My Sisters Keeper by Stephanie Parke (classic children's novels TXT) 📕

My Sisters Keeper
By Stephanie Parke

Some people touch our lives and become such a part of us that we would do anything for them, anything to protect them. Sometimes we have to protect them even when they don’t ask for it. Leona sighed as these thoughts raced through her mind as she pushed her hand through her hair. She couldn’t help thinking that her sister was one of those people. She rested her chin on her knees looking out on the bright sunshine flooding the yard. Her niece Angela frolicked in the summer sunshine, pink-ribboned pigtails bobbing as she giggled at the antics of her terrier as she chased her around the yard. Her laughter floated on the wind making her smile. Angela smiled and waved at her as she whizzed by and Leona found herself thinking back to another time when innocence had seemed to be everywhere.

The fall leaves swirled and seemed to beckon the two twelve-year-olds out into the fading afternoon air. Leona sighed deeply, breathing in the crisp air that held the first hint of winter. Her mind drifted to the boy who had just moved in next door and she raised herself on the tips of her sketchers and stretched up, trying to see over the chipped wooden fence into his yard. She gasped as a flurry of leaves shot at her catching her unaware, filling her mouth.

She spit the leaves out and looked at the criminal responsible for this attack. Becky smiled impishly at her, her face a mirror image of Leona’s. Becky put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”

With a battle cry fit for a warrior queen, Leona tossed the end of her red knit scarf behind her back and put her head down charging her. She connected with Becky’s stomach with a thunk that knocked them both over scattering all the leaves they’d so carefully raked. The wind whooshed out of Becky and the smile slipped off her face as she found herself flat on her back looking up at the sky. They wrestled and threw leaves, giggling and laughing as the light continued to fade.

Breathing hard, Becky leaned back on her arms and smiled at Leona.
“What were you doing peeking over the fence,” she asked between pants, “and don’t tell me nothing.”

Leona smiled but wondered if she should tell her. Lately Becky had a habit of trying to take the things Leona wanted and she did not want to encourage Becky on this one.

“Nothing” she sighed out anyway as she sunk back on her own elbows looking at the darkening sky. Her red knit hat had slipped back and she pulled it into place ignoring her sister’s outraged look.

“You are such a bad liar.” Becky screeched coming to a sitting position in the leaves adjusting her own matching blue hat and scarf. “You were looking for Jerod weren’t you?” Another handful of leaves flew her way like a burst of flower petals and Leona ducked not answering the question.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She muttered as she brushed a stray oak leaf off her shoulder. She sighed as she realized she must not have hidden her “I love Jerod” doodles on her schoolbooks as well as she thought she had.

“Well,” Becky said with a sly smile as she stood shaking leaves off her legs, “let’s go show Jerod your notebooks and we’ll see what he thinks.” Becky moved toward the house but got no more than three feet before she was tackled again from behind.
“No,” Leona screeched as she clung to her sister’s legs.

Becky laughed and shook her off but managed to trip in the process landing face first in the remaining leaves. She rolled over and smiled at her sister laughing at the worried look on her face.

“Don’t worry,” she said with a laugh and a mock salute, “You’re secret is safe with me.”

Leona sighed in relief and rolled over on her back staring at the first stars winking to life. She slapped her sister with her red hat and breathed in deeply enjoying the early evening air.

“Skank,” she laughed as she pinched her sister, receiving a pinch in return. For now Leona forgot her moment of worry. The girls laughed and continued to make angels in the leaves until the back porch light blinked on calling them in for dinner.

************************************************************************

Loving someone is not always easy and Leona breathed deeply as the summer wind caressed her face as she thought about when they had begun to grow apart. Her heart clutched as she breathed deeply waiting for the pain to pass as she remembered how she had always tried to protect Becky, how Becky had never seemed to want her help no matter how many times she had offered it. By the time they reached high school she and Becky were as different as two people could be and Becky was drifting further and further out of reach.

The thrum of Hearts “All I Want to do is Make Love to you” leaked into the happy chatter running rampant in the bathroom, for a moment blotting out the whispers and the rush of water at the sinks. The click of pocket mirrors being opened and shut and dresses being pulled back into place seemed loud in the silence of the bathroom compared to the blaring music of the party. Seventeen-year old Leona stepped up to the mirror and caught the identical gaze displayed there sighing heavily.

