Chris and Eve

When Eve walks into her older sister's bedroom she isn't surprised. The move was classic Chris really, to make the rest of her apartment clean enough for their aunt to let Eve stay without having to clean up properly. Eve was impressed enough that the rest of her small space was a strongly decent state of clean even though the entire occupation of forks in her home seemed to be centralized in her bedroom. Her clothes were placed in the same pattern she had always placed them, in a series of uncoordinated piles reaching from her bed in every direction, some on the chair and even a large amount of clothes in her actual laundry basket.

She had often wondered how her sister had seemingly managed to always have all of her clothes dirty at the same time and still find something cute to wear, that reality had seemed too good to be true. Maybe in the week Eve was supposed to stay here she would figure out that mystery. She couldn't just ask, no that would be strange and she was definitely not strange at all especially compared to her sister.

Some of the clothes splayed out on her floor don't even seem like something Chris would wear. Eve couldn't remember the last time she saw her sister wear a short flowy sundress, especially one with yellow sunflowers and a magenta background

“You snooping through my stuff already?”Chris said this from the living room she was tinkering with a stereo on her shelving unit.

“Obviously but tell me when have you ever worn something like this?”  As Eve replied from the bedroom she picked up the dress from a pile on the floor and stepped into the doorway. Turning away from the fidgeting with her stereo Chris inspected the item of clothing in question before facing her back to Eve.

“ I wear dresses all the time, you know that munchkin.”

“ But bubby darling you hate yellow and pink I know that from the time mom made us get matching bathing suits.”

“Maybe not anymore baby cheeks,” Chris replied to her sister without looking at her, ignoring her second sentence.

“Sweetums when you saw my yellow suitcase and Clara's handbag you visibly recoiled, I saw it,” trying with another example to prove her point Eve crossed her arms with dress still in hand and leaned against the doorframe.

“ Oh my dearest pumpkin child I was not cringing at your bags I think living with our dear aunt has severely damaged your ability to hear how precisely she sounds like a breaking lawn mower. Let me soothe your ears with this sweet music.” Saying this Chris played a song and moved dramatically to her her sister swaying her arms at her sides like waves.

Trying to please her older sister's insanity whilst still stubborn Eve moved with her with less arm movement and less violent turns, this did not stop Chris from pulling her sister into a tornado of limbs and awkward dance moves. But of course it never really had before.

It was a nice change to be listening to some music she had not heard a million times, in between the CD’s Clara always played in the car and loud in the house she never had time to listen to new music or her own for that matter.

She understood why her aunt still lived like she was by herself, she was alone for a long time and was happy with herself and nothing more. She didn't ask for a teenager to move in with her, she just gracefully accepted one and Eve could always appreciate that. So she tried to act as if she was living alone as well, cleaning up after herself, feeding herself staying quiet, even when playing her instruments. In attempting to stay quiet and not be a burden she had isolated herself and was often stuck in her room by herself when Clara was home. When Clara was gone she would wander the house allowing herself to explore, trying to stop isolating herself and failing if not for lack of trying.

During the beginning of the summer she rarely left the house, she had no need to. All of her close friends were in the city she left and all of the people she had met at school during her sophomore year were not close enough to want to deal with her when even Eve didn't want to deal with herself. She could tell Clara was worried about her she probably wouldn't let Eve stay with Chris if she thought she was okay. Of course, she wasn't okay but she couldn't let Clara or Chris know that. She couldn't let any of her family know something was bothering her it was too dangerous.

   This was the main reasons she had wanted to visit her sister, Chris had an energy that lit up a room even when she was subdued she lit up like a candle breathing its scent of life into the air. When Eve was little it felt like magic to her it still did she just didn't get to see the magic as often. She wished she could change that, she hoped she would be brave enough to try.

Their mom had called them her flowers, Eve was a sunflower she always looked toward her sun to survive, her sun was at first her mom then later Chris. Chris was her desert lavender, beautiful and calm but she was tough too, she had gotten used to the harsh sunlight and survived.

For the most part, she stayed at home when Chris left for her job at the bookstore down a couple blocks. The second day she began wondering outside the apartment the complex had a cracked tennis court filled with little kids on bikes and scooters. Next to it was a wooden playground with a swing set with one normal sized swing and one baby swing. The play structure had wooden chips under it instead of sand and it reminded her of a playground she and Chris had gone to when they were little. She was happy that is was toward the middle of the winding building and not closer to the busy streets. But she did not go back it reminded her too much of the past. She did like the slide.

