I watched her with a detached sort of interest as she sprinted down the driveway, across the beautifully clipped grass, to where I was standing, panting.

The sun was beaming down at us from behind a dark cluster of clouds. Creating little spots where the sun shined through. We stood in one of those little spots of light. It was warm, perfect for the chilly air that persisted all around us.

“Hey! Whe—where’re you going?”

I was quiet. “Away.”

She smiled. “You don’t even know.”

“I told you. Away.” I turned and began walking to the bus stop on the corner of the block. She followed at an unhurried pace. “I am going anywhere but here, and if you would like for me to be more specific. I am going to get on a bus.”

“And then what?”

“And then I’m going to ride it.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.” I turned to her. “You don’t have anything else to say?”

“Yeah, this is stupid. Come home.”

I looked her straight in the eye. “No.” I turned and continued walking.

She threw her hands up in frustration. “Seriously, Mars?”

I walked.

“Why?”

I spun around so quickly she staggered backwards. “Because, Star, when I told you your boyfriend put his hands on me,you defended him.”

“Look,” she began slowly, “I get it, mom’s gone, you’re lashing out—”

“NO!” I clapped my hands to insinuate my point. “No, no, no. Mom’s dead and—and I’m upset, but that has nothing to do with this!”

She opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off. “You’re my older sister. You are supposed to have my back, not some idiot’s you’ve been dating for, what, three weeks! And—”

“Years.” She said.

“What?”

“Not three weeks, I’ve been dating him for three years now.”

We stared at each other.

“Mom died a year ago.”

“Yep.”

“So—wait so—so you never told her?”

She shook her head.

“You never told me?”

She laughed. “Why would I?”

I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out. I tried again. “Because I’m your sister.”

She laughed again mirthlessly. “Let’s say I told you. Then what? You would do exactly what you're doing right now!”

“What—”

“You always try and ruin things for me!” She blurted. “Remember, When I got my license and we drove to the mall together, and had tons of fun, and then you told mom I almost killed us!”

“Well….you did, you couldn’t drive.”

She glared at me. “I had to retake that stupid test. I’m not even mentioning how the last time I brought a boy home you literally stole him!”

I looked up at her sharply. “That’s not fair.” I whispered. “I didn’t do anything until you guys broke up, which was really hard.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She enunciated.Tears were slowly spilling over her eyelids. “He proposed to me, you know. I thought that if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t try anything, but,” She sniffed. “I guess I was wrong.”

“I’m telling you the truth.” I choked out.

She shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I just don’t understand why you had to bring Eddy into this.”

“He brought himself into this when he proposed.”

“So you admit it?”

“No.” Great, now my eyes were watering. “I meant what I said. He came into my bedroom while you were out getting more sheets and…” I couldn’t finish.

She smiled forcefully. “So now you’re accusing him of rape?”

I looked away. “He didn’t go that far.” I swallowed. “But—”

I was cut off by the sound of the screen door opening and slamming shut. Edward jogged towards us across our lawn.

“Hello ladies,” he drawled in his low southern accent, “What’re y’all doing out here? It's pouring rain.”

I glanced around. It was raining, pouring, as he put it. My hair, as well as my sister’s was dripping wet, and our clothes pasted to our bodies, a fact I’m sure Edward noticed. I looked at my sister as water was dripping down her face, was she even crying? Was this just another instance of her rushing to convince me that I was wrong, and she was right, because this was her moment? Was she really hurt, or was every tear, every sniffle, every cry a result of the drastic change in weather?

I looked at the lawn, it would need to be cut again not long after the rain, I was alway the one who did the lawn, though. I could see it growing untamed, high, and wild. All because I wouldn’t be there.

She kept her eyes on me as he walked towards us. I was shaking now, but not from the cold.

She frowned. “We were just heading inside. Right, mars?” She held a hand out to me. “You’re shaking, come on, I’ll make hot cocoa.” She smiled, sincerely this time. “We can talk.”

I looked at her hand and started reaching to grasp it. I looked up in time to see Edward’s arm draped across her shoulders. He met my eyes and grinned.

I froze, and drew my hand back.

“You made your decision, there’s nothing to talk about.” She flinched at my words but I barely noticed. “Like I said, I’m going to the bus, I’ll text when I get where I’m going.”

With that I turned around and walked away.

No one tried to stop me.