𝓚𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓮

After scanning the key card, I pushed my room door open. 

"Tada!" / "Suprise!", Tamara and Sophia chirped, spreading their arms towards a makeup vanity next to the door.

What? 

I looked towards the elegant, modern makeup vanity table that took up most of the space against the wall. The colour was my favourite pristine white, the mirror had lights on them, shelves on both sides of the table, which held my perfumes cosmetic boxes, and kits. On one shelf there were LED rose gold stainless steel alphabet letters that spelt ANGELIX. The vanity had numerous drawers, I saw a gold mini makeup mirror on the marble white vanity desk, and my white makeup brushes were organised in gold holders. The brushes were put in the holders according to size. Overall the interior was a bit of rose gold, gold and pristine. 

My eyes widened and believe me, my jaw almost dropped to the floor.

"Oh. . .my." 

Sophia squealed while clapping her hands and waltzed over to hug me tight. 

"Do you like it? The both of us thought you would like a proper vanity instead of the one in the bathroom", Sophia spoke. 

"A bigger one too. Never knew why this room only had a bathroom vanity. But now look! You have a bigger one to take your time to play with make-up and all that", Tamara chuckled. 

"I. . . . I can't believe you guys did this." The vanity was like no other. It's like a work desk for a professional makeup artist.

"We had to! We know you'd like more space, also check this out!" Tamara walked towards the vanity and took a SMART remote control."We got this custom made for you." She handed me the touch screen controller.

"Woah. The vanity is controlled by a remote?"

"Yes!", Sophia answered excitedly. "Press that button." She pointed to a button with a lip icon on it.

I pressed it. 

I saw two drawers, which were up and below each other, open. My eyes widened and my sisters signalled me to go take a look. Walking towards the vanity, I looked in the drawers. I almost cried. The top drawer had cube dividers and all my lipsticks were perfectly organised. The drawer beneath had my lipglosses set in a row organiser, from the darker to the lighter shades. 

A huge smile made its way to my face.

"Do you like it?", Sophia asked behind me, sounding quite hesitant. I turned to look at the two and saw the worried look on their faces. I couldn't help but leapt toward my sisters and tackled them both into a hug.

"I love you guys." I hugged them around their necks. "Thank you."

They both sighed in relief and hugged me back. Then, I jumped back and started jumping on the spot. 

"This is so cool!" I started to try out the buttons on the controller. They both chuckled while watching me."When did you even get all this done? You said customed?"

"Since day one we arrived, we planned to get you a makeup vanity. Sophia designed it. We secretly bought a few things like the organisers on Sunday, while you were shopping in Jo Malone. The whole thing arrived today, so while you were out, we organised everything", Tamara explained. 

I smiled.

"You guys are the best!"

"We know", they both said in unison. 

I have the best sisters.

❇❇❇

Putting my hair in a low bun, I opened the light pink mini skincare fridge, which Sophia surprised me with today after showing me the makeup vanity. When I walked into my bathroom, after my sister's left, I saw the mini-fridge by the corner of my bathroom vanity and there was a note on the top of it.

𝐵𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉.

𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒮𝑜𝓅𝒽

My sisters really spoiled me. Sophia, mostly, did when it came to fashion, skincare and cosmetics. Tamara did when it came to everything, mostly, food.

After I was done with my night routine, I heard a knock on my door. Currently, I was wearing my satin white lace nightwear, so I took the white satin robe off my bathroom hook and wore it. While walking towards the door, I tied my robe close. Looking through the peephole, I saw Sophia. I opened the door.

"Sister", I greeted her with a smile before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you for the fridge. I love it."

She chuckled before hugging me back. "I'm glad you do." She kissed my temple. 

"What brings you here?" I pulled away from the hug. 

"I just wanted to talk." She walked in and took a seat on the couch. My eyebrows furrowed. I closed the door and took a seat beside her. "About?" 

"I heard you went out with Ashton today."

"I did. Is . . that ok?"

"Of course!" She looked up at me. "Did you have fun?", she asked with a genuinely excited smile.

I didn't respond right away. "Yes . . I did." My eyes fell down to my hands that rested on my lap.

"What's wrong, sweetie?", she asked and I looked up at her. 

"It's not easy for us to get close to others. Better yet, we shouldn't get close to others", I muttered.

She sighed."Sometimes, you think too much." She smiled sadly. "You could be happier Kristi, so much happier, because there is a whole world waiting for you."

"That's what he used to say", I mumbled. "What makes you think I'm not already happy?"

"Kristine . . . .  our lives aren't normal. Not even close. We're surrounded by violence almost every day of our lives. We're a part of a world where our lives are threatened every hour of the day. On top of that, you lost somebody just last year. Of course, there's also . . . that, which I won't mention. You've lost a lot, Kristi." Pity masked her face as she took hold of my hand. "You've always seemed so happy and you always say you're happy, but I don't believe it for a second and that hurts you know? That hurts because we know you're not.  What you have now is that really enough? Are you really happy?" Her eyes searched mine. 

