The Masked Girl (Louis Tomlinson)

Chapter 24: The Nostalgic Girl

Chapter 24: The Nostalgic Girl

“Piper, will you play a game with me?” Lizzie asks, looking up at me with a wide, expectant gaze.

Sighing obnoxiously, I return my gaze to my computer screen, where the cursor blinks and taunts me. There are some days that if I could, I want to simply sit at my computer all day and write to my heart's content. Today is one of those days.

“Lizzie,” I say carefully.

Lizzie sticks out her bottom lip in an expert pout and further widens her bright blue gaze. I can never say no to that face, no matter how much I want to.

“Fine!” I huff irritatedly, slamming the lid of my laptop shut.

Lizzie cheers, and her light blond curls bounced as she skips to her room next to mine. I take a moment to calm my boiling temper and try to remind myself that this is my only baby sister, and it isn't my fault that she is much younger than me and still enjoys playing with dolls.

“Alright Lizzie, what are we playing this time?” I ask, stepping into her room.

My mouth drops open a bit at the dozens of toys littering the floor. Barbies lie half dressed, thrown about carelessly, and it seems as though stuffed animals are the hottest new bedroom décor. One portion of her room though is painstakingly tidy with a small table set up with Lizzie's beloved tea set. She sits at one of the seats in a dress up gown with a tiara, sipping from a cup with her pinky finger raised high in the air.

“Please, take a seat Ms. Martin,” Lizzie tells me in a poorly done posh accent, but it brings a small smile to my lips.

She is gesturing towards the spot opposite hers at the table, with a huge stuffed elephant on one side of me and a giant horse on the other.

“I say Ms. Martin!” my little sister exclaims, holding a hand over her heart and looking faint. “Where are your pants?”

Glancing down, I realize I never really got dressed today. I'm only wearing an oversized T-shirt and underwear. Lizzie is trying to look shocked and outraged, but she is biting down on her lip, fighting giggles. I falter, not sure what to say, but Lizzie beats me to it.

“You should probably find some pants, and perhaps a brazier.” She giggles at the “funny” word, and I know from her big smile that she is very proud of knowing it.

“Very well, very well,” I tell her, raising up my hands in surrender and going back to my room.

I slide on an old pair of basketball shorts and, with much sadness, put on a sports bra for my sister's sake. I reenter her room and take my rightful place, and she nods approvingly.

“I'm glad that you could join us for tea Ms. Martin.” Lizzie grins, pouring me a cup of water, which is her equivalent to tea.

“Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, my dear,” I assure her, clinking my cup to hers before bringing the cup to my lips, sure to have my pinky held high.

Lizzie's grin grew even bigger if possible, and she erupts into giggles as the water spills down my chin and onto my shirt. Frowning, I try to clean it up a bit, but it doesn't really help. Lizzie's giggles echo in my ears, bouncing around my head, and her grin seems to be permanently burned into my vision. I feel my vision go blurry, except for her bright smile, and my hearing gets dim, except for her bubbly laughter. Her room is fading away from me, no matter how hard I try to hold onto the image. Eventually though, I lose all sight of her and her room, and even the sound of her laughter diminishes to heavy silence.

I wake up in a cold sweat, twisted up in my sheets. My chest rises and falls rapidly, and my hair is plastered to my face. Shakily, I tear my sheets from my body and attempt to calm my still racing heart. I try to take deep breaths to get some much needed air into my lungs, but I end up having a coughing fit, crunching in on myself and hacking forcefully. I keep coughing for another minute or so until all that is left of the coughing is my scratchy throat. I sit up and stumble to the bathroom. Surprisingly, despite all of my ruckus, Jane is still fast asleep.