ROY G BIV
Violet
Harper and Jeremy sat in the Sykes’ living room as they babysat Hayley, Harper’s little sister. Jeremy’s mom had been working late more and more often, and Harper’s parents had gone to some appointment with a doctor or something. They hadn’t given any details as to what the meeting was about, just giving a vague statement and letting her know that they’d be home by ten.
She had planned on popping in a movie and playing blocks with Hayley when she remembered that Jeremy still had her copy of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – the old one, the better one. It was Harper and Jeremy’s favorite movie, and was in the process of becoming Hayley’s favorite as well.
When the new one came out, they went to see it. The only person who had liked it was Doe, and after they’d all seen it, Harper’s mom had commented that they’d made Willy Wonka look like a child predator and refused to ever see it again. She said that they had ruined a classic and that they would not speak of the newer version of that movie ever again.
When Harper had gone over to Jeremy’s to grab the movie, he suggested they stay, and Hayley was delighted at the idea. She’d always had a kind of hero complex when it came to Jeremy ever since he’d ‘saved her’ from the spider that was in her room. She clung to him the whole night, begging him to play with her, chattering excitedly in his direction, and falling asleep while clutching his arm. Her soft breathing matched the rise and fall of her chest, and as she slept, she looked so little. Harper always marveled at how tall she’d grown for a seven year old, but whenever she saw the sleeping form of her little sister, she was reminded of the tiny baby that had come home from the hospital with Mom and Dad. She remembered how, after five minutes of staring at the sleeping baby, she told them that it was really boring to have a sister and that she’d rather have another puppy.
But when Violet was about to have her blueberry scene, Harper woke the sleeping little girl. Violet was Hayley’s favorite character, and she always giggled at how the character blew up and became a blueberry, and how the Oompa Loompas had to roll her out of the room because she got so round.
Hayley’s tiny eyelashes fluttered as she woke up, and she took her hands from Jeremy’s arm to rub at her eyes, letting out a tiny yawn and raising her arms to stretch them out above her head. When she saw Violet on the screen, she let out a bright laugh and leaned forward in rapt attention to watch Violet turn blue.
After the scene was over, Hayley squirmed on the couch and called out, “Sissy! C’mere wiff me and Jer-mee!”
So Harper left the armchair to join the other two on the couch, and Hayley grabbed her hand tightly. It was slightly sticky, as all little kids’ hands seemed to be, but when she cuddled into Harper’s side, she found that there was no way she could complain about being so loved.
Harper had left a note at home for her parents, so when they got back from their appointment they wouldn’t have to worry about where their daughters were. At 10:15, they came to the Sykes’ to collect the two girls, their dad picking up Hayley and their mom thanking Jeremy for helping Harper watch her little sister.
Harper crawled into bed half an hour later, teeth brushed, hair combed, and in her pajamas, when she heard a soft voice call out, “Sissy?”
Hayley stood in her sister’s doorway, holding her blanket, the one named Baby, in one hand, while holding the other to her mouth, sucking on her first two fingers. She shifted uncomfortably in her nightgown and asked quietly, “Can I sleep wiff you tonight? I heard a spooky no-weese.”
“Come here, Hayles,” Harper told her, motioning the little girl over to her. She patted the bed in an invitation, and the girl climbed up, wrapping Baby around the two of them and resting her head on her big sister’s shoulder.
Before Hayley drifted off to sleep, she mumbled, almost too quiet to be heard, “I wuv you, Sissy.”
Harper ran a hand through her little sister’s soft blond hair before replying almost as quietly, “I love you too, Hayles.”
She had planned on popping in a movie and playing blocks with Hayley when she remembered that Jeremy still had her copy of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – the old one, the better one. It was Harper and Jeremy’s favorite movie, and was in the process of becoming Hayley’s favorite as well.
When the new one came out, they went to see it. The only person who had liked it was Doe, and after they’d all seen it, Harper’s mom had commented that they’d made Willy Wonka look like a child predator and refused to ever see it again. She said that they had ruined a classic and that they would not speak of the newer version of that movie ever again.
When Harper had gone over to Jeremy’s to grab the movie, he suggested they stay, and Hayley was delighted at the idea. She’d always had a kind of hero complex when it came to Jeremy ever since he’d ‘saved her’ from the spider that was in her room. She clung to him the whole night, begging him to play with her, chattering excitedly in his direction, and falling asleep while clutching his arm. Her soft breathing matched the rise and fall of her chest, and as she slept, she looked so little. Harper always marveled at how tall she’d grown for a seven year old, but whenever she saw the sleeping form of her little sister, she was reminded of the tiny baby that had come home from the hospital with Mom and Dad. She remembered how, after five minutes of staring at the sleeping baby, she told them that it was really boring to have a sister and that she’d rather have another puppy.
But when Violet was about to have her blueberry scene, Harper woke the sleeping little girl. Violet was Hayley’s favorite character, and she always giggled at how the character blew up and became a blueberry, and how the Oompa Loompas had to roll her out of the room because she got so round.
Hayley’s tiny eyelashes fluttered as she woke up, and she took her hands from Jeremy’s arm to rub at her eyes, letting out a tiny yawn and raising her arms to stretch them out above her head. When she saw Violet on the screen, she let out a bright laugh and leaned forward in rapt attention to watch Violet turn blue.
After the scene was over, Hayley squirmed on the couch and called out, “Sissy! C’mere wiff me and Jer-mee!”
So Harper left the armchair to join the other two on the couch, and Hayley grabbed her hand tightly. It was slightly sticky, as all little kids’ hands seemed to be, but when she cuddled into Harper’s side, she found that there was no way she could complain about being so loved.
Harper had left a note at home for her parents, so when they got back from their appointment they wouldn’t have to worry about where their daughters were. At 10:15, they came to the Sykes’ to collect the two girls, their dad picking up Hayley and their mom thanking Jeremy for helping Harper watch her little sister.
Harper crawled into bed half an hour later, teeth brushed, hair combed, and in her pajamas, when she heard a soft voice call out, “Sissy?”
Hayley stood in her sister’s doorway, holding her blanket, the one named Baby, in one hand, while holding the other to her mouth, sucking on her first two fingers. She shifted uncomfortably in her nightgown and asked quietly, “Can I sleep wiff you tonight? I heard a spooky no-weese.”
“Come here, Hayles,” Harper told her, motioning the little girl over to her. She patted the bed in an invitation, and the girl climbed up, wrapping Baby around the two of them and resting her head on her big sister’s shoulder.
Before Hayley drifted off to sleep, she mumbled, almost too quiet to be heard, “I wuv you, Sissy.”
Harper ran a hand through her little sister’s soft blond hair before replying almost as quietly, “I love you too, Hayles.”
♠ ♠ ♠
A huge thanks to all the subbers, commenters, and readers out there! This is for his rose;, whose lovely comment prompted me to update.No, this is definitely not the end of the story: there's a lot more to come. Comments, pretty please?