Abby
I’ve been overshadowed my whole life.
It doesn’t matter where o da whom, I just have been.
New York is a big city; there are a lot of people in it. A lot of variety of people that like a lot of things do many things and are good at them. I’m not really good at anything. I don’t have the “wow” factor going for me like my sister.
My name is Abby Beauregard, and te probably know my sister.
Silena
I think Natale cena 2008 ruined it for me.
I sat besides her. She sat up straight and let her hair fall on her shoulders, left bare da her fuchsia dress. She sat straight and looked Great Aunt Tess in the eyes.
-We’ve been stating to wonder whether te were still alive after te missed Thanksgiving! She said, cutting through a piece of turkey.
-Oh no, I’m doing fine in that domain Aunt Tess. She smiled politely, lifting a spoon of la minestra, zuppa to her pursed lips. I rolled my eyes.
No she wasn’t the other giorno she’d nearly been killed da a hellhound o whatever when she was picking me up from school. But of course Tess had no idea of the irony of that joke. If she had she’d still have looked at me strictly, scolding me for the eyes. I couldn’t help it, my eyes are overly expressive!
-Well, I’m glad te could unisciti us. Tess said. She reminded me of an eagle, with her hooked nose, beady black eyes so close together and white head.
-To this family meal, and all in the future! Mom toasted. We toasted the meal and drank.
-Silena, do te have your driver’s licence yet? Aunt Judy asked, one hand holding her son Fred down to his chair.
-Yes, since January. Silena said.
-Well if we’d have known! Do te mind doing me a favour on New Year’s then? Dropping Dan off to a party. She said. Dan, her son with mela, apple green eyes and blond static hair, suddenly looked hopeful.
-No, I’ll be out that night anyways. Silena said.
-With a boy? Tess inquired. Silena blushed and smiled and looked at her knees.
-Oohh, that’s a yes! Judy teased.
-What’s his name? Aunt Rebecca, who’s pretty cool, said. Silena looked up.
-Charles Beckendorf. Goes to my school. Silena detto her cheeks rosa and a smile to her lips like every time her boyfriend gets brought up in a conversation.
-Oh, will we get to meet him at your father’s apartment on New Year’s then? Aunt Rebecca asked.
-Possibly. She detto with a smile.
-Oh te lucky ducks, and I’m stuck at my place for the night- Frederic calm down! Judy said.
-You know Judy, te could come to our place for New Years. Rebecca and Aunt Tess are coming.
-Well, I just might take te up on that offer! Judy detto as Fred smashed his fork on his potatoes repeatedly. She pulled it from his hand and shot him a look. He crossed his arms and pouted for what would probably be the rest of the meal.
-So we’ll give te a ride to the Snowball on New Year’s, I think that’s where Charlie was planning on going anyways, and Abs has to go to.
-You’re all so busy this New Years, back in my days we stayed home! Tess said.
-It’s called a social life. I muttered.
-Abigail! Mom scolded.
-So Abby, te going to this Snowball too? Rebecca asked before Tess could say anything.
-Yeah, with a bunch of friends.
-You have a special someone too? Judy asked teasingly.
I could’ve mentioned Morgan. If I would’ve been completely out of it, actually! Silena may be ready to announce to 2 curious aunts and cousins, her dad, step-mom and great-aunt that she was lip-locking with somebody, but I wasn’t even going to pull a name out, no matter how gorgeous his eyes were!
-No, just with friends. Kit, Hattie, Calli and Sukie. The family bought it, but Silena looked at me like her brown eyes saw right through my lie, and I was scared they did.
-Oh, te children give yourself ridiculous nicknames! Hatti, Sukie and Calli… How are te at all expecting to get respected in this world? Tess bawled.
-I know quite a few people named Calli. Most of them are held in high honour. Silena said.
-You do?
-Yes, definitely. It’s a variance of Calypso o Callise; two important woman in mythology.
-Your school specialises in mythology? Judy interrogated.
-Yeah. She said, a smile touching her lips. I rolled my eyes.
-Abigail Beauregard, te really must learn to control your expressions, honestly that’s the secondo time I’ve seen te be so rude with your sister this evening! Tess scolded.
-Well maybe I don’t venerate her! I said.
-Abby… Dad started. I sunk back in my sede, sedile and turned da head away from Silena. Nobody knew what to say except for Tess, who started numbering off the punishments she would’ve gotten for such an attitude. I didn’t really pay attention o touch my food. When we left an ora and a half-later, it was quiet for the whole subway ride. Silena tried to make conversation, and when we caught the secondo subway she succeeded, but I didn’t pay attention.