“What’s that on your face,” she asked in a harsh whisper as she moved to stand behind Becky in the mirror pretending to smooth a wrinkle on the skirt of her lavender prom dress, “Or do I need to ask?”

Becky’s beauty queen face screwed up into a grimace as she dabbed more Cover Girl beneath her right eye and across her cheekbone and eyed the girls standing at the other end of the sink. “Don’t start tonight, she said sourly as she worked, keeping her voice low, it’s no big deal.”

The girls at the other end of the long cracked sink left the bathroom with their dresses swishing and their laughter ringing behind them. Alone in the bathroom Leona looked closely at her twin under the fluorescent glare of the vanity lights. Her eyes began to water as she watched the bruise on her sister’s face not quite disappear under a layer of makeup.

Leona grabbed her chin in her hands and turned Becky’s face toward her. She inspected it again before meeting her eyes. “This doesn’t look like no big deal,” she hissed, “how can you let him do this to you?”

Becky’s eyes flared as she pulled away. “Who said he did anything?” she asked with a sneer as she slammed her compact and concealer back into her clutch, her fall of blonde hair covering her face as she spoke.

“I do” Leona said folding her arms over her chest, “I’m sick and tired of you coming home with bruises; I’m tired of having to cover up for you.”

Becky’s purse slapped the counter as she turned to face her. “Why can’t you let this go, Why is this your business?” She stepped closer to Leona until she was inches from her face. “No one asked you to help.”

Leona’s face paled under the fluorescent lights as she breathed deeply trying to count to ten. “It’s our business to take care of each other,” “I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore.”

“You are not my mother,” Becky said slowly, with so much venom in her voice that Leona almost recoiled. “You can’t let me have any life can you, its senior prom for god’s sake and all you can do is worry about a little bruise.” Why don’t you mind your own business?”

Leona gritted her teeth as she felt her temperature rise another notch.” It’s not just a little bruise and you are my business,” she said almost managing calm, “you are my sister and I want to help you.”

“Just because you are three minutes older does not make you my damn guardian.“ Becky hissed as she grabbed her purse, adjusted the straps of her blue and green mermaid style prom gown and began to push past her, “why don’t you go find Mr. Perfect and leave my problems to me.”

Leona grabbed her arm, stopping her as she went to move past her. “These are not your problems; they are Jay’s, Stop protecting him.” She shook Becky’s arm lightly as if trying to shake some sense into her.

“He’s my problem, because I love him.” Becky said sourly as she pulled free, “and this,” she indicated her face with a gloved finger, “was an accident.” Leona tried to grab her arm again but her gloved arm slipped through her fingers anyway.

Leona rolled her eyes and scoffed as she tried to stand in her way again. “You’ve been having “accidents” for months now.” She said making air quotes with her fingers, “and frankly you sound like a Lifetime movie of the week.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at her, “are you really going to let yourself become a pathetic stereotype? Why are you making excuses for him?”

Becky swished by her with a whisper of taffeta and turned at the door looking at her for a brief moment. Her eyes seemed sad yet determined as if she were hell bent on convincing herself as well as her twin. She breathed deeply as if regaining her composure would make everything better. She twitched her wrap back into place over her shoulders and tucked her purse under her arm pointedly ignoring Leona’s last comment.

“I am not the one who got the perfect boyfriend,” she said quietly, “some of us actually have flaws. For the last time,” she said slowly, “mind your own business.”

She plastered a smile on her face, squared her shoulder and thrust her breasts out as she disappeared out into the semi darkness of Westwood High’s gymnasium without another look back. Preparing for battle, Leona thought sadly. Leona shook her head to clear the fog lodged there before heading after her. The swirl of light from the disco ball matched the pounding beat of Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield” as her eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom searching for her sister. She found her dancing in Jay’s arms across the room smiling brightly at anyone who cared to look. Her eyes met Leona’s across the floor and a look of pure defiance flashed across her face before she schooled her features and looked up at Jay smiling her thousand watt smile. He turned, catching Leona’s eyes and grinned, nodding his head in acknowledgement. Leona shivered at the self assured smile with its contrived crooked grin and turned away quickly. Unlike everyone else, she knew what hid behind those perfect Ken doll looks and it made her heart freeze.

She stepped out of the gym and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She quickly dialed their home number and waited for her mother to answer. On the second ring she heard her mother’s calming voice come crackling across the line.

“Mom” she