Beauty and the beast

1

I sat at the kitchen table with a bunch of bills scattered across it. There's fuel, water, phone, electricity and Cassandra's medical bill as well.

I ran my hands down my face as I felt myself becoming overwhelmed by all these unpaid debts. I really have no idea if I could pay everything off at once. It was like this every month, we just barely made it by.

"Just let me get a job. I can-" my younger sister, Cassandra started but she stopped as she saw the glare I was giving her.

We've had this argument many times before. Cassandra wants to work so she can help me out but I won't let her. I want her to focus on school and be a teenager for as long as she can. Plus she's ill seventy percent of the time.

"I just wanna help Dia," Cassandra replied before opening their nearly empty fridge to pull out her water bottle and drank from it.

"I know but I won't let you. I have a job interview as a personal assistant at some big company. When I land it, everything will improve. I promise," I statedtrying to reassure her. I didn't say if because I believe in speaking things into reality.

The two of us look quite similar except Cassandra has thinner features from being in and out of the hospital because she's so sick.

We have the same oval-shaped face with dark hazel, almond-shaped eyes, a button-shaped nose and a darker top lip. Our skin tone was nearly identical too, a nice, even, dark brown colour. I was just a smidge darker than Cassandra. Our hair was roughly the same length although our curl patterns weren't the same. Mine was more tightly curled together whilst Cassandra's loosened and thinned as she became more ill.

Cassandra was surprisingly taller than me, towering over my 5'5 figure at 5'7.

I pieced together lunch from whatever leftovers we had in the fridge and made chicken tacos that we enjoyed with some orange juice.

I helped Cassandra with her homework, made sure she took all her meds and went on a walk when I was sure she was completely asleep for her afternoon nap.

I walked with no destination in mind. I just needed to clear my head.

I thought back to when everything was fine. When my parents were still alive and my little sister was healthy. When everything was normal for me.

Our father died when I was 15, he was in the military and died in action. Our mother died when I was 18. She was in a car accident, some drunk hit her on her way home from the hospital where she worked.

Cassandra got diagnosed with lupus two months after our mother passed away. She had gotten a bad cold and I thought nothing of it until her skin started changing colour. It was bruising randomly and she was getting worse. I took her to the ER and they started medication, she stabilized.

Everything had been on my shoulders since her father passed. My mother would be busy working two jobs so I'd take care of the house and my sister. When my mother passed everything worsened for me.

I have a college degree in management and administration along with my culinary qualifications because I wanted to start my own catering company and bakery. I make cakes here and there for people who order them and that's how I make my living.

The cake business sadly can't keep up with all the bills I have and Cassandra's medical bill has been piling up so I started looking for an actual job. I've been attending interviews for the past two weeks but they've been to no avail yet. Something tells me that tomorrow's one will go in my favour.

I just had a gut feeling about it and something said I should trust it.

I turned around and started walking back home when the sun was starting to set. To my surprise, I saw my best friend's car parked in the driveway of our small home.

"There you are, how dare you leave the house without your phone. I was worried sick," Grace said and hugged me. I had just realised that I hadn't taken my phone with me.

Grace MacLeish has been my best friend since elementary school. We met at lunch when I stood up to kids picking on her for being the new kid without parents, kids can be so mean. Since that day we've been inseparable.

She's the spontaneous one among us. She's beautiful and smart too. Long black curly hair with hazel eyes, caramel skin and an amazing body. A total package.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to clear my head," I spoke and looked past Grace's shoulder to see many bags full of groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Grace, you didn't have-"

"Yes, I did. You and Cass are my sisters and I can't watch y'all suffer while I have enough to share. You need to start letting people take care of you, you've taken care of others for long enough" she stated and squeezed my hands.

Grace was right, I never let anyone take care of me because of my need for independence. She says that "It's good to be independent but everyone needs someone to take care of them sometimes". I personally don't like depending on people because they'll use it against you one day, I had to learn that the hard way.

Cassandra woke up a few minutes after we had our little moment and we all ate dinner together. I prepared Mac n cheese from scratch with pumpkin aside. We enjoyed it and Grace worshipped me for my cooking skills as usual. After dinner, Cassandra and Grace cleaned up. They insisted that I should go make sure she had everything in order for my interview tomorrow.

I took a shower and walked back to my room to see Grace rummaging through my closet.

"You don't have any white button-downs?" She asked in disbelief and I shook my head.

I really needed to go shopping for more clothes when I get paid.

"Uhg, fine, you'll just wear this. I'll bring you some of my stuff that I don't wear tomorrow, no arguing" she said and pulled out a light pink blouse with a black pencil skirt along with matching light pink heels. It was cute and appropriate enough for a work environment.

We sat and spoke about life, men, fashion and Grace updated me in on the latest Hollywood gossip as I placed my hair into rollers. Grace left a little after eleven after she wished me good luck for my interview.

I wrote in my journal, meditated and prayed like I did every night before checking in on Cassandra's sleeping form and giving her forehead kisses.

I love her to death, anything that would happen to her would break me completely.

Everything I do is for her.

I would do anything for her, she's all I have left.