Sibling Rivilary

The classic wedding march began to play. My hands shaking as I tried to hold back tears.
“Are you ready Olivia?”
“Yes… wait! Where is Amy?”
“I don’t think she is coming….”
I wanted so badly for my sister to be there, to be a part of my wedding. Unlike most little girls I never really dreamed about my wedding, but there was one thing I always knew. Amy was going to be there, and she would be the one keeping the rest of my family under control while helping me get to the alter.
We were only a year apart in age, and we spent a lot of time together. We shared a room until I was 14 years old. I had finally convinced my mother to let me move into the guest bedroom on the first floor. Before I moved into my own room we would stay up late at night giggling and dreaming about the future, but even for all the time we spent together we were almost complete opposites. Amy has thin blonde hair and a light complexion, whereas I have thick curly brown hair and a darker complexion. I was always the quiet one and Amy was the rebellious cheerleader. I preferred sitting at home reading or writing and she would rather go out shopping and going on dates. There was a short time where our differences drove us apart but as we grew up and faced bigger problems than which hobby was more fun reading or dancing we became close again. It was just in time for me to leave for college, and that was when our relationship would change forever. Standing at the church waiting to march down the aisle there was nothing I wanted more than to see Amy there ready to take my hand and support me.
I thought back to that day when everything changed. I thought about how I could have prevented it, and how I could have chosen another way. I did not have to hurt her like I did. I should have just let it be and left. I remembered the day it all began.
I had just come home from school for Thanksgiving break; it was the first time I had been home since I left back in August. I was glad to be back and glad to see my family. We were a close family we all shared our problems and we all worked to help each other. Not having them around was a big change for me, and it was even harder not being there to help them through their problems. My brother was going to start High School when I left and Amy was starting her senior year. There was so much going on in my family that I could not be around for, so when I came back for Thanksgiving break it was my chance to jump in and help out where ever I could. My parents opened up my Grandmother’s old store in hopes of making a little extra money to help pay for both mine and Amy’s college tuition for next year. Unfortunately the store was closed for so long it required a lot of work to get up and running again. I had come back just in time to help out, and my mother even offered to pay me so I could earn a little extra cash for when I went back to school. I knew she couldn’t really afford to pay me much but I was grateful anyway.

I was in the backroom organizing boxes and taking an inventory of what still needed to be unpacked when I heard the front door open and my sister’s voice. I knew my Mother was up front so I did not rush up there. I finished writing my list then grabbed a few of the boxes my Mother still need to unpack and started to carry them up front. It probably wasn’t the brightest idea for me to try and bring so many boxes up. I could barely carry one box no less carry four. That was when I could hear my Mother and sister talking.
“Where is my Sissy?”
“Olivia is in the back, but Amy you need to calm down! Ha Christian are you sure you want to admit to being her boyfriend?”
I came around the corner to see my sister jumping up and down giggling as she wrapped her arms around the man next to her. I stopped as I tried to recognize the man, he was tall and fit with short black hair that he wore slicked back. He looked down at Amy and smirked at her as she looked up into his dark blue eyes. I heard him say to my mother, “Oh Amy is great! She has been talking about her sister coming home all week and today when I picked her up after school she insisted we come here before going to get some lunch so I could met her Olivia.”
“Mom don’t you think Olivia and Christian would get along? I think she will like you Christian, well I mean not that its matters if she likes you but still it would be so cool if she did. Then you could introduce her to some of your friends… Oh! Like Kyle! Then we could all double date!”
I stopped and stayed standing behind a display case. I felt awkward interrupting their conversation. The boxes were getting heavier and part of me wanted just to turn around and bring them back, but then I knew they might see me if I tried to move. I tried to shift the weight of the boxes from one arm to another without making much noise. I listened as Amy continued to talk to my Mother and her boyfriend.
“Amy I doubt Olivia will want to go anywhere with you acting so silly and immature.”
“Oh come on mom! Olivia is so boring she does nothing but go to school and work. She hasn’t even ever been in a real relationship and now she is in college. I mean come on! She needs a life!”
“Hey back off your sister. She does have a life and I remember a time not too long ago when you didn’t have a boyfriend and you did nothing but lay around.”
I could feel my cheeks growing red as my sister continued. I was so embarrassed; I even remember thinking, “Why did she just say that in front of him!” I knew I did not need to try an impress him because it really did not matter what he thought. But she had just announced my personal life in the middle of a store where anyone could have walked in and heard her. I was also upset that she could be so rude and insult me by saying I needed a life. My mother was right; Amy had gone through a phase of laziness. She went to school then came home and slept the only time she went out was when her friends invited her to go someplace. At least I could say I wasn’t lazy.
I shook my head at my sister’s comments and decided I couldn’t stand there anymore. The boxes had gotten really heavy my legs were about ready to give out. I slowly took a few steps forward and I felt my legs shake underneath me. I tried to steady myself but I couldn’t, Amy yelled “Look out Olivia!” I heard all the boxes tumble to the floor and shut my eyes prepared to smack against the wood floor as well. I opened my eyes confused, there was no thud or pound I wasn’t sore. I looked up and saw a pair of dark blue eyes looking down at me. “Are you ok?” I heard him whisper as I felt his arms unwrap themselves from my waist and back. I nodded and thanked him as I stood back up. If I wasn’t already embarrassed before I certainly was now. I practically threw the boxes onto Christian and Amy when I fell.
“Wow Olivia could you be any more of a klutz?” Amy said with a teasing smirk.
“Are you sure you are ok?”
“Christian, she trips all the time Olivia is like the biggest klutz I have ever met. Anyway Olivia this is Christian. Christian this is Olivia. Now that you have practically killed him with your boxes he probably won’t want you to come, but we were going to invite you to come to lunch with us….”
“Amy stop…. I still want to invite you Olivia.”
“Geezzz Christian I was teasing her.”
Amy took a step away from Christian’s side and looked down at the floor. I knew she was only teasing me so I did not take offense to any of it, even though I did feel bad for making such a mess.
“Oh it is ok, Amy is right I am such a klutz and I wouldn’t blame you for not inviting a weirdo like me.” I smirked trying to let Christian know it was fine, and Amy had done nothing wrong. I appreciated him standing up for me though. I did not know him for more than five minutes and he was already trying to help me. Amy looked up at me and smiled as she wrapped her arm through Christian’s. Seeing them standing next to each other I was really surprised at how different they seemed, and how unlike most of the guys Amy was attracted to Christian seemed really polite and gentile. Amy had always been attracted to the bad boys and the kind of guys that have tattoos up and down their arms. Christian however was completely different. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt and tan slacks. He did not seem to have any tattoos or piercing. It made me wonder what Amy liked so much about him.
He was obviously a few years older than her and well he was defiantly fit but still I wondered what they would have had in common or how they even met. Amy normally would call me and tell me any news or gossip but I had no idea she had a boyfriend until I heard my mom call him that when they first came in the store.
“So? Are you coming Olivia?”
“Uh… Thanks Amy but I think I should stay here. I should probably help clean up this mess I just made and there is still a lot of work that needs to get done in the backroom.”
“Are you kidding? You really gonna blow us off so you can work? Ugh see Mom this is what I mean.”
Amy and Christian left the store and I began to clean up the boxes. Thankfully my Mother did not say anything to me about not going with Amy. I knew she agreed with Amy and I knew she worried about me and my social life, but between school and work I just did not have the time to be out every night. I was much more content staying home and listening to music or writing. It was my Thanksgiving break and I wanted to spend it relaxing, not stressing out over what to wear or trying to meet guys.