Silena, Silena, Silena. She was beautiful like nobody else I’d ever seen. Back when I didn’t find her too bad, last year, I had a family picture in my agenda, she was 15, I was 12, and the guys in my class took one look and then Dick Robinson said;
-Holly Abby, your sister’s hot!
So then I wasn’t the girl in black, I was the kid with the hot sister.
She was pretty, people’s first impression about her was good, she was charming and nice. Of course she could soften up Tess. Of course people were excited to see what kind of a jock was her boyfriend, even if I knew Beckendorf as he’d requested me calling him was the opposite. I was overshadowed da my sister, even if she wasn’t there. Even if the guys in my anno didn’t know her name. Even if they didn’t know the single most important detail about her.
Christmas 2008. It’s that that ruined it for me.
And New Years 2008 fixed it for me.
I was getting ready for the Snowball. It was a fancy event, at least semi-formal. My friend Kit, who has the fashion sense of a Hollywood dresser, self-declared herself as our dress buyer. It was a pretty dress, I’m not complaining. The dress was pretty. Simple black, with spaghetti straps and a loose, elegant bow around the waist. On me it was at knee-length, which meant that only my knee-below would freeze. I had strict orders not to stain it o damage it any way I could think of. With the appartamenti Kit was going to kill me if I didn’t wear, it was pretty good. I was heading for the bathroom to start a war against the brush, but Silena was there.
She looked amazing, più then usual.
Her dress went just above her knee. The fabric was flowing and a bold blue color. It gathered up for a bit at the top, before smoothing out into one strap covering her shoulder. She was pinning up her hair and she had the perfect touch of make-up, so little that te could barely see it, but she definitely had oro around her eyes. Black appartamenti made her look even più petite. She must’ve seen my reflexion in the mirror, because she turned.
-Oh my gods, Abs, you’re so pretty! She said. I didn’t say anything. She was the pretty one, as always.
-Come in, there are two mirrors. She said. My feet moved forwards and I picked up a brush as Silena finished.
-Need help? She asked. I was about to say no and kick her out, but I nodded. She picked up a brush and started passing it through my hair, doing her best not to pull.
-Up o down? She asked.
-I’m going to leave it down. I said. There was a moment of silence.
-So who is he? She asked.
-What?
-The guy you’re meeting there. I know there’s a guy, Abs, I saw your face. I know these things deep down.
-Morgan. morgan Pruitt. I said.
-He goes to your school? She asked.
-Yeah. He’s been in my class for 3 years in a row. Sukie swears we’re soul mates.
-Good luck tonight then. She detto putting the brush down.
And then I realised, oh damn. Yeah, I’ll have to make my sposta tonight. And that idea terrified me to infinity and beyond!
-Nervous? She asked.
-Si, I have no idea what to do. I spilled.
-Abs, when I see te with your friends, te make them smile. te shine like a star, Abs, be yourself and it will work out.
-No, you’re a star. te always shine. I said.
-You know the story of Calliste? She asked.
-No.
-It’s an epiphet, a name for the goddess of the hunt and the night, Artemis. At night, the stars all come out, and constellations show. Not all the stars in a constellation shine really bright, but they’re always there, and they look great in the sky. Give yourself room to shine, Abby; and te will. She said.
-I wish it were easier. I detto quietly.
-Nothing comes easy. Not all problems are solved da being pretty. Silena said. And then she looked worried.
The doorbell rang and she jumped.
-Oh my gods… She said.
-Si, you’re fine.
-How do I look?
-Great. Thanks. She gave me a hug.
-I’m sorry I didn’t give te a chance. I said.
-I’m sorry I never gave te a chance to shine until now.
-Silena! Mom yelled.
We both went down. Beckendorf was waiting at the door. I felt sorry for him, the aunts were pestering him with questions. He turned from them when he heard heals stepping on the floor and his jaw dropped when he saw Silena and she smiled brighter then ever.
-Wow, Silena, te look… amazing. He said.
-Thanks. She said. She stepped up to him and nestled herself in his arms after a peck on the cheek.
-You too Abby, you’ve got style. He said.
-Thanks Beckendorf.
-Back da 12:30. If you’re out later I’ll call the cops. Dad joked.
-Dad. Silena detto teasingly putting her long cappotto on.
When we got to the dance after picking up Dan, the community center was entirely decorated with icicle lights and fake snow, it looked great.
