Mermaids are Real

Chapter 5

Jisoo was sitting in her bed, looking through her phone when the door of her room creaked open. Glancing up slightly, she saw the outline of her sister's figure peeking out from behind the door. Jiwoo glanced through Jisoo's room.

"Did you steal my concealer stick again?" Jiwoo asked.

"Did you leave it in a place where I would be able to find it again?" Jisoo asked, without looking up from her phone.

Jiwoo rolled her eyes, and walked over to Jisoo's backpack, which was laying on her floor next to her desk. "Where did you put it?" she asked. Jiwoo went through the pockets of the backpack, reaching through it trying to find the concealer.

Jisoo looked up from her phone. "Hey, get out of my-" Jisoo froze. For what seemed to be the first time, Jisoo got a good look at Jiwoo. Her long dark brown hair fell straight down her back, her eyes were an almond brown, and her skin was olive colored. Jiwoo was the spitting image of her mother. And yet, she looked nothing like Jisoo.

She dropped her phone on her bed, and walked over to Jiwoo, ripping the backpack out of her hands. She fished around in one of the small pockets hidden in the side, before pulling out the half-empty concealer stick. Jisoo turned around to face Jiwoo. Jiwoo was staring with a blank look in her eyes; her hands were outstretched, as if they were still holding the backpack in them.

"Here," Jisoo said, slapping the makeup into Jiwoo's open hand. Jiwoo stared blankly, her mouth hanging open a bit. Jisoo walked back to her bed, and picked up her phone. "Get out of my room."

Jiwoo watched her. "Is everything ok?" She asked, her eyes not leaving Jisoo.

"Get out of my room!" Jisoo said, her voice slightly raising. There was a slight hitch to her voice. "You got your concealer, you can leave now."

Jiwoo looked taken aback by Jisoo's sudden outburst. "You can talk to me, you know that? You're worrying me like this. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Why would things not be ok?" Jisoo asked, staring at her phone again. There was nothing she wanted more, then to desperately ignore the proof she had that she was adopted. If she could block it out, maybe she could make it not be real.

"You don't look okay," Jiwoo said. She walked over, and sat next to Jisoo on her bed. "Is it those girls at school again? I can talk to your teachers, or I can talk to mom, or-"

Jisoo scooted away from Jiwoo. She placed her phone down on her bed. "It's no one at school, and it's also none of your business." A twinge of guilt passed through Jisoo. She was used to telling Jiwoo everything, but that was when she thought Jiwoo was her sister. Part of her hated how she was talking to Jiwoo though. But the other part felt the overwhelming burning of anger of having been lied to.

"Jisoo, I want to help you," Jiwoo said. "I know there's something wrong, can you at least tell me what it is? Whatever it is, I'm sure it will help if you talk to someone about it."

A small prick went through Jisoo's eyes. She closed them, and tried to block Jiwoo out, and everything out. She needed to build a dam, to keep the tears from falling out. Even if it was just for a moment, she desperately needed it. Jiwoo had her cornered, and she had no choice but to admit the truth to Jiwoo. Even though it should have been the other way around.

Jisoo looked up. Looking at her sister made the dam she built crack. A single tear fell down her cheek. Jisoo quickly looked back down to her feet. She couldn't tell Jiwoo the truth. She didn't have it in her. "I don't want to talk about it," Jisoo mumbled.

Jiwoo let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything to help you then." She stood off the bed, and walked to the door. Just before she left, she turned back to Jisoo. "If you change your mind though, you can always talk to me."