what shapes she was creating on the paper.

The music in the garage began, and Hazel continued her art, erasing her mistakes as soon as she made them, shading carefully , and making crisp lines.

Time passed, and before Hazel knew it, Blake had entered the office to tell her Sierra and herself were welcome to dinner.

Hazel jumped at the sound of his voice, her nub of a pencil flying off, seeking refuge behind the desk.

Blake laughed at Hazel's expression, a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

"Good lord, Blake. Smiling like a fucking lion over there." She snapped. She hated being surprised.

Blake looked confused.
"Smiling like a lion?" He asked. Hazel nodded.

"You smile, but with wrong intentions." She explained. While Hazel turned around and searched under the desk for her pencil, Blake pulled a pen out of his pocket and scribbled the line on his hand.

By the time he was finished, Hazel had found a new pencil, and gone back to work on her drawing.

"Whatcha drawing?" He asked, leaning over to take a peek, standing oddly close to Hazel.
She quickly covered the artwork.

"No peeking." She said like a child. Blake chuckled, and left the room without another word.

Hazel couldn't help but notice how the air felt electric when he stood that close.