Two Truths and a Lie

“How was-?” I said seeing my sister barging into my room.

“Stop right there!” She hissed, her usually soft brown eyes looking at me like she wanted me dead.With her long blonde hair, she looked like she should have been named Athena, the goddess of warfare. “What the hell is this?” In her hands she had my acceptance letter that I left on her bed, I wasn’t expecting her to go next top crazy on me, but somehow in this moment she did. “Now explain to me. NOW” her voice icy calm, the fire blazing in her eyes. Yep, The goddess of warfare was in her.

“Well…” I said softly ”I got accepted to the University...and I’m going. Its an amazing opportunity, and honestly why are you pissed? You should be proud that your little sister wants to do something, and what gives you the right to yell at me? Mother would have been proud of me, why aren't you?” I could feel stupid tears coming down my face, I was more sad that she wasn't happy for me, being supportive. I expected this from our father not her, she was always on my side.

“Hun...look I’m sorry, I’m just scared for you.” She whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear it “Father will never allow this, he expects the two of us to marry some rich doctor or lawyer and have children...the fact that you did this on your own proves how much you’re like mother.” She looked at me and I saw the tears in her eyes and the slight run of her makeup. I knew for sure I mirrored her in that way but honestly I didn't care.

As quickly and quietly I could, I walked towards her .No matter how many times we fought she was still my sister, and I’d be damned if I was the reason she was crying. “Look…” I whispered to her “We are Gallifrey's and you look so much like her,but you also act like her. She was strong and brave to the very end and we are the embodiment of that. Dad can try to take that away from us and make us marry someone, but in the end it’s our choice, and he will never be the reason why either one of us is unhappy. You’re beautiful and smart, and in general you’re a perfect person, I can only hope to be like you one day...” my tears were coming down harder, and to make things worse my sister decided to hug me.

After the last tears were shed we stayed in my room for what felt like hours, making jokes, talking about the mother we barely remembered, how controlling our father is, our fears and dreams. It felt like we were finally having sisterly time before everything went to hell, and it was perfect.

“So how are you going to break it to dad?” My sister questioned me, her eyes finally dry, her blonde-blue hair in a fishtail braid.
“I’m just going to straight out tell him, if he doesn’t accept than it’s his loss….I found a way to pay for my schooling. After mother died he became a cold manipulative person, not daddy, just father and I can't-”

“GIRLS! Dinner Now!” my father’s low bellowing voice stated from the downstairs foyer. My sister and I got up from my bed and walked slowly to the door, I was dreading what was about to happen, but I knew I had to do it now, before he destroyed any chance I had at making a life for myself. Walking down the staircase I saw my father standing there. He was tall, like me, but rather than being built he had a slight bulging belly from years of sitting behind a desk dealing with other people’s problems, but never his own. The resentment I felt towards him was nothing new, after my mother’s death I could barely stand to be near him, to this day I couldn’t.

“What’s for dinner father?” my sister asked sweetly. Silently, I made a gagging noise, how she could tolerate him was unknown to me, although since she was an almost exact replica of our mother from the pictures I would look at when I was younger, I could see why she was the favored child.

“We are having steak with a side of potatoes Melody, Are you going to finally eat Athena? Or just sit and sulk at the dinner table like you do every night? Sometimes I wish you were like your sister...respectful and complasive, be much easier to handle. And what are you wearing? you look like a girl from the street, not like a daughter of mine. You should dress like your sister more-” He kept droning on, stating about how imperfect I was, rather than look at his own mistakes and failures.

“Stop.” The quiet whisper almost lost to the soft breeze coming through the window. “I said STOP! You don’t get it do you? I will never be her, so do not compare me to her, Mel and I are two completely different people so NEVER and I mean NEVER compare us. Want to know the differences? I’m going off to the university! how’s that for different? Guess what, you have no say in it either ” My voice was starting to get louder, the echo of my yells could probably be heard through the suffocating home, I got up from the table and walked away.
“Come back here! You have no right to disobey your father! How dare you- you-” He yelled behind me, before he could finish his train of thought I heard my sister’s soft voice.

“If you dare finish that sentence, then fear losing us both, because I will not tolerate living in a home with someone who disrespects his own daughter, be it my father or otherwise.” Her voice got strong and cold at the end.

The scraping of a chair on the marble floor and the clicking of heels towards my hiding spot were enough to get me to crawl out and wipe the tears that were on my face. When I saw my sister’s face and the determined look in her eyes, I wanted to cry again. “Come on, we have to get you packed.” She said in a soft voice. I followed her, my head down,The fight in me before, gone.