The third day she convinced Chris to take her to the grocery store so she could get the taste of fast food out of her mouth, she never thought there would be a day that she would miss peanut butter sandwiches and oranges.

Pushing a shopping cart with a bum wheel the girls slowly make their way through the awe-inspiring trek of the grocery store on a block or two from the apartment.

“Are you sure we need this much pasta, it seems expensive and excessive,” Chris asks with a box of protein plus penne in one hand and shopping list in the other.

“ If I pack you lunch and make dinner at home we will spend half as much as you normally do especially with me here eating three meals,” Attempting to take Chris shopping for food had always been treacherous but now that it was her own money it was even worse. She could be as frugal at the grocery store as she was frivolous almost everywhere else.

“If we agree to get one box of cereal we can get four boxes of pasta,”

“If you had agreed to let me buy a toaster with Clara's emergency money for this week i could get bread and jelly instead but no,” crossing her arms at this as an attempt to get what she wanted Eve leans against the side of the still shopping cart looking at anywhere but her sister.

“ I have a toaster it's on the counter next to the kettle”

“You have a death machine that burns bagels Chris.” at this Eve makes eye contact with her sister for emphasis.

With a sigh of defeat, Chris begins to move the cart toward the aisle with electronics near the back of the store.

“Red or blue?”

Plugging in the toaster next to the unplugged kettle Eve grins into herself and glances at her sister sitting on the armchair in between the couch and the window. The curtains with their abstract pastel flowers are parted slightly to allow the tall trees to be seen even from where Eve is standing. Chris’ legs are bathed in a pale beam of sunlight that barely passes her feet on the coffee table she has them rested on. Writing on her laptop while listening to the soft music coming out of it she doesn't look up for several minutes at a time.

“Make sure to turn that on before you put the bread in or else it will smell awful,” she says to her younger sister without looking up from her work

“I know that remember the last time we got a new toaster? It smelled like a chemical fire,” Quieter eve adds, “ that was with mom wasn't it?”

“Ya so don't ruin yet we just bought it.” finally both looking at each other they share a sad smile and go back to their previous activities.

That night when Eve had gone to bed she laid down on the couch her blankets all spread out her pillows carefully balanced. She looked at the ceiling for what felt like hours unable to sleep or even try. All she could do was attempt to count the lines in the ceilings by the soft yellow lights of the kitchenette. By one am sleep continued to elude her and so she finally got up and took her phone off the charging space and her earbuds out of her bag.

Playing the song her mother had always played when she could not sleep she began to rock slowly back and forth where she stood. Head down arms limp, her shoulders slumped forward as if pulled to the ground. She closed her eyes and rocked oblivious to the room around her to the world around her.

For a moment she was unaware of the off white walls around her the walls filled with her paintings and drawings, with band posters and index cards filled with her sister favorite literary quotes. She was unaware of the snoring stopping in the room next to her of the gentle creaks and groans of Chris first sitting up then standing and walking over to her door empty glass in hand. Of her opening the large wooden door and stepping into the living room/kitchen of her studio apartment.  She was unaware of the face of her older sister slightly concerned but smiling to finally see her sister doing something she would have done before.  Eve didn't notice Chris had woken up at all until she started spinning herself in a circle to check the time on the microwave to see her sister smiling sadly at her with a cup in hand.

“I do hope you are putting that in the sink or else i won't have anything to clean tomorrow when you are gone.” Whilst saying this Eve took out her earbuds pausing her music and threw the phone on her makeshift bed.

“ I told you that it wasn't necessary for you to clean up after me I can take care of myself.”

“ Obviously” Eve replied gesturing her hand in a wide arc at the sink with piled dishes from dinner and at the pile of clothes peeking out from the doorway of Chris’ bedroom.

“ I don't work tomorrow remember i have Wednesdays off.”

“ When do you go to school?”

“It's summer Eve i don't.”

“ What do you do on your days off then?” Eve asked finally sitting down at one of the breakfast bar stools Clara had bought for Chris when she moved.

“Usually i sleep or try to chill with friends but they are all back home for the summer so I guess it's just you and me bud.”

“I guess.”

Not knowing what else to say to her younger sister Chris opens the fridge and pulled out an apple in one hand and a pear in the other. Rolling the apple to her sister she takes a bite out of the dark green pear.

“ Is that even ripe yet?”

“Ripe enough for me.”

“She would always eat unripe pears didn't she?”

“Where did you think i got it?”