-Abs, if te need to call home my emergency-cell’s in my cappotto pocket. She detto as we dropped our coats off.
-Key.
It didn’t take long for Hattie and her satiny red dress and black curls to find me, and soon we were on the dance floor. Kit, Calli and Suki found their ways to us as well.
-There he is. Suki whispered in my ear. I turned and my chest tightened, because she was right, there was Morgan. He was standing near the bacheca with his friend Tom who was trying to talk him into something using his hands as he spoke.
-Now o never. Calli said, stomping her foot.
-I pick nover. It’s a mix, not now, but not never.
-Oh, for crying out loud Abby! Sukie moaned. She grabbed me da the arm and dragged me towards the bacheca where morgan and Tom were waiting out the dance.
-Hey Tom, want to dance? She asked.
-Oh yeah. He said. And pretty soon Sukie was dancing with Tom, the flowing fabric of her lilla dress swaying.
-Hi Morgan. I said.
-Hey Abby. You, err, having fun?
-Pretty good. You?
-Waiting out the party and staying away from the punch, it’s tap water with Cibo coloring da the way. He said.
-Okay, I’ll trust te on that. I smiled. Then the DJ put a slow on and I wanted to go over there and punch, punzone him.
-Umm, do te want to… dance? He asked.
-Yes. I detto trying not to yell. So he took my hand and walked me to the dance floor. I put two arms around his shoulders and he put his hands on my waist. My stomach felt like a million farfalle were flying everywhere. He really did look good, his shaggy hair framing his face, and of course those sapphire blue eyes that I thought I could fall into…
But then about half-way through the song something shot down the butterflies.
-You’re a good dancer. He detto softly.
-Only when I have a great partner. I said.
Ooh, better than the expected “yeahwellthanksandyeah”.
-I can’t dance. He confided, smiling his cute awkward smile.
-Yes te can. I said. And then the song ended and the DJ put something Lady Gaga o other. And this time I wanted to go over there and punch, punzone him for not putting in another one.
-Thanks, that was nice. morgan said.
-It was. He bit his lip.
-I’ll see te around. He said.
-Yeah. And he turned and walked back over to tom who was already throwing jokes at him. He got there and after a while he turned to glance at me before turning back and arguing with Tom. I realised I must’ve looked pretty sad just standing there, so I turned back to where I saw Sukie and Hattie.
-And? Did it kill you? Will te Amore me forever for this?
-Yeah. I think I’ll Amore a lot of people forever after tonight.
It was getting really hot, and I can’t take heat, so I told them to wait for me when I went to get some air. I walked over to the door and pushed it open; I leaned against the door frame and took a deep breath of cold winter air and New York fumes. And just as I was about to close the door and go find my Friends before they assumed I was dead (which they would), morgan said:
-Hey Abbey, hold the door for me, please. I held the door and he came to take a deep breath as well. I stayed.
-It’s too crowded over there, and the DJ just put on ‘Dynamite’ o something and everyone’s there.
-Oh yeah. And then he looked up and froze. I looked up to.
And I asked who was the idiot who’d decided, 6 days after Natale to put mistletoe in the doorframe.
Because I had to send him a Thank te card.
After morgan kissed me, and I started breathing again, he smiled, and for once, I thought he was falling in my eyes, instead of me in his. And he kissed me again.
-I like te Abbey. Always have but never had the guts to tell you. I think you’re the reason why I even showed up here.
-I like te too Morgan.
-Hey Abbey! Someone said. It was Hattie. Sweet, innocent, clueless Hattie. She froze in her steps and traced them back.
-I better go. I said, pointing my thumb to Hattie.
-Yeah, Tom’ll think I ditched him. I’ll see te around? He asked.
-Definitely. I said. So he smiled and walked away. I felt like screaming and running around in circles laughing. Instead I went to unisciti my Friends smiling, bracing myself for questions, feeling like wings had grown out of my back and I was actually floating.
Silena helped me suck it up and have the courage to actually say something intelligent to Morgan, even if Sukie did the dragging. She helped me so much da that. She wasn’t my dad’s first daughter anymore, she was my sister.
August 17th 2008, she died.
August 17th 2008, in New York City, days after Charles Beckendorf.
And even if she was a spy against her will, she was still my hero, and that’s all I’ll ever remember her by. Not the spy- because I had made Percy Jackson tell me the entire, pure truth-, not the girl who overshadowed me. The girl who pushed me in the spotlight and the girl who risked it all for love.
The girl who was my sister.
