If there was one thing Sierra knew for certain about her sister it was that she had always been the ambitious one between the two of them, from a young age. When Chloe saw something that she wanted then she worked hard to get it, whatever it may be. She didn't accept failure as an option. It was simply a constant persistence to be the best, to get all that she desired.
It was a quality that Sierra had admired about her, one she had envied. At least until voices began to whisper constantly that she be more like Chloe. That was probably the moment when the seed of resentment was planted into her heart. That resentment grew the more Sierra found herself lost in the long shadow that her sister cast.
There was one thing that Sierra had that Chloe didn't, that was Andrew. He was someone that Chloe would never notice, at least that was what she had told herself. She dated the good boys, the safe boys and Andrew was anything but. He was a boy as broken as herself, being with him made her feel like she was worth something.
Sierra should have known better than to lose her heart to a professed heartbreaker, but sometimes love makes you crazy. Sometimes it makes you delusional. You let yourself believe that heated touches, shared experiences, and stolen moments mean more than they actually do. You let yourself believe that you're not just some girl, that you're the girl.
She had believed those little lies until the Friday night that Andrew became the boy Chloe noticed, making Sierra the girl that he forgot.
Now seven years later Sierra was creeping through the hollow hallways of the love nest that the Andrew had made with Chloe. It felt she had been transplanted to an alien world, where everything was what it wasn't.
Chloe had practically begged her on hands and knees for several days for her to get the rest of her things before she finally cracked. Sierra had already gathered several boxes of her sisters things and taken them down to the cab she had waiting. All that was left was the bedroom, the place she had purposefully been avoiding.
She took in a deep breath before she pushed the door open and walked into the room. It was fairly tidy, though the bed covers were thrown back and the sheets rumbled as if someone had just crawled out of them.
Sierra placed the last box she had on the bed and walked to the closet, sliding the door open. She quickly grabbed Chloe's clothes, throwing them, hangars and all, into the box.
When she finished clearing the closest she turned to the dresser. A picture of the two of them locked in each other's arms sat on top next to a bottle of cologne and a small jewelry box. Their eyes seemed to stare out at her, the happy smiles on their faces taunting her. Sierra reminded herself that she didn't care. Not anymore. Still, she found herself reaching out and turning the picture away from her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? How did you get in here?" That booming voice startled her out of her revelry. She twisted quickly, eyes wide. Andrew looked equally as surprised as his eyes surveyed her quickly.
"Sierra?"
He remembered her? There was a spike in her heart rate. There was a pause before the entire situation settled in over him, eyes narrowing as he caught the half-filled box of clothes on the bed, "Chloe sent you to get her things?" His voice was full contempt as he stood in the doorway of their bedroom, making Sierra feel small.
She found her tongue was thick in her mouth, her heart was fluttering erratically in her chest, "She gave me her key...told me that you wouldn't be here."
Andrew lifted a hand to his chestnut brown hair, he may have aged but his style was the same as she remembered, "Just make it quick, okay? I have company..." He didn't linger. He simply turned his back to her and lumbered away as if she was a non factor. Seven years and absolutely nothing had changed.
A well of emotions surged up inside of her--to many emotions for her to name. All she knew was that she was shaking with the need to run away. What would he think of her if she ran away? How pathetic would she look? There was no reason for her to run away. Sierra closed her eyes and steeled herself. She wasn't that weak girl anymore. She wasn't the girl that loved Andrew. Slowly, the tremble in her hands faded.
She went about gathering the rest of Chloe's things, letting herself be the detached girl she had forged herself into. Her gaze lingered on the turned frame for a moment before she grabbed the box and headed down the hallway, "Where do you want me to leave the key?"
Sierra found herself staring into a room of men, beers in hand and basketball game on the big screen. Their eyes roamed up her legs to her face, curiosity and hunger written on their faces. This was something she was used too, something that helped to feel more in control of the situation.
"Already got yourself another girl, Drew?" The one man with the glasses questioned with a smirk, "You move fast my man."
Andrew finally peeled his eyes from the Television, slightly confused until his gaze landed on Sierra, "Oh that's Chloe's little sister. Just came to get the rest of her shit." Before she had been dignified with a name, now she was simply Chloe's little sister.
She felt the urge to frown but instead she gave the room a dazzling farewell smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a toss of her head, "that's right, and now that I have it I can go.
I guess I'll leave the key on the kitchen counter. You boys enjoy the rest of your evening." She strutted from the room, tossing the key onto the counter.
She struggled to open the door for a moment before it burst inward at her. She let out a small sound as she was nearly knocked her onto her butt. Warm hands were suddenly grasping her arms, holding her steady, "I'm sorry about that, didn't know anyone was going to be right there. Do you need some help with that? Looks heavy." A new voice rumbled.
"Scottie is that you? Hurry up man the game's about to start." One of the men shouted from the living room. That was all Sierra needed to regain her composure.
"It's fine. I've got it, thank you." She replied flippantly, hurrying out of the apartment and down the hallway to the elevator.
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