Just the way it can be

'Geroff me!'

'Hey!'

'Jus' ger-off! Urghh!!'

'Mom! Big sis is making weird noises!'

'Shut up idiot!'

'Mom! She just called me an idiot!'

'Don't - stop-'

'Mom! She told me to stop!'

'Oh my God!'

'Mom! She-'

Distinct shouting somewhere in the house. A sigh.

'She told us both to shut up. Can you believe that Big sis?'

'Get. Off. Me!'

'Oh yeah.'

There's a hard kick to my side and then small hands squeezing the dear life out of me as she struggles to abandon her post from on top of my darned back. A position I did not give consent to and one she just assumed that I did. I mean, this girl should have gotten the hint that I need a break. If she knows what death is, she's not too far from causing it.

A kick.

'Ouch!' She slides off of me with a loud thud and right onto her poor bottom. There is weird silence for like 2 minuted before I burst out laughing. Holding my sides as I watch the little she demon look like Satan just cut off her paycheck or something, and I just get sadistic amusement out of it.

She doesn't appreciate it.

Obviously.

'Hey!' She shouts. Then promptly starts crying.

'What the-'

Sounds of screaming, in the most undignified way making me think whether it's even healthy for ones lungs, fills the entire house. I stare in dumbfounded silence as she just sits there and cries, and it's not even teardrops-out-of-your-eyes crying. Oh no. It's scream-as-ugly-as-can-be crying. Without a single darn tear spent.

'Mooooom!' She screeches. Scowling, I place my hands over my ears to save the poor things before they fall off. 'She made me cry!'

'What the hell, you little brat!' I shout at her, as I feel my temper rising. 'You're the one who climbed onto my back! You're the one who almost killed me! Who do you think you are complaining about me? Huh? I'm the one always adjusting to your tantrums!'

'Casey!' My mother shouts, absolutely livid. Her hands are covered in dough and she's wearing an apron. Probably was doing something important. Guilt gnaws at me but I push it away. Why the hell should I feel guilty anyway?

'What?!' I shout at her. She goes red.

Bad idea, Case.

'I was baking cookies.' She says heatedly. 'When you two decided to disturb me. Now look like you both aren't getting any of the cookies I made.'

'What?' I yell in disbelief. 'What the hell did I do?'

'You aren't going to use such language in front of me young woman.' Mom warns me. 'You two may be informal and even friends but I am your mother.'

'I'm not friend with this-'

'Mom!' She screeches. Mom doesn't even scold her. She ignores her completely and continues glaring at me.

'She's your sister and you're her elder sister. You're supposed to befriend her. You should have handled the situation like a responsible adult.'

'Well I didn't want one! So its not really my fault, Mom!' As soon as the words are out I know I shouldn't have said them. But right bow they feel so darn right and perfect that I actually feel a little smug. To look at both if their dumbstruck faces.

'Take that back.' Mom whispers. I gulp. When she whispers, it doesn't mean something good.

But I am feeling defiant.

So I shake my head.

If exploding someone's head was possible then that's what I probably did.

'You are not getting any cookies.' Mom says. 'You sister is.'

Well that was the last straw for me too.

'How-'

'Shut up Casey.'

'Go away.' My sister just says. Looks like she's done with the fake crying.

'I would want to go away from you.' I spit at her. I storm towards the door to get out of the house to cool down.

'If you take one step out of the house young lady, you are not coming back.'

And just like that I end up in another separate room which doesn't get any attention. And since I'm not even allowed to close the damned door, I have to make do by sulking in the corner of the room with as much dignity as possible.

An hour passes.

Two hours pass.

Another hour.

Another.

Fine. I think. Fine. I give up.

As calmly as possible I slink back to the door of our room and peek in. Maybe I'll get angry again. Maybe then I can go and stop feeling guilty about what I just did.

All I see is my little sister playing with Lego's and having three cookies on a plate beside her. My eyes feel watery. I didn't cry all this time but now I do. And I don't even know why.

Sniffling, I wipe away my tears and sheepishly make my way into the room.

Maybe she's the one who'll be angry at me now.

'Watcha doing?' I ask.

She doesn't even look up.

'Playing.'

'Can I play too?'

'Yeah.'

'Okay.'

I sit down beside her, and snuggle close, missing her warmth and just her in general.

'That's not how you do it.' I say. 'Why don't you try this?'

She smiles importantly.

'I know what I'm doing.'

'Can I take a cookie?'

'Yeah. I already had three.'

I smile knowingly then.

'You're an idiot.' I say.

'You too.'

And that's just the way it will be.

©AkshayaGadre

This story has been on my mind for along time now. Maybe if I had more time I would have been able to frame the whole thing more nicely. But I hope you all get the small hints I tried putting in.