The Stones On Your Window

“Good morning!” Amelia smiled brightly at her younger sister as she approached her.

“You’re coming riding?” she asked hopefully. Sophia nodded her head as she took in her sister’s appearance. Amelia wore her trademark tan breeches and black riding boots, while Sophia stuck with denim breeches, hoping they’d look like skinny jeans.

“Great! Buttercup’s been feeling a bit neglected lately.” Amelia pouted. The younger Conrad sister rolled her eyes in annoyance, already regretting coming out to the stable.

Sophia traipsed through the gate of the stable, her feet automatically taking her to the large black horse on the far side. She lifted her hand to the animal, running it through his long mane. This had always been her favorite part of riding, spending time with her beloved Buttercup, who she got when she was 11 years old. After being dragged to Los Angeles from London by her parents, Sophia felt lonely. Amelia made friends almost instantly, but Sophia was 3 years younger and not as confident as her sister, she didn’t know how to make friends. That’s why her parents bought her Buttercup. She fed him and brushed him until one day, Amelia decided that she too wanted to ride, which obviously meant Sophia wasn’t allowed to anymore. It wasn’t cool to have things in common with your siblings at that time.

“Here,” Amelia snapped her sister out of her trance and tossed her a helmet, “let’s get this show on the road.”

The sisters rode in silence as the horses trotted along happily. The atmosphere was awkward, the pair never really got along and they definitely didn’t go out of their way to spend time together.

“So what’s been going on?” Sophia shrugged at her sister’s question; she wasn’t up for small talk.

“Have you thought about what you’re gonna wear to your party?” Sophia shook her head at this question. Next month was her 19th birthday, and of course, there was going to be a huge party with all of her family and fake friends there.

“Oh, well we have to go dress shopping! The birthday girl has to look fantastic on her big day!” Sophia smiled at her sister.

“No matter what I wear, you’re still gonna look 10 times better than me anyway.”

“Oh please! Honey, you should hear the way all the guys talk about you! They all think you’re beautiful!”

Sophia furrowed her brow. “What?”

“I know! I don’t get it either.”

---

The girls talked and joked for a while longer, and took the horses back to the stable when their father’s car pulled into the grounds of the house and make its way along the long driveway. The Conrad sisters met their father at the garage and greeted him with hugs.

“Ah, I’ve missed my girls!” he grinned widely as he led them to the bench that sat in front of the house.

“How was your meeting?” Sophia asked as she took a seat. Her father was a successful man. He owned a huge record label in the UK, which he brought to the states, resulting in the family moving to LA.

"It was good, lots of exciting things coming up!” he replied, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. Sophia nodded her head, feeling slightly defeated. Her dad never made any effort when it came to conversation with his daughters.

“So daddy, what are the plans for our little Sophia Rose’s birthday shindig?” Amelia piped in.

“Well, your mother and I were thinking,” of course, she wouldn’t have a say in this, “We’ll have a huge tent set up on the back lawn, with tables and a dance floor and a little stage set up for a performer. It’ll be a night of dinner, dancing and cocktails.” He grinned. Oh great.

“Sounds perfect.” She said with a tight smile.

“And of course, all our friends will be there.” She rolled her eyes. Your friends.

“Obviously.”

“Trust me, sweetheart. It’ll be a great party.” Sophia didn’t doubt that, every party her family threw was a great success, no matter how big or small the occasion was.

The trio talked for a while longer, with Sophia only half paying attention to what was being said. She had a habit of zoning out when she was left to converse with her family. It’s not that they were boring; Sophia just wasn’t interested in what they had to say. She didn’t care about whose boat was bigger, she didn’t care about whose house was more expensive, and she certainly didn’t care about what her father and snooty sister thought of all these people. Sophia was snapped out of her thoughts by the loud screech of brakes, a huge crash followed, and then there was silence.

Mr Conrad sprung to his feet immediately, his head whipping in the direction of the commotion. In the distance, down by the front gate, there was a hole in the wall that surrounded the Conrad home. The cause of that hole? An old, white pick-up truck, driven by a lanky, brunette male, whose head was in his hands as he inspected the damage.