“Remember when i couldn't sleep that week because i was nervous to go to school and she bought me a gallon of milk to drink in one night?” Eve said this quickly quietly like she was scared of the outcome.

“It's okay i miss her too”

“it's fine”

They silently chew one sitting in a nightgown past her knees chewing slowly into her red apple attempting to count the bites in a careful well practiced pattern but falling eventually due to the lateness of the night. Meanwhile, the woman standing in a tee shirt and pajama pants biting aggressively into her hard pear possibly regretting eating a very not ripe pear but not daring t let her younger sister know that. Smiling at Eve like neither of them can hear the loud chewing sounds she is making and not acknowledging that maybe it's a bit too late to be eating she just stands and waits as she always does.

When Eve finally meets one of Chris’ friends it's dark out and the harsh contrast of the bright light inside and the dark outside hurts Eves vision as Chris and another girl step through the threshold of the home. Chris is leaning slightly on the taller girl next to her, the unnamed girl does not register Eve for a moment as she takes off both of their shoes and places their purses on the repurposed wine rack next to the door. When she does notice the younger girl on the couch she stands up even straighter somehow and nudges Chris off of her slightly as if uncomfortable by the confused eyes.

“Chris babe is this the sister you were telling me about?”

“Oh yeah, I should probably introduce you two right? I always forget,  Marlene this is Eve my baby sister, Eve this is Marlene, my girlfriend. Also, I am about to puke so I will be back okay?” With this Chris stumbles slightly to the bathroom and slams the door behind her.

“Well she's gonna regret that in the morning we were so careful with you guys but it was nice to meet you I'm staying here tonight if that's okay with you,” Marlene said this in a straightforward tone and shook Eve’s hand from across the table in between them.

“Of course it is but could you answer a few questions for me?”

“Sure what do you want to know?” as she agrees as she sits down on the armchair near her.

“ How long have you been dating?”

“ Two years in September” smiling at this

“Are you guys happy?”

“Of course it's Chris.” Eve wanted to ask her why Chris hadn't told her but deep down she knew why she didn't it was scary to tell anyone in their family a secret even a happy one. Within days everyone would know for better or for worse instead Eve avoided the loaded questions and tried to ask the easy ones.

“Cool I hope you guys are happy but one more thing did you leave a pinky purple sundress here with flowers on it?” Looking down at her current outfit of another sundress with flowers on it Marleen smiles and looks up again at Eve in her excellent outfit of pajamas.

“Probably.”

“I knew she would never wear that.” The two young women chat quietly until Chris comes out of the bathroom shoulders down and dejected.

“Did you brush your teeth and wash your face?” Marlene asks standing up

“Yes, can we go to bed now?”

“Of course say goodnight to Eve first I'll be in your room.” giving her girlfriend a kiss on her forehead on the way she walks into the bedroom closing the door behind her.

“ She told me that dress wasn’t yours I'm gonna get even better information from her and her from me,” Eve says to Chis smiling and flipping the lamp off before lying down on the makeshift bed. Looking at her sister in silence for a moment more Chris moves to her door again with a small sigh and steps thru the doorway.

“Night Eve love ya.”

“Love you too.”

It's early morning and Eve is alone again, not cleaning for once but just sitting.

Sitting with legs crossed in the middle of the couch her eyes are closed and while her face is relaxed her shoulders and back are still harsh and straight against the otherwise calm situation. Her breath is steady and loud against the silence. The walls are thick enough that she cannot hear the people breathing and laughing and talking around her, living around her. She can barely hear the not so distant noise from the traffic on the big streets near their home. No, she can only clearly hear the ticking of the clock on the wall opposite her and her own breathing.

Standing up finally she walks the length of the room and smoothes down her sweater and jeans before kneeling on the ground and pulling her favorite socks out of her big yellow suitcase. She puts them on, short black ones with sunflowers and puts them on before walking to the kitchen. Carefully inspecting the floor for any wet spots as she walks she makes her way to the cabinets and the fridge, she makes herself breakfast alone again and waits for the next time she can do something. It feels as empty as Aunt Clara's and she wants her sun back.

“ It's not so bad living here ya know.” Eve says this to her sister as she is packing her food that night for lunch the next day.”  i don't feel as alone strangely.”

“ don't pay me too many compliments it may go to my head.” suppressing a smile Chris slides over to her sister to hand her an apple and a piece of cheese.

“Chris, you don't like apples why are you stealing mine?”

“ I ran out of pears” Chris replied simply

“ then stop eating them in the middle of the night bozo.”

