Chapter Four: Bittersweet

                                    

                                          
It had been about three weeks since Allison had started school. Things were going great. She and Eliza had tried out for the cheer team earlier in the spring. Previously, Allison and Eliza had been 3x champs. Her grades were perfect, and she had won over all of her teachers. The teachers had always loved having Allison as a student. If only her home life was going as great.
Their father had not come home until two o'clock in the morning that night. Allison and Olivia had to listen to the adults fight about it all through the week and the weekend. Allison tried her best to protect Olivia from hearing the horrible words and insults their parents threw back and forth, but there was only so much she could do. As a result, Allison ended up playing mother to Olivia, rather than a sister, since their mother had become so distraught over the argument. The two sisters had gotten used to it. When their parents became consumed with work or family issues, Allison was usually left to play both mother and father. On top of that, she had school and grades to keep up with.
Allison would never admit this, but sometimes she felt a feeling of jealousy lingering inside of her when she saw Eliza's mother always by her side. Her parents were always supporting Eliza's choices. Even when she needed a bit of guidance, her parents were there to help her work through it all. Though Allison felt guilty that she was envying her best friend so much, she knew it was all true.
It was a quiet Saturday night, as Allison peered out the window to gaze up at the billions of stars sparkling above her. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to come back to reality. At the dinner table rested four blue fine china plates next to a giant pot of Chicken Alfredo that she had made. Their cook had disappeared recently, which was odd, but Allison thought maybe he had gone on vacation. What struck her as strange was that her parents didn't question his absence either. She took it upon herself to cook dinner for the family, something she rarely did, but no one seemed to be home to notice her effort.
Allison finally accepted that her parents weren't going to get home before the dinner got cold, so she went ahead and called Olivia down to eat. Hearing the pitter-patter of footsteps coming down the stairs, Allison turned around expecting to see her younger sister, yet all she saw was a small figure engulfed in a giant green hoodie, with a pair of oversized dark jeans. Allison wasn't sure whether to laugh or start feeling a bit more self-conscious. She wondered if she looked lost in her clothes the way Olivia did in hers.
"Are those my clothes?"
"Yep!" Olivia nodded casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Before Olivia began eating, she stared at her food thoughtfully. Allison could practically see the wheels turning in her sister's head. After what felt like forever, Olivia picked up her fork ready to stab her noodles, then an odd expression crossed her face. One could practically see a light bulb pop up beside her big head. "I'll be right back!" she excused herself from the table and hurried up toward her room. Allison didn't have any time to think about what was happening. A split second later, Olivia zoomed back into the kitchen and proudly handed her older sister a big white envelope. She then hopped back into her seat, ready to take a bite.
"What's this?" Allison raised a suspicious eyebrow.
Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Mommy got the mail yesterday and plopped it down on the counter while I was colorin'. I saw your name on it, and I grabbed it before she could look at it or throw it away." She added through a stuffed mouth of Alfredo.
"Thanks!" Allison winked as she opened the oversized envelope without reading the outside. Olivia watched her sister's expression change when she opened it. It went from calm to confused, then to shocked. Only after a million emotions passed did a face of happiness finally stamp itself on Allison's features. "Olivia!" Allison shouted.