Rose Red

"Strife?!"

"Is that Isabel again?" I look at both our phones.

"It's not mine." He comes out of the kitchen with two mugs and a face full of confusion. "Who could possibly be calling me?" I look down. "It says Kathy." He freezes and all I can see of the auggie I first met. Before I was even able to call him auggie.

With a straight face and cold demeanor he sets the mugs down before picking up the phone. "What could you possibly need?"

I can't remember the last time he spoke in this tone of voice and because of that I have no idea what to do. "I feel like me telling you I didn't want to speak with you was enough?" Who is Kathy and why is she ruining our day? It was going so well.

Just then my phone rings. Jesus Christ. "Hello?"

I should've looked at the caller ID. I should've looked and maybe I wouldn't be in this situation. I sigh before standing up and walking to the door. "Why are you here?" Isabel looks up at me. "I wanted you to meet him."

Right then I realize that she has a bundle of blankets in her arms and the slight sucking sound I heard was a pacifier. I look down and I have to stop myself from cooing. I look behind her and see she's not alone but it doesn't look like mom.

"I'm only saying this because it's raining and I don't want him to get sick. Come in." She gives me sleight smile and walks in the house right as auggie hangs up the phone.

He gives me a look of confusion and I shrug my shoulders. "She wanted me to meet her son and it's raining. I'm not heartless." He nods before making himself disappear.

"Oh, he doesn't have to go." My head snaps to her and I can't pin my finger on what I see in her eyes but I don't like it. "He doesn't do well with children."

I'm not even sure if that's true and if she would've been looking at me she would know that I lied straight to her face. "You can only stay for a couple minutes because we were in the middle of a relaxing evening so....what's his name?"

She finally turns to look at me as auggie makes it upstairs. "Cloud."

"Strife?!" She flinches back and gives me a look of confusion. "Bella!" I give her a sheepish look while silently apologizing. "Technically that's not his name but a nickname. Aaron calls him that."

I resist the urge to grimace. Of course Aaron is the one who calls him that. He would also be the only reason I even know that name. "So what's his actual name then?"

"Grayson. Gray for short." Gray cloud. Wow. "That's a nice name." She smiles at me and I try hard to smile back. Maybe my mom is right. She seems to be trying and I'm not making it any easier on her.

Maybe I should just forget the past and move forward. I can't live my whole life happy if I'm too busy being angry with my own sister. I take a deep breath and smile at her. For real this time.

"Well Isabel I enjoyed this and would love for you to stay a while longer but it seems we both have someone waiting on us. I'll let you know when we're free and you can bring Grayson back some other time." She nods at me and I swear I saw her eyes get just a little glassy but I'm sure it was nothing.

After saying her goodbye she finally gets back in her car and drives off and I let out a groan. "Auggie!" He quickly comes running down the steps and gives me a look of concern.

"Why would you tell her she could come back?" I let out a short breath and pout. "Because! She's my sister and she's trying and I need to be nicer to her." He cocks one eyebrow up. "Why?"

I throw my arm up and wiggle in place. "I don't know okay? My mom said she was trying to move on from the past and I realized that I probably wasn't helping by continuously bringing it up."

He nods while beckoning me to join him on the couch. "Is it making you happy?" I tilt my head in confusion. "Do you think being friends and sisterly with her will make you happy?" I think about it for a couple minutes.

On one hand I think it could. I think that maybe we could put the past behind us and be like normal sisters but on the other hand I don't even know what normal sisters are like.

Do they all dislike each other? Are we already acting like normal sisters? I'm sure it's not like the movies where you worry that they might be way too trusting in each other but maybe it is. Maybe I don't know. "Bella," I look up at him.

"You're thinking about this way too hard. Will it make you happy to be close to her?" I try not to think. "Yes?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "Alright. Go on and think about it for a couple more minutes." He chuckles. "Not like we're busy."

I give him a smile and think about it some more.

"Okay. I think that it could make me happy but I need her to apologize first. Like really apologize. And mean it. And then maybe we could start to build a relationship." He nods. "Okay....does that mean I also have to get close to her?"

He says it with a face. I can't really describe the face but it looks like he's scared I'll say yes. "No auggie. You do not have to get close to her. I won't be mad if you disappear every time she's close." He nods in relief with a slight smile.

"Good good. Alright. That's good cause I don't really like her." I nod with a smile. "I know you don't baby." I freeze as the pet name slips out of my mouth.

I quickly try and change the mood. "So who is Kathy?" His face drops. "I would much rather talk about the name you just called me but okay." I let out a short breath of relief as he takes a deep breath.

"Kathy is my mom. Well step mom." I nod at him to continue but he shakes his head. "Let's just say I didn't like her before I went to war." I tilt my head before turning to him to give my full attention.

Now I'm interested. He takes in a short breath. "You really want me to talk about this huh?" I nod and he let outs the breath. "Only if you're comfy with that though. I don't wanna force you."

He shakes his head. "Nah. It's cool. She was never really a likable person. Well, at least not to me." I smile at that. Most people are not likable to him.

"She just did and said things that I didn't like and she easily got on my nerves. Thinking she knew my every move and every reason for the move. It was irritating especially coming from a second party. Like she just got there and thought she knew me." I nod in understanding.

I feel like a lot of step parents are like that. At least from what I've heard. "We never really got along and I didn't have the best relationship with my dad so not getting along with his wife really messed us up." Ahh. So that would explain why he never speaks about family.

"Then I went to the military and when I came back I was....obviously different. In her words I was "meaner, colder and quieter" I never understood those first two because I never spoke to her. About a month later I moved out." I give him a confused look.

Then how did he end up in my care? "I can see you trying to put two and two together. Unless you've thought of the possibility of it being her fault then you're wrong." I gasp and cover my mouth. Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"I have bad ptsd and it's gotten a bit better but I would say I was fine. She thought otherwise and convinced my dad I needed to be at sunshine. And I think you know the rest." He ends with a small smirk but I can't even begin to wrap my head around this.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit grateful that he ended up in sunshine but if he was fine then why would she do that. Just because he wouldn't talk to her she figured he was so far messed up from the war he needed to be in what is basically a home? That's just mean.

"Oh auggie...." He shakes his head. "No need to feel sorry. I wouldn't say I'm over it but I don't need to think about it any longer." I nod at him.

"Then let's think about making more tea because mine was cold before I even got to take the first sip." He slightly chuckles at that and I smile.