I smiled. "I am. Sophia, I'm more than grateful just to have what I have today. It's not enough, it's more. To have you and Tamara, how can I possibly not be happy?"

"I just want you to have so much more." She gave me a small smile."I know I can be protective of you, Tamara too but that's because we love you. We know our limits, of course. Tamara allowed you to go with Ashton today because she said she saw the way you smiled when you were with him. You seemed . . . . I don't know somewhere close to happiness."

"Dangerous", I chuckled. 

"The only thing that's dangerous sweetie is you", she said and I crossed my eyebrows, "Come on, stand up." She stood up and pulled me up with her as she did.

"What are you doing?"

"It's time I tell you this", she said and gently pushed me down to sit on the vanity chair. She spun the chair around, so I was facing the mirror. 

"Look in the mirror", she ordered.

I obeyed. 

"What do you see?" She placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Nothing."

"Wrong", she told. "What do you see, Kristi?"

Letting out a soft sigh, I looked at myself through the mirror.

"Me."

"Correct, that's what you see. I see . . . . . my sister, who I love very much. I see the most beautiful girl in the world", I chuckled softly, "A pretty face that hides many things. But looking through you, I see a kind, sweet, funny, smart girl, who doesn't know who she is."

"In a way, you sound just like me." I smiled.

"I am your sister." She hugged me from behind. 

It was times like this when I wished Sophia really was my sister. I wished we shared the same blood. It'd be an honour for me.

"Remember when Isabella said Xavier has a crush on you?", she asked and I nodded. 

"Today you went out with Ashton and you said you had fun. I saw the way Nicholas looked at you during dinner today. That Charles guy will be next. Four guys, who will most definitely fall for my precious sister", she spoke with confidence.

I sighed. "Your confidence scares me sometimes, sister. It's just the looks. All I do is capture the eyes, Soph. It'll pass, eventually."

Sophia shooked her head. "I don't think you've really realised this", she paused, " You're a girl, who has all the traits any guy would want. You're not just a pretty face. It's your personality that makes you unique. Unique is the best beautiful", she smiled, "A girl with a pretty face and beautiful personality, now that's true beauty. A girl with true beauty is dangerously attractive", Sophia grinned. 

"That's not me", I whispered.

Sophia untied my low bun and started to comb her fingers through my hair. "That is you. That will always be you", she smiled and grabbed my hairbrush, "The first thing men pay attention to when it comes to a girl is her face. No doubt that you're pretty. I've witnessed many older and younger males flirt with you", she chuckled, "Not just that, even girls flirt with you. We need to put distance between you and Laurene", she joked and I chuckled.

Silence. 

"Why now?", I asked.

While she spoke, she brushed my hair as she used to every night before I went to bed." I get the feeling that something good is coming for you", she paused, "When you have the chance, take it. Don't be scared because you won't get to feel anything if you live with that fear. You're scared because you care. Sometimes caring too much will kill you, Kristi. Telling you this now is perfect because you are only 17. That gives you the rest of your life to actually live".

"You've always protected me. Never imagine you letting me go."

She pecked my temple. "Now if I was too protective, that would be me stopping you from living. That would make me a monster. When you love somebody, you let them go", she said, her voice soft as always. 

She smiled at me through the mirror and I returned it.

"I don't know what will happen, sweetie. I have a good feeling, that's all. It's enough for me to warn you, that your life is about to turn into something . . . worth living for." She kissed me on the cheek. "Good night, Kristi."

She opened the room door and stepped out, but stopped to take one last look at me.

"You want to hear a quote?", she asked.

"Isn't that my thing?"

"I'm your sister", she faked a pout.

I chuckled while shaking my head. "What is it?"

"Beauty attracts the eye but personality captures the heart." She gave me a last smile before closing the room door. 

I looked at myself again through the mirror. Lightly, tracing my fingers over my cheek, I asked.

"Beauty", I mumbled. Looking into my eyes, I saw nothing.

I've always felt like I'm nothing. But when you are surrounded by the right people, you'll feel like you're everything. 

Happiness or not, I'll continue to smile.

I have my reasons to smile.

❇❇❇

"I don't know what to do. I fear for what is to come. Sophia told me not to be, but I am", I said while looking up at the stars. Currently 10:15 pm, and I was standing on my bedroom balcony. "One week has already passed being here and in that one week I feel like many things have already happened."

I sighed and placed my hands on the balcony bannister. I took in deep breaths and closed my eyes.

"I wish you were here." Opening my eyes, I looked back up at the sky.

"Now don't worry, your girl isn't going to cry. Not tonight." I smiled while pointing a finger up at the sky. "I've lost many years of my life, now that couldn't even become a memory. I lost you and you became a memory. My memory." Blinking, slowly, my smile broadened. "I'll be alright because I know you are."

I'll be fine.