“ listening to comedy again aren't we?” Allowing herself to smile easily Chris leaves the room with her sister still processing their conversation while absentmindedly putting the apple and the cheese in the bad. Maybe her older sister had finally won a conversation, that would be a first.

Of course, she won the next one. As Chris opened the gray door of the apartment her nose was assaulted with the scent of what seemed to be actual food and strangely enough, it was coming from her kitchen of all places. As she took off her jacket and threw it on her bed with her purse and phone she listened for evidence of Eve in the apartment. Hearing nothing she moved farther inside. She did this as if she was a human wading into the territory of a wild alligator. With her home as clean and brightly lit as it was she did feel as if she was in a territory not completely her own.

“Eve?” She asked aloud tentatively

“In here,” came the short reply of her sister who seemed to be crouching on the floor almost in the refrigerator. “ You have like three pears in here did you not look at all earlier?”

“Well maybe I didn't look very well but I can swear I didn't see them on the shelves or anything they must have been in one of the stuck drawers on the bottom right?”

Looking up at her sister in exasperation at her foolishness she replied with, “ How long have they been stuck exactly?”

“For a week or two but I never put anything in them so I haven't really tried to fix it, I swear they are broken I bet some juice fell into it and stuck it together.”

“Chris you don't drink juice and they aren't stuck you are just lazy.”

“I am not.”

Standing up at this to look her sister in the eye Eve said, “ they were on the top shelf.” smiling at this she continued to close the fridge gently while shoving her sister out so she could continue cooking.

“And stay out.” smiling at this Chris let her younger sister move her out of her way and back into the living room, again actually clean and well lit for once. Eve had done well, not that she could know that by and means.

The last day she was supposed to stay at her sister's apartment all of the dishes had finally left Chris tiny bedroom and all of her clothes were successfully in the laundry basket in the bathroom off of it. How Chris had managed to live when the majority of her spoons were under her bed along with all of her socks had baffled Eve. She hoped her sister would manage to keep her apartment clean until the next time she would visit.

She had managed to have another chat with Marleen and convinced her to send weekly checkups on Chris fridge and fork status. They had already understood each other in the short time they had talked to each other. There would be many more times of swapping Chris stories, Eve believed she knew why she had never introduced any of her girlfriends to their family. Well, embarrassing stories and the same reason Eve had promised Chris that she wouldn't tell Clara. She loved seeing her sister interact with Marleen she seemed so happy and she was sad that she couldn't have been a part of that sooner. Chris promised that she would get to meet the rest of their friends the next time she visited, she even wrote it down and signed it so she couldn't get out of it.

Eve sat in the car in the parking lot of the apartment building, Clara's small car was nice in theory but without air conditioning or a cracked window, it was quite hot. Chris and their aunt were still in the apartment she could see them talking thru the opened curtains both standing in the living room completely still as if their arms seem glued to their arms as if they are trying not to reach out. Chris seems so much tenser than she usually does as if the conversation they are having is difficult for her, she usually talks with her hand as much as her voice. Chris seems to be shocked by something that Clara says she steps back into the table behind her and sits down on it, her face is almost expressionless like she was hit by something and did not know what to do or how to move on.

The front door opens and their Aunt steps out walking quickly toward the Eve she opens the car door and steps inside sitting down without acknowledging her niece. Too scared to say anything Eve just sits and waits as they drive away from her sister and her home.

Driving home with Clara had been weird they were both silent which wasn't the weird part rather it was strange that music was not playing on the radio. Looking between her aunt and winding streets the long ride “Home” Evelyn gathered up her courage. Well, what courage she had if any.

“Clara?”

“Yes, Evelyn?” again strange her voice seemed impatient and not the normal kind maybe this whole thing had to do with the conversation her and Chris had alone before they left.

“So I was researching stuff this week and there is a high school about five minutes walking from the apartment and there are several places I could get a job during the summer and I was even researching different courses at Chris’ college and I kinda want to move in with her if that okay,” Eve said this seemingly in one breath slowly getting quieter toward the end as if in fear.

Looking at her aunt, waiting always waiting for a response she noticed her body language change. Before her posture perfect back straight and hands ten and two elbows locked. Now her arms sagged toward her legs her shoulders seemed to fall and her hands slid down the steering wheel. However, she was still looking forward and seemed to move into her position from before as quickly as she had collapsed.

Finally looking at her young oh so young niece she replied with an almost genuine smile

“I'll think about it okay?”

“Ok”

And so they keep driving.