Shades of Moons
The Third
The soft fabric of her cotton t-shirt was scrunched under her breasts as she stood before her mirror. My profile is the same as it always had been, she thought as she ran her eyes down her body. A frown touched her pink lips when as she gazed at her stomach. Except this. Her fingers splayed across the soft skin there. It was bigger. She was starting to show.
Disgusted, she pulled the fabric down and tugged a sweatshirt over her head. She tugged her brown locks free from the clothes. Her binder was sitting on her desk, open from the school work she had been doing the previous night. The oldest collected her things just as one of her siblings pushed open the door.
"Gany, you ready?" her sister asked. "The boys are already downstairs in the garage. Once they started arguing, I just gave up and came here so you can save me." Europa laughed brilliantly.
The other girl nodded and, after pushing Europa out, closed the door to her sanctuary. Ganymede had never been jealous of her siblings. She was the oldest; she would be the first to get out of this godforsaken town. Not them. The only thing she hated about her sister was how beautiful her laugh was and how when she did laugh, her entire face just lit up like a switch was flipped.
"Something wrong?" Europa voiced as she followed her sister down the stairs.
Ganymede turned and smiled, "No, why?"
Europa shrugged, not offering a reason more than that. When the door to the garage was pushed open, the twins' fighting had obviously not ceased. Callisto was in the process of telling his brother about how, by failing classes, he was not only embarrassing himself but the rest of the family. Io's fists clenched at his sides; Europa launched herself to Io's defense.
"Cal, shut it. Too early for you to be nitpicking."
The boy just huffed and climbed into the car. The other three followed suit. The ride to the school was silent for most of it. Music filled the car from the speakers in the back. Ganymede turned the radio down and glanced around the car, using the rearview to glance at Io and Europa.
"Mom and Dad are going to be home tomorrow, late. But we can see them Sunday. Then they are going back Monday morning bright and early."
Io laughed humorlessly, "We wouldn't want them to miss anything important in the night sky."
"Io, what are you complaining about? They put food in the fridge and they pay for the house you live in. They don't smother you about anything, like your dreadful grades," Callisto said, whipping around in his seat to glare at his mirror image.
"Okay, Cal. Enough," the youngest commanded. "If you are so worried about what he's doing, why don't you try helping instead of being a dick about everything?"
Ganymede spoke up then, "Let's not do this while they are in town." She parked the car. "Who's doing what after school? Anyone have nothing?"
"I have baseball practice until five," Callisto said as he exited the car and disappeared into the gathering crowd.
Europa spoke up, "Swimming until seven."
"I have wrestling until six. But I can wait around until seven with E," he offered.
Ganymede smiled, "I'll just give you the keys and find a ride home with someone. I didn't even think about driving separately today." She shut off the car and tossed Europa the keys. "Hold on to those so Cal doesn't try and kill Io for them."
"Like he could do anything," Io mumbled.
"Oh hush, I," the youngest said laughing. "We all know you're big and bad, Io."
The boy smirked at her but couldn't speak before Ganymede did. "I'll tell Cal that he has to wait around until seven or catch a ride and have him text you with what he's doing."
The three climbed out and grabbed their things. Ganymede waved goodbye as she scurried off to the other seniors. Io walked beside his sister to her friends, hugged her goodbye, and walked off to find his own friends.
Disgusted, she pulled the fabric down and tugged a sweatshirt over her head. She tugged her brown locks free from the clothes. Her binder was sitting on her desk, open from the school work she had been doing the previous night. The oldest collected her things just as one of her siblings pushed open the door.
"Gany, you ready?" her sister asked. "The boys are already downstairs in the garage. Once they started arguing, I just gave up and came here so you can save me." Europa laughed brilliantly.
The other girl nodded and, after pushing Europa out, closed the door to her sanctuary. Ganymede had never been jealous of her siblings. She was the oldest; she would be the first to get out of this godforsaken town. Not them. The only thing she hated about her sister was how beautiful her laugh was and how when she did laugh, her entire face just lit up like a switch was flipped.
"Something wrong?" Europa voiced as she followed her sister down the stairs.
Ganymede turned and smiled, "No, why?"
Europa shrugged, not offering a reason more than that. When the door to the garage was pushed open, the twins' fighting had obviously not ceased. Callisto was in the process of telling his brother about how, by failing classes, he was not only embarrassing himself but the rest of the family. Io's fists clenched at his sides; Europa launched herself to Io's defense.
"Cal, shut it. Too early for you to be nitpicking."
The boy just huffed and climbed into the car. The other three followed suit. The ride to the school was silent for most of it. Music filled the car from the speakers in the back. Ganymede turned the radio down and glanced around the car, using the rearview to glance at Io and Europa.
"Mom and Dad are going to be home tomorrow, late. But we can see them Sunday. Then they are going back Monday morning bright and early."
Io laughed humorlessly, "We wouldn't want them to miss anything important in the night sky."
"Io, what are you complaining about? They put food in the fridge and they pay for the house you live in. They don't smother you about anything, like your dreadful grades," Callisto said, whipping around in his seat to glare at his mirror image.
"Okay, Cal. Enough," the youngest commanded. "If you are so worried about what he's doing, why don't you try helping instead of being a dick about everything?"
Ganymede spoke up then, "Let's not do this while they are in town." She parked the car. "Who's doing what after school? Anyone have nothing?"
"I have baseball practice until five," Callisto said as he exited the car and disappeared into the gathering crowd.
Europa spoke up, "Swimming until seven."
"I have wrestling until six. But I can wait around until seven with E," he offered.
Ganymede smiled, "I'll just give you the keys and find a ride home with someone. I didn't even think about driving separately today." She shut off the car and tossed Europa the keys. "Hold on to those so Cal doesn't try and kill Io for them."
"Like he could do anything," Io mumbled.
"Oh hush, I," the youngest said laughing. "We all know you're big and bad, Io."
The boy smirked at her but couldn't speak before Ganymede did. "I'll tell Cal that he has to wait around until seven or catch a ride and have him text you with what he's doing."
The three climbed out and grabbed their things. Ganymede waved goodbye as she scurried off to the other seniors. Io walked beside his sister to her friends, hugged her goodbye, and walked off to find